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Uber Member
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Sep 16, 2010, 10:35 AM
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Making a fish pond
Ok, so we are doing up our backyard over the summer and I would love to have a fish pond out the back.
Our neighbors have a fish pond made of an old bath tub sunk into the ground and their fish do great. It does get very cold here but they keep the pump running and the water doesn't freeze over and haven't lost any fish.
What are some cheap things I could make a pond out of?
Would you be able to use concrete (cement)? We are concreting the backyard so could I just dig a hole and dump some in there or would that poison the fish?
Any ideas welcome :)
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Uber Member
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Sep 16, 2010, 11:38 AM
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Uncured concrete is VERY alkyline by nature... it will upset the PH balance of the water for a while at least.
Not fish expert but I think they are sensitive to that. Koi are for sure.
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Uber Member
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Sep 16, 2010, 12:48 PM
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Planned on just getting some el cheapo goldfish, they have what they are calling 'pond fish' at the pet store... they just look like big goldfish to me.
Thanks smoothy, I'll scrap the concrete idea then.
I have no idea about ponds, only ever had glass fish tanks.
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Uber Member
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Sep 16, 2010, 12:54 PM
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That's more than I had for more than a week or two.
But wet or fresh concrete is alkylin enough to burn your skin. Not sure how long that lasts however to be honest.
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Uber Member
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Sep 16, 2010, 01:02 PM
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We still haven't decided exactly what we are doing with the yard, but are 90% sure it will be concrete of some sort, whether it be turned into pavers with pebbles in between or just flat concrete all over... just thought I could kill 2 birds with 1 stone.
I know you can get that plastic you line the hole in the ground with but pretty sure it's expensive.
Gosh I'm stingy, I'm trying to do everything super cheap, but why not try and save a few bucks :D
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Uber Member
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Sep 16, 2010, 01:09 PM
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Trust me... I've been finding ways to do things inexpensively for decades...
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Uber Member
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Sep 17, 2010, 04:31 PM
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Another good reason to not do the concrete pond in the ground... what if it cracks then you have a real mess to deal with that can neither be simply filled in or dug up.
Same thing as a damaged inground pool, only on a smaller scale of disaster.
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Ultra Member
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Sep 17, 2010, 05:10 PM
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I have 2 neighbors that have concrete ponds, but this is California. My Mom in Southern Illinois has the liner pond and her fish are great. She does have a good filter (which you can hand make) and a UV light to kill algae (which I have also)
I put 10 cent fish in my pond. They were called Comets (feeder fish), which I think is half Koi and half Goldfish. I have one named Moby right now that is over a foot long and 5 inches wide. He is beautiful:D
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Uber Member
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Sep 17, 2010, 05:16 PM
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Originally Posted by Just Dahlia
I have 2 neighbors that have concrete ponds, but this is California. My Mom in Southern Illinois has the liner pond and her fish are great. She does have a good filter (which you can hand make) and a UV light to kill algae (which I have also)
I put 10 cent fish in my pond. They were called Comets (feeder fish), which I think is half Koi and half Goldfish. I have one named Moby right now that is over a foot long and 5 inches wide. He is beautiful:D
A concrete one Built by someone that knows how to do it right... IE with lots of steel mesh reinforcement to prevent cracks and it will last, do it wrong and it cracks then won't hold anything. Try busting up 500 kgs of concrete by hand sometime... :eek:
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Dogs Expert
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Sep 18, 2010, 12:22 AM
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Originally Posted by smoothy
Another good reason to not do the concrete pond in the ground....what if it cracks then you have a real mess to deal with that can neither be simply filled in or dug up.
Same thing as a damaged inground pool, only on a smaller scale of disaster.
Well these cattle feeders held out through out Canadian winters at -30c on average.
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Uber Member
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Sep 18, 2010, 09:37 AM
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Yeah... I wouldn't trust myself to make it properly so it doesn't crack lol
Those cattle thingos look awesome, I've never seen them before!
Kids pool is an option, never thought of that, I know you can get those clam shell ones cheap, I can't find a picture but they are kind of like this only have 2 sides, one for water and one for sand:
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Ultra Member
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Sep 19, 2010, 02:07 PM
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Uber Member
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Sep 20, 2010, 05:54 AM
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Oh wow, that looks amazing!
I'll see how hard those tanks are to come by around here, thanks!
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Uber Member
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Sep 20, 2010, 05:58 AM
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Stick with the really heavy plastics... most of those with the best UV protection are going to be black as well. After all its got to last in years outdoors in the weather and direct sunlight for years of service.
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Uber Member
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Sep 20, 2010, 06:06 AM
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Very true.
We had a plastic dog bowl outside, it sat there for about a year under the tap, I never picked it up, just turned the tap on to refill it.
I went to pick it up the other day and it just fell apart, the inside bowl part completely came away from the edge!
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Ultra Member
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Sep 20, 2010, 03:22 PM
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The water storage things are thick plastic, his is at least 4-5 years old and he's had no problems what so ever...
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Uber Member
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Sep 21, 2010, 04:34 AM
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Stuff for farm or livestock use are going to be robust. Farmers/Ranchers won't use them if they have to be replaced every couple years. They are a frugal bunch by nessessity.
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Junior Member
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Nov 17, 2010, 06:57 AM
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If you must use concrete, coat it with something like HERCO No. H-55 Neoprene Rubber Coating, $110 a gal! It is cheaper to use a liner and it won't crack, or be harmful to fish. If your winters are cold do not run your filter as it will cool the water down dangerously low for the well being of fish. If it is at least 3 ft deep, and you insist on running a filter, DO NOT draw water from the bottom. That's where it is the warmest for them. Also, stop all feeding when the water temp.reaches 50. They cannot digest food and will die. They survive winters off the fat gained in the summer.
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Uber Member
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Nov 17, 2010, 02:11 PM
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Thanks GZDZ, I thought you would have to run the filter when it is cold, not the other way around!
It gets to about -3 here in the middle of winter. Dogs outside water bowl gets ice on top, but the neighbors fish have survived for years (just goldies).
So would the best thing be to turn the filter off and put a cover over the pond overnight?
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