How to Make a Goldfish Pond
- 1). Select a good location for your pond. You will enjoy your pond more if it is closer to your home where you can see it easily--but it's important to place your pond where leaves, grass clippings, fertilizers and insecticides around your home will not end up in the pond. Also, make sure that your pond will get full sun for at least half of the day. If you will be using a submersible pump, position your pond near an outside power outlet.
The position of your pond also should accommodate seasonal changes. Ponds in cooler areas need to include areas where the water is at least two feet deep to prevent the pond from freezing completely. Ponds in warmer areas benefit from partial shade over some regions to provide cooler cover for the fish. - 2). Determine the size of your pond. The size and depth of the pond should be proportionate to the number, size and type of goldfish that will live in it. As a rule, ponds with smaller than a 4-foot diameter are easy to build, but get dirty very quickly, usually do not provide enough room and cover for your goldfish, and can become overgrown with plants.
- 3). Determine the shape of your pond. Using a length of rope or a water hose, form the outline of the pond on the ground to help you visualize how the pond will fit into your landscape.
- 4). Dig the pond, using the rope or hose as a template. If you plan to include plants in your pond, incorporate "shelves" of soil around the edges of the pond. Set the depth of the shelves to allow the parts of plants that need to be above water to reach the surface as they grow. Generally, a depth between 12 and 18 inches and one foot wide is sufficient for the shelves.
- 5). Check the level of the top edge of the pond using the 2x4 and carpenter's level. Lay the 2x4 across the pond and place the level on top of it. Take the level of the pond. If necessary, adjust the soil level on one side of the pond until the level is square. Repeat this step at one-foot intervals along the length of the pond.
- 6). Prepare the pond for the liner by ensuring the inside surface of the pond is free of debris, such as rocks or roots, that may damage the liner. Use sand to line the pond to help smooth out the soil and reduce risk to the liner.
- 7). Place the liner in the pond. Size the liner to fill the pond with at least a one-foot margin around the edge. Use a single sheet of material to line your pond to help prevent leaks.
- 8). Fill the pond with water. As you fill the pond, straighten out any wrinkles that appear in the liner. Don't worry about little wrinkles; the pressure of the water eventually will flatten them out. If you use tap water, add dechlorinator.
- 9). Place coping materials around the outside edge of the pond. Use stones, gravel or river rocks, landscaping timbers or other heavy material that will help to keep the liner in place.
- 10
Dig a trench around the pond to lay flexible plastic tubing to connect the pond filter and skimmer. Although filtration equipment is optional, it will help reduce the maintenance of your pond by trapping leaves and other debris and help keep the water clear. - 11
Position the filter, skimmer and submersible pump along the inside edge of the pond, ensuring that they are clear of rocks, plants and other obstructions that will prevent proper water flow. - 12
Lay the flexible plastic tubing in the trench and connect the skimmer and pump to the filter using the screwdriver and stainless steel ring clamps. - 13
Plug the pump into a nearby outside electrical outlet. Ensure that all piping connections are free from leaks and allow the pump to cycle the water in the pond to clear it. Fill in the trench with soil. - 14
Add plants to your pond. Remember, goldfish eat some plants. Consult with your local aquatic plant nursery for advice on the best plants to select for a goldfish pond. Try water lilies, horsetail reeds or cattails. - 15
Add your goldfish. Your fish most likely will come in a plastic bag. Place the plastic bag in the pond first to help the fish adjust to the temperature of the water in the pond. The optimal pond temperature is between 70 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit. Adding fish to ponds with cooler or warmer temperatures may shock your fish and injure them. After about 20 minutes, open the bag and release the fish carefully.
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