Installing a Backyard Fish Pond Tips
Installing a backyard fish pond is an aesthetic addition to your landscaping and offers a bit of tranquility as well. However, taking care of backyard fish ponds is not as easy as one might think. And, you have to do more than simply install the fish pond and then let it go. Backyard fish ponds care is constant and consistent. Although, if you follow these tips you will be able to enjoy your backyard fish pond with as little effort possible in its maintenance. Tip #1 Use a Plastic Liner: use a plastic liner to separate your backyard fish pond from the surrounding soil.By doing this you eliminate nutrients from the soil intruding your fish pond and will only have to deal with the elements that are in the pond itself or are created by the fish living in the pond. Tip #2 No Low-lying Areas: Do not install a backyard fish pond in a low lying area where runoff from your lawn will end up in your fish pond. Maintaining the fish pond is difficult enough without introducing runoff from the lawn. When installed on a high area you will have an easier time maintaining your fish pond. Tip #3 Water Plants: Another great suggestion is to add several varieties of plants in and around your fish pond. This way the excess nutrients will be absorbed by the plants and will not end up promoting algae growth in your fish pond. This works well because it keeps algae from growing and you having to clean the algae out. Maintaining a fish pond takes work, and you should expect algae to be a problem, especially if you have fish. Moderator note: Removed commercial websites from post. Not permitted in the DIY Forum pages. I have a SCORE client that I am trying to assist in helping him determine what he would charge for installing fish ponds in small yards. He is trying to start his business as a entreprenuer. Please help me help him. Any suggestions and ideas on fees of what the labor would require would be greatly appreciated. I have been building waterfalls and ponds for over 25 years (well over 1,900) I say this not to boast, but to provide a point of reference for the reader. When I read an article like this, it lets me know two things about the author. First, the suggestions and instructions espoused in his/her writing show me that they know very little, if anything, about building a lasting functional pond environment. Two, they do not have a clue of how much potential, financial damage, and inconvience, they are inflicting upon the reader. One major clue given, was the reference to plastic liners. Even a novice knows the term is rubber or PVC liner, not plastic! If someone reads this article and proceeds to follow the authors instruction, they are going to brutally surprised and disappointed. A plastic tarp or liner cannot withstand much stress, the applied weight of rocks or even being walked on during construction. The author states: By doing this you eliminate nutrients from the soil intruding your fish pond and will only have to deal with the elements that are in the pond itself or are created by the fish living in the pond. That is laughable! Would it be be better stated, ... keeping the water in the pond! Whats more, even nonaggressive roots from vegetation can easily penetrate a plastic liner.The premolded black plastic tubs or pemoulded ponds only last a couple years before the ultraviolet rays of the sun render them brittle and useless. Next: A pond can be built in a low area of your yard! There are things called landscape drains. Next: Plants are not the only way to control algae. Plus, there are more than one type of algae. Planktonic algae (pea soup) can easily be controlled by ultraviolet filter. String algae can be easily controlled by increasing the salt content of the pond water. Ignorant authors like this, hurt the interity of the pond industry. I love and have worked hard to perserve this integity for over a quarter of a century. Consequently, I will continue to work hard to find and expose these charlatans. From my vast experience, the money you spend on a properly designed and constructed pond, will bring you more long term joy and pleasure, than anything else you have ever spent hard earned money on. And if built right, they are not a lot of work! Happy koi, peace and joy. Originally Posted by Consultant54 I have a SCORE client that I am trying to assist in helping him determine what he would charge for installing fish ponds in small yards. He is trying to start his business as a entreprenuer. Please help me help him. Any suggestions and ideas on fees of what the labor would require would be greatly appreciated. If your client is planning on building ponds, I'm sure he will be billing for more than $500.00. If so, he will be required to have a landscaping contractors license. Before he builds one waterfall or pond he needs to read my 23 articles posted at ezinearticles. They contain 26 years of my experience in the pond building business. He will find this one interesting. This is an article I wrote to show DIY choose a contractor. Koi Pond: Finding a Contractor - 18 Important things to know Because there is such a wide range of information to be learned on this topic of koi pond and waterfall construction and so much technical information out there, you may decide to seek professional assistance to complete part or all of the water features. Before you proceed, here are 18 extremely important facts you should know... 1. Remember: asking friends or neighbors for recommendations for building a koi pond is always an option, but they are unlikely to have had occasion to conduct business with a water feature professional. It is a very narrow specialty field. 2. Many liner pond people are not only inexperienced, they are working from job to job on a shoe string budget, which results in the illegal practice of mingling funds, using the deposit from one job to finish up the last etc. What is worse, many liner installers are unlicensed. This business attracts these types because it takes very little investment to get started (shovel, rake, garden hose and wheelbarrow) while making tons of money from unsuspecting people. Plus, In many cases a building permit is not required to build an 18 inch deep liner pond. If not installed by a licensed professional, a liner pond can end up being your biggest nightmare. 3. Contact the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) or the Association of Professional Landscape Designers (APLD) for referrals to professionals in your area. 4. Always interview more than one professional to have a better idea of expected costs and finished product. 5. However, you should never make your choice based on cost alone; rather, consider what you can afford coupled with good references and experience. 6. It is advisable to seek the help of a specialist and ask for references. 7. It is particularly helpful to find a professional who can supply the names of the last four or five customers who have been serviced satisfactorily. Providing a few good references is not usually difficult, especially if the contractor decides to pick and choose the best handful from the past 20 or so jobs. It is quite another matter to divulge the last four or five customers consecutively and to note whether they are satisfied with the work ethic of the contractor. 8. Don’t be shy about speaking to these previous customers. 