Newbie to site

[tinkerman]

Built my first and only pond from a liner kit about 12 years ago. Had just moved into my first home and after landscaping the garden as a widlife habitat felt a pond would be nice. Have always liked keeping fish and have had many fish tanks since I was a kid. The pond was a real success from the start. Of course as it matured and my fish, mostly gold fish, started mutiplying I encountered filtration problems. A series of bigger pumps and a home made gravity filter with UV sterilization solved most of my problems. The biggest problems turned out to be wildlife. A Racoon ate my prized koi and constant visits from Herons and Egrets resulted in lots of holes in my liner! Truly a labor of love.

 

[sissy]

welcome and using fishing line strung out over your pond will help

 

[addy1]

I have to keep netting over our pond, mr heron, has not stopped by YET this summer, but it will be back. They fly over almost every day. I use some fishing net, not real easy to see it, but it sure makes it heron proof. I have it high enough over the pond the bird can not get its head through and down to the water to strike. Low enough it can't walk down to the edge.

 

[Becky]

Hello and welcome to the forums :wave:

 

[Fishylove]

Welcome!! :wave:
Plant life in the water will help alot if you done already have it. How deep is your pond? Where you live I wouldn't be necessary to be deep as far as freezing goes. But unless you have shade, the water will get pretty warm in the summer. Also when the depth is 3-4 feet or more it gives the fish somewhere to run when visited by preditors.

 

[tinkerman]

Thanks all for the welcome and your advice. My garden is intended to be "wild" and the loss of a fish or two has to be accepted. The water is 3 feet deep and there are safe places to hide for the fish. I take it as a compliment when wildlife shows up. What I really want is to not have to continually drain and patch my pond. Since I'm rebuilding, cement is a consideration vs liner. Would give that heron a headache I'll bet!

 

[j.w]

tinkerman