Indoor Ponds Keep Plants and Fish Healthy During Winter Months

Indoor Ponds Keep Plants and Fish Healthy During Winter Months
by: Rob Bernabe

If you’ve never seen an indoor fish pond or are of the mind that the only place for a fishpond is outdoors, it’s time to readjust your thinking. Many people love the idea of having a goldfish or Koi pond in their lawn and garden area but find the reality isn’t always as wonderful as the fantasy.

Every winter runs the risk of losing the plant and fish life in your pond with the first freeze. As a result, more and more people are coming up with a method for bringing the outdoors, in and forming your very own pond indoors is a beautiful alternative to a tired old aquarium. While an indoor pond doesn’t have to be beautiful in order to be functional, you can choose to make it a focal point and conversation piece quite easily.

A fairly simple and inexpensive way to craft an indoor pond this winter season is by using interlocking landscaping blocks to form a basic outline, and place a pre molded plastic pond liner (to avoid leaks), and other landscaping items such as rocks, plants, and soil in order to fill in the gaps. Others have even used a plastic kiddie pool for the fish and disguised the pool by hiding it with bricks or landscaping rocks.

The main purpose of indoor ponds is to protect your fish and plant life from the extreme winter weather conditions. It is quite easy to move the fish and plants from one pond to another. Be sure to keep the indoor pond regulated for temperature and water freshness by using proper equipment. Taking these precautions should keep your Koi fish and your plants healthy throughout the harsher winter months.

About The Author Rob Bernabe invites you to http://www.artificialgardens.com, your water gardening center. Here we provide tips on water fountain and waterfall ideas. For additional information on related Koi ponds, check out http://www.artificialgardens.com/Building-Koi-Ponds-Can-Create-A-Beautiful-Relaxing-Atmosphere.html on benefits of building Koi ponds.

Free Backyard Landscaping Idea - Article

Free Backyard Landscaping Idea by Sam Streubel

No matter where you live, there's nothing better than relaxing outdoors on a warm summer night watching your backyard landscaping ideas come to life.

Unfortunately, re-landscaping your entire backyard during the course of one growing season can be back breaking, expensive and requires major planning.

Here's a simple solution: Break up your backyard into "rooms" and remodel one room each year. This is especially helpful if you're on a budget. You're results will be much better if you spend as much time and money as you can on one project, rather than trying to revamp the entire backyard all at once for the same amount of money.

Although you're landscaping only one section of the yard at a time, you still need an overall plan. Using graph paper, sketch out the permanent structures on your property including the house, out buildings, deck and trees.

This is also a good time to consider which existing plants and shrubs won't be a part of the new landscape.

Make copies of your sketch and experiment with different designs. Incorporate ideas you like from magazines or gardens you've visited.

If you host frequent cook outs you'll probably want to keep the yard open and plant along the borders. If you don't need the space, you could create real drama with an island bed, walkways, solar lighting and cutouts for comfortable furniture to relax on.

Here are some ideas you'll dig:

Screening with Plants

If your yard doesn't have a fence, you might want to consider planting a row of hawthorn, juniper, arborvitae, or a combination of these bushes to create privacy and provide a backdrop for future flower beds. A strategically place evergreen screen will also provide a windbreak from winter winds and drifting snow.

Planning a Border Flower Bed

The hardest part of designing a border is choosing flowers that complement each other both in color and height. The list of perennials I suggest here is for a six foot wide bed in a mainly sunny situation. Wide, in this case, means outward from the plant screen or fence, not the length of the bed.

Use 3 or 5 plants for each kind of flower and allow 16"-18" between each plant. Allow 20"-22" between the different plant groups. Planting an odd number of plants is more visually appealing than an even number.

Allow sufficient space at the rear of the bed for access. This will also prevent choking off necessary air and light from the plants in back.

These are my suggestions for a perennial border. They were chosen to give a long display, with the first flowers appearing in April and the last in October.

