Have you thought about where you would like your pond? You must consider several things.
• Can you see it from your window or door? You must be able to look out at the pond during the winter months when it is too cold to go outside.
Also, it is great to open your window in the summer and hear the soothing sounds of your waterfall.
• Are there any trees? If trees are too close their roots could damage your pond.
Also the leaves will fall in the pond and mess up the water chemistry.
• Will it be in the sun or shade? A little of both is good.
Most plants don't bloom well in the shade and should get at least 5 hours of sun to grow and bloom properly.
Complete sun all day could be bad for the fish because it could cause the water to heat up too much during the summer.
• Does water stay in this area because it is at the bottom of a hill? Be sure there isn't a lot of water running down to this area.
It could carry pesticides from a lawn or flower garden that are not good for your fish.
Other things that you will need to consider are: • How deep do I want my pond? A pond must be 3 feet deep or more.
A pond that is 5 or 6 feet deep is better when the climate is quite cold in the winter.
Also it is better protection against predators.
You may want to have various levels in your pond for the fish.
I found that after digging part of my pond at a level of 5 feet that it would be much easier if part of it was 3-4 feet deep.
I changed my plans for the depth after I started the project because shoveling dirt is not easy or fun! • How big should my pond be? The size is determined by how much room you have and how may fish you want.
A good measure of size would be to have at least 300 gallons of water for every fish.
The fish may start out 5 or 6 inches long but within a few years will become 1-2 feet long.
I personally went with a big pond because I didn't want to redo it in a few years when I wanted to have more fish.
• What shape is best for my pond? Determine if you want a natural pond or a formal pond.
A natural pond will be shaped by you.
It doesn't have a specific shape.
A formal pond would be a rectangle, square or circle.
A formal pond can also be the preformed liners that you drop into a hole.