Pond Boss Forums Thread Like Summary - Hi everyone! New here, some pond questions..

Hi everyone, this is my first post. So glad to have found this forum, I think I've read almost every thread. lol Even so, I have some questions about my [first] pond I'm planning.

I'm planning a very small pond in my back yard. I was thinking about starting it out small to see how it goes (maybe 14x24), and then expanding it eventually (to around 22x44). I have machines, so digging is no problem. The issue with expanding it is, if there's a liner or not. If I'm not using a liner, then expanding is easy. If there is a liner, not so much.

I live in the black dirt region of Orange County NY. It's very acidic, rich soil. So I guess it retains water well, from what I've heard. There's clay too when you get down a couple feet. So do you think I'd need some kind of liner?

Also, this may be a stupid question, but would compacting the soil (with a plate compactor) in the hole help to seal it better? Or would that be a waste of time?

Another question I had was with aeration. Would it cost a lot to run a pump for a pond this size? What would be the average monthly increase to my bill for a small pump? Just don't want to hear the wife complaining about the electric bill. lmao

Also, would you run the pump 24/7, or could it be on a timer for only certain times of the day?

Lastly, I was thinking about stocking it with BG if/when I made it to the full size. Does that sound like a good idea? Is there any other fish that would be a good choice? I was always thinking of Crappie, but I guess they're not good for small ponds?

Anyway, thanks again for having me, and looking forward to any help and tips you can give. I'm sure I'll have a lot more questions too!

Thanks all!

Oh, for aeration, you can get a larger, quiet diaphragm pump and run that all year. They cannot push air too deep, but 4’ isn’t a problem. Cheap to run, and won’t sound like a factory floor. My garden pond is 4’ deep (probably only 3 due to lilies) and my climate is colder than yours. No problems, though I do use a de-icer in the coldest months to let oxygen exchange for the fish and keep the aerator running.

I have both that sized pond in the back, and a half acre natural pond in the front.

First off, line the pond! It is relatively easy to append another liner to expand later, welding the two together if performed within 10ish years. Assuming it is thicker rubber. You won’t need to worry about seepage, leaks you cannot find, and you can contour the bottom with steps and planting areas that won’t slough off. However, you need to plan for that possibility and leave a nice straight edge of the liner for that in the future. Just tuck it under the side you may grow. Pricey at first, but a lot cheaper than a leaky eyesore of a pond you will likely need to deal with later.

I am recommending lining all smaller ponds, it is much easier to deal with them if you don’t get runoff in them. Fertilizer, lawn clippings, rich soils nearby, and just over-nutrition can quickly turn them into a sloppy mess you will need to regularly clean. It is much easier to manually clean a lined pond than a natural clay bottom. A rubber liner you can climb in and pump and wash it right down to the bare surface without digging.

Build the rim of the pond a touch above elevation so runoff cannot easily get at it. Top off with a garden hose when evaporation gets an upper hand. If you have chlorinated water, make a 5 gallon bucket filter handy with activated charcoal in it to pass water through before entering the pond. In our area, precipitation is generally higher than evaporation rates except July-September so I rarely need to top it off.

My 12x14 pond in the back was overrun by lilies last year, and now by fish this year. I am now tasked with siphoning out the thing this spring if it ever warms up enough to thin out the damned fish I cannot catch. Too many hungry koi/goldfish hybrids eating my lilies. I have the advantage of elevation to make a siphon cleaner, I hope it works. (More details to come!)

Good luck, but most of all, have fun!