First time building (digging) pond

[mknatesan333]

Hi all,

I just bought a house almost an year ago, it is my first house with a nice size backyard. I have been dreaming about building a pond ever since. So I made an out line (8' x 12') and started to dig. After six days I am up to 2' now and I am thinking of a total of 5' in depth. I live in eastern part of Pennsylvania, so it gets pretty cold in the winter time.

I need all the advise I can get, what kind of liner to get, what kind of pump, what kind of fish etc., etc.,

Hope to hear from you all.

 

[perfect_prefect]

firestone makes some really nice liners that hold up well. reeflo makes awsome pumps only problem is they are not submersible i have really had good luck with my mag drives also. as far as fish, channel cat, bullheads, small mouth and large mouth bass, a northern. hmm any native cold water fish would do fine, otherwise koi and goldfish.

 

[Eric A]

Don't go with goldfish or koi please!

Native all the way! As suggested above.

Crappie, Bluegill, White Bass, shovelnose sturgen.

 

[mknatesan333]

Thanks guys. I was thinking the same about fish. Don't get me wrong I love goldies, but I really want to go all natural. I will do a little more reaserch on the fish list you guys gave.

I have attached a photo of the pond, this was 5 days ago, I am upto 2' now. I will keep updateing it.

Keep hitting me with hints, advise and suggestions

 

[Muske]

Go wider...

If you have kids, or the neighbors do, 5 foot depth should have a fence around it. By going wider you can make steps in the sides which will allow kids and dogs to get out. The steps also provide various depths for plants.

 

[djarmstrong]

Nice start , any updates on this ? Like above go bigger , bigger the better .

Just what Me my Mum and Dad did ! Biult a small Goldfish pond went small at the start then just after a year we said it needs to be bigger .

We did a small 6x4foot Goldfish pond about 1.5foot deep and now its about 12x8foot and about 4foot deep and we are now after another 2 years thinking on building a 2foot deep raised section all around the side of the pond to make it a bit wide alround and a bit deeper and just have large Koi in it . So it will make are pond about 15x10foot and about 5.5 - 7foot deep .

 

[Muske]

Updates?

A light color gravel should be used to cover the liner. Natives can be hard to see in a pond since they try to blend into their surroundings. I friend of mine has a LMB and a bullhead that are never seen in the pond. Goldies and Koi really pop though. Albino Channels are a different story.