How to Build a Backyard Fish Pond

If using a pond liner:

• Fill the pond with water, smoothing the liner as you go.

If using a mould:

• Fill a third of your pond with water and start filing the outside edges with sand. Add a little water to the sand to help compact it.
• Continue filing while adding sand around the circumference.

Remember: calculating the best pump size is a very important step. Here is how to determine how much water your pond will contain: average length (feet) x average width (feet) x average water depth (feet) x 7.48 gallons per cubic foot

 The general guideline for calculating pump size is to be able to pump half of the pond’s volume every hour. If your water garden is 2,000 gallons, the appropriate pump would move 1,000 gallons of water per hour. Refer to our planning guide for more information.

Maintenance of a water garden changes with the time of year. Here is a run down of how to care for your water garden in each season. 

Spring

• When temperatures rise to 45 degrees, it is time to get your filtration system started. Inspect your water garden, pumps, hoses, and connections for proper working condition.
• If more than 1” of silt or sludge has built up during the winter, you need to vacuum the water garden.
• Check water parameters and nutrients, using the proper additives to achieve optimum water nutrient levels.
• Repot pond plants.

Expect your pond to turn green with algae. This will occur every spring because algae grows faster than the rest of your plants. When your other plants start to grow, the algae will go away—be patient! 

Summer

• With longer sunlight, warmer temperatures and higher organic levels, algae conditions are ideal. Combat algae by adding oxygen to your water with a fountain, waterfall, or aerator.
• Adding snails can help keep algae off of the sides and rocks of your water garden.
• Mosquito breeding grounds can be a problem during the summer. If you don’t have fish, consider adding one to your pond to eat the mosquito larvae. Keep good water movement in your pond, preventing stagnant water to discourage mosquito breeding.

Fall

• Use a net to clear out dead leaves and other organic material before winter.
• As fish and snails become less active, expect an influx of algae. Avoid the urge to perform a deep cleaning which will only increase growth with the added nutrients from tap water.
• Bring non-hardy plants indoors.
• Trim hardy plants and move to deeper areas of the pond.

Winter

• If you have fish in your water garden, you will need to keep a hole in the ice to allow for toxic gases produced by decaying plant matter to escape:
  • Bring your pump to the surface where it will bubble and keep an area open.
  • Use a floating de-icer, or use a pan of hot water to melt through the ice.
  • Do not use a hammer as you may harm the fish.