What Do I Need To Know Before I Build A Backyard Fish Pond ... Some Tips
Choose The Right Pond Keeping Equipment To Save Pond Disasters
Most professional pond landscapers know all about design and the aesthetics of attractive backyard fish ponds ... However they don't always understand what is required to make a fish pond successful and a healthy pond environment for Koi, goldfish and other aquatic pond life! ... Let me explain a little bit more...
A garden pond or water garden is more than a beautifully designed landscape feature with fish. It is a balanced eco system that requires specialized pond keeping equipment to maintain the overall eco balance and clean pure pond water. Any successful backyard pond keeper will know of the importance of the following pond keeping equipment ...
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How Do I Choose The Right Pond Keeping Equipment For A Garden Fish Pond
Think ahead when considering the garden pond design and decide whether you intend to incorporate a cascading waterfall, pond fountain, pond filter, pond pump, pond lighting, UV sterilizer etc. If you are then please be aware that you will need an electricity source and also that the Major Cost associated with any garden fish pond is the running costs (electricity consumption).
A Garden Pond Pump Is Essential
A reliable and cheap to run pond pump is a must ... Please read the following articles on how to choose the right pond pump to make an informed decision, saving you plenty of $$$ in the long run ... Please bear in mind the following ...
Many sellers of pond keeping equipment including pumps will have a limited knowledge of what is important and what isn't. They may provide you with inadequate information or be biased in favor of a particular range of pumps (monthly sales targets etc.
Beware of a garden pond pump that appears to be very cheap or one that you haven't heard of before ... read articles and forums on-line. The internet is an excellent source of advice and recommendations. The major consideration for any pond pump is the running costs, bearing in mind that a pond pump needs to run continuously.
Look at the manufacturers warranty and the length of power cord supplied ... 2 years is the minimum that you should consider. 10 meters of cable is also the minimum I would consider. Of course you can always buy an extension ... but why would you want to do that?
Are you after a pond pump simply to supply water to your pond biofilter or are you trying to create a waterfall or fountain effect. Choosing a submergible fountain pump (submersible fountain pump) will save you the added expense of adding a fountain nozzle attachment later. A good fountain pump will incorporate a strainer device, to prevent pond solids and debris from blocking the nozzles.
A Biological Pond Filter Is Critical
A biological pond filter is an absolute must for any garden pond environment, as it is responsible for purifying pond water and helping to keep your garden pond clean. If you are going to save money and avoid purchasing a pond filter then DON'T BUILD A POND AT ALL ... you will end up with a murky hole that is somewhat smelly. Your beautiful pond will become a serious eye sore and a major embarrassment and annoyance ... As with choosing a pond pump, choosing a correctly specified pond bio filter is critical ... Many models of pond bio filters incorporate an ultra violet sterilizer, often referred to as a UV sterilizer, UVC or UV for short.
A UV Sterilizer Prevents Green Garden Pond Water
An ultraviolet sterilizer is responsible for keeping your pond water free from floating pond algae and will also kill certain strains of pathogenic bacterial and parasitic infestations ... read this article on how do I control pond algae ... Failure to incorporate a UVC sterilizer of some description will lead to the scourge of many pond keepers, the dreaded algae blooms that render your pond reminiscent of a bowl of pea soup. Surely the idea of a pond is to have crystal clear pond water which allows you to see your ornamental Koi, gold fish etc.
How Do I Choose The Right Location For A Garden Fish Pond
When choosing the right location to build a new backyard fish pond the following tips will help you to make the right choice … Save yourself plenty of time, heart ache and money by choosing the right pond location …
Sketch out a plan on paper of the actual design you want. Keep the the pond design as simple as possible; try to avoid lots of angles and intricate shapes. A simple pond layout with decorative aquatic plants and features will add the necessary form and beauty. Once you have a sketch of the final pond design its time to put the pond design into action. The next step is to map out the shape of the pond in the location where you want the fish pond to be sited. This will help you to see if the location is suitable and fits in with the rest of your backyard.
Try to locate your garden fish pond in full sun, particularly in the colder northern states of the USA, where there is less sunshine hours.
