How to Set Up an Outdoor Fish Pond

The pleasure you'll get from your pond in the long run makes it worth the hassle of installing it.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Chlorine Remover
• Garden Hoses And Attachments
• Gardening Gloves
• Pond Filters
• Pond Liners
• Pond Nets
• Sand
• Shovels
• Water Test Kits
• 2-by-4 Boards
• Colored String
• Spray Paints
• Carts Or Wheelbarrows
• Levels
• Shovels

1. Lay out a bright-colored string on the ground in the outline of your proposed pond. If you're using a preformed pond, lay the liner out and outline it with string.

2. Look at it from your windows, patio and yard to be sure you like the location.

3. Use spray paint to mark the entire outline of your pond when you're satisfied with the shape and location.

4. Start about 3 inches out from the paint marks with a shovel and begin removing the sod and topsoil around the perimeter of the pond.

5. Lay a 2-by-4-inch board across the width of one end of the pond.

6. Set a carpenter's level on the board and make sure that the edge of the pond is level. Add topsoil to the edge if it's not.

7. Continue this process until you are certain that the entire pond edge is perfectly level. If it isn't, the liner will show where it's higher than the rest and could leak water where it's lower.

8. Start digging at the center of the pond. The walls should slope at about a 20 to 30 degree angle. Dig 2 inches deeper than the pond will be.

9. When the hole is complete, check for things poking out of the ground that might tear the liner, such as rocks or roots. Remove them if you find any.

10. Lay 2 inches of sand evenly across the bottom for drainage. It packs well if you get it wet.

11. Roll the liner out in the sun to heat it up. This will make it more flexible and easier to work with.

12. Lay the liner in the correct position in the pond, being careful not to move the sand too much.

13. Fill the pond with water.

14. Cut away the extra liner in places where it sticks up above ground level. Keep these pieces in case you need to patch the liner in the future.

15. Dechlorinate the water before you add fish and plants.

Tips & Warnings

• Rooted plants typically are put into the pond in pots with a layer of gravel on top of the potting soil.
• Rinse all of your plants before putting them in the pond. Soak them in a solution of 1 part bleach to 20 parts water. Dip the plant for about 2 minutes and rinse it immediately in cool running water. Next dip it in water treated with a dechlorinator to neutralize any remaining bleach.
• The pond liner is by far the biggest expense, and the materials vary widely. Fish-grade PVC lasts between 7 and 15 years; fish-grade rubber will last twice that long. A preformed fiberglass pond will last about 50 years, while concrete could last as long as the house, though putting it in is a lot more work.

on 8/26/2006 Calculate the capacity of the pond and accommodate for that with the pump, e.g if the pond is 200 gallons then get a filter that can recycle 250 gallons an hour or more.

on 11/22/2005 If you have fish, elevate your pump off the bottom by setting it on a shelf, a milk crate, or some bricks. This way, if the pump accidentally gets moved and begins pumping water out of the pond, your pond will not pump itself dry.

on 11/22/2005 1. Incorporate plant shelves 6-10" below the water when digging the pond. 2. The pump is the heart of the pond, choose carefully. It should circulate at least 1/2 the volume of the pond every hour and must run continuously (choose energy efficiency).

on 11/22/2005 It's a good idea if you're planting around your pond to put an unfolded cardboard box over the top of it. It keeps dirt from falling in and making the water mucky.

on 11/22/2005 Get a pump/filtration system that circulates 100 percent of your pond water in 3 hours or less.