Newbies inherited pond

[Medge]

Hey all- I posted a year ago when we first moved into our house about the pond that is in our garden and unfortunately haven’t really made much progress because although I’ve sat and done quite a bit of reading I still feel a bit lost with it all. Think I’m just really struggling because we’re working with something already in place which we didn’t build rather than just totally starting afresh where we could more easily just follow a guide.

We have the below pond which is a little over five metres long, 2 metres wide and 1 metre deep. We’ve already decided we’re going to build a wall around it and raise it a little (we have both pets and lots of visiting children so would prefer to have the raise to try and avoid anyone falling in). We’ve also got a liner ready to go once we’re ready.

Where I’m really getting confused is what we’re best to do filtration wise. At the moment there’s not much going on- the past own took all their pumps and we’ve got rid of some old home made filters which they must of used. These were just boxes that sat to the side of the pond and feed in at the side. I’ve read up on bog filters but we don’t have the space for anything else nor do we want to loose any space in the current. I’ve also been reading up on retro fitting a bottom drain and then making it gravity feed but just don’t know if we’ll be giving ourselves too much to do given there’s a fair amount of concrete in place at the moment.

Guess what I’m looking for is advice on what we’re best to do? Ultimately we just want a solution that will last and keep the pond filtered (likely looking at just getting a few koi) so happy to put in more work if needed but would also love if there was a solution that doesn’t require ripping the current apart.

Any help greatly appreciated- we’ve spent a year of on/ off draining the pond just to stop it becoming mosquito heaven and I really want to get it going.

 

[addy1]

Welcome back!

I wouldn't mess with a bottom drain, esp if you need to chop through concrete.

That screened in area, the power for the pond?

That bump leading to the pond, a pipe to draw in water?

I don't do man made filters, others know them better. If my pond I would find a good filter install it in that enclosure.

 

[addy1]

Maybe add a nice aerator for water movement.

Also I would stick with nice goldfish. They don't need the filtration koi need. Get shubunkins, etc, there are beautiful gold fish.

 

[WaterGardener]

I highly recommend a bottom drain and a retro one is an easy addition. No need to go through concrete when it can just sit on top of it. You might have to get creative with hiding the pipes if those offend you, but plants are good for that.

My pond has a regular bottom drain that draws water and junk from the bottom of the pond and sends it to a bead type filter. Then it goes to a shower filter at the top of the waterfall which feeds back to the pond. Very easy to maintain and keeps the water in great condition.

It would be helpful to know what type of filtration the previous owners had and duplicate that, if possible.

Your pond looks like it has lots of good possibilities and you have a good start there.

 

[Lisak1]

I'll disagree with that. Get some goldfish and you'll have no need for a bottom drain. It's a complication you just don't need in my opinion.

A "bog filter" can be a pretty addition to your pond. A planter box filled with gravel and plumbed from the bottom that sits on the edge of the pond can provide water movement and filtration at the same time.

One of these would be a simple, pretty addition to your pond and would require very little in the way of plumbing. You can put floating plants or plants in pots that will increase the bio-filtration in your pond. And the aesthetic would match what you already have!

 

[WaterGardener]

Everyone has a different opinion and a different idea of what they want from their pond. There are a multitude of options and each person has to find what works best for them.

My system works well for me, yours works well for you. But there is no right or wrong way, as long as it keeps your pond healthy and safe for its inhabitants.