As a child growing up on our farm I enjoyed having 4 ponds but only one had any fish in them. Three of the four ponds were meant for our livestock to drink from while the other was for our enjoyment. These ponds were made by my older foster brother and was quite a thing to watch. They had no big equipment to create these ponds, just a tractor with a big scoop, which looked like a big shovel with two handles to control the depth and direction. Hard work but a great result.

What Are Ponds?

Well, ponds are small bodies of water, usually fresh water, that can support life forms. Some ponds get as large as a small lake while other I have seen are just a half barrel in size. Most ponds are usually man made and have their very own life ecosystem. My favorite fresh water ponds come with fish, frogs and other organisms in them. Fresh water ponds with fish and other animals are the most interesting to have in the yard in my humble opinion.

What You Need To Know To Make Your Own Fresh Water Ponds With Fish

Our ponds were deep enough to walk and swim in but even as a kid the depth never went over my head or even past my arm pits. So even though they were fairly big they weren't deep.

Chuck was always careful to check out the are a pond would go so that it was going to get the best lighting conditions but would also have some shade to protect the fish that would eventually end up in the pond. I used to catch catfish from the river at the back of our farm and put them in the ponds that cattle would drink from. My dad would get ticked at me and tell me I was trying to scare the cows.

A lot of extra work was put into the fresh water pond that wasn't for our farm animals to drink from. Chuck would go to the river and get water cress and other plants that looked great around the edges of the pond. We didn't have the lilies or plants like I see in ponds today but that was almost 50 years ago now and times have changed. But the plants that Chuck put in the pond helped to keep it shaded and to keep the water cooler than if it got direct sunlight all day long.

Note: Once you have picked the best spot for your fresh water pond the next step is to decide how deep to make your pond. You need to keep your pond safe for people but also for any fish you might put in your pond. You need to keep it deep enough so the water doesn't heat up too much and kill your fish but you also want to keep it shallow enough so that if any one falls in they won't drown.

As a kid I only put catfish in my pond and they seemed to live just fine but most fresh water ponds that will have fish will most likely need a filtration system and an aeration system as well. Our ponds had dirt bottoms but most ponds today are made from artificial containers such as cement, plastic and others. Plants and waterfalls or fountains can help with the aeration process.

The kind of fish you will put in the fresh water pond must also be considered. Fresh water ponds with fish need to accommodate the size and number of the animals in it. You can not have too many fish in a small pond. You must also consider that other animals might take an interest in your pond such as frogs and insects. Snakes might also like the idea of a lot of frogs so be careful of the also.

Create your own backyard fresh water pond. Koi ponds and fish are so relaxing and you can build your garden around them to make them even more natural looking. Koi ponds, or fresh water ponds will give you years of enjoyment. Koi Garden Pond

Are you ready to take that next step? Getting bored with your freshwater aquarium? Kinda stuck on what steps to take next?

Wouldn't it be nice to take some of your indoor aquarium fish outdoors, I am sure they would thank you for it. If this is you then you just might be ready to give your fish some exercise and to increase your property's value.

All the things you have already learned that keeps your fish healthy just might make it easier to get started with your own Koi pond or fish pond. So if you are able to take care of any of your fish that might have any fish diseases. You know how to maintain a steady water temperature. Can you handle water changes, testing the water, then you are going to find creating or building your own fish pond easier than most. But even if you are a newbie it doesn't take much to learn fish pond success.

Of Course You Will Need To Do A Bit Of Research

Money is usually a limiting factor so your research will help you understand just how big you can go with your fish pond without draining your bank account.

You know that water will always try to level it's self so you are going to need a pretty level area with access to a water supply. Of course that water supply could come from your garden hose.

No one likes to be over crowded and neither do the fish you will put in your fish pond, so don't try to cram too many into the area you provide. Just remember that your pond is still somewhat like an aquarium and fish need elbow room. It is said that each of your fish will require a minimum of one gallon of fresh water each in order to keep healthy and happy.

Don't do like my son did and put in more than one fighting fish, like the Betta fish, also known as the Siamese fighting fish, as they will seek each other out to fight and that's not a good thing in your fish ponds. I was reading that even if you put a fighting fish, like the Betta into a lake they will find each other and start their own little death match.

You should be sure you read up on how to build fish ponds before you start digging. Do you want a concrete bottom or are you going to use a liner? I personally prefer the less expensive route and pick the liner, plus I can get them in different colours and there is no need to start painting concrete.

Do you want rocks all around it or would you prefer to build your deck around it. What ever you decide it's best to decide before you start the digging process. Which ever method you choose be sure you make the edge of your fish pond safe for those on foot, they may not want to go for a swim if it's not safe.

Think of Your Fish Ponds As Large Aquariums And You Will Do Fine.

Having fish in your fish ponds isn't a whole lot different than having them in your aquarium. You still need to monitor them for health reasons and you still have to maintain the water conditions. Fish can't survive long without a good supply of oxygen so keep the algae level down and your fish will thank you by living long and healthy lives.

