How to Open a Fish Pond

Fish ponds add an element of tranquillity to any garden. Once established and surrounded by carefully selected plants, a fish pond can become the central feature, even in a large garden. Although many fish ponds are built with brick and cement, the use of pond liners has become a popular and cost effective method of constructing a fish pond. Pond liners can last for up to twenty years and once the edges have been disguised by paving, stones or earth, it is difficult to distinguish between a pond that has been made with cement and one that has a liner (References 1 and 2).

Things You'll Need

  • Tape measure
  • Paper
  • Pen
  • Calculator (optional)
  • Shovels
  • An assistant
  • Hole for pond, 36-foot long by 18-feet wide by 4-foot deep
  • Fish pond liner
  • Water
  • Soil
  • Attractive stones
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Instructions

    • 1

      Measure out the area where you choose to place the fish pond. In order to calculate the surface area of the fish pond liner, add twice the depth of the pond to your length and width measurements. Include an additional 2-foot overlap to the length and width measurements. This extra amount of liner will be for the overlap, which will eventually be covered with tiles, stones or soil.

    • 2

      Calculate the amount of pond liner that you will require for a fish pond that will be 36 foot long by 18 feet wide by 4 foot deep, in the following manner:

      Length of pond (36 foot) plus depth (4 foot) plus depth (4 foot) plus overlap (2 foot) = 46 foot long.

      Width of pond (18 foot) plus depth (4 foot) plus depth (4 foot) plus overlap (2 foot) = 28 foot wide.

      The required liner will be 46 foot by 28 foot.

    • 3

      Decide on your budget for the liner. Although they are not expensive, the synthetic plastic pond liners still have a long life. Poly Vinyl Chloride (PVC) is a synthetic plastic budget fish pond liner that carries a twenty year warranty, but is the least durable of the pond liners.

    • 4

      Consider the more expensive but durable options. Ethylene-Propylene-Diene Monomer (EPDM) is a superior quality pond liner that is manufactured from an industrial grade rubber. Ethylene-Propylene-Diene Monomer is available in various thicknesses. A high density polyethylene (HDPE) is also available. This fish pond liner is less expensive than the rubber liner, but is nevertheless a heavy duty synthetic plastic liner that carries a twenty year guarantee.

    • 5

      Ensure that the liner you decide to purchase has been manufactured with a UV stabilizer. Liners that have not been UV treated will become brittle, particularly above the water line. Such liners will have to be replaced, which will require you to break down the entire pond.

    • 6

      Ensure that the liner is "fish safe". This is an extremely important point, as pond liners are manufactured differently to other lines, such as those used for roofing. Liners designed for other uses, are often toxic to fish.

    • 7

      Dig the pond to the dimension that you have calculated.

    • 8

      Ensure removal of any stones or pieces of root material from the hole. Run you hand over the entire surface area that the liner will lie on to make certain that there are no sharp objects that will puncture the liner.

    • 9

      Lay the liner in the hole and smooth it out as much as possible. Begin to slowly fill the pond with water and smooth out the liner if required, as the water level rises.

    • 10

      Decide on the type of border that you will require. In most cases, the liner overlap is covered with soil, in which stones have been placed.