Water in Your Garden
by Amber S.

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A Barrel Pond
Ponds are easy to take care of and can be placed in just about any space. I live in a tiny one-bedroom apartment and I have still found room for a goldfish pond and a garden on my porch. My pond is made of a half whiskey barrel, a barrel liner, a couple of $1 flower pots and a pump. I purchased the half barrel for $15 dollars. The barrel liner was purchased at a pond store for about $40. If you cannot find a barrel liner you can try a tree nursery. See if they will sell you one of their large plastic pots that they use to grow trees. Find one that will fit the barrel and just slide it in.

Make sure that you have some kind of fountain before filling the barrel with water. There are some necessary components that are needed before beginning the pond.
1) barrel
2) barrel liner
3) gravel for the bottom
4) a large ceramic pot, about 5 or 6 gallons (for a bio-filter)
5) plants (the best to have are lilly pads and some anacharis)
6) a fountain pump (the smallest you can find will do)
7) ceramic pots for the fountain

In my pond, I chose to use ceramic pots for the waterfall fountain. I purchased a large herb pot with holes in the sides. It stands about the height of the pond. The holes in the sides are great for the fish to swim through and take shelter from the summer sun. I placed the pot inside the barrel against the back side after installing the liner and the gravel. I purchased another, regular, ceramic pot for $1 and lay it on its side on top of the opening of the herb pot. I filled this pot with stones I dug up from the garden and inserted the tube from the water pump in the hole in the back. This produces a stream of water that squirts out of the stone-filled pot. The pump can also be made to make the water run down the stones like a waterfall, but I liked the fountain effect. Lillypads can be bought and placed inside the pond. I can buy them from the pond store for $9. If you choose to get your own from a pond or lake, make sure that you get them by the roots. Also, make sure that you clean them under clean, running water before placing them in the pond. Be sure that the plants are free from parasites that might harm your fish.

All small ponds require a filter of some type. I choose to use a bio-filter because it is aesthetically pleasing and because it does not need to be cleaned. A bio-filter is easily made with a large flower pot. 5-6 gallons is the perfect size. Mine is a 6 gallon pot and is made of ceramic. Place gravel in the bottom of the pot. Because this pot will not have goldfish in it to eat mosquito larvae, you will need to purchase some kind of mosquito fish. Good breeds from pet stores are guppies and mollies. I have a yellow molly in my filter to keep the mosquitoes out. One fish will do just fine. You might have problems if you put more than one in the filter. You should not have to feed the fish in the small filter pond. Usually enough food will spill over for them to have plenty to eat. You should also make sure to place lots of anacharis in the biofilter. Anacharis is a water plant that is easily found in pet stores and is very inexpensive. Make sure that you do not put any in the large pond as goldfish find it quite tasty and will make short work of it. About 4 or 5 plants in the small pond will be perfect. They will quickly grow roots and get large. If you find that your filter is clogged with too many plants, you can always put some in with the goldfish to eat.  Do not put surface plants such as lillypads in the small pond as they will block the sunlight to the useful anacharis. The fountain pump should be kept in the filter pond. Never put a pump in the larger pond. If the fountain gets knocked over or the tube pulled out, it will pump out all of the water and the fish will die. Also make sure that the barrel is watered regularly to keep the wood from shrinking too much. If the wood shrinks, the metal rings will fall off and the barrel will fall apart.

You should have some way for the water in the large pond to spill into the filter pond. I use three pieces of the tubing that pumps the water out of the fountain. I drilled holes in the side of the barrel and lining just slightly smaller than the tubing just at the top of the water line in the barrel. Each piece of tubing is curved and is about 1 ½ inches long. The water spills out of the tubes and into the filter as it reaches the water line and allows small particles to pass through and not the fish.

Getting it Started
Once the pond is ready and built, you will need to add water. Be sure that you read this before adding fish. If you want to add the fish quickly, you must be certain to use water conditioner which can be found in pet stores. Chlorine is highly toxic to fish and will kill them almost instantaneously. Use the water conditioner exactly according to the directions. Mine requires 4 drops per gallon of water in the pond. If a water conditioner is used, you must wait at least 2 days before adding fish. If you choose not to use a water conditioner you must wait at least 1 week for the chlorine in the water to evaporate and for the heavy metals to stabilize. Add the water and the plants at the same time and set the pond up exactly as you want it. Run the fountain during the day to keep the water cool and circulated. This is a must whether you will have fish or not. Make sure that the plants look healthy during the week before the fish are added.