Avoid choosing a pond location near to trees and large foliage plants because the leaves, seeds etc., will fall into your garden pond, creating more work for your biological pond filter ... see this article on why a biological pond filter is essential to any backyard fish pond …
Avoid choosing a pond location where there may be excessive exposure to strong winds, as this is likely to blow debris into your pond as well as dislodging aquatic pond plants. Be aware that aquatic lily plants don't like turbulent water or splashing. Plants are a natural source of oxygen for garden ponds.
Avoid choosing uneven surfaces and boggy ground as you don't want your pond to sink or have the pond structure affected by ground movement.
You will periodically need to replace pond water due, particularly in hot climates, due to evaporation, but also for periodic water changes, due to excess ammonia levels etc. Try to locate your backyard pond near to a water supply.
What Else Do I Need To Know Before Installing A Backyard Fish Pond
Ensure that you use waterproof connectors in your fish pond and not insulation tape when connecting pond keeping equipment together.
Do make access to the filter and UV easy and you will never regret this.
In the case of pond pipe (poly hose) reduce pipe flow restrictions by using only pond tubing that is 25mm or more wide. Try to use black tubing wherever possible as this will prevent sunlight from entering the tubing, thus helping to prevent algae from forming on the inside of the pipe. Keep the lengths of pipe needed to connect your pond pump, pond filter, UV clarifier etc., as short as possible. Also avoid kinks, bends and T pieces, as they inhibit water flow. Pond flow restrictions will place increased demand on your pond keeping equipment and over a period of time significantly increase your electricity costs.
Use a qualified electrician to connect electrical pond equipment to an earth leakage system or to install any additional power sockets required for possible later use e.g. if you decide to install pond lighting or landscape lighting etc.
Keep the level of fish stocked to a minimum, particularly in small backyard garden ponds. Also consider keeping goldfish varieties, instead of Koi carp: Koi eat more than goldfish, are less hardy and also grow more quickly. The last thing you want is to design a pond in which your fish are far too big in no time whatsoever. Koi also produce far more bodily waste than the equivalent sized goldfish, predominantly due to their veracious appetite. This said nothing is more spectacular in a backyard pond than a swimming healthy koi or two.
Only use high quality Koi and goldfish food as it is much more nutritious than inferior and cheaper pond fish food. It will also result in less waste, reducing the strain on your biological filter ... Aim for a minimum of 35% protein with an ash content less than 10%.
What Material Should I Choose To Build My Backyard Fish Pond
This is often a question of personal preference, however as a general guideline to save yourself time, effort, heartache and $$$ I would advice that you go with one of the following pond landscaping materials ...
1 .... Preformed Garden Ponds Are Best For Small Fish Ponds
If you intend to have a small backyard fish pond with only a few small goldfish and Koi then I would seriously advise you to choose a preformed liner pond (preformed fish pond) as the shape is already there and it is much easier and quicker to install.
Click this link on Installing A Preformed Pond Liner for further information and advice. You may find this article interesting too ... New small pond problems explained
2 ... Flexible Pond Liners Are Best For Medium Fish Ponds
If you are intending to install a medium sized backyard fish pond (above 600 litres or about 120 gallons) then a preformed fidh pond isn't a viable option due to size limitations and cost. My choice of pond construction material would be one of the following: EPDM rubber liner, Butyl rubber liner, PVC pond liner or LDPE (low density polythene pond liner). Another major advantage is the flexibility in the shape you can produce with a flexible pond liner. Of the available pond liner materials the best options are butyl rubber and EPDM rubber. They are however more expensive (but worth it.
Click for further information and how to Create A Flexible Pond Liner Pond in your backyard or garden.
3 ... Concrete Fish Ponds Are Best For Large Koi Ponds
The options available to you is either flexible pond liner (see above) or a concrete pond. Concrete ponds are best suited to professional large Koi ponds or formal ponds where you personally lack some control e.g. in public places ... Really large ponds require adequate drainage systems (bottom drains) and are in most cases beyond the scope of your average pond keeper ... Click Large Concrete Ponds for further information and advice.
If I Need To Empty The Pond What Do I Need To Know?
On occasion you may need to empty your fish pond to repair a leak or fix a crack. Before jumping in head first there are few things that need to be considered ...
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