Nothing is better than enjoying a beautiful summer evening, watching the life in and around the pond in your garden. The relaxation that the sound of a waterfall or flowing stream provides after a busy workday, or the peace that a clean swimming pond offers. Therefore, it’s no surprise that ponds are becoming more and more popular. This includes your garden as well! After all, no garden is too small for a pond. Additionally, creating a pond yourself doesn't come with many difficulties. Perhaps you're interested and looking for more information on how to install a pond in your garden independently. You are at the right place for the proper information/advice on creating a new pond. Before you begin constructing your pond, it's important to consider a few key aspects.
The most common mistake when maintaining a pond
The most common mistake among inexperienced pond owners is the lack of a well-thought-out plan beforehand. Most people start by digging a hole, quickly buy a pump, liner, plants, and animals to set up a pond within twenty-four hours. However, creating a high-quality pond in a short amount of time is not easy. It’s important to take your time with this process. Correcting mistakes made in the early stages can be difficult. Responsible decisions must be made to avoid high costs, unnecessary work, and additional disappointments. Go through the questions below and pause at each one before you proceed with the design and construction of your pond. One of the choices that must be made is deciding between a gravity-fed filter system or a pump-fed filter system. Read more in this blog for more information about gravity and pump.
Is a pond the right choice for your garden?
You’ve probably already asked yourself this question. Installing a pond is step one. But keep in mind that maintaining a pond is a hobby that requires time, effort, and money. If you’re not willing to regularly care for the pond, it’s better not to start. The pond could become a source of frustration. The pond you may have seen is well-maintained and didn’t become beautiful on its own.
Maintaining a pond is not difficult, and a well-designed pond is worth the time and money. Your new pond will save you time in the garden. You won’t have to mow the lawn, lay tiles, or plant new bulbs every year.
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Which type of pond suits your garden?
There are various types of ponds, each with its own characteristics and specific properties. Each also has its own method of installation, design, budget, costs, and maintenance. It’s important to first familiarize yourself with the type of pond that’s most suitable for you before you begin the work. Below, four different types of ponds will be described. You should also consider the right location in your garden and the size of the pond.
Natural pond/plant pond
The pond where plants are central is called the natural pond or plant pond. This type of pond has varying depths in relation to the bottom, as water plants need to be planted at the correct depth. Therefore, it’s essential to take this into consideration during the installation. Generally, only a few to no fish are kept in this type of pond, which makes a balanced and clean pond possible without a filtration system. However, this type of pond will attract other animals, such as amphibians and insects. The deepest point of this type of pond is typically between 80 to 100 centimeters.
The maintenance is limited to checking the water quality and caring for the plants. The costs are mostly one-time expenses for purchasing the pond plants.
Mixed pond
The mixed pond, as the name suggests, is a pond designed and set up in the same way as a plant pond, but combined with a few fish. It is advisable to have one or more filtration systems in place, as fish release waste products. Other technical and/or physical provisions may also be necessary. In this type of pond, it is not recommended to add plant-eating fish, such as carp and koi, unless measures are taken to shield the plants from the fish. Fish that are suitable for this type of pond and leave the plants alone include goldfish, gold orfe, sarasa, and shubunkin. The mixed pond also requires regular maintenance of the technical installation, in addition to the maintenance of the pond plants. The pond should also be cleared of bottom sludge once a year and constant attention is needed to ensure the optimal quality of both the water and the health of the flora and fauna. Of course, the fish in the pond also require food and sometimes medication. Depending on the size and the specific needs of the pond, maintenance costs will be moderate, and the investment will be moderate to high.
Koi pond
Beautiful fish for the pond are the Koi. However, these fish require exceptional design, setup, and maintenance. The area where the Koi swim must be plant-free as they will eat all the plants in the pond, being plant eaters. This means that a high-quality technical filtration system must be installed, possibly combined with a separate section for the wetland plants. This separate part, also known as a helophyte filter, is connected to the Koi pond, where the water is pumped around. Additionally, other technical facilities, such as a UV lamp or pond heating, are often used.
An advantage of the Koi pond is that, in addition to a natural environment, it can also be designed in a very abstract setting without having to consider any planting.
Koi pond
A Koi pond is at least 150 centimeters deep due to the need for the fish to overwinter. The investment in this type of pond is relatively high to very high, depending on the size of the pond, the required materials, and the purchase of the koi. To maintain the health of the fish, a Koi pond must be continuously maintained. The filters also need regular maintenance. This means that the maintenance costs can add up, partly due to the energy costs associated with the equipment used, regular water changes, and feeding and medication if necessary. It can be concluded that the Koi pond is suitable for hobby purposes.
Swimming pond
A swimming pond offers a more charming appearance in the garden compared to a tiled swimming pool. This may increase interest in swimming ponds. Additionally, it allows for the creation of healthy and clean swimming water in your garden, without the use of chlorine or other chemicals.
Net als de koi vijver, bestaat een zwemvijver uit twee delen. Namelijk uit een deel zonder planten, waar u in kan zwemmen, en een deel met een helofytenfilter (moerasplanten). Daarnaast wordt soms ook een technische filterinstallatie aangelegd ter ondersteuning als er intensief gebruik wordt gemaakt van de zwemvijver tijdens bepaalde perioden. Het is ongebruikelijk om vissen te houden in een zwemvijver, maar niet uitgesloten/onuitvoerbaar. Het is alleen de vraag of zowel de mens als de vis het fijn vinden om met elkaar in aanraking te komen.
Het zwemvijver kan in een strakke vorm maar ook in een natuurlijke vorm worden gerealiseerd.
Vaak wordt er oeverbeplanting ingezet bij een natuurlijke vormgeving, dit is uit ethische overwegingen. De diepte van het zwemgedeelte is normaliter 140 – 160 centimeter gezien dit voldoende is om te kunnen zwemmen en water wat dieper is blijft langer koud. De kosten van de aanleg van een zwemvijver is redelijk hoog, dit komt door het vrij grote formaat. De aanleg wordt vaak gedaan door professionals.
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