How to Make a Gold Fish Pond

Building a goldfish pond in your backyard can be a challenging task, but it will add value to your outdoor living space and provide a sense of tranquility.

Building a goldfish pond in your backyard can be a challenging task, but it will add value to your outdoor living space and provide a sense of tranquility. As goldfish will grow to the size of the pond, the general rule of thumb is the bigger the better; aim to build a pond that can hold at least 1,000 gallons of water. Follow the steps below to build a goldfish pond that will last for years to come.

Things You'll Need

• Shovel
• Rope
• Spray paint
• Pond underlayment
• Rubber pond liner
• Landscaping rocks
• Pond filter
• Pond water pump
• Hose
• Dechlorinator product
• Aquatic plants
• Goldfish

Instructions

1. Call your local utility company to find out where any underground lines might be in your yard. This is extremely important, because you will be digging quite deep and don't want to hit any electrical or gas lines.

2. Choose a location for your goldfish pond that receives at least six hours of full sunlight throughout the day.

3. Outline the shape of your goldfish pond with a rope or garden hose. The pond should be at least 7 feet long and 4 feet wide to accommodate the fish. Mark the outline of the pond with spray paint.

4. Dig out the goldfish pond with a shovel. If you plan to add aquatic plants, dig out a shallow shelf, at least 1 foot deep and 1 foot wide, for them. Dig out the remainder of the pond on a slope, giving the pond a shallow end and a deep end. Ideally the depth of the pond should be at least 4 to 5 feet deep, 5 feet being the deepest part of the pond. If you live in an environment prone to freezing, the deep end of the pond will allow the goldfish to survive harsh winters.

5. Line the pond with a pond underlayment product. Pond underlayment products can be purchased at any home store and are made out of geotextile fabric that will protect the pond liner from being damaged by sharp rocks or glass that could be buried in the ground. Lay down the rubber pond liner on the floor of the pond and position it evenly, smoothing out any folds and wrinkles.

6. Secure the pond liner with large landscaping rocks. This will also give your pond a more natural look.

7. Place the pond filter on the pond floor. Fill the pond with water. Add a dechlorinator product to remove any chlorine from the water.

8. Add aquatic plants. Adding aquatic plants soon after building and filling your goldfish pond will hamper algae growth, because the plants eat up the nutrients that algae need to survive.

9. Wait a week to ensure the water is dechlorinated and ready before adding the goldfish. Failing to wait long enough could result in the fish getting sick or dying.

References

• The Water Garden: How to Build a Water Garden or Fish Pond
• factoidz.com: How to Build a Low Cost Goldfish Pond