Hi from Ontario, Canada

[pmb]

I have a small pond that I dug myself four summers ago. It ranges from 2 to 4 feet deep and is bare liner. We leave our koi in the pond year round but build a structure over it for the winter and the fish have done well with this arrangement so far. I sort of got into the hobby by being naive. I bought several small koi not realizing that an indoor aquarium would not be a winter solution for long so faces with the choice of re-homing my fish or building a bigger pond........I started digging. My neighbors joked that I was digging a grave and must be quite upset with my husband. Now they enjoy the water sounds of my pond from their deck. Nice to have found this forum as there are not many ponders in my neck of the woods..

 

[Kristi Kelty]

Welcome, PMB! Funny about the "grave!" LOL!
This is a great group and very- well informed -- they have helped me a lot with the expertise~ I'd like to see you structure that you put over the pond for Winter....any pics?

 

[pmb]

Thanks Kristi.....I have pics - I just have to figure out how to post here .....

 

[pmb]

I think I figured it out

 

[pmb]

Here are a few pics from last year.......the pond has grown in a lot and the waterfall is better this year (that was just a temporary bog to help with filtration)

 

[haver79]

Welcome and very nice pond.

 

[Kristi Kelty]

Thanks for posting the beautiful pic of your pond and the cover.....I'm not sure if I even need one, although it does get very windy here in winter, and we have a huge Pine tree next door, so I already get tons of pine needles....Hmmmmm.

 

[Kristi Kelty]

Nice fish also!!!!

 

[addy1]

Very nice set up. I use a bog for my ponds filtration, keeps it beautifully.

We don't get snow like that, usually.
Great looking fish you have.

 

[mtpond]

Welcome pmb, nice pond how many gallons is it? Really like your winter set up. I have thought about doing something like that with my pond for the winter but it hasn't happened yet.

 

[pmb]

Thanks all. It is 1000 gallons. I will soon have to consider enlarging it if I am to keep all of the fish in it. I have read so many times that you really should make the pond bigger than you think when first building it. So true.... Kristi the dome helps where I live because the winters are so cold. It is like a greenhouse of sorts that keeps the pond from supercooling in strong winds at the beginning of winter and minimixes the ice build up. The first year we used it there was very little ice at all on the pond all winter despite the fact that I am in Northern Ontario. Last winter I did get some ice but it was nowhere near as thick as it would have been without the cover. I have a bubbler going as well as a small heater to keep an area open when ice does form. It does help to keep it free of debris as well. Now that we have done it a few times it takes us about 2-3 hours to set it up so not a huge task (took longer the first time when we were figuring out how to to it ). The beams support boards (no in the pic) that give support to the dome - a lesson we learned the first year when the snow started to collapse the dome. Now a foot of snow can sit on it if need be and it will support it .

 

[Becky]

Welcome to Garden Pond Forums! :wave:

 

[Dave's pond Indiana]

Good idea with the dome. I can relate to the making your pond bigger. I started a 7200 gal. and now 8yrs later I am at 19000 gal. and still making changes. I really enjoy this web site I am on it every day getting new ideas. Bigger is better and easier to maintain.

 

[Kristi Kelty]

Yes, I also would like to enlarge mine-- it is around 1440 gals now.....But this house has some heirloom trees in my yard and I have a hard time cutting through or into their thick roots. (They could be over 100 years old apparently, so I do not want to risk injuring the trees through their root system. Anyone have advice about working with this challenge?

 

[Dave's pond Indiana]

I just added a 4'X20' bog to my pond and it will be ready to go this spring

Very nice set up. I use a bog for my ponds filtration, keeps it beautifully.

We don't get snow like that, usually.
Great looking fish you have.