other pond designs I can use?

[alisaalthaus]

I have 2 preformed ponds which are not deep enough to withstand wintering my fish. I was wondering if there were other ways of building fish ponds that don't cost alot of money. I looked into liners, concrete and even tried to figure out a way to build a natural pond without a liner. I was told you have to use some sort of sealant so water doesn't seep through the ground. Any ideas would be appreciated.

[Busy B]

How many fish do you have?

Michigan get pretty cold for the winter? I'm not familiar with your winters.

Some people put a stock tank in their garage if you have one. Can find those at your local feed store. Or swimming pools that should be discounted this time of year. Those depend on also how much space you have and how many fish. Either way you have to have some kind of a filter. Lots of DIY ideas to build something also in this pond section.

[Terri]

Welcome to the board alisaalthaus :-)

Michigan gets colder than we do here, so will most likely have to bring your fish indoors this winter... there's not much time left in this season to complete a new pond.

40mil EPDM liner is fairly reasonible compared to concrete or fiber glass. (note: stay away from PVC pond liner! It's cheap because it's CHEAP!*crap*) Depending on your soil you could get away without an underlay material, but if you have corse substrate then something like GeoTextile would be needed.

Your 4 major purchases for a larger pond to be able to overwinter fish/keep 'em comfy in the summer would be ...
-40mil EPDM liner (typically under $1/ft)
-water pump
-filter (even DIY can cost $'s)
-air pump

Now if you have the option to go with clay, then that's a whole other kettle of fish. The cost of this more natural approach would could vary on several things... where the clay is coming from, contractor cost to truck it in and lay it(not quite a DIY job), and the amount required.

Cost is relative to size, the bigger the volume of water the more money spent.

In your neck of the woods you'd want a pond 5 feet deep atleast, but the deeper the better... the the deepest area should have enough square footage to accomidate all your fish with room to spare - really the deepest portion should be the larger percentage of the pond, leaving shelves, etc. using less space.

outta time, gotta fly...

[Jackie Ramo]

As the season is fast closing you may want to look into a winter solution for the fish and take the time to really research the type of pond you want. They are a major pain to redo again and again. Aslo in late season you may pick up some deals on pumps etc.

Some 2x4's and liner can make a nice home for the winter for the fish you have now, Busy Bee has a thread on how she is building her's.

Welcome to the board. !welcome

[Busy B]

:-? And here I read it as tho Alisa wanted to find ways to winter her fish:-P


On another thread, you said you brought them in for the winter. Where did you keep them then?

The sealant could also be a form of bentonite. I would opt for liner.

It is late in the season to get a new pond started. I have been stockpiling parts for my expansion. Maybe you could do the same?

[Merlin]

I have 2 preformed ponds which are not deep enough to withstand wintering my fish. I was wondering if there were other ways of building fish ponds that don't cost alot of money. I looked into liners, concrete and even tried to figure out a way to build a natural pond without a liner. I was told you have to use some sort of sealant so water doesn't seep through the ground. Any ideas would be appreciated..

May I ask for some details about your ponds before I offer an answer :frisbee: , what size , how many fish and what type of fish. Temporary ponds can be constucted quite cheaply as can filters, but without knowing what your fish load is, it is hard to advise as to what you will need .