It is imperative to know the reason why you are



building this pond before the actual construction.



Some individuals just wanted to put up these kinds of



projects without considering the comfort and safety of



the inhabitants of that pond. Evaluate first these



things before assembling your pond.





You can ask for advice from your pond professional or



read books that are concerned on pond kits and the



techniques of construction of ponds. Consult your



local pond contractors who have experience regarding



this field.





Now you can build your own fish pond following these



planning stages:





Consider the location.





Choose a site where your pond is not near existing



large trees. These vantage points will prevent root



problems as well as minimizing the problem of falling



leaves in your pond that may cause decaying and poor



water quality. Pond plants such as water lilies need



sunlight to grow. It is best to place your pond where



it can be exposed to sun but not too much as it can



over heat during mid afternoon or on hot days. A semi



shaded place with a good amount of light coming



through is sufficient enough.





Temperature extremes should be minimized on the pond.



If you intend on raising and keeping fish, it is



important to make the pond as deep and as large as



practical. However, deeper ponds may need to be fenced



to prevent accidents.





Design with purpose.





Consider electricity supply for pumps, filters, and



lights when designing your pond. It is also important



to look into the water supply and drainage.





Ponds must have an overflow area (a place located



below the rest of the pond height) to control where



the excess water should go. Overflowing may be caused



by overfilling the pond with water or from heavy rain.





Screen your overflow paths to prevent any escape of



small plants, fishes (and its eggs), and snails during



water additions and heavy rainfall. This may also



protect the local waterways from any possible escape.



This is especially important if there are non local



fish in the pond.





Complete preparation requirements.





It is essential to clean and rinse ponds before using



it since fish and other water plants are sensitive to



contaminants. "Curing" concrete ponds combined with



water changes, scrubbing, filling, and painting with



vinegar is also important.





Allow chloramines and chlorine to dissipate especially



if you used tap water to fill the pond. One can also



utilize a commercial chlorine neutralizer from pet



shops to solve this problem.





Ensure that all equipment such as fountains,



waterfalls, filters, and lights are working



satisfactorily before adding the fish and plants.





It is also better if you allow at least one week for



the plants to settle in the pond before adding the



fish. Clean up the pond regularly for dead leaves as



this will add unwanted excess nutrients to the water



and decay it as well.





Observe proper maintenance.





A said, keep the pond clean of fallen vegetation and



dead leaves. The frequency of cleaning will depend on



the amount of vegetation falling into the water and on



the tome of the year. Do the cleaning at the beginning



of spring before the temperature of the water starts



to rise.





Feed your fish and clean up the filters periodically.





Add water in the pond periodically. A normal garden



hose will do. However, no more than 10-20% should be



added at any time because of the chlorine levels in