9. Find out whether the work was done on time and came in on budget. 10. Build a rapport with them and ask to visit the project in order to inspect the work first hand! 11. Do the inspection preferably without the contractor so you can ask sensitive questions. Did they finish when they said they would? Did they correct problems without a hassle? Did they respect your property and privacy during the course of the job? Did they honor their bid or ask for more money? 12. Do research on your own. NOTE: ASK FOR COPIES Contact the State Contractor’s Board to insure that they have a contractor’s license. Is their Contractors License up to date? Do they have surety bond? (In case the contractor splits with your money, you can collect.) Do they have adequate liability insurance? (In the event there is damage to your or your neighbor’s property -- a minimum of $1 million. Do they have current workmen’s compensation insurance? (To cover the cost of medical care and loss of wage, if injured on you property) If they are hiring illegal aliens and they get injured, you are ultimately responsible. 13. Check the local Business Bureau for reports from a possible disgruntled client. 14. Check with the local police department. They may have a record of drug abuse and at times split with the funds, only to show up later back in business. 15. Never give them more money than can be accounted for in material and or labor expended on the project. 16. With every check you pay them, ask for a lien release for that amount. Especially, get a final lien release upon completion of the job. If they did not pay a vendor for materials used on your home, without a lien release that vendor can attach your house until you pay it (again!). 17. You should always insist on a written contract with detailed descriptions of the work to be performed. 18. Finally, do not forget to demand a reasonable time schedule and payment plan. This procedure protects both parties against misunderstandings that can arise later. Originally Posted by Clayton Douglas If your client is planning on building ponds, I'm sure he will be billing for more than $500.00. If so, he will be required to have a landscaping contractors license. Before he builds one waterfall or pond he needs to read my 23 articles posted at ezinearticles. They contain 26 years of my experience in the pond building business. He will find this one interesting. This is an article I wrote to show DIY choose a contractor. Koi Pond: Finding a Contractor - 18 Important things to know Because there is such a wide range of information to be learned on this topic of koi pond and waterfall construction and so much technical information out there, you may decide to seek professional assistance to complete part or all of the water features. Before you proceed, here are 18 extremely important facts you should know... 1. Remember: asking friends or neighbors for recommendations for building a koi pond is always an option, but they are unlikely to have had occasion to conduct business with a water feature professional. It is a very narrow specialty field. 2. Many liner pond people are not only inexperienced, they are working from job to job on a shoe string budget, which results in the illegal practice of mingling funds, using the deposit from one job to finish up the last etc. What is worse, many liner installers are unlicensed. This business attracts these types because it takes very little investment to get started (shovel, rake, garden hose and wheelbarrow) while making tons of money from unsuspecting people. Plus, In many cases a building permit is not required to build an 18 inch deep liner pond. If not installed by a licensed professional, a liner pond can end up being your biggest nightmare. 3. Contact the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) or the Association of Professional Landscape Designers (APLD) for referrals to professionals in your area. 4. Always interview more than one professional to have a better idea of expected costs and finished product. 5. However, you should never make your choice based on cost alone; rather, consider what you can afford coupled with good references and experience. 6. It is advisable to seek the help of a specialist and ask for references. 7. It is particularly helpful to find a professional who can supply the names of the last four or five customers who have been serviced satisfactorily. Providing a few good references is not usually difficult, especially if the contractor decides to pick and choose the best handful from the past 20 or so jobs. It is quite another matter to divulge the last four or five customers consecutively and to note whether they are satisfied with the work ethic of the contractor. 8. Don’t be shy about speaking to these previous customers. 9. Find out whether the work was done on time and came in on budget. 10. Build a rapport with them and ask to visit the project in order to inspect the work first hand! 11. Do the inspection preferably without the contractor so you can ask sensitive questions. Did they finish when they said they would? Did they correct problems without a hassle? Did they respect your property and privacy during the course of the job? Did they honor their bid or ask for more money? 12. Do research on your own. NOTE: ASK FOR COPIES Contact the State Contractor’s Board to insure that they have a contractor’s license. Is their Contractors License up to date? Do they have surety bond? (In case the contractor splits with your money, you can collect.) Do they have adequate liability insurance? (In the event there is damage to your or your neighbor’s property -- a minimum of $1 million. Do they have current workmen’s compensation insurance? (To cover the cost of medical care and loss of wage, if injured on you property) If they are hiring illegal aliens and they get injured, you are ultimately responsible. 13. Check the local Business Bureau for reports from a possible disgruntled client. 14. Check with the local police department. They may have a record of drug abuse and at times split with the funds, only to show up later back in business. 15. Never give them more money than can be accounted for in material and or labor expended on the project. 16. With every check you pay them, ask for a lien release for that amount. Especially, get a final lien release upon completion of the job. If they did not pay a vendor for materials used on your home, without a lien release that vendor can attach your house until you pay it (again!). 17. You should always insist on a written contract with detailed descriptions of the work to be performed. 18. Finally, do not forget to demand a reasonable time schedule and payment plan. This procedure protects both parties against misunderstandings that can arise later. Make sure the contractor you hire has a surety bond and is licensed. You can check the statues with the State to see if they have a bond online usually it is with the contractors licensing board Dear Clayton, Any reccomendations on dosage for the salt? I have around 1000-1100 gallons with some string algae. I manually remove it now, and am seeding the bio-falls with bacteria so hopefully the bacteria will compete for the nutrients required by the algae. It's a newer pond (only 3 months) and most likely isn't balanced yet... Any suggestions are appreciated! Quietman
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