Creation of a pond

It is important not to go too fast and to consider all the following points before starting the work...

Location

Its location must be carefully defined. The ideal situation should be half-shaded, while avoiding being under a tree because of the risk of its roots spreading out and damaging the walls and because of the leaves that will not fail to land in the water.

Remember to leave a strip of land around the pond of about 1 meter wide which will be used for access, installation of stones or plants.

Shape and size of the pond

If the pond is too small, it will suffer from too much thermal variation if you intend to put fish in it.

Concerning the depth, everything depends on the surface of the ground, knowing that it is desirable to have not too steep dimensions, and a slope in step with a step every 20-30 cm and a width of 10-20 cm. A bottom of 60 to 80 cm will allow your fish to spend a comfortable winter and the summer to avoid that the water is too hot. 60 cm will be enough if you have a pump ensuring a water circulation in winter.

The steps of different depths will allow you to place pots of plants or flowers according to their size.

Let's identify the different zones:

The border zone between 10 and 20 cm, allows the development of small plants whose roots appreciate the mud and water. It is also the place where insects develop between the roots of the plants and where the fry come to take refuge, thus sheltered from the parents often inclined to devour their offspring.

The shallow zone between 20 and 40 cm; in this zone, many plants for plants like reeds, water iris, ... We can also plant submerged plants.

The deep zone, refuge of the fishes the winter, it is also in this zone that one will deposit the feet of water lilies.

Filtration

Have you thought about filtration? If you intend to put fish in your pond, it is preferable to install a filter. It allows to keep all its clarity to the water, otherwise it will have a tendency to green very quickly. It also ensures a circulation of water and thus an oxygenation of water by these movements on the surface and the winter, it prevents the ice from forming.

You can install it in a special tank outside the pond with lava stones to ensure a biological filtration.

If you are not interested in a filter, you may want to consider a pump to circulate the water from one side to the other and perhaps feed a fountain, waterfall, etc. ... This will energize the pond and delight you with its chirping, but beware of the neighbors, a torrent may not be to their taste!

Lining the pond

First, you will have stabilized the walls with a layer of gravel, then a layer of sand and finally a little cement to harden the whole. Thus stiffened, the walls will resist better over time, to the attacks of the roots and to the settlement of the ground.

The walls must then be sealed, and different materials are possible:

The preformed pond, in this case, forget what was said before.

The concrete; several layers of cement more and more fine will be necessary to ensure a perfect sealing.

The PVC liner is certainly the least expensive and most durable, so... To calculate the size of the liner, add 2 meters in width and 2 meters in length for a 60 cm deep pond with 30 cm edges.

The rubber cover, more expensive than the PVC cover, will last longer because it is more flexible.

Whatever cover you use, put a garden felt underneath.

Check filling

A check fill for water tightness and levels is necessary to ensure that everything is in order. It is still possible to make some adjustments to the edges of the pond.

This is also an opportunity to test your filtration system.

Let it run for a few weeks.

What is the point of having a water point?

What is the interest of having a water point ?

A watering place, a small pond in the garden or in the immediate environment of the vegetable garden has multiple interests for the gardener.

A watering place is beautiful!

First of all, a water feature has an aesthetic dimension: well integrated into its environment, it is an undeniable decorative element in a garden. In addition, you can see dragonflies and all sorts of insects living near water.

A water feature attracts beneficial insects

Secondly, watering holes attract useful auxiliary fauna for the gardener and his crops.

Frogs

Newts, toads or other frogs that love to eat slugs. All amphibians need a water source when they lay their eggs. Toads are capable of traveling several kilometers to find their birthplace to reproduce. But if you offer them a watering hole, they will stay close to your home.

In addition, there is the nostalgic pleasure of observing the evolution of the tadpole into a frog!

Bees

The bees that pollinate your fruit trees, vegetables and flowers need to drink. And this need must be satisfied near their foraging area, near the flowers where they go to collect nectar and pollen. A watering place near a hive or in the garden is therefore highly appreciated. The same is true for all pollinating insects, such as hoverflies, which can rid you of aphids.

Birds

After eating a lot of seeds, larvae and caterpillars, birds (chickadees, sparrows, thrushes...) also need to drink. In fact, if there is no water near their feeding area, they may attack juicy fruits or water-rich vegetables (as do insects) to quench their thirst.

So, if you install a watering place in the garden, not only will you protect your crops from possible attacks, but you will also effectively attract these defoliating caterpillar eaters that ravage, among other things, cabbages or apple trees.

This is particularly the case of the Hyponomeute, a caterpillar that causes defoliation at the ends of the branches of apple and plum trees, and that chickadees love!

You will easily recognize them; they are the ones who weave silk webs to make collective nests.

Fighting green algae in the pond

There are many factors that can cause green algae to appear in a garden pond. Too much sunlight, nutrient-laden water and your pond is invaded by a greenish aquatic mist. Once well installed, these algae tend to colonize the space, harming both the general balance and the aesthetics of the place. Let's see how to remedy it...

