An idea, but I need advice......

[blackrose]

I do like the idea of a small pond in the garden but Iknow very little about keeping one, I work offshore and have a very non-gardening wife so it would be left for two weeks at a time, so I suppose the idea of keeping fish is out.
what pumps are best
do they use a huge amount of electricity
do you need a continuous flow of fresh water, can it be recycled
if keeping fish what is the best way to protect them, cats birds etc


or should I just forget the whole idea a go to the footy instead

[andy]

Probably the best thing to do is to create a kind of wildlife pond. Either use a preformed pond that you buy, dig a hole and throw it in, or to use a liner, dig a hole and throw it in.

My favourite would always be for a liner as you can then have the pond any shape or size you like.

A small "beached" area with some pebbles that is shallow and will allow the birds to bathe and drink and for insects to gather would be a good idea.
Plant the pond up well with water lillies, oxygenators and marginal plants and you won't need any form of pump or filter.....unless you want to add a fountain or waterfall.

Eventually, the pond balance will be good and you will have crystal clear water for the best part of 48 weeks of the year.

As for fish, there's no reason why you can't have any. Why not go for a few native fish such as sticklebacks or golden rudd. These will feed on insects and aquatic bugs but will also happily take flake food.

There's lots of options open to you and none require electricity unless you really want it.

Give us some idea of what you would really want (size, shape, where it's sited etc) and we can go from there.

Andy

[sleepysunday]

I agree with Andy. My pond is about 10' long and 3.5' deep, and is shaped like a tear drop. I dug it so that it has a shallow shelf all around the edge so that birds can have a drink and hedgehogs that may fall in can climb out, and to place marginal pond plants.

I don't have any fish as they are voracious hunter/eaters, but it has plenty of wildlife - frogs, newts, and aquatic insects galore.

I have no pumps, or filters and the water is crystal clear.

I'm careful with any plants I put in to avoid blanket weed.

It is very low maintainance - I cull the more invasive pond plants every spring before the frogs lay their spawn. Other than that I just top it up a few times in the summer.

A garden without a pond is as a room without books is as a body without a soul (IMO)

[andy]

Here's a quick example i've just knocked up in paint

[andy]

Or this is a photo of my sisters pond i put in for her back in the summer. This one has pump, filter, UV underwater lighting and above ground lighting.

This one's more for the fish as my brother in law ( a 20 stone, 6'6" geordie copper) is petrified of frogs and other creepie crawlies !!!

[Deleted]

Whatever you decide on CB, remember to make it completely child-proof. Ponds are like a magnet to children so you have to make sure there's no way they can get in there when you're not looking.

FA x

[sleepysunday]

Whatever you decide on CB, remember to make it completely child-proof. Ponds are like a magnet to children so you have to make sure there's no way they can get in there when you're not looking.

Good point FA. Every year host a big BBQ for all my friends. The first year I had the pond we had a 'bob the baby' competition.

BIG MISTAKE!

The nappies fouled the water for months!!!

But as FA says, if you want babies to get in - make sure it is when you are looking.

[Susie Snowdrop]

Here's a couple of pics of my pond which OH built last year. It's constructed out of concrete and then painted with 'pond paint' to seal it. Hopefully, it will never have any leaks <fingers crossed smiley>.

There are various types of fish in it, carp, sterlot (Earl the Sterl!) and goldfish. It also has pond weed, water lilies and a few marginals on the shelf around the edge.

We have a UV filter and pump and so far, the water has been crystal clear!






S x

[blackrose]

Thanks folks, now I will give it some serious thought for the spring project and promise to show photos of my progress, I always thought it was a mommoth task having one.

Andy I'm not sure of size and depth yet, but just a small one would be fine, will get back to you on that one.

Great photos Andies sisters one looks great, good work there mate, that would be similar in size to the one I'd build.
Cheers

[sleepysunday]

Make it as deep as you can. The deeper it is the more stable it will be - environment wise.

[sweetleaf]

mines 4ft6 deep in the middle.

[andy]

blackrose said:

Thanks folks, now I will give it some serious thought for the spring project and promise to show photos of my progress, I always thought it was a mommoth task having one.

Andy I'm not sure of size and depth yet, but just a small one would be fine, will get back to you on that one.

