How to Make Backyard Water Ponds
Backyards are places for kids to play, adults to socialize and dogs to get their exercise. Along with other decorations, such as trees, a pond can add to any outside area. Before starting to build a pond, consider where it will best fit in your yard and what type of pond you want. Some backyard ponds can be beneficial to animals, as they hold fish, frogs or birds. Although ponds can serve as the main attraction in a backyard, they require time and resources to build and maintain. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Hose or rope
- Shovel or spade
- Sand
- Pond liner
- Stones or rocks
- Pond filter
- Pond pump
- Pond animals and plants
- Algaecide
Instructions
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Lay out a long rope or hose to find the right shape and size for your pond and to take measurements. Place the pond in an area where you can dig down at least 2 or 3 feet, depending on the type of pond you want.
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2
Dig a hole for your pond, making one end deeper. Elevate part of your pond, creating a tier-like formation. This will ensure that your pond can drain excess water. After you finish digging, smooth out the dirt in the pond and add a layer of sand.
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Put a rubber liner in your pond and fill it with stones or rocks. A liner will keep excess water from getting into the soil. Put the stones or rocks around the edges of the pond to keep the liner in place and maintain the overall shape.
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4
Fill the pond with water and install a filter and pump. The pump and filter will help circulate water in the pond and remove unwanted debris. Install an external filter or a waterfall tank if you want to create a waterfall effect in your pond.
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Put a dechlorinator in the pond to get rid of any chlorine or chloramines in the water. Chlorine and chloramines can be dangerous to fish and other wildlife.
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Add aquatic plants and animals. Animals that can live in small ponds include goldfish, frogs, turtles and koi. Water lilies, taros, water lettuce, water hawthornes, water hyacinth, anacharis and aquatic mints also thrive in ponds.
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Add algaecide regularly as plants begin to grow, following the manufacturer's recommendations. As the plants get more firmly rooted, you should need to use less.
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Tips & Warnings
If there are small children nearby, build a fence around your pond to keep them from accidentally falling in.
Locate your pond far enough away from your house so that water that drains from it does not get into your home.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit water lilly image by Marek Kosmal from Fotolia.com
