Advice for a pond 1st timer please

[Curlybrunette]

Hey,

We have basically been talked into digging a pond by DS. He's animal mad and saw a pond as a way of getting more pets off us!

So far we've just dug a hole (about 1.5m x 2.2m and 50cm deep). After pond underlay and liner, I don't really know what to do next.

We'll need a filter and pump, are these best bought together as 1 system, or do you buy them as separate things? A calculation I did online said with the dimensions I have I'd need a filter that did about 1700L per hour. I've seen you can get a box filter or pressurised one (is this the one that sits under the water?) Where the pond is it doesn't matter which filter we have (the box wouldn't spoil the appearance). I read that the underwater one can damage fish? The pond isn't very big but we'd DS would like a few goldfish.

Any advice you've got about ponds would be much appreciated.
Thank you

[Mum2jenny]

Depends where you are, here I'd be wanting the pond much deeper than 50cm as if it freezes and you have fish, they'll need a deeper pond. If you are on the south coast you may be ok.
Our pond is around 1.5m deep, has a pump in the pond and a complete separate dual filtration system with a UV filter. The pump transfers the pond water to the first filter chamber via the uv filter then it does into the second filter chamber before returning to the pond.

[MrsAird]

As an alternative, what about a wildlife pond? No fish (because they eat everything else), so no pump required. You will very quickly get frogs, newts, damselflies, and loads of other wonderful inhabitants. They also help all the wildlife in your garden, birds, bees, everything can come for a drink.

guide here

Wildlife ponds don't need much maintenance, just to clear out excessive plant growth every couple of years in the autumn. You ought to have some plant growth around the sides (not just trimmed lawn right up to the edges) to allow little creatures to hide as they make their way in and out, and build access such as a lip or shelf on one side.

Possibly 50cm may be too shallow, as pp said, the water can freeze down that far, so if you make part of it 60cm deep this will allow hibernation at the bottom.

[ppeatfruit]

I've got a preformed pond liner in place in a hole that was already dug when we moved in. I'm having a still ,wild life one without a filter , I plan to use the right greenery and water lilies, that keep the water clear. I'm still looking for a solar powered fountain, No fish because they get eaten by the odd opportunist duck, heron or whatever. Though of course we could cover it with chicken wire. Oh you have to be careful with security for your ds of course.

I'm waiting for the rain to fill it for me ( know I'm a bit strange!!). We're in central West Fr. and it's very dry so we can't use a hosepipe. for the moment.

[ppeatfruit]

Oh snap Mrs Aird

[Curlybrunette]

I do like the idea of a wildlife pond but DS wants fish, as I said it's a way of getting more 'pets' (he of course realises that a fish isn't a cuddly pet!!!).

We have made it a bit deeper, but I think we'll go deeper still, thanks for the advice about freezing, wouldn't have thought have that.

[ppeatfruit]

Your best bet is, as I said, to put some sort of see through wire covering over it to stop the fish from being caught by the odd duck or heron and stop any accidents with ds.