How to Plan an Outdoor Fish Pond

Get ready to install your new fish pond.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Measuring Tapes
• Pond Filters
• Pond Liners
• Pond Nets
• Water Test Kits

1. Consider the following before starting construction: Where will the pond go? You don't want to locate it under trees where you'll have leaves constantly falling in it, and worse, clogging the filter.

2. Make sure power and water sources are available.

3. Don't position your pond where it will be exposed to flooding. Be sure the area you choose is level and the soil has good drainage.

4. Keep in mind where tree roots will be in respect to your pond.

5. Know how big you want it to be. The smaller the pond, the more the outside temperature and weather conditions will affect it. Take advantage of the sun as much as possible to keep the pond warm. A stable pond in generally no less than 50 square surface feet. The depth should range between 18 and 24 inches. You'll have more maintenance issues with a pond more than 3 feet in depth.

6. Decide what shape you like. Your options are limited only by your imagination and budget. Look through some home and yard magazines for ideas.

7. Check the local building codes regarding ponds in your area. Some places require a fence to be constructed around ponds of certain depths. You may also need a building permit. Ask your dealer about the requirements in your community.

8. Be familiar with the electrical codes governing outdoor use of electricity and fixtures if you plan to have lighting.

9. Consider how long you want the pond to last, how much you want to spend on it, how good your installation resources are, and how available replacement materials are.

10. Remember that if you want to have fish, you'll need a mechanical filter to remove debris particles from the water, and a biological filter to help control nitrogen levels.

Tips & Warnings

• A fish pond is very much like an aquarium. It requires a container and a filter, and you must treat the water before you add fish.
• Install your pond in the spring to give the plants the optimum time to adjust to their new conditions.
• When you bring your new fish home, wrap the plastic bag in something opaque, like a paper bag. This will reduce stress on the fish. Introduce the fish to its new environment slowly.
• Equalize the water temperature by floating the fish in its bag in the pond. Add ½ cup of pond water to the bag water every half hour for an hour.

[jwmccarty1997]

on 6/4/2008 I have a neighbor who turned an old swamp into a pond/lake. Now it's a big brown mud puddle. If the pond/lake is a quarter acre big and ten foot in the middle, how big does the filter and natural filter have to be? Is the muddy water due to the size, algea, or no filtration at this time. Does it need more plants?
Thanks

jim
[e-mail]

on 1/4/2006 Before you start digging your pond, go ahead and set up the waterfall and skimmer, including attaching all the plumbing. I suggest the pre formed types; their easy to setup and maintenance couldn't be easier. Then as you remove the dirt from your pond you can place it in and around them right from the start, instead of having to move the dirt twice. Also, carefully plan where you are going to lay all your plumbing for the waterfall, skimmer and return lines, so you can dig them into the sides of the pond. That way you're not having to dig yet another hole/trench.

on 11/22/2005 Ponds are more expensive than you think. Especially if you are planning to have fish in the pond. It is best if you calculate the installation and maintenance costs, too. There are a lot of books around on ponds; read as many as you can. The views are sometimes diverse, choose what is best for you. You will need, hoses, liners, filter, groundwork, landscaping for the waterfall, plants, fish etc. However, following are often forgotten:
1. You will need a pump that can push the volume of your pond through the filter once every two hours. The bigger your pond is, the more expensive your pump will be, both to buy and to run it.
2. Pump size also depends on how high it will have to push the water. So you will have to plan the position of the waterfall, where the mechanical and/ or biological filter will be. Filters combined with fountains are impractical.
3. Most likely you will need a UV clarifier. To determine the proper size, you will need to have the volume of your pond and some other circumstances, such as the average depth and the amount of time your pond is in shade. The more the shade and the depth, the smaller UV clarifier you will need.
4. Calculate, how much it will cost you to run the pump and the UV 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

on 11/22/2005 Here's a great tip for anyone thinking of building a pond: Always make it bigger than you think that you will want it. After a very short time, you will want to do more things than a small pond will allow, like getting more fish or more diverse plants.

on 11/22/2005 Here's a great tip for anyone thinking of building a pond. Always make it bigger than you think that you will want it. After a very short time, you will want to do more things than a small pond will allow - like getting more fish or more diverse plants.