Tall plants for the back row: SEDUM 'Autumn Joy'; RUDBECKIA Goldsturm; PHLOX White; IRIS light blue or yellow; VERONICA Blue; SOLIDAGO 'Golden Shower'; and HOSTA fortunei 'Picta'.

Shorter plants for the front row: GERANIUM grandiflorum; POTENTILLA 'Firedance'; HUECHERA Pink; ASTER Dwarf Blue; SEDUM Dragons Blood; ACHILLEA 'Moonshine'; and ERIGERON 'Prosperity'.

Obviously, these plants won't be the best choice for every climate. A worthwhile book to help you choose plants native to your climate zone is The Comfortable Lazy Garden. It's also an excellent reference for beginning gardeners.

Island Bed

An island bed, as the name implies, is planted in the middle of the yard surrounded by a sea of grass. It can vary in shape and size according to your imagination and available space. Scale the plants from tallest in the center to shortest at the edges.

Preplanned Gardens

I understand all of this Latin mumbo jumbo can be daunting for first time gardeners, it was for me. If you would like a ready made solution, Direct Gardening offers a wide selection of preplanned gardens designed to take all the guess work out of plant selection and placement.

Water Feature

Imagine the reflective beauty of a pond or the gentle splashing of a man made waterfall. How about a 100 foot high waterslide? Maybe next year.

Do Your Yard a Favor

Before you buy any vegetation, visit a real garden center for advice on drainage and soil preparation. Also, bring a copy of your plan; a soil sample and an extra credit card just in case you can't wait years to make your backyard landscaping ideas come true.

About the Author

Visit Backyard Landscaping Ideas at http://www.alternative-heating-info.com for a free copy of "How To Build Your Own Natural Waterfall".

technorati tags:Free, backyard, landscaping, pond, sam, streubel

Want To Build a Cement Pond?

Looking to build a cement pond? You can find excellent information from the links listed below.

Building a fish pond

by the Cement & Concrete Institute

http://www.cnci.org.za/inf/publications_pdf/fishpond.pdf

Pond Building

from the Van Ness Water Gardens.

http://www.vnwg.com/building_tips02.jsp

I'm sure you'll find all the information you'll need from these links. If you have further questions/comments feel free to post/email them.

technorati tags:building, cement, limestone, block, backyard, ponds

Close Your Ponds for the Winter

Although its a Michigan article it's great info for all ponds. A great read if you're in any area with cold winters. - check it out below!

Time to close up those backyard ponds

Sunday, October 15,2006

By John Hogan

The Grand Rapids Press

There is more to putting a backyard pond to bed thanunplugging an extension cord.

The next few weeks will find aquatic aficionados closingponds before the snow really sticks around, which meanscutting back plants, removing submerged pumps and shieldingwater from windblown leaves.

This annual rite of fall isn't limited to tonyneighborhoods with power ZIP codes like 90210. Even workingclass 49503 neighborhoods love their ponds. And they'renot afraid to do the work themselves. more.....

Backyard Mini-Ponds.

Small Backyard Mini-Ponds are Low on Maintenance and Easy to Install

Do you have a space in your backyard you would like to fill with awater feature? Most home-owners would like a large pond, but don't wantit so big that a child or dog could fall into. You also probably don'twant to dig a 3-foot hole either- recently, you may have discoveredthat your "backyard dirt" can actually substitute as modelling clay,and it has a similar composition as concrete. Maintenance is alsoanother issue- do you have the time to nurture your pond, to keep thewater clean, keep debris from falling into it, and to periodicallyclean the filters and pumps? Or would a 800 gallon pond quickly turninto a cesspool and attract nasty glares from your neighbours?

Ifyou're like most home-owners, you would prefer a small maintenance-freeand easy-to-install pond. A small pre-formed pond is probably the idealsolution for you. Unlike liner ponds, preformed ponds already come in apre-defined shape. Mini preformed ponds are typically 2-3 feetwide/long, and 1 foot deep. They are especially low-maintenance sincethe volume of water is only in the 30 gallon range, it is quite easy toperiodically empty the water and to refill your pond.

