Of all the DIY projects that people undertake today, putting in a preformed pond is high on the list. They make it easy for anyone to add a pond to their backyard.
Thankfully it's getting pretty easy to find preformed pond kits. Home and hardware retailers now keep a good supply of pond supplies on hand. Even Walmart offers small kits that will hold up to several hundred gallons of water which is perfect for most homeowners.
When purchasing a pond kit of any kind it's a good idea to plan ahead and figure out not only the layout that you want but also if the pond will hold fish or not. If fish are in your future it's often better to go a bit bigger in gallon size to allow a bit more room for them. All ponds have their limits on how many fish they can safely hold and this is dependent on not only the gallon capacity (more will hold more fish) but also the type and size of filter you're planning on using.
Many smaller ponds have mechanical type filters which are fine for most, but if your fish population get's heavy and overstocked, a mechanical filter won't keep the water quality level high enough. Problems like ammonia spikes can harm fish so something like a biological filter would be better where fish are concerned.
With that basic stuff out of the way, and once you've got the design and positioning down the way you want it, it's now time to go shopping. You may be surprised to find that there's a vast array of layouts available. In a sense this is necessary because preformed ponds are not really customized. You pick the shape and size and go with it. If you find that you really want more variety, then you'll probably want to investigate something like a rubber liner instead. These are flexible and can fit any size or shape of pond design.
Since our focus here is on preformed ponds, you should know that they are usually more durable than rubber and they're very resistant to puncturing. The only real concern is in cold weather when, like all plastic, they can crack. Usually you won't run a small pond like this in the winter months so they should be emptied of water and covered until spring.
As a DIY project, a small pond install is terrific. One thing that will make it quite easy is if you look for a pond kit that has the liner or shell as well as the mechanical components such as the filter and pump. Most of these are designed well so the mechanicals will fit the capacity of the pond very well. This saves a lot of guess work and ensures that your getting started off on the right foot.
Really the worst part of the installation of any pond is the digging. Unless you like digging of course. You'll want to clear an area that matches the shape and depth of the pond shell. Be sure to not get sloppy here. The dig should match the shape closely and you'll want to fill in any spaces between the ground and the shell. This insures that it will be adequately supported from the bottom.
Once the preformed pond shell is laid in and secure and the mechanicals are in place, you can then start adding the all important component...water! Fill the pond up to a few inches below the edge and let the water sit for a day or so. This allows any chlorine to disappear. You may also choose to add some beneficial bacteria to the water at this point too. If you like aquatic plants, you may want to add some of those in too such as lilies. And finally after everything is settled in, you can add some gold fish or koi.
Finishing off a diy project like this can be even more fun than the installation. Use your creative eye to covertly hide the pond edging with rocks or slate and create the landscaping around the preformed pond to make it appear to be as if nature put it there in the first place.
| Price : $75.21
