Starting Pond?

[TylerFlom89]

How should I start a pond? I'd like one but have no idea how, references to books would be great. But please try to give me enough info on the forum.

[wingedjumper517]

I have a pond. Just a plastic one that you bury into the ground. I have a koi, a shubunkin, and 4 comets in it. Oh, and some crayfish (don't worry, they're in another section so they can't get at the fish). It's great, cuz every year, I get about 7 frogs that come back. With a proper filtration system, it extablishes itself on its own and there's very little work involved in terms of water condition.

Oh, and in terms of references, magazines such as Koi Pond USA and Ponds Magazine I find helpful.

[TylerFlom89]

How big/how much is it?

[wingedjumper517]

It was $150 at Home Depot or WalMart or something, and I haven't actually gotten around to calculating how many gallons it holds (sorry, too much math for me). It has an upper and lower section, and the lower's about 5' long and 4' wide. The upper portion is about 2'x3', and the water cascades down to create a little waterwall from the smaller to the larger. And it's only about 2' deep. One of the magazines I have has a formula to calculate how many gallons it holds, and I'll let you know if I find it. It has something to do with how fast it takes to fill a 5gal tank with a hose and then how long it takes to fill the pond with the same hose, do some +/-/x and yeah...

[wingedjumper517]

Oh, and the filter, gravel, etc. was separate. Basically all I got was the plastic to bury. For filters, although one with the fountains do look nice and add to the "mood," they tend to last shorter. Mine only lasted three years because the motor died. If you want a fountain, you're better off just getting a separate fountain. Although I haven't been able to afford one yet, a lot of people have recommended the type of filter that looks like a barrel that sits out on the edge of the pond. It has rubber pipes to bring the water out and back into the pond, I believe. But for the size of pond I have now, the flat filter that lies at the bottom of the pond is working fine for me.

[fish_doc]

My pond came with the house. It is one of the plastic ones also.

[TylerFlom89]

I live in Minnesota... yeah...





Hehe, I was told I need at least 4 feet deep to keep it in the winter. Is that right? If so, are there any plastic ones that deep?

[wingedjumper517]

fish doc, you're lucky. How big is it, and do you have any fish?

I've never seen any plastic ones 4' deep. It's a back-breaker, but if I had the time, space, and everygy to, I would dig my own. That way, I can pick the layout and not be restricted in size or shape. I'm gonna do that when I get a house of my own after I finish college.

Uhm, yeah, I live in New England, so it gets pretty darn cold in the winter and we get about a foot of snow at least once a month. lol. Mine most definitely freezes all the way to the bottom.

So... about mid-October, I bring all the fish and tadpoles and crayfish and what not inside in the furnished basement (aka my study room). I have them in those storage bins that they sell at Wal Mart and Target and basically anywhere, you know, where people put old clothes or christmas ornaments into. I have a 30 gal. filter for it and care for the fish like I would with my tropical tank. I've heard of people keeping them in a kiddie pool during the winter, but I don't like that idea cuz they're not as strong and they're shallow, so the koi can easily jump out of it. I've had my koi jump out of the 16" high storage tank, so I keep a cover on it now.

And the crayfish, I keep in a 10gal, no filter, but an air pump, lots of gravel and rocks for them to hide under. They basically dig under the rocks into the gravel and make it all cozy for themselves. I have some feeder goldfish in there, throw in some goldfish food in there a couple times a week for the feeders (and the crayfish will eat what sinks to the bottom), and they basically take care of themselves that way. I change their water about twice a month.

As for the frogs, I leave them be during the winter because they're wild frogs that only come to visit during the warm season, and I figure they can figure things out on their own. However, I still find at least one dead one every spring, frozen at the bottom, unfortunately.

What suffers the most are my plants. If I leave them in the pond, they freeze, byt if I bring them inside, they die cuz there's no light. So, I keep them in the garage in storage bins filled with water. This way, it "hibernates" for the winter, jsut as it would outside, but the temp in the garage is about 10F warmer so it doesn't freeze all the way down to the bottom.

[TylerFlom89]

How much would the stuff to make one 4 feet deep and minimium area cost? I only want a few fish.