A fish pond? Where to start?

[Laffee Taffee]

My boyfriend and I live with his aunt, and we were thinking of what to do with the front yard garden. It's completely empty right now except for the dirt, and my boyfriend says he really really really wants a fish pond.

I have experience with a 20 gallon tank with guppies and tetras and bettas, but no experience with ponds. I don't know how to install it, how to filter it, how to clean it, whether it needs a heater, cover etc. I told him this is nothing compared to the 20 gallon tank we've got, and that this will be a very serious hobby. He says he's up to it =P

I'd like a raised 75 gallon plain rectangle pond with goldfish and maybe a pleca. My biggest questions are 1. Will it be bad for the pond to be in direct sunlight the whole day? (I live in Southern California where temps get 115 in summer) 2. Is it dangerous for the pond to be in the front yard? 3. Where can I find a 75 gallon pond?

I have no problem admitting that a pond may be out of the question because of my inexperience or because the location is bad, but I'd just like to weigh my options. Thanks in advance.

[xXFurygeistXx]

First, the place to go for ponds, equipment, and advice on how to install them would be your local Lowe's or Home Depot. They carry that stuff in the garden section (not the fish, though!). You would have to plant something to provide some shade to part of the pond, since it will be shallow enough to get hella hot and kill yer fish. Some people combat that with water lilies and duckweed, others with a well placed tree or shrub. If it gets really cold in winter (below what the fish can handle), a heater would probably be wise. As for what fish to put in, look for fish that are able to live outside in ponds, like koi. I'm not sure how goldfish and plecos would handle the outside and less filtered environment, so you'd have to google that. As far as filtration, pumps, aerators...probably best if you google it. Realize this isn't going to be like having a tank. Tank environments are easier to control, and you don't have to worry about other animals moving in (like frogs, snakes, and turtles), the detritus from leaf litter and other plants, bird poop, etc, falling into the pond, keeping live plants IN the pond to provide shelter and shade for the fish, trying to maintain proper pH for the plants AND the fish with all of that craziness going on. It's a lot. If you have a library card, get thee to a library and get some books on pond creation and care. Read up on this before you start digging. Check with the aunt to make sure it's okay, and if you rent, check with your landlord, and if you live in a cookie cutter neighborhood with a block association or whatever it's called, make sure it's okay to install one out front where all can see (cuz some places aren't okay with that and will try to fine you). Also check the county codes, make sure you don't need a permit first to dig and install a pond of that size. You have to check them even if you go with an above ground pond. Find out what goes into cleaning the pond, how you have to do water changes, how you cycle a pond, etc. Trust me when I say this will not be a small project and it will have very little resemblance to how you take care of a fish tank. Make sure your boyfriend does the research with you so he too knows how much will go into this. Ponds can be very expensive to create and the upkeep ain't cheap either. Look at how it's going to hit your wallets. Good luck. I myself want to put a pond into my backyard, but that's a few years off. Gotta clear out the room for it first, and build up the garden around the area, put in a gazebo...ugh, I'm tired just thinking about it.

[Keyona]

75 gallons is very small for a multi species pond exspcially if you are dealing with goldfish and Koi.

Fancy gold fish (double tails, funky backs ect.) get to about 10 inches (sometimes bigger) and require 30 gallons per fish.

Comets, or feeder goldfish get about a foot long or more and require i think 60 or 75 gallons per fish.

And kois get even bigger than comets.

Also goldfish are carp and carp are considered Coldwater fish, so it is possible your pond will be to warm for them to really thrive. Plecos are tropical fish. You shouldn't mix tropical and cold water fish, one will suffer.

[Laffee Taffee]

Thanks for all the advice. I think for now I'm going to try and focus on talking him out of the pond idea and maybe putting it off. If we decide to get a pond, I'm going to be the one paying for it and taking care of it and replacing the parts which I can't do because I have a full time manual labor job and I get two days off a week that I have to spend working on the other projects I have going. My boyfriend mostly just wants a pond to look at because he has his desk by the window, not really something that he wants to make a hobby out of (even though he says so, more like a little kid looking at an elephant and saying "I can take care of it! Just let me have it!" ). I already have a 20 gallon fish tank, maybe I can move that closer to him and make him happy.

[Keyona]

Laffee Taffee

Thanks for all the advice. I think for now I'm going to try and focus on talking him out of the pond idea and maybe putting it off. If we decide to get a pond, I'm going to be the one paying for it and taking care of it and replacing the parts which I can't do because I have a full time manual labor job and I get two days off a week that I have to spend working on the other projects I have going. My boyfriend mostly just wants a pond to look at because he has his desk by the window, not really something that he wants to make a hobby out of (even though he says so, more like a little kid looking at an elephant and saying "I can take care of it! Just let me have it!" ). I already have a 20 gallon fish tank, maybe I can move that closer to him and make him happy.

could maybe set up another tank. could do a little 10 gallon with a pretty betta and some cory cats.

[Shanna66]

Maybe put local minnows in the pond. That's a my plan when I get around to making one.

[AkioMaster]

A pond is a lot of work. My parents have a system that involves the big main pond, a stream, a bog (as a "natural" filter), and small pond (where the pump is stored). Seriously, just keeping it clean is a nightmare. Not to mention if you don't install the lining right, it bubbles and leaks. And if you don't make the edges deep enough, wildlife will come and eat your fish. I didn't know we had great blue herons in the area until they started eating my mom's $20 fish. Seriously, if you end up putting one in, have it professionally done.

At any rate, it's not something to be taken lightly and if your boyfriend isn't going to keep up with it, don't bother.