The causes of the invasion

Several causes are at the origin of the propagation of these green algae, but it is always due to an excess of nutrients in the pond water. The organic pollution of the environment is the result of several phenomena: too much food for the fish, plant debris that has fallen to the bottom of the pond for several months, fertilizer applied around the pond, or an overpopulation of fish in relation to the size of the pond are all aggravating factors.

Another cause is the lack of aquatic plants in the pond. After a harsh winter, some aquatic plants will have disappeared, others will take a long time to start up again, leaving green algae, which develop very quickly in the spring, to take advantage of all the nutrients present in the water. The aquatic plants will no longer be able to perform their filtration, depollution and shading roles, and the algae will have plenty of time to colonize the pond.

Note that constant sunlight can further aggravate the phenomenon. A pond should always be installed in semi-shade.

How to fight against green algae?

It is easy to prevent the appearance of green algae by following these few tips:

• First of all, make sure that you maintain your pond regularly. Plant debris (leaves, flowers, grass, etc.) that has fallen into the pond should be collected on the surface before disappearing to the bottom of the water, where it will decompose quickly. The same goes for aquatic plants, which should be cleaned of soft leaves and wilted flowers before they decompose in the water.
• Don't overfeed the fish; the right amount is the one that can be swallowed whole in a maximum of 5 minutes, otherwise it will all end up at the bottom of the pond.
• Another mistake to avoid is overcrowding the pond. Keep in mind that a goldfish will need 50 liters of water to be comfortable while a koi carp will need 1000 liters. These little creatures grow very fast, don't forget that!
• In the spring, as soon as all risk of freezing is eliminated, restart the filtration after a complete cleaning and a check of the filter. It is possible to inoculate the filter with biomass bacteria to increase its efficiency.
• Finally, check the condition of your aquatic plants and replace those that have not survived the winter. They have a major role of filtration and depollution in the pond. Plants that start their vegetative cycle very early in the season should be favored (Aponogeton, Elodea, Ranunculus, Sagittaria, Iris pseudacorus...)
• Install water lilies, water hyacinths and lotus if the depth of the pond allows it: their foliage will provide welcome shade to which you can add the planting of an evergreen tree at the edge of the pond.

Spring cleaning of the pond

The warm weather is back, and with it, the rising temperatures that signal the awakening of the ornamental pond. This is the ideal time to carry out a major spring cleaning in order to start again on a healthy basis so that fish and aquatic plants develop harmoniously in a balanced ecosystem.

Do not confuse cleaning with emptying!

Cleaning does not necessarily mean emptying. This is an important distinction and should be emphasized because many owners of small ponds make this mistake. Thinking they are doing the right thing, they empty their pond completely and without knowing it destroy the fragile balance between fauna and flora. The fish are then subjected to a stress that can be fatal to them.

This is why a total emptying of the pond should only be considered in case of serious situations such as a leak, a chemical pollution of external origin causing the death of fish or an imbalance of the environment such that the water, always cloudy and smelly, causes the disappearance of animal and plant species.

How to clean the pond?

Apart from the specific cases mentioned above, a simple cleaning will do the trick:

• Remove all organic debris from the surface of the pond with a large net. Dead leaves from trees, grass clippings from mowing, small twigs blown in by the wind, large green algae: everything must go!
• At this time the aquatic plants start to grow, to aerate them and give them a maximum of light, remove all the wilted leaves and the softened stems around the new shoots. It is also time to divide overgrown plants and introduce any new plants.

A partial change of water may be necessary; changing 1/3 of the volume should be more than enough and should not disturb the flora and fauna too much.

Maintenance of the pond equipment

• Clean the filtration system and the pump before putting them back into service;
• Heterotrophic bacteria can be placed in the filter when it is put back into service as soon as the water temperature reaches 10°C. These bacteria have the effect of rebalancing the pond, reducing the nitrate level and thus limiting the appearance of filamentous algae. They also accelerate the efficiency of the filtration process and reduce the need for maintenance of the filter media.
• Check the operation of the UV unit and change the lamp, which can lose power if it has been in place for several years.

The creation of a peat bog

A peat bog is a zone with a strong humid character, where peat gradually accumulates. It is composed of non-decomposed organic plant matter. The soil is very poor and only allows very specific plants that have evolved differently to feed themselves. This is the case of carnivores.

The peat bog is a fragile ecosystem where the environment must almost constantly be flooded or waterlogged. The gradual accumulation of non-decomposed plant organic matter and its settling form the peat.

The necessary material

• Bidim type geotextile felt
• Liner for firestone pool
• Blonde peat without amendment
• PVC pipe Diameter 40 length 60 cm.
• Carnivorous plants
• Non-calcareous stones

Making

• Dig a hole one meter long by one meter wide and 80 centimeters deep that you will cover with Bidim, in order to prevent the roots of the surrounding plants from invading your peat bog.
• On top of this geotextile film you will install your liner to waterproof the area and allow for proper water stagnation.
• Maintain the perimeter with large non-calcareous stones. This is very important because otherwise the PH of the bog would be disturbed.
• To know if a stone is calcareous, pour a little vinegar on it, if it foams it is because it contains limestone.
• Drill a few holes all along your PVC pipe, surround it with bidim and fix it on one side of the bog that you can now fill with peat.
• Spread the peat in the hole, making a small mound in the center, and incorporate the pipe, taking care not to fill it up. It will serve later as a gauge to control the humidity of the bog.
• In the center you can include a small well made with a simple plastic pot surrounded by liner to keep it wet.
• Attach the liner with stones around the pot for a successful aesthetic effect. You will be able to house some water bladderwort.
• Your bog is now almost complete, all you have to do is saturate the peat with water until the gauge is full.

