A fish pond is a great idea to bring life to your garden. Indeed, it will attract other creatures (frogs, birds, aquatic plants, …) which will only improve your exterior decoration. In addition, you will participate in the improvement of the ecosystem. Find out here how to integrate a fish pond into your garden.
So that the fish and plants in your garden pond can live in the right conditions, you have to choose the best location. First, make sure that the fish pond is placed in the sunniest place during the day. Indeed, the aquatic plants necessary for the pond will reduce the penetration of light inside.
That is to say that the basin must be created far from tall trees, but also from deciduous plants which are harmful to the quality of the water. In addition, it must be ensured that no root could perforate the watertightness of the pool.
A pit with a deep hole is advisable, especially towards the center. Indeed, some fish like to be at the bottom of the pond, but it will also serve as their refuge in winter. A pool with a deep bottom will limit temperature variations. In this context, the minimum depth of the central pit must be 80 cm. But the ideal is to dig up to 1.50 m.
To install the different aquatic plants, it is necessary to arrange different water levels. For example, you can create a first landing 15 cm from the surface for plants that cannot survive in the depths. Then, another at 35 cm and a transition landing before the one where you will install the lotuses and the water lilies (at about 60 cm). Note that all landings must be 30 cm thick. The installation must also provide stability for the plant baskets.
For an optimal lifespan of your fish and plants in the pond, you must protect yourself from herons. These are birds that are true hunters of aquatic plants and animals.
For this, you can install a heron statue in the middle of the basin. This would avoid other visitors since they do not like to share. There are also heron nets that you can buy in specialty stores. Otherwise, you can also opt for scarers (sound devices to ward off the intruder), provided there is a place far enough from the house to install them.
With a well-balanced ecosystem in your pond, the plants and fish themselves will take care of the water filtration. However, you can still place a layer of pozzolan at the bottom to act as a filter, but it is not mandatory.
On the other hand, there are also devices to prevent the evaporation of water. You will find different models in garden centers, physical or online. In any case, all the devices you choose must be of good quality.
For a fish pond, you can build a basin out of compacted clay 40 cm thick. On the other hand, the terrain must be suitable for high impermeability. Compaction must also be carried out according to standards.
If the pond does not exceed 3,000 liters, you can opt for a preformed fiber pool. This material is stronger. In addition, its installation is simple and fast.
For a medium-sized pool, a PVC cover would be a more economical solution. However, it is necessary to opt for a thicker tarpaulin to guarantee its solidity.
For a large pool, the ideal is to opt for an EPDM cover. More elastic and more resistant, it has a longer life than PVC. This explains its higher cost.
