How to Build a Garden Pond in a Tub

If you'd like a garden pond, but don't have space, time or money to build a large in-the-ground pond, start small. A wine or whiskey barrel makes a great pond, or if you have an old cast iron bathtub, that's even better. They attract wildlife and children, take up little space, take no time to build, and need very little upkeep.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• A large container such as a half wine barrel, old bathtub, or water trough
• Plastic pond liner (if using a wooden barrel)
• A few water plants (water lilies, marginals, and floating)
• Small pots or aquatic plant baskets for the water plants
• Plain (unscented) clay kitty litter
• Feeder goldfish from a pet store.
• Concrete blocks

1. Place your pot pond container where you want it. Make sure the ground is packed and level under it, or it is sitting on a patio or pavers. Ponds like sun, so full sun to partial shade will make the plants happiest.

2. Plug any holes in your container, or line it with a pond liner to seal. If your pond will be in a wooden whiskey or wine barrel, be sure to line it with a pre-formed PVC plastic pond liner or a heavy rubber pond liner sheet. Barrels that have held fermentations can leach substances into your pond which can upset its ecological balance.

3. Place concrete blocks in one end of the tub to set the marginals on, and to provide hidey-holes for the fish. The tops of the marginal pots should be level with the surface of the water.

4. Place pots with water lilies in the bottom, and pots with marginals on the concrete blocks. It's best to use pots for the plants because their roots are very invasive, and it makes maintaining the pond easier. Soak unscented clay kitty litter to use as potting soil. Regular soil has too many particles that float.

5. Fill with water, add the floating plants (water hyacinth, fairy moss or water lettuce), and add the fish.

6. 
    
   Wine barrel pond

   Sit back and enjoy! Next, I'll tell you how to take care of your tub pond.

Tips & Warnings

• Add some water from standing rainwater, a puddle, pond or ditch as 'starter' for your pond ecology.
• The fish eat algae and mosquito larvae, helping to keep your pond healthy. Tadpoles are a good addition, too.
• Spread a 1 inch layer of coarse sand or clay kitty litter in the bottom of your tub to give the fish something interesting to scavenge for food in.
• It's not necessary to feed your fish since there will be plenty of natural food, but any goldfish food will keep them friendly and healthy.
• If you have electricity near by, a little water pump and small fountain from a garden store adds a happy burbling, and keeps the water circulated.
• Add a large clay pot base supported by concrete blocks to create a shallow end for birds to bathe
• If your water source is chlorinated, let it stand a few days before adding fish.
• If you live in an area with racoons or other pond predators, you might need to erect a fence around your tub to keep them out. They can tear a pond to pieces in one night.
• Just like a hot tub, pot ponds can be heavy! If you place it on a deck, make sure it is well supported underneath.

[gahazeleyes]

on 7/28/2009 This is neat. Well written article. Thanks for sharing.

[Elizzabeth]

on 7/10/2009 Thank you for writing this article! I just got rid of a large fountain but have a small fountain statute I'd like to incorporate in a water feature. This will do it! 5*

[gerrie5044]

on 7/10/2009 Great article on building a garden pond!! 5* and rec!

[donbroro]

on 7/10/2009 What about lime leaching from the concrete blocks? Not good for plants or fish. I just use different size terra cotta pots and saucers in mine. They're good for hiding pumps and filters too!

[evgnspaces]

on 7/6/2009 A garden pond sounds like a very nice way to reuse an old Tub, we always used them for horse watering troughs.