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Adding the Fish
Though goldfish seem inexpensive and rather hardy, you must be sure to take very good care of them as they are just as delicate as any other exotic breed. Goldfish are better than all other fish because they can withstand freezing temperatures with no damage, come in a variety of beautiful colors, are intelligent and easily trainable and grow larger than other fish. Goldfish are cold-water fish and must be kept in the shade. Make sure, however, that if this shade comes from a tree that you scoop out dead leaves every day. Leaves that rot in the water or manage to sink to the bottom will kill the fish. Choose your goldfish wisely, as they will likely remain in the pond for the life of the pond. Goldfish have been known to greatly outlive their human owners. One goldfish in Japan was recorded to have lived over 800 years! Choose the goldfish that you think are the most beautiful. Goldfish come in a variety of colors. You may find that the more variety of color you have, the better. DO NOT stock your small pond with any kind of koi. They may look small when you purchase them at the store, but they grow very quickly. Koi average a few feet in length and would die if kept in a small pond. If you prefer a fancy fish, try some of the many fancy breeds of goldfish such as fantails and orandas. These goldfish will average 5 to 6 inches and will not outgrow the pond. Comets and “feeder” or common goldfish are also nice and grow very large and can have quite lovely coloring. In our pond we have a large, gold, 5 inch common and a 5 ½ inch fantail with mottled coloring. Do not put more than 3 goldfish in your small pond. They will grow large quickly and are easily crowded. Fish require a certain amount of oxygen in the water which is transferred from the air on the surface of the water. If there are too many fish, there will not be enough oxygen. Also make sure that there are not too many lillypads covering the surface as these will hinder oxygen exchange as well. If you see fish gasping at the surface of the water then you know that there is a problem. You should get rid of some of the fish or pull out a few plants before the fish die.

Goldfish are wonderful to have in a pond. The consume mosquito larvae and add colorful, living beauty to your garden and your pond. Goldfish should be fed 2-3 times a day during the summer. Do not feed the goldfish during the winter. We have mild winters in Texas and only the surface of the pond freezes over. If you live in a temperate climate, you will not need to remove the goldfish from the pond. If the surface freezes over, you must make a hole to allow oxygen exchange between the air and water. NEVER break the ice with any instrument. Fish have nerve endings along their backs that are very sensitive to even the slightest movement. Breaking the ice will harm your goldfish. Instead, purchase a pond or aquarium heater that you can use outdoors. Just be sure that the heater is turned to the lowest it can be. Goldfish require the cold weather of the seasons for their life-cycles. If you cannot afford a heater, boil a pot of water and place the pot on the surface of the water so that it melts a hole in the ice.

Your goldfish will hibernate during the winter time. There will come a time as it gets colder when they just stop coming to the surface for food. When the fish stop coming, you should stop feeding. They will stay at the bottom and not come to the surface all winter. When the weather begins to warm, they will begin coming to the surface again and this is when you may resume feeding.

Do not feed your fish flake goldfish food. Fish consume too much air when eating floating flake food and it can upset their stomachs and even kill. Purchase floating pellets of the proper size. Sinking pellets will become lost in the gravel and cloud and spoil the water.

Goldfish can easily be trained to eat right out of your hand. Practice each day trying to train them to come to the surface and snatch pellets from your fingers. If you feed your fish at the same time each day, they will learn and be waiting for you before you get there.

Always watch out for frogs. If you like frogs and would rather have frogs in your pond, do not add goldfish. Frogs find them quite tasty and will even eat goldfish their own size.

Algae
Algae will be a problem in the pond from the first week that you get it started. The water will turn green and cloud up and you will be tempted to go to the store and buy chemicals. Don’t. Algae is just part of the proper cycle of a pond. Once the fish and the plants are properly established, you will see the water become clearer. The healthier the plants in the pond, the less algae you will have. Algae blooms are a proper cycle in a pond. If you purchase chemicals they will kill the algae and it will rot in the pond. This can easily kill the fish. Besides that, you will just have another algae bloom the next week and have to use more chemicals. Funny how that works. Running water will also prevent the growth of algae. Make sure that you have a proper waterfall or fountain in your pond. Add water accordingly as the water in the pond evaporates. Make sure that the water has been treated one day prior or that it sits for at least two days and be allowed to stabilize. Make sure that any dead leaves from water plants are removed. You may also have to skim the top of the water in the bio-filter to keep it clean.

Making a Small In-Ground Pond
You can easily make a small in-ground pond in your yard if you own a house. Purchase either a plastic formed pond liner from a garden store or, if you have little money, you can make a cheaper pond using a child's plastic formed swimming pool. I can purchase those here in Texas for about $9. Purchase the largest pool you can find if you are planning to put goldfish in it. Dig a hole in the ground that will exactly fit the liner you have purchased. Be certain, first, that the ground is perfectly level. If it is even a centimeter off, you will not be able to fill the pond properly and the water will run out. Place some gravel in the bottom for the plants and so that wastes will fall down into it. These ponds should also have some kind of filtration fountain system. You can purchase a special filter at a  pond store or you can make a bio-filter waterfall in one of two ways.

