what kind of water feature for back yard?

[Fried Oyster]

I've long mulled over the idea of having a fountain or some small fish pond, especially for the kids dabble in.

Not sure how to go about it though. Being a plumber, it's not a difficult installation for me, but I'm wondering if anyone here has experience with such settups--what kind of stuff is necessary to support a tiny habitat of some type, like gold fish or crawdads (Yeah, I know the SWAT team might come after me if I "transport" a few crawdads to my back yard Koi pond....)

Any recommendations on size, liners, pumps, filters???? etc?

[fishkisser]

Go as big as you can afford for the heath of the occupants and lower maintenance ...
If you have a local store to puchase the pump , filter , and liner from use their brands to avoid down time they should stock repair parts for the brands they sell ...

[STGRule]

I agree. The biggest you can afford is easier to maintain. But a half oak whiskey barrel with a plastic liner will support a couple goldfish if you add plants. Just a lot more maintenance.

I have a 60 gallon plastic pond that I have gotten pretty stable. I don't have a pump or filter though. I go with plant cover and it isn't in full sun. I empty it out in the spring and refill it. Gives me a chance to see how many baby goldfish I have each year.

[Duckwheat]

How about a scaled down feature similar to The Bellagio in Las Vegas. Have it on a timer.

Make all the neighbors really jealous.

DW

[Jennie@ifish]

Ruth, I'd love to see your pond. Bill and I have often thought about a pond. We could even get the water draining from the creek on the hill to fill a small lake. Then we could hunt ducks! Wheeeeeeeee!

Whoa, girl... one thing at a time!

I would love to, though!

Oh, and ice skating in the winter!....

[Fried Oyster]

Good feed back. Who woud have thought...bigger is easier.

One thing I'm amped about. I have diagrammed ways I can easily create a very easily mantained sand-filter and aerator on a timer, and also a heater with a thermostat to keep it above freezing in the winter. This will be so rad. I'm thinking crawdads.....a "live bait" pond.



Now I think my biggest obstical will be making it ......pleasing to the eye.

[STGRule]

Be careful of your crawdads. Chances are they will just leave. Up and hike right on out if it isn't perfect for them.

[Fried Oyster]

Originally Posted by STGRule

Be careful of your crawdads. Chances are they will just leave. Up and hike right on out id it isn't perfect for them.

Really? You mean die? Or really, like, leave? I guess I'd have to build the right edges to keep'em put.

[swampy]

The boys have stocked my backyard pond with crawdads twice...each time I've found them in the driveway within a day or two looking to hitch a ride back down to the creek. since then we've left them in the creek.

[Snug 2]

Here is my current feature.



There are three ponds. The bottom one holds the fish. It is 4.5' deep and about 10' wide. The middle pond is about 2' deep and is for the dogs to play in. The upper pond is 4' deep and is a bio-filter.

My wife and I collected each and every stone over two years. We received expert assistance from the now defunct Springbrook Koi Farm in Newberg.

After one season the frogs found it as well as little aquatic creatures.

[STGRule]

Or really, like, leave? I guess I'd have to build the right edges to keep'em put.

Good luck with that. They can climb anything except glass. And I wouldn't even guarantee that..

[RedneckFishin]

I use to build water features for a living. where are you located at?

[Dave G]

The feature we have in our back yard the majority of the year is a big thunder cloud.

[pathfinder]

Heres mine, My boy helped dig it out. I have about 22 goldfish and koi ..Have one 1800 gal pump for the for the water fall and one 1800 gal pump for my filter system.

[Herring Impaired]

We recently installed a new water feature. A 7 person Hot Tub!

[Dave G]

Originally Posted by pathfinder

Heres mine, My boy helped dig it out. I have about 22 goldfish and koi ..Have one 1800 gal pump for the for the water fall and one 1800 gal pump for my filter system.

NICE!!

[Swift Fly Guy]

I've always been into ponds, I wish I could talk the wife into it. Here's an option......

http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product...at27588&topnav=

[Shiner]

Its easy to get excited and jump in too quick. You might check out Hughs Water Garden in the Wlisonville area. Lots of construction ideas. Yes bigger is better. If you want fish, go deep. You will suprised at the wildlife that will find your new feeding station. Herons and coons are my battle. I have a pet voltage electric fence wire for the coons.
Have fun

[iwanttofish]

Yea damn Blue Herion will get your fish if not careful.

The Scarecrow sprinkler works good also.

[SlimeyLimey]

I'm working on a new one...but the current one looks and acts a lot like a sprinkler...tick...tick...tick...

Nice pic's above!

S

[crittergitter]

From what we have learned the bigger the better for sure. We put in a 250 gallon preformed plastic one that we got from a local home center. And then built a waterfall going down into it.
I wouldn't recomend one of these though for the following reasons. The sides are to steep to be able to get rocks to lay in very well, it is these rocks that create the area for natual bacteria to grow, which helps cut down on algea growth. Also I would recomend planting natural vegetation to your area, around the pond, as well as some live plants inside the pond. We had koi in our pond until a heron found them, then we put in goldfish, and they have been pretty much self sustaining since, they have been in there for about three years now, and have been growing and making babys ever since.

[98ramtough]

We used to have a 100 gallon fish tank when I was a kid. I brought home a few crawdads and the next night one ended up under my bed

They can climb glass!

[RODACTION]

My water feature.....is so big.........we get a run of SHAD !!