starting a small garden pond?

[khampson]

Hi I want to start a small garden pond and need some ideas and guidance please, what can I use that is cheap as a garden pond? Does it need to be in the ground, what's the minimum size and what plants and fish will I need?, I don't have any electric nearby either, any help please

Keith

[Deb London]

Hi Keith,

Welcome to WAB.

I take it that this pond is not for wildlife? That you are talking koi, pumps, filters, lights? It's good to make this clear from the start, especially on a wildlife forum were people usually expect to be giving advice about native species.

Deb

[khampson]

Yes sorry this is my first post and thank you for the warm welcome, I intend to put a couple of gold fish in, hopefully get a couple of frogs to come, birds to drink not herons,kingfishers or cormarants and that's it really.

Keith

[dampflippers]

If you want it to be a wildlife pond, I wouldn't advise putting fish in as they will eat other pond creatures.
No pump or filter is necessary for a wildlife pond, so don't worry about electric.

There are a few threads on the water life foorum and amphibans and reptiles forum with links to useful fact sheets.

Unless you can get a second hand pond or liner on freecycle or freegle (worth a try), a liner pond is usually the cheapest and most "flexible".

[Hedera]

I made a small pond 17 years ago using a pondliner from a specialist firm and it is still going strong. I have lots of frogs, tadpoles, leeches and other wildlife, damselflies come and occasional dragonflies. No fish of course, but beetles and water bugs of several types. It's only about 4ft x 2ft, 2ft deep at one end and sloping to a stony beach at the other. One yellow flag iris and grasses and sedge and those all for free! It's surprising what turns up. Good luck!