Create A Goldfish Pond
If you love hanging out in your backyard and want to improve the landscape, but you don't love gardening, why not create your very own outdoor goldfish pond? Water features really brighten up yards and goldfish ponds are relatively easy to build. Goldfish ponds are especially nice in warm climates where you can enjoy them year-round. You can probably build your goldfish pond over the course of a weekend, and if things go well it will last you for decades. One of the easiest ways to create your own pond is by purchasing the right equipment and putting in the physical labor.
Buy a goldfish pond kit. To get started on your backyard goldfish pond, you can get yourself a goldfish pond kit from a home improvement or pet store. Note that a goldfish pond is much easier for a beginner to build than a koi pond. Whereas most koi ponds need to be at least one meter deep, some goldfish ponds are as shallow as 12 inches. Your goldfish pond should be between six and eight feet long and three or four feet wide. This pond will hold about 250 to 400 gallons of water. You can put at least a dozen fancy gold fish in a pond this size. Remember that the more fish you keep, the less your fish will grow.
Dig a hole in your backyard. Since the pond is not very big, you can probably dig this hole with a regular shovel. Dig the hole slightly larger than the pond, but not deeper. Clear the hole of rocks, roots and other debris that might tear at the pond liner or poke holes in it. Make sure that the ground at the floor of the hole is smooth and level. Put your pond in the hole. Fill the space between the outside walls of the pond and the walls of the hole with dirt so that your pond is secured in place.
Fill up your pond with water from your hose and add a filter. Your filter probably came with your kit, but if not, then you need to buy a goldfish pond filter that is appropriate for your size pond. This will keep your water from getting dirty and your fish from getting sick. Your fish cannot get right into your pond. The water from your hose needs to be treated with water conditioner; otherwise your fish will be shocked. You can pick up water conditioner from a pet store.
Decorate your pond. Decorations are not just pleasing for you to look at; they can also save your fishes' lives! You need to add fountains, waterfalls and air stones. Your pond kit probably came with a fountain or waterfall and you can pick up air stones from an aquarium supply store. These items give your fish the air they need to breath. You'll also need to add plants and boulders that are safe for fish. These decorations will create hiding places for your fish. They will need these shelters so that local raccoons and cats don't treat your goldfish pond like the local seafood restaurant.
