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The following article is well worth reading not just for its insight
into how to make a half-barrel pond but it provides all round excellent advice
for any type of small pond such as "The Instant Water Garden". Jeff Cook has
done a great job and I appreciate his permission to make it available to so many
people world-wide ... I invite any reader to submit articles they would like to
see published. You do not need to be an author .. just enjoy sharing information
with others. Put your name in front of hundreds of thousands of keen water
gardeners this way.
Just email me by clicking here
How To Make Half Barrel Pond Page ... thanks to Jeff Cook, author
Before I get started with the informative stuff, here is a scanned
photographs of one of my numerous half barrel ponds, taken in my back yard
Ponds are a new interest of mine. I'd like to make one in my backyard some day,
so I started out with a half barrel pond on the kitchen patio, and then added
another in the back yard, and now I've graduated to a few (six at the moment,
but two will soon be disbursed to friends of mine) small ponds in my back yard.
My full name is Jeffrey Valjean Cook and I live in Santa Monica (Los Angeles),
California.
This page discusses all aspects of how to make a half barrel pond. Some
topics to consider before making your half barrel pond:
Container .. Water... Plants... Snails... Fish... Mechanicals... Maintenance
How to make a half barrel pond without a barrel ... yes any small pond
Contrary to common sense, a half barrel is not required to construct a half
barrel pond! Some people prefer to use a rigid plastic barrel line, which can be
used with or without the half barrel. These liners should be available for
around $30. Other substitutes, such as clay or concrete containers, are not
specifically covered here, but most of this discussion should apply.
I chose a whiskey half barrel for my miniature pond, because of its rustic
good looks. I purchased one at a home improvement store for $16. If you
decide to use a wooden half barrel, the next decision is whether or not to
use a liner. I had previously been advised that, without a liner, a half
barrel pond might get microbiotic and/or chemical contamination from the
interior of the barrel, so a liner was desirable. So, for my first two
ponds, I purchased a 5'x5' black plastic liner from a garden supplier for
$20, inserted it into the barrel, filled the barrel with water, and trimmed
off the excess liner just below the top edge of the barrel.
However, I have since come to the conclusion that a liner is not necessary
and may be omitted if one has the patience to properly prepare the half barrel
beforehand. I have now populated five barrels without liners, one of which has
been supporting plants and a goldfish for many months now, and the other four of
which seem to be thriving, with blooming water hyacinth, water iris, and water
lilies, and with lively mosquito fish populations. A technique for preparing
these linerless barrels is given in the section below.
Continued below ...
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Water
Water is a crucial ingredient! And chlorine-free water is mandatory if you want
fish. If you are using a wooden half barrel and are not using a liner, fill the
barrel as full as possible and keep refilling until the slats expand to seal the
container. If using a liner, then just fill up with water. If the water is
chlorinated, let it sit in the barrel for a couple of days and the chlorine will
evaporate.
If you do not wish to use a liner, which certainly cuts down on the expense, you
must first prepare the barrel to remove the majority of the contaminants left
over from the barrel's former contents, probably either wine or whiskey. A way
to do this is to fill up the barrel and then throw in a few water hyacinths
whose roots will provide a rudimentary filtration system. Empty the barrel out
and refill every couple of days, or at least often enough to prevent mosquito
larvae from hatching, retaining the water hyacinths. I have done this process
for an entire month, but I was being conservative. If you can no longer smell
the old contents, then I presume that the barrel is ready to stock.
The initial stocking of the barrel is of primary importance, in order to get the
proper bacteria going so that a stable ecosystem can develop. It has been
suggested that the simple use of plants from existing ponds, even those bought
from the nursery, coupled with chlorine-free water, is sufficient to start up a
small pond. But in my experience, this alone can result in an infection
characterized by white oily-like surface sheen, white tendrils in the water, and
an obnoxious sulfur-like smell. I have been told that this is due to a
paramecium infestation. I have seen a barrel with such an infection completely
recover naturally, and I have eliminated such an infection in other barrels by
starting over by emptying, refilling, and then adding beneficial bacteria. In my
opinion, a good way to ensure proper start-up is to supply part or all of your
water from an existing barrel or pond. Alternatively, one may purchase
beneficial bacteria from an aquarium supply shop and use it for start-up. I have
tried both methods with success. Also, I like to drop a large piece of lava rock
into the bottom of the barrel, to ensure that the bacteria have a large surface
area on which to grow.
Here is a perfect example of a use for Alfagrog ... comment by Pond
Professor.
