Tropical Fish Forums

[nikelodeon79]

I've decided I want a pond.... not really sure where to go from there.

I don't want anything huge... just a small, natural looking pond with rockwork and maybe a little waterfall. I plan on stocking just a few goldfish to keep the mosquito population down. (Also I know virtually nothing about goldfish so a recommendation on species would be appreciated).

So.. now what? What is the smallest size pond I could get away with? I'd imagine I'll have to transfer the fish to a tank during the winter months, as I live in Northern Wisconsin and we frequently have subzero temps. What size tank will I need?

I'm basically in the planning/dreaming stages right now... trying to see if this is feasible/a good idea. I'll need to do most of the landscaping work myself, as cost is an issue.

Any tips/advice will be appreciated.
_________________
Dumpster Tank
Nano Fish
Mbuna

[Wicked Cich]

Have you made any progress in your pond plans? I see you live in/near Marengo, and I know those are some long winters you have up there (I went to school in Ashland). Even down here by Chicago, the one thing that keeps me from setting up a pond is what I would do with the fish in the winter.

Rob

[UncleWillie]

Hi Nik, sorry for not seeing this... my presence has been sparse the last few months.

I can't help you with goldfish.
Are you wanting to dig your own pond? The cheapest route is using pond liners - and the beauty is you can design your own shape and depth, etc etc. Just remember, that with the cold winters there, you will need a fairly deep pond to keep it from totally freezing over. Most aquatic stem plants put out after dieing back to their rhizomes. However, I am unsure if they can survive if everything in the pond (including the substrate) freezes.

Your best bet is to keep it from freezing in the first place - be it a cover or a by-pass system where your water can circulate through a warm area. If you want to save some of the less hardy plants, bring them inside and keep them damp and cold.

Just remember the ice can really damage your water features like pumps and waterfalls if not kept warm, turned off or taken inside. The water inside the pumps could freeze and crack your pumps. Maybe search the net for 'aquatic gardens in winter' or something like that.

And what would one of my posts be without mentioning that maybe you could stock a few native killies or topminnows to help control mosquitos?

[nikelodeon79]

Thanks for the replies. My pond project got pushed to the back burner, behind putting up a fence, tiling the basement fish room floor, and painting some of the interior walls. Apparently I'm in a redecorating type mood.

I have entertained thoughts of using something like a stock tank heater to keep the pond from freezing over. It would likely just be a small pond... so perhaps a heater would do the trick.

We are planning on digging the pond ourselves and using a pond liner. I've found some good deals on ebay but haven't pulled the trigger yet on bidding.

UncleWillie, I love the idea of killies/topminnows for mosquito control! I'm not particularly fond of goldfish...

Wicked Cich: I actually grew up near Marengo, WI (went to school in Mellen, WI), but now live near Superior, WI... so I managed to migrate even further north.

And... that reminds me... I completely failed to take snowfall into consideration. If I make a smallish pond it could get buried if we actually get a real winter one of these years. It might be safer to simply plan on removing the fish for winter.
_________________
Dumpster Tank
Nano Fish
Mbuna

[Irons]

Anyone have good/recommended ponds for newbs/dummies? My in-laws have had one for a few years and I'd like to get up to speed on maintance/ideas, etc
_________________
"... instead of considering what to say when they write, people now just let thoughts drool out onto the screen,"
- about e-mail - Dr. Hogan