Great photos Andies sisters one looks great, good work there mate, that would be similar in size to the one I'd build.
Cheers

It can really be as simple as.....dig a hole, get rid of the spoil (waste soil), put a suitable material in to protect the liner (old carpet, fleece. sand) and then put the liner in, finnish off the edge, Fill with water, plants and beasties and enjoy.
Around the edge....you can just lay a few rolls of turf so they actually go into the water.

My sister's pond is only 5' x 3' x 2' deep and about 180 gallons in total.

The whole project from start to finnish can probably be done in a weekend.

Andy

[Plocket]

If you only want a little bit of water how about considering a container water garden? Obviously whatever container you get has to be water-tight but I have a little water garden and it's doing very well and into it's third year now. I haven't got a pond pump or anything, but have some plants to help keep it oxygenated properly. I'll try and find a piccy for you.....

[Plocket]

Here you go:

[Dutchy]

Now there is a lovely small pond. Good idea to keep the Houtunia in there. It looks good but can not conquer the rest of the garden.
Unless it bullies its way out of the pot.

I have an almost circular pond 2meter in diameter and 3 feet deep at the deepest end. It has a tail shaped bit that is the swamp area and a safe place for it to overflow. ( which happens about twice per year) Clay does not absorb water very well so with heavy rain I get water from the garden flowing in. This causes bindweed to grow. Not too much fortunately. I have no fish but loads of newts, frogs and toads. I even had mrs hedgehog taking a bath. That is one of the animals you need to have a low edge for somewhere. They are not very good climbers when it comes to leaving a pond. You so do not want to find a dead hedgehog in your pond.

Fish are nice but they are also the reason you get algae. They are a bit sloppy with food and they go to the toilet in the pond.
Never saw one getting out with a little toilet roll to go elsewhere.
You pond is consequently filled with a lot of nutrient.
Waterlily is a hungry feeder so that is one to get some nutrient out again. A really good oxinator is Stratiotes but it is rather prickly ( I cut my hands on it quite often and I should know better).
It is a nice plant that comes to the surface in summer and sinks down in winter. Mine is well established so I need to get rid of lots of plants every year. It has a bit of a rabbit hab(b)it ;D
Good luck with it CB
Dutchy

[Plocket]

I pull great chunks of the houtunia out every year Dutchy coz I'm worried it will take over the water garden. It doesn't even go in the composter just in case!!!

You sound as though you know about ponds Dutchy - my parents have two, a natural one and a man made one. The natural one is really getting clogged up with duck-weed and other than chucking in a bale of the appropriate straw (it's a big pond!) do you know how they can keep it under control, naturally? Ta! Px

[sleepysunday]

I don't think a bale of barley straw will eliminate duck weed. That will combat blanket weed.

[Plocket]

You are absolutely right Sleepy! Perhaps we need to get a couple of ducks then!!! ;D

[sleepysunday]

Water daphne eat blanket weed. But if it's a big pond and well established I reckon it's a case of live with it and try and control it.

[Plocket]

That's what mum's doing at the moment. It's a beautiful pond and I think a bit of blanket weed looks quite pretty, but she insists on trying to get it all off the surface. The pond is probably about 12 metres by about 6 metres I would guess, but I'm rubbish at measurements!

[andy]

sleepysunday said:

Water daphne eat blanket weed.

Do you mean Daphnia...or water fleas. Unfortunately, it's the first time i've heard of them eating blanket weed. They tend to munch on microscopic single cellular plant and animal life....a freshwater plankton.

Blanket weed is eliminated by removing it's food scource....namely nitrate, phosphate and sunlight. By not over feeding and reducing the amount of sunlight that enters the water (with floating plants/lillies etc), it will eventually give up the ghost.

Or, you can do as i do and add a bottle of colverleaf blanketweed killer. Superb stuff !!!

[blackrose]

Some good advice here folks, that has made my mind up into building one as soon as I get the weather to venture out and make a start. Some good pics. nice little one there plocket, can be put away if no longer wanted without having to fill any holes.

If intoducing fish, what is the best way of protecting them from birds and cats, not thinking of anything big, maybe just a few gold fish or something like that.

[Plocket]

Put away if no longer wanted??? Perish the thought CB!!!!!

You'd probably need to put some mesh or netting over the pond CB and with cats make sure there are no rocks or stones for them to balance on for fishing. Herons like a nice shallow edge to fish from too!! I can't wait to see piccies of what you do - have fun!

