How to Make a Back Yard Fish Pond

Backyard fish ponds are a welcome addition to any yard. Create visual appeal in a landscape or a focal point by placing your pond near a shady deck or patio that provides a peaceful place to read a book or relax. Install a pre-formed pond liner to take much of the work out of building a fish pond. Purchase pre-formed ponds in many sizes to suit almost every yard. Backyard fish ponds are perfect for many types of goldfish, mosquito fish and pond plants, and attract birds, butterflies and frogs to your yard.

Things You'll Need

  • Pre-formed pond liner
  • Shovel
  • Flour
  • Sand
  • 2-inch-x-4-inch post
  • Carpenter's level
  • Bricks or flat rocks
  • Dechlorination tablets
  • Pond pump/filter
  • Aquatic plants
  • Fish
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Instructions

    • 1

      Find a suitable location to accommodate the size of the pond you want. Avoid areas with deciduous trees or heavy tree roots, which will lift or crack the pond. Choose a shady area out of direct sun as too much sun causes excess algae growth and unstable water temperatures. Additionally, select a location convenient for cleaning and maintenance, preferably near a patio or deck with a water source and power supply.

    • 2

      Turn the pond liner upside-down in the desired location. Sprinkle flour around the edges of the perimeter to outline the pond shape. Begin digging the soil 2 inches outside the outline and work toward the center, removing the soil to a depth of 1 inch deeper than the height of the pond liner.

    • 3

      Place the liner in the hole and check for fit. It should sit level with the surrounding soil with a 2-inch space around the edges.

    • 4

      Remove the liner. Add 3 inches of sand into the bottom of the hole and spread evenly to level. Water thoroughly to compact the sand. Allow the water to drain.

    • 5

      Set the pre-formed liner in the hole and check the level of the pond itself. Make any adjustments necessary to obtain perfect leveling.

    • 6

      Fill the liner with 2 inches of water. Check again for level and adjust if necessary. Backfill the edges of the pond with 4 inches of sand. Fill the pond with water, while continuing to backfill the edges with garden soil. Fill the pond until the water level is 1 1/2 inches below the upper lip of the pond liner.

    • 7

      Landscape around the border with bricks or rocks and plant marginals and bedding plants around the perimeter to hide the pond lip. Add dechlorination tablets as directed on the packaging label. Attach the pump to the filter. Place a brick on the bottom of the pond and set the pump on it. Plug in the filter.

    • 8

      Place the aquatic plants in the pond to acclimate for several days. Float the fish in the pond in the plastic bags they were purchased in. Allow them to adjust to the water temperature for a few hours. Open the bag and allow the fish to swim freely.