advise on a new pond

Bignol · #1 (**permalink**) 25-06-2009, 01:43 PM

HI all.

I have just finished digging the hole for my new fibreglass pond and it is now in the ground. I ned advise on exactly what to do next.

I have started filling it with water. Now for the questions:

1) Do i need to add gravel or soil to the bottom to simulate the natural enviroment of the fish( I plann on having goldfish.)
2) THe dimension of the pond are 7ft x 5ft x 2ft, what type of plants do i need?

As you can read from the qestions i have never had a pond before. So any help would be greatly appreciated. I live in bournemouth so if anyone can recommend and shops nearby that i would be able to obtain the bits that i need.

Thanks for your help

Regards

Nolan

galanthus · #2 (**permalink**) 25-06-2009, 08:54 PM

Hello Bignol, welcome to WAB

In answer to your first question you don't need to add any soil or gravel to the bottom. All plants need to be planted in aquatic compost, put into pots and covered in pond friendly gravel; over time this will naturally leak onto the pond floor along with plant debris etc and soon make a natural bedding for the bottom. If you were to put anything at all in, just get small pot or two of sludge from the bottom of a local pond, this will have all sorts of lovely micro creatures in it to start it off, tho can have unwanted ones too !! I didn't use anything in mine.

Plant-wise you need to ensure you have :-

oxygenators eg myriophyllum - water milfoil and ceratophyllum - hornwort are good ones. Lots of your micro life will live in these. I also use pondweed but not everyone likes that.

deep water aquatics eg aponogeton distachyos - water hawthorn, a fantastic plant which flowers and smells and self seeds

marginals there are too many to name but I have acorus -sweet flag, calla plustris - bog arum, caltha - marsh marigold, gorgeous, myosotis - water forget me not amongst others.

oh and don't forget a nice water lily, nymphaea marliacea albida is the I have, great for a small to medium pond and the pads help keep the algae down in the summer.

A good book to start you off is the 'rock and water garden expert' by D G Hessayon, can get it off ebay for few pounds and I've recommended to lots here who love it.

Good luck and keep us posted with your progress

PS don't forget to ensure you have one sloping side so that creatures who fall in can get out and that includes froglets needing an exit after taddie stage. I used some pond-friendly pebbles and stones for mine.

bobbarber · #3 (**permalink**) 30-06-2009, 01:06 AM

Hello Bignol, just follow the advice from galanthus and you will not go wrong. Just one addition, any plants/weed you buy for the pond wash thoroughly. A few years ago I bought some and it introduced blanket weed to my pond I went back to the seller and he said he did have a blanket weed problem and apologised. So be warned.

...Bob
Welcome to the board.