Golfish Pond

Both sides of our family have a close relationship with fishing and water activities. Since we don't own property with a lake or beachfront property, we thought we would make our own small water-space where we could enjoy the water in our own yard.

The first step is to find a location (and a good deal on a liner), and determine the size of your pond and find the size of the liner you need. This is determined in cubic feet by calculating the length x width x depth. The package helped me determine the size we needed.

Clean around the site and locate any tree roots, power, water, cable, phone or gas lines that may be in the area. If you are unsure, call 811 to locate them for you.

Dig the hole to your specifications and clean out any sharp objects when you are finished.

Spread the liner carefully over the hole, being careful not to catch it on any sharp rocks, roots or other objects.

Once you have spread out the liner, begin to fill the pond. After it has formed to the bottom and sides of the pond, start placing your border stones around the edges. You may want to fold over or trim the excess off of the liner. If you fold the liner over, it will help keep debris from washing into the pond.

Wait 3 or 4 days for the water to settle in to prepare for the goldfish.

Pick out any ornamental plants and accessories that you will be adding to the pond. We had an old strawberry pot that we placed in the bottom for the fish to swim around in and hide...a good idea if you have cats!

To help out with filtration and lighting, have an electrician install a GFCI outlet nearby.

Find a pump and filter for the pond to help keep it clean. We had a pump and this waterfall left over from a previous attempt using a pre-formed plastic pond. We placed this over the electrical outlet to keep it out of the weather. You could also make your own waterfall out of stones or other materials. If you make your own, make sure you keep it on the liner to keep the debris from washing in and your pond from emptying!

After 3 or 4 days we picked up the fish. We bought "feeder goldfish". They were cheap, so we got a few dozen, and they adapt pretty quickly to a new environment. Set your fish, still in the bag, in the water to get them adjusted to the temperature. After a half-hour, let them out and enjoy your new peaceful family gathering place!