I use filtered water (no lead, chlorine, etc.) when topping up to account for
evaporation; chlorinated water may be used if preceded with a chlorine
neutralizer. It has recently come to my attention that topping up with filtered
water may eventually have an adverse effect on water quality, due to increased
concentrations of the substances that are not removed by the filter, such as
salts. If this is a concern, which I must admit has never been a concern of
mine, then occasional water changes are recommended. For example, one could
periodically siphon (or use a pail) and remove 25% of the water volume, and then
replace it with unchlorinated water.
Plants
Plants make the half barrel pond pleasing to view, especially flowering plants.
The following four types of plants are desirable for a balanced ecosystem: pygmy
water lilies, hardy or tropical, oxygenating plants (anacharis, milfoil),
floating plants (water hyacinth, water lettuce, duckweed), and bog, or marginal,
tall accent plants (rushes, canna, horsetail, lobelia, reeds, cattails).
To my first half barrel pond I added one anacharis (oxygenator), one zebra
rush (bog), one Blue Capensis (day-blooming water lily), and a few water
hyacinth and water lettuce (floating). Duckweed came attached to the other
plants. Note: duckweed can quickly multiply to cover the entire surface of a
small pond unless controlled by consumption (in my experience goldfish like to
eat it) or by occasional removal by, for instance, a net.
The soil-rooted plants should be planted in individual containers and fertilized
appropriately (water lilies, especially, require frequent fertilization). Bog
plants should be placed so that their root tops are within one inch of the
surface of the pond, above or below. To help prevent algae growth, plants should
cover 75-80% of the surface of your pond.
Snails
Snails are the cleanup crew in a pond. Frequently, snails will accompany the
plants you buy for your pond. My current advice for snails is to suggest that
you consult with aquaria store personnel if you wish to purchase snails to
populate your pond. Certain snails, such as apple snails, will consume your
plants, and are not necessarily recommended for planted barrel ponds.
Fish
While plants make a pond pleasing to view, fish add an element of fun. Even if
no fish are desired, one type of fish is almost mandatory, and that is the
mosquito fish (gambusia). (Mosquito fish can usually be obtained free from your
local mosquito abatement program.) A few small mosquito fish will prevent your
pond from becoming an insect breeding ground, and will not require feeding or
mechanicals. One or two small goldfish can also serve this purpose. Do not put
fish in your barrel until the water has "aged" for 2-4 weeks, that is, until the
beneficial bacteria have had time to get established, or, alternatively, you can
hurry the process by adding liquid or dried bacteria purchased from a pet store.
It is rumored that a pond will support one inch of fish for every 5 gallons of
water without requiring oxygenation or filtration. If you see your fish
"gasping" at the top of the water (low oxygenation), or you intend to put a lot
of fish in a small space, then your pond will require mechanical filtration and
aeration. But regardless, it is inappropriate to put large fish in a small space
like a half barrel pond. And even goldfish can eventually outgrow a half barrel
pond.
Notice: Please do not put koi in a half barrel pond. They will soon outgrow
their container and they tend to devour plants.
Notice: I have been informed by various sources that combining mosquito fish and
goldfish can be fatal to the goldfish. The reasoning behind this is that the
fast, energetic mosquito fish will deprive the goldfish of food and they may
even disable the goldfish through aggression. However, my small ponds contain
both mosquito fish and goldfish, some for three years now, and the goldfish are
thriving and have produced offspring. Perhaps the problem only occurs when the
mosquito fish population far outnumbers the goldfish population. I only keep two
goldfish and a few mosquito fish in each barrel.
Mechanicals
Mechanicals are not necessary in a half barrel pond unless you overstock. If you
want to support a lot of water creatures, you will need an aerator and
biological filter to keep them alive.
Maintenance
A 5% water change per week is recommended. I accomplish this by topping up with
filtered, chlorine-free water once a week (I attach an EverPure water filter to
my hose and top up with that). I have been advised that topping up with
dechlorinated but unfiltered tap water will eventually cause the water in the
barrel to become brackish, but have yet to see such a situation occur.
Note also that one can use liquid dechlorinators if only chlorinated water is
available. A couple of my barrels are topped up twice weekly by my watering
system, with no apparent ill effects.
Plants need fertilizer. Fish need food when you overstock. Filters require
periodic cleaning. To minimize maintenance, I keep the plant load high and the
fish load low, and do not filter, so all I have to do is feed the plants
periodically.
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Copyright (C) 1995-2002 Jeffrey Valjean Cook
Reprinted with permission from
Jeff Cook March 2004
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