DIY stock tanks may be the best way for many hobbyists to enjoy the benefits of a garden pond without having the time or money associated with building one. This is an alternative to the popular pre-cast concrete pools that are so popular these days. While they are certainly nice to look at, they can quickly become cost-prohibitively expensive. There are also inherent problems with concrete if it becomes too full of water or freezes over – both of which poses a danger to livestock or visitors who might wander into the area. With a little bit of planning, you can create your own natural pond without having to use chemicals, salts or freezes.
The first step in creating your own natural garden pond is to select a location where you will put your new DIY stock pond. The easiest place to put your new pond is on a slope. Most garden ponds are designed to Nestle at a moderate slope, which helps them remain stable even as the seasons change. If you are putting your pond on a slope, you’ll need to add a layer of gravel on the bottom to keep your pond liner from sitting on the water.
Next, choose the plants, rocks, stones and edging that will make up your garden pond. Some plants grow better in shallow water and some grow better in deeper water. It is important to know which plants will grow best in your selected area, because certain types will thrive in different environments. Once you have chosen the plants that will work best for your area, you can move on to learning how to make a garden pond.
One of the key things to remember about how to make a garden pond is to keep your pond in the correct spirit level. Simply put, you want to have the pond’s energy in balance. The problem with creating an indoor garden pond is that the concentration of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the water is not enough to sustain a healthy ecosystem. So, you need to adjust the concentration of these two elements in order to create the right living conditions for your garden pond.
Your first step in learning how to make a garden pond is to add water to the pond in its entirety. Then, add a bottomed gravel layer to help contain the mass of water. The deeper the water, the more it will take to bring the pond back to a state of balance. You’ll want to vary the depth of the gravel in order to maintain the correct spirit level of your pond.
Next, add a day greenhouse onto your garden pond. Greenhouses are useful because they give you the option to control the amount of light that reaches the fish. By increasing the amount of light, the fish will be able to adapt to the warmer temperatures that come with winter hibernation. The opposite temperature can cause stress to your fish and kill them before they acclimate to new conditions. A greenhouse will also help you if you have algae problems, because the greenhouse can provide artificial UV light to help control the growth of algae.
The last step in learning how to make a garden pond is to add a filter system into the mix. If your garden pond has already been established, you will not need a filter. However, if you have a fresh water garden that needs to be converted to saltwater, then a filter is necessary. The filter will remove both plankton and other debris from the water. It will also remove excess dissolved oxygen, which can cause an imbalance in the ecosystem if left alone. This is why a filter is a critical component of every DIY stocking pool project.
If you have never completed a project like this before, or are new to building DIY pools, then you may want to review the “Make a Garden Pond” video by Bill Keene. This is a great beginner’s guide to building a DIY stock tank and garden ponds. As the name implies, the video is step-by-step, showing you everything you need to know about building a DIY pond, from the beginning to the end. It covers everything from choosing the right materials to finding local support groups.