Thursday, April 28, 2011

Building A Backyard Fish Pond

By Owen Jones


A backyard fish pond will augment the beauty of your garden, there is no question about that. A backyard fish pond will add a focal point to a scruffy garden and will make a lovely backyard or garden even more interesting. There is something happy about the gurgling and splashing of fresh water.

However, in spite of the massive upside of having a backyard fish pond, there is also the issue of maintenance. This is not an onerous task, but it is on-going and does need to be carried out on a methodical basis.

Everybody loves a backyard fish pond. If you already have one, you can bear witness to the fact that visitors, friends and family love to spend time sitting around the edge of your pond watching the fish go about their lazy lifestyles and listening to the sound or running and splashing water. It seems to enthrall humans and it is therapeutic.

If you do not already own a pond, but want one, the first step is to choose where to locate it. A few suggestions here:

1] do not site it at a low point in the garden otherwise it might flood when it rains and your fish might swim away. 2] try not to put it under a tree or you will spend the rest of your life dredging foliage out of the water 3] do try to put your backyard fish pond where it will be at least in partial shade at midday

Once you have the best site, you need to think about size and format. The most popular formats are: round, square, oval and kidney shaped. The depth of the water is also important if you live in an area that is subject to freezing. Thirty to forty-five inches is enough in most instances, but it would be worth asking neighbours or the local pet shop for guidance.

Once your pond is in place, you can install your equipment. You will need a pump to suck the debris out of the water and send it to the pond filter. However, this pump will allow plant debris to pass through it, so if you want a fountain, you will almost certainly need another pump, otherwise the fountain's jets will become blocked by dead vegetation.

If this all seems a bit much, you can buy a pond kit which contains all the bits and pieces you will require to set up a backyard fish pond. One tip here: if you get solar-powered appliances, it will save on electrician's fees and you will never have an electricity bill for your backyard fish pond.

After installing the pumps, filter and fountain, you can fill the pond up with water and turn the devices on. The water is unsuitable for fish at the moment, so just let the equipment run in and the water mature. This will take a week for the water. Meanwhile, choose your fish and plants and construct any hidey-holes you want to put in for your fish.

When the week is up, you can add your plants and populate your backyard fish pond with fish.




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