Welcome to the world of ponds!
There is something serene and relaxing about a pond.
A well thought out and constructed pond filled with aquatic plants and fish in the back yard can add a touch of the exotic to your garden.
Creating your pond - (it's not as hard as you think).
Ponds can be constructed from a number of different materials from concrete to plastic and even household products such as an old enamel bath (just remember to seal the plug hole).It is possible to even tier more than one pond above another and create a waterfall effect and add natural rocks and plant out your pond to make it look completely natural.
Pond liner
This is a plastic or rubber sheeting that is both strong and usually treated for resistance to the uv rays of the sun to give it an extended lifespan.The advantage of a liner such as this is that you can basically create any shape or size of pond you like.
The sheeting can be cut and glued to your requirements which is a big plus.
The thing to watch for is sharp stones etc as you will need to prevent these from piercing the bottom of your pond and creating a leak which will be very difficult to fix without draining the pond and patching the hole.
A good tip is to put down a layer of soft sand or a second sheet of plastic as a protective measure.
Also you might want to add pieces of extra liner where rocks or ornaments etc may be resting.
Preformed plastic ponds.
Simple and easy to install.
Preformed plastic or fibreglass ponds are one of the easiest ways to create a pond.These come in various shapes and sizes and basically involve digging a hole and dropping in the pond.
You can have a pond installed and filled in an afternoon with a minimum of time.
Containers as ponds.
Limited space? Try these ideas.
A large waterproof ceramic pot (sealed at the base or even with a plastic liner placed inside can make an excellent pond or water feature.Remember because of the small area of water surface exposed to the air you will need to limit the number of fish (if you choose to have fish) you are going to keep.
An old enamel bath or even a plastic baby's bath will also work fine.
Dig a hole to bury it and place rocks and plants around the edges to aid in disguise.
You can seal up the plug hole if you have chosen an enamel bath by buying a plastic plug and coating the edges with silicone sealant (the kind suitable for aquariums) before inserting it then coating over the top.
Allow 24hours to cure and test for leaks before burying and filling completely.
Note don't use a zinc coated bath - it will change the chemistry of the water and poison the fish.
Location, Location, Location.
Where to put your pond.
Shady vegetation along the banks will also help in preventing the pond from heating up which is stressful for fish and also encourages algae growth.
Welcome visitors to your pond.
Frogs, birds and insects.
A healthy pond will attract frogs, insects and birds.You can encourage more of nature by planting greenery and flowering vegetation around your pond.
Aquatic greenery in the form of a few waterlilies will also give frogs a place to call home (you can occasionally see them peering from beneath a lily pad or sitting on top of one sunning themselves).
Fish for your pond.
Having a selection of brightly colored goldfish in the pond will add a new dimension to your garden.Fish require a minimal amount of care once your pond is established and working correctly.
Here are a few tips:
Provide shelter for your fish in the form of rocks and plant cover - this will give them a place to hide from predators, a place to breed and the plants will provide a source of food.
Keep the water circulating with a pump and do a partial change of the water every few weeks to remove waste.
Pond YouTube vids
About goldfish.
The goldfish, Carassius auratus, was one of the earliest fish to be domesticated, and is still one of the most commonly kept aquarium fish and water garden fish. A relatively small member of the carp family, the goldfish is a domesticated version of a dark-gray/brown carp native to East Asia. It was first domesticated in China and introduced to Europe in the late 17th century.
Goldfish can grow to a maximum length of 23 inches (59 cm) and a maximum weight of 9.9 pounds (4.5 kg), although this is rare; few goldfish reach even half this size. The oldest recorded goldfish lived to 49 years,[http://webspace.ship.edu/gspaul/animal%20behavior/goldfish%20foraging/intro_goldfish_foraging.html], [http://store.koistation.com/goldfish.html] but most household goldfish generally live only six to eight years, due to being kept in bowls. The collective noun for a group of goldfish is a "troubling".
Everything you wanted to know about keeping goldfish.
Goldfish on your computer.
This is the most realistic animated goldfish screensaver I have ever seen.
The fish look and act exactly like the real thing.
The download link is below.
The Ultimate Goldfish Screensaver.
Turn your computer into a realistic goldfish aquarium.
Koi.
Colored carp for the larger pond.
(), or more specifically (, literally "brocaded carp"), are ornamental domesticated varieties of the common carp Cyprinus carpio.
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ABBEYMILL
hi great lens very informative it all looks well set out im going to start a lens on hard ladscape gardening (fish pond warter falls etc) soon. I hope you will drop by and let me know what you think Posted February 14, 2008 |
