installing a pond - tips please

I'd love to have a pond near my garden in the back yard. I have a good deal of space for one, approximately 15 x 15 area. Does anyone here have any tips for me on the best way to install it and get it going? I live in So. California, if that helps.

Lily

I'd love to see someone respond to this thread. I'm looking for the same information, only without the pushy salesperson trying to sell me on all the most expensive supplies.

sharon

Simply just dig a hole the size and shape you want and put a liner and fill it with water. The best liner I have found is the rubber roofing used on flat roofs. They are available from most roofing suppliers. They are available in ten and 20 feet wide and as long as you want. Important that you get it much larger than the hole and you can cut the extra off. the liner has to go across the hole and down the sides. you can place stones or any thing that meets your taste on the edge to cover the liner. Be sure you leave at least a foot of material on the top edge so the liner does not slide down into the pool. Place rocks or something on this edge to hold it in place.

You can place a pump and filter and fountain and make water falls all in similiar ways.

Some home improvement show on TV have shown how to do this and they can be pretty wild and crazy. Let your imagination go!!!

There are helpful people on the rec.ponds newsgroup. It's worth it to lurk there and/or get your newbe questions answered.

You can find a FAQ at this url: http://www.geocities.com/justinm090/faq.html#General It hasn't been updated in quite a while but there's some good information there.

Links:
http://www.pondforum.com/
http://pw2.netcom.com/~wandaron/gardenpond.html

Retailers: (just a few online samples, your local Home Depot probably has preformed pond liner, pumps, filters, etc.)
http://www.justliners.com/aboutus.htm
http://www.ponds2go.com/

Books:
The Complete Pond Builder - Helen Nash (she has several books)
The Practical Rock & Water Garden - Peter Robinson

I have built 3 Koi ponds 1 for myself and 2 for others all near 10,000 gals. There is much to consider when looking into a backyard pond. What is its main purpose meaning is it a Water garden , a Goldfish pond or a Koi pond or purhaps you just enjoy a larger than normal mosquito population! They are all three different and require different features and equiptment If fish are to be part of a water garden, well they tend to eat the plants especially koi so purhaps a 2 level pond one for fish and one for plants. If only plants are your goal no filtration is needed but if it is an outdoor fish tank, than filtration is needed. Koi require 250 gals of water per Adult fish and they grow up fast! some over 24 inches Goldfish are more forgiving and can be much more densly populated. Fish ponds also usually need a UV clarifier or you won't be seeing your fish for the algae pee soup that is sure to follow. the depth of the pond is important also in northern climates it must be deep enough for fish to lay on bottom in winter and go dormant without freezing to death usually 3 feet or more. Also a hole must reamin open in pond surface for gas exchange or fish will sufficate. And last but not least a bottom drain if fish are part of the dream pond as detrious material building up on bottom of pond leads to disease and deadly gas eruption (hydrogen sulfide) and there is much more to consider. I also like a drain in bottom of a water garden as it makes the yearly clean out a snap if the lay of the land allows for it. So here is an excellent web based forum just like this one that can answer all your question www.Koivet.com same exact community features as this site. Good luck and ask me if you have any question

l8r Gemm... Jim