Hello, I'm new and need some advice...

[acbrookman]

Hi i just moved into my new home last week and it came with this kinda ugly but maybe has some potential fountain area. I was just wondering if I could possibly turn it into a little pond with a couple small fish and plants or maybe a little turtle or an algae eating Pleco? Or if it could even be a pretty water garden? Right now it is bone dry and needs to be cleaned of pebbles and dirt. The previous owners had it running as a fountain so u know the little submersible pump works. I just am not sure what else I would need like a skimmer or for oxygen bubbles? I jus't don't wanna go through all the trouble if it isnt even a usable area. Thanks.

 

[addy1]

Hi welcome to our group! Where to you live? That will help you decide if the pond can support fish. You could have some goldfish or rosey red minnows to munch on the bugs. Pond plants would live nicely. You would need a filter on the pump ow it would get mucked up a lot and not run.

 

[acbrookman]

Hi and thanks for the quick response. I just moved to Oxnard, CA and it is about an hour and a half west of Los Angeles...kinda near Malibu. Amy suggestions on what kinda filter I should get due to the limited size of the area?

 

[MitchM]

You should probably be prepared to put a rubber liner over it plus add some filtration.

 

[MitchM]

The filter size and complexity will depend on how many fish and plants you would like to keep. Also how much maintenance you want to put into it.
First thing would be to see if it leaks.
Fill it and monitor the level for a couple of days.

 

[dieselplower]

That is pretty shallow. I don't know the temperature there but if it gets hot, water temperature could be an issue. Sunburn could also be an issue, believe it or not, so some shade in the pond would be good. A couple goldfish would be a light load to start with. Keep an eye on water temperature. Floating plants like water lettuce and water hyacinth would be nice.

 

[acbrookman]

Thank u everyone....your advice is great. I figured i might need a new black liner since thr base of the fountain area appears to be just concrete with some marine/pool paint on it. I don't think it leaks but I am concerned the water might just evaporate in the hot sun so I will fill it up and see how long it lasts. Also I figured I would certainly need some water lilies or something to give the fish some shade. Right now I was just thinking maybe a couple pretty goldfish since it is so shallow. I know goldfish prefer a little colder water....what temperature should I aim for? I can go get a thermometer to see how hot the water gets during the day in the sun.

 

[MitchM]

Temperature can be regulated somewhat by having a pump with a fountain or spray attachment. Evaporative cooling can be very effective.
If you're going to measure temperature, do it as you would have the pond running normally.
Rosy red minnows can grow to a couple inches in length, look like baby goldfish and don't add a large bio load to your pond system.
They can tolerate temperatures in the mid eighties, I believe.

Your local pet store would carry fish that are suited to your area.

 

[j.w]

acbrookman
How deep is that pond? Will look nice once you get it planted and put a few fish in there. Hope it holds water. Then go from there.

 

[acbrookman]

Thanks for the tips...the fountain area is about 9ft x 6ft and roughly 9 inches deep so not a big area by any stretch of the imagination. I'm not sure hoe many gallons of water it would hold. But i figured a little filter might fit since the submersible pump fits just under the rock area. I am excited to get this thing up and running.

 

[pugle1]

Welcome acbrookman. There's some awesome caring people here in this forum. Please stay, and don't be shy about asking questions. The folks here have been a wealth of info for me since I joined. One thing you mentioned was water loss due to evaporation. Trickle irrigation will take care of that for you. You can get what you need for that at most garden supply shops. You can have as little as one gallon per hour flow rate into the pond to replace what you lose to evaporation. As for goldfish... I live in Ontario, and in the summer, it's not unusual to see 85*F for my water temps, and my goldies have been thriving even through our cold winters for the last three years. This is their 4th summer in the pond, and they're doing just fine. Some good floating plants as mentioned above will give them shade and help keep the water temps down a bit. Hope you find these forums a welcoming and helpful place for you.

 

[Priscilla]

I think its got potential! Could work out to be a fun little pond. Perhaps some tropicals, I have platys in my pond, they come in all colors and multiply fast. Mollys or even a fancy betta cruising around in there would be cool. You could have some platys and a betta (just one betta) to control the platy population. Might be a bit shallow for a lily, but some floating plants would be awesome.

The pond maybe a bit shallow for goldfish at 9 inches, but the platys do well in warmer weather. Warm water just seems to tell them to have more babies!

 

[RobAmy]

Welcome, your getting some great advise

 

[C-Note]

Welcome! Only 9" deep, huh? Such a good size, being 9' x 6'... My crazy mind would want to remove the current stone edging, and build it up a little higher (above ground), and drop a liner in, to give it more depth. Then with some shade and good filtration, you'd have yourself a sweet little pond! I'm sure it will turn into something fun in no time. Looking forward to the "after" pics!

 

[Becky]

Welcome aboard!