1) For the first type of small pond bio-filter, you can sue a ceramic pot like in the barrel pond. Make sure it is a good 5-6 gallons in capacity. Fill it partly with gravel and put plants in. Drill a small hole in the side of the pot at the top and place in a spout of some type. If you want it to look nice you may want to use a piece of bamboo (see picture above). Have the water pump out of the pond and into the pot filter. Then set the pot next to the pond so that the water flows cleanly into the pond out of the bamboo spout.

2) If you like, you can also make an in-pond bio-filter. Just take a smaller pot (about 1/2 -1 gallon) and place it in the pond on the side so that the rim sticks above the water about 1 or 2 inches. Fill this pot with lava rock all the way to the top. Make a fountain any way you like on the side of the pond, but have the fountain pour into the pot of rocks. This water will flow out the top of the pot and be cleaned by the rocks. You will not have to clean this filter except to rinse out the rocks every year or so.

When placing the fountain pump in the pond, make sure that you do not place it on the bottom of the pond. You should place the pump about three inches beneath the surface. That way, if the tube accidentally gets pulled from the fountain it will not pump all of the water out of your pond and kill your fish and plants. Always scoop leaves and dead plants out of the pond as they will rot and kill the fish.

You should also have some kind of drainage system for an in-ground pond. Make a hole in the side of the pond liner at the very top where the water level should be. You can attatch a piece of PVC pipe that runs downhill underground or under some rocks that will allow water to drain during rainstorms, thus preventing flooding. Make sure to cover the entrance of the pipe with a small piece of 1/2 inch wire mesh so that fish will not swim into the tube and be killed.

Once the pond is in place you can hide the rim by placing flat rocks around the top of the pond (see pic. below). Plants should be added once the pond is completed and filled with water. Be sure to wait at least one week before adding your fish. No more than three goldfish should be allowed in a pond of this size as they will grow quickly. Be sure that the plants are cleared enough for the fish to breathe. DO NOT add koi to a pond of this size. Koi grow to several feet in length and would soon outgrow their habitat and die. Choose fancy or "feeder" goldfish.

"Garden Pond" by Eric Chrichton

Making an Indoor Pond
Making an indoor pond is simple and easy. Here are a couple of ways of constructing one from simple and inexpensive to more costly.

One less cost-effective way of having an indoor pond is by purchasing a small tabletop fountain. If you do not want the fountain, you can simply take out the pump and use it for another container. Craft stores usually sell very large glass containers for very little. Use a giant glass bowl and put some fish in it. Just remember nevr to put a goldfish into a bowl. Goldfish do not grow to the size of their containers. Their growth is stunted by a small area to live in. This growth stunt is very harmful to goldfish and they will die very quickly. If you value your fish, you will not put goldfish into a bowl for any reason. Instead, try a few guppies. Guppies are very colorful and beautiful and can also be trained to eat from your hand. Just remember not to put any more than two guppies per gallon in your pond. You can use a cheap water pump to create a waterfall in your little pond using rocks.

Another easy indoor pond to make is the planter pond. Purchase a large planter pot (at least 10 gallons large), a piece of PVC pipe to fit, a small water pump, a small (7 inch) flowerpot, some rocks (lava rock and smooth river stones), and some gravel. Cut the PVC pipe so that when you set the small pot on it, it wil not show above the surface of the water. Make a hole in the bottom large enough for the tube from the water pump to fit inside. Put the pipe in the center of the pot. If you have to, you can glue around the bottom of the pipe to keep it standing up straight. it should, however, stand up on its own. If the planter has a hole in the bottom, you can fill it with putty. Wait until it dries completely before adding any water. Once the pipe is in place, you should add the gravel. About 1 inch is good enough. Place the pump inside the pot and fit the the tube into the pipe. Place the tube into the hole in the bottom of the flower pot and seal it with putty. After the putty has dried, place rocks in the pot. You should put lava rock in the bottom to act as a filter. On the top, you can place pretty tumbled stones. When the pump is turned on, the water should fall around all of the sides like a waterfall. If it does not, you should adjust the flower pot so that it tilts evenly all around.

Making a Large Pond
Large ponds are not easy to construct and take much money, time and planning. If you wish to construct a large pond, please visit these sites:

The Biggs' Wildlife Pond - Truly a masterpiece!
Earth-Wise Garden Ponds
Eric's Swimming Pool to Pond Conversion
Jerry's Pond Page
Dan and Rita's Goldfish Pond
Koi Pond Tours - Click on your state of choice and view lots of different ponds
Greg's Goldfish Pond
CJ's Adventures in Ponding
Pond Gallery
The Pond Lady
Daryl and Carl's Pond and Garden
Steve's Pond
Roy's Pond Pages
Waterway