Mini-preformedpond kits, such as Algreen's 30 gallon kit, sometimes include a smallwatercourse to add the trickling sound of water to your backyard. Theytypically also the pump and pre-filter that is required to circulatethe water, and to pump the water to your watercourse. The pump is anessential part of any water garden, because, without proper watercirculation, your pond will rapidly transform into a breeding groundfor mosquito larvae.

In addition to the pond, the watercourse, the pump, and the equipment included in a mini-pond kit, all you will need is:

1. A carpenter's level.
2. Sand, to backfill your pond. In addition to backfill, the sand willalso provide adjustable flooring for your pond shell, which will comein handy when you are trying to level your pond.
3. A shovel, to dig your hole.
4. A garden hose, to fill your pond with water.
5. A space in your backyard that is relatively close to your house, tomaximize its impact. Be sure to consider the slope of the land and toensure that the pond avoids rainwater runoff.

Optional backyard water gardening supplies include landscaping rocks, aquatic plants, fish, and a fountain and/or spitter.

As you can see, water gardening can be made relatively straightforward with a mini-pond kit! For further information and tips about water gardening, please go to GardenSM.com.

More information about the 30 gallon mini-pond kit can be obtained at http://www.gardensupermart.com/buypond/c229211p16771003.2.html

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gerry_Fung

technorati tags:backyard, ponds, mini-ponds, easy-to-install, small

Gators in the Pond ?

Check out this gator toy for your backyard pond....it's interesting..more entertaining then anything...check it out and decide for yourself!


Stylish Stuff - Bradenton Herald

Stylish Stuff Bradenton Herald, United States - Sep 15, 2006 ... Island (778-3782). Spook guests and friends with this concrete gator, which will "spit" water into your backyard pond. This guy's ...

technorati tags:stylish, stuff, gator, backyard, pond, spitting

Pond Winter Preparation ....

Hi Alice, Thanks for your great questions.

"I have a couple questions about winter care....I have a healthy, active school of about 15 goldfish and a frog! I have a de-icer that I am planning to use. .... I live in Massachusettes. "

Q:

Do I need to continue to run the pump/filter during the winter?

A:

Depending on the climate in your area you may or may not want to operate your pump/filters during the winter. If the temperatures stay mostly above freezing then it will be beneficial to keep your pump/filters running through the winter. Pond bacteria are not active due to the low water temperatures; however, it will stay alive as your pump continues to oxygenate the water. Operate your pump at a minimized flow rate. You can help accomplish this by turning off bottom drains, turning the flow rate down on your pump, and if possible, placing the intakes to your pump/filter at mid-water level. Note, intense circulation in the winter will mix the cold surface water with the warmer bottom water which can potentially harm any aquatic life during the over wintering.

Q:

Should I remove plants? water lily, bamboo? cat tails? the pond is 9' x 5' with an aprox 2' deep floor that has an aprox 3' deep 2' x 2' center. The cat tails are in the center deep section. The other two plants are in the 2' section.

A:

Pond plants will need to be cared for based on type. Any oxygenating/submerged plants should be left completely submerged at the bottom of the pond below the ice line. Floating plants (such as water hyacinth or water lettuce) should be removed from the pond as they will die during the winter months. Make sure you don't leave any dead plants in the pond as they will decompose and rob the water of oxygen required for any over wintering aquatic life.

Because your pond is at least 2' deep, any Hardy Lilies and marginals should be cut back and placed in the deepest part of the pond. This should be done after the first frost.

Other hardy water plants such as Iris, Sweet Flag, grasses, Cattails, etc. should be left in place to over winter regardless of pond depth. I recommend cutting back the foliage on these plants in the spring rather than in the fall.

As for all tropical plants, they all must be removed and placed in water that will remain above 65 degrees. I recommend doing this well before the first frost.

You can find additional information on Winter Care for Garden Ponds here: http://www.bestfish.com/wntrpond.html

It's great to hear that you have and intend to use a de-icer during the winter months. Your fish will thank you greatly for it.

Pