Might be staring a pond...???

[laurenrocksth]

I finally got my mother interested in having a pond in our backyard

I would be primarily responsible for setting it up and have a million questions:

1. The pond will be round and about 8 ft in diameter. What would be the appropriate depth?

2. We would stock it with fancy goldfish (cheaper than koi?), would they be able to spend the winter out there as long as the top didn't freeze completely?

3. What is the appropriate gph rating for a pump? Any suggestions on brands?

4. To actually build the pond, I just dig a hole, put in a liner and a liner pad, plant whatever plants I want and fill it with water right?

5. Do you cycle a pond like you'd cycle a tank?

6. In regards to plants, how do they get planted? Do you put them in pots under the water? I assume that they don't go through the liner into the ground, but I really have no idea.

7. For water circulation, do you guys think it's better to have a "waterfall on one side (looks better) or a fountain in the middle (maybe easier to set up?)

Sorry for all of the questions... I've never done anything like this and if I get the go-ahead, I want to do it right.

 

[calioutlaw1a]

1. I would go with nothing less than 2.5'. The deeper the better, especially if you ever want to add larger fish (koi etc).

2. Actually you can get quality koi as babies (3-4") for a reasonable price, and they are more likely to survive the winter than fancy goldfish. If you want some recommendations I will gladly provide some.
Fancy goldfish are fairly hardy, but don't tolerate extreme cold very well. It depends on how cold your winters are. If your winters are cold enough for ice to form on the pond, it may be too cold for fancy gold fish, but you can try a few and find out. Regular goldfish would be fine however.

3. This depends upon the size of your pond and the filter you use. Some filters have a max flow rate they tolerate for best efficiency, but you can work around this by setting up your plumbing properly.
If your pond has an 8' diameter and is 2.5' deep, it will be about 800 gallons. I would recommend about 3,000gph for this.

4. NO!!!!!! You should spent the next several months reading everything you possibly can about designing a proper pond, and WHY you should design it that way. I would recommend looking into bottom drains. You are a beginner, and a bottom drain is a bit advanced, but it will save you SO much time and effort in the future. However, this depends upon your budget as well.
Now chances are that you will end up doing what you described (just digging a hole and putting in a liner), but you will at least have the knowledge of how to do it correctly.

5. A pond should be cycled prior to adding fish that you care about. The best way to do this is take filter pads from a friends pond and squeeze them into your biofilter. You can add fish after only a few days this way. If you can't do this, then just wait a couple weeks with everything running and a few cheap fish. This will also allow you to make sure everything is working properly.

6. The easiest way to maintain plants in a pond is by putting them in pots. How deep they should be in the pond depends upon the type of plant. If you are buying pond plants, most will come pre-potted and you can simply set them wherever you want in the pond.

7. I would go with the waterfall. Fountains can be a pain.


I cannot stress enough that you should be very patient and stuff your head with as much pond info as possible before starting.

 

[laurenrocksth]

Thanks!

 

[shelbyzman]

18" depth is the minimum for regular goldfish....you will need to go much deeper since you are in a northern state. I would say 3' would be good. I would go with comets or shubunkins for that size of pond. They will survive the winters fine as long as the depth is deep enough. If you pond will be about 800 gallons, I would use a 800gph pump. A waterfall would look better than a fountain but is more work.

 

[Muske]

1. 24" min.
2. No fancy(fantail) goldfish.
3. Pump will be determined by gals. 2 X turnover is good.
4. Relax...
5. Yes. Throw some de-chlor and cycle or prime, and run the system for
a few days prioe to any fish additions. Plants can and should go in
right away.
6. Potted will work. I prefer direct planted.
7. Waterfall. Lillies don't like fountains.