Hi all,
New to this site, and looking for info concerning the details of how to build a garden pond for my Mum. She has a small garden approx 3m x 3m in the front of her flat, and she would like to put in a small garden pond. If anyone has any info about this, or if you could direct me to where I can find some info, please.
Thanks in advance,
Paul.
Hi Paul, there are many ways of building a pond; first you need to think of what kind of pond you want.
a. Fish pond
b. Frog pond
c. Fountain/water feature
You need to think about the size you would like it to be (the bigger the better).
The shape you would like, the depth (fish pond 450-600mm), and if you would like it to have a waterfall or fountain (very important for oxygenation). Its important to get the depth right so that the temperature of the water does not fluctuate too much which will affect both plants and fish.
Once you know that you will know the size of the pump you will need.
You really will need some kind of filtration like a bio-filter (a natural sewerage plant in your pond) and maybe a ultra violate clarifier (burns and kills algae).
Remember that the pump and filter are the heart of your pond and need to be left running 24 hours a day, so buy a good pond pump not a cheap pool pump as they will cost more in the long run to run.
The sides of the pond should be at most a 10degree angle, the straighter the better as sloping side are a perfect platform for blanket weed (and you don’t need that problem)
Planting shelves are a good idea too so you can plant marginal plants not just lilies (lilies struggle in shallow water)