[Deleted]

I built a pond at one of my previous houses when living in Lincolnshire and it was destined to be a small affair made of concrete...however, i forgot the shelves d'oh but it was a blessing in disguise as i made the pond much bigger....was about 4ft 6" deep and 6ft wide in a sort of roundish shape. As well as the usual oxygenating weed I also installed a waterfall for aeration and a filter to help keep the water sweet.

What i found was that the fish could dive deep for protection from weather and birds. The pond also had a great abundance of wild life which the fish fed on. I never hand fed the fish, which is always dangerous as a if a heron or cat casting a shadow and they think it's feeding time and they come for food. After a heron had been seen in the area i put a plastic heron nearby and that seemed to do the trick.

The pond had a good balance and very rarely greened up too much as it was partially shaded. The fish grew to a good size and looked happy.

My only problem, due to the surface area, was evaporation so i would advise that consideration on how you will top up the water when necessary will be done as a pond can lose a lot of water in a hot summer. My solution ended up as water butts and having to take buckets of water down to the pond when necessary. With such a large surface area it rarely froze over completely and i just used the ping pong ball method to keep a small area free just in case.

For safety - i ended up siting the pond in it's own small 'garden' with walls and a gate and this worked a treat for me at least.

The pond was so self sufficient even without the pump or waterfall that when i disappeared up north for two years i got back to find that the pond was thriving and the fish were huge and lots of frogs and other water lovers thriving.....all i had to do was thin the weed and just give it the once over and it was away again.

Susie really green about your pond....looking to do something similiar on my patio in the summer and that's the type of thing i'd like....love the tiling v mediterranean.

[Deleted]

There's not a lot I can add really, apart from -
if using a liner then fill the pond and let it settle for a day or so before dealing finally with the edges

I would recommend a semi-raised pond, as run off from a garden into a pond can cause problems and effect the natural balance of the water. Care is also needed when using any chemicals or feeds on a lawn for the same reason. Oh and don't forget an overflow too.

Many filters (including mine) are low maintenance and only need tending to once a month. So you could have fish as your wife would only have to feed them while you are off shore.

Mine pond is covered 24/7 with galvanised steel mesh, which prevents the heron and my cats from fishing and also stops small children falling in.

I use tap water to top up my pond BTW

With regard to plastic herons, I have been told that they may work but not during the breeding season, when they could well encourage a heron looking for a mate

[Dutchy]

I can just imagine the look on the face of that heron ;D
But you are right Rita. A plastic Heron usually only attracts a life friend.

Gosh so many good advises.
Blanket weed is eaten by tadpoles but they take only a nibble.
Removing by hand is all you can do once it is there.
Keeping out the nutrient is what works best as SS already said.
That means that you don't feed your fish too often and possibly not at all in winter.
Since you do want fish the advise is to wait for at least 6 weeks for the pond to settle down a bit.

Plocket, I would not want to get rid of such a lovely little pond either. Houtunia is a monster is it not? Mine escaped, it is all over the place now. Only a knife and Glyphosate are left to battle it.
Have you considered giving LP a dish wash bowl with some annual water plants? Or a Typha minima and some duckweed ( the latter being for free from any park )

[Plocket]

Aw thank you but you are so right about houttuynia being a thug. So far I've successfully kept it in the water garden, but I think that is because it's quite a way from the ground! It's scary how rampant it gets whether in sun or shade too. At least it's a fairly pretty weed but unless you get absolutely all the root out you are stuck with it.

I love the idea of giving LP a little water garden. I think I can probably get her something nicer than a wash bowl, particularly if I develop my trough garden idea for her - it can go in that. But what's typha minima? And I can get duck weed from my mum's pond - she hate's it but I think it's pretty. It's never grown in my water garden though.

[sleepysunday]

I'm not so sure about referring to your little un as Little P. Every time I read it I'm reminded of the commercial break in a party political broadcast ;D

[Plocket]

So what's that make me??

I love the typha minima btw Dutchy - I need that for MY water garden!! ;D

[blackrose]

Now I have an idea of the shape and size, do the plants go directly into the pond complete with the pots they come in. Should I restrict the amount of plants I use in my pond (appx 3m x 2.5 and appx 3ft deep at the deepest point) I do plan to have some small fish in there.