Installation of carnivorous plants

This operation can be done before the watering for more ease. The ideal period is the beginning of spring in March or April.

Get a batch of carnivorous plants, count one plant for 30 cm² because they grow quite quickly in outdoor culture.

Contrary to what one might imagine, carnivorous plants are not all indoor plants requiring heat and constant care, on the contrary: some species live much better outdoors in the right substrate made of blond peat and saturated with water. In spring and summer you will see them proliferate and feed on various insects such as ants, mosquitoes and gnats. You will be amazed at how fast they grow!

In the winter they disappear underground but do not die, they simply wait for the thaw and the return of food.

In your bog, you can plant :

• Dionaea muscipula the best known carnivorous plant with leaves that look like wolf traps.
• Drosera aliciae which will happily reseed itself
• Sarracenia for their spectacular urns
• Darlingtonia
• Aldrovanda and hives for the well

Example of the realization of a pond

Serge explains us the realization of his garden pond

Construction of the pond

The pond is 50 cm underground and 40 cm above ground. All around, the earth slopes gently down to the level of the garden soil.

Advantages: less digging; use of the digging soil to make the slope; creation of a small height that breaks the monotony of the flatness of the garden.

The characteristics of the pond are:

• Volume 10.000 liters
• Depth 90 cm (If I had to do it again, I would make it 1,20 m deep)

Near the waterfall the depth is less: first a step of 40 cm on which I put water lilies, then one of 20 cm deep, where the water falls on large pebbles.

The bottom is a 8 to 10 cm thick slab poured in one go. The sides are made of 15 cm cinder blocks. On the upper blocks are embedded concrete irons that form a belt that allows to resist to frost (obviously not Siberian frosts!). The top of the sides is finished with paving stone . The concrete is mixed with a water-repellent powder that makes it waterproof.

On 2 sides, between 2 cinder blocks, at 40 cm from the bottom, I left a hole of about 10 cm diameter made with a plastic bottle around which I poured concrete. These 2 holes go through the cinder blocks and allowed me to install a lighting of the bottom of the water with 12 volts 50 watts spotlights. 50 watts are a minimum because the water is not always very clear, unfortunately. A window is located on the pond side, in the water, and the spotlights are therefore behind, out of the water. At night, seeing the fishes and plants underwater is really the most beautiful effect.

On 3 sides I installed some planters to plant plants. I made them with the help of forms as well as the feet on which they are posed. My mistake: I installed all 3 at the level of the water. According to the type of plants, they must be at 0, -5, or -10 cm.

Of course I also have pots at the bottom of the pond for water lilies, oxygenating plants or others.

The water level of the pond is constant. Indeed, I installed a flush float that brings water when the level drops. Of course it is black and hidden by the vegetation; nobody notices it.

The filtration

The material comes from swimming pool stores. The water intake is at the bottom of the water opposite the waterfall. It is a plastic suction plug with a grid, embedded in the concrete of the bottom of the pond.

All the piping is flexible, in 50 mm. The pipe of the bung goes out on the side of the pond and under ground to join the pump. This pump is a dishwasher pump (flow rate about 3m3/hour) that I got from the dump. It is also possible to buy one from an appliance repair shop. They get them from the machines they throw away. I personally always have 2 in advance, just in case ...

A washing machine drain pump does not have enough flow (about 1 m3/hour). This pump has to work under load, so it is below the pond level. This pump flows into the sand filter (for swimming pools) which is buried, for discretion. It contains 75 kg of sand, which is a minimum for this volume of water.

The cleaning is very easy since it is provided with a handle which allows to turn a valve with 6 positions: filtration, cleaning of the filter, setting to the drain (or to the garden, in my case) etc. ....

The filter outlet goes to the waterfall above. It has 2 concrete basins whose edges are hidden by

The edges are hidden by millstones, one under the other, which allows the water to oxygenate well at each fall.

The fish

I have of course fishes, koi carps, river carps, roaches but I have something else that aquarists will find surprising : I put guppy, every year at the beginning of June, when the water reaches 19 or 20°C. I remove them in September when the water is only 15 or 16°C. At this temperature they do not die but they become numb. Of course, it is not necessary to go lower. I put 4 females and 2 males, adults, which are not long to reproduce. And as there is a lot of vegetation, the young are not eaten . In a few days I will remove them. There are about 150 of them . The water is currently at 18°C and yet the young are just born. They are very easy to recover with a fine mesh net because guppies always swim on the surface.

I tried with scalars but it did not work; they do not hold in cold water. With platy, it works but you can't recover them because they swim too much at the bottom.