JP has been a lover of fish for many years and the idea of building koi ponds was scary to him for a long time until he started reading up on how to create a fish pond. At that point the lights came on JP started his koi pond project and so can you. It just takes a little planning and your koi fish will love you for it. fish ponds

By: James Mann

Koi fish are by far one of the most popular fresh water fish put into ponds. The Koi are in the waters of thousands upon thousands of ponds around the globe. Koi fish aren't just desired for their various colors and patterns, it has to do with how long Koi fish can live. I was reading that it has been recorded that one particular Koi lived to the ripe ole age of 226 years old, now that's a long living fish making them great for outdoor ponds.

Carp in Japanese is Koi. Over the years since back in the early 1800 they have been domesticated and breed so that now we have a huge selection of patterns and colours like red, orange, yellow, black, white, silver or even blue or green. It amazes me to think about the patience required because of the fact that their diet and environment affects their colours.

Koi don't really school much but are a friendly bunch and very sociable with other fish. One thing to remember is that Koi will tend to eat smaller fish so it's wise to keep them all about the same size or you might find some get bigger while others get gone.

Koi care must be taken when stocking your koi pond. This is due to the fact that Koi can become large fish. You either have to really pay close attention to the size they grow to so that you are sure you have the right amount of water to maintain the fish at their current size. Some like to keep a smaller pond that say five hundred or so gallons so they will continue to buy small Koi fish and give the bigger ones away.

Koi care includes giving your fish some elbow(fin) room, they will be much healthier and pay attention to the quality of water as it's vital to the health of your Koi fish. Goldfish might be cheap and allow you to fail a little more but Koi tend to be expensive so you won't want to learn to many lessons that hard way.

Note: Koi fish are a cold water fish so they do best in water temperatures that are between 61 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit.

It may sound scary and dangerous for your Koi fish but because they are an amazing fish they can even thrive in colder water, making them able to remain outside in the winter. Of course if your Koi pond is too shallow your fish will become frozen fish so be sure your pond is more than 3 feet deep if you plan to leave them outside.

NOTE: As the temperatures begin to drop through the winter months your Koi fish will begin their winter hibernation. Their digestive systems all but stop for that time. Take care not to feed your Koi in temps less than 50 degrees Fahrenheit as the food would rott in their gut if they aren't digesting food at that temperature.

I love how relaxing it is to listen to Koi ripple the water when they surface but it's also pretty cool to have a little water fall as part of your Koi pond experience. So remember Koi care is important to learn before you start caring for your Koi fish.

As a Koi Pond enthusiast JP knows that Koi care is vital to healthy and happy Koi but learning this before hand will save you money and stress. Koi Care

Well we finally made enough money to buy our dream home. We have already started learning how to be gardeners and soon we will have learned what we need to know about building a Goldfish pond or as some call it, a koi pond. We have seen so many koi ponds will researching. We may even be able to find someone that's giving away some of their koi fish to keep their own pond from becoming over populated.

Life In The Real World of Goldfish Ponds

Previous homes we owned were just too small and not nearly enough space to have goldfish ponds. The fact that koi fish need between one and two gallons of water per fish in order to be healthy and happy we would only have been able to have an indoor freshwater aquarium, but we didn't. Now, if you have ever kept goldfish successfully in an aquarium then you already have the basics for keeping your goldfish in goldfish ponds happy and most importantly healthy as well.

Keeping Your Water Moving And Clean For Health Reasons

Your Koi pond is just like an aquarium and needs to be kept so that the water doesn't become stagnant or full of algae. For this reason you need to keep the water moving and filtered so you fish keep healthier. Have you ever seen how fast aquarium glass turns from clear to cloudy to green? Well you goldfish ponds will do the same thing if not maintained properly.

You don't want stressed fish as this leads to all kinds of problems and can actually kill your fish so watch for these issues and you will do well, so will your koi fish.

Overcrowding - Too many fish, remember they need from 1 to 2 gallons of clean healthy water each.

Poor water conditions - Would you like to live in a polluted home?

Addition of new fish - Make sure your new fish are free from disease and keep in mind the water and space your goldfish need.

Disease - Keep you pond clean

Not enough oxygen in the water - aerate the water

Being transported - This can cause major stress in your fish, so do it as little as possible.

Remember, You're Not Alone In This

Keeping Koi or Goldfish ponds is definitely has a learning curve which usually means you will make a mistake or two, it's normal and you're not alone. There are hundreds of Koi pond clubs, magazines and books and don't forget all the web sites with helpful information on Koi Ponds.

We have never had a local fish show but check it out in your town or city as you may find more support than you know.

Usually, if a pet shop has healthy fish you will find someone that knows what they are doing so ask them questions that are on your mind, I am sure they will help you. After all they want you to succeed as well.

Finding information on the maintenance of goldfish ponds used to be tough but today with so many Goldfish pond owners and web sites you should have no problems as long as you do your home work first and not waiting until there is a problem.

Knowing the importance of proper Koi pond care will save you time and money and doing it right keeps your stress levels lower which is always good. http://www.koi-care-center.com/koi-garden.html

Keeping your koi fish less stress will keep them healthier and happier as well. JP knows that Koi care is vital to healthy and happy Koi but learning this before hand will save you money and stress. http://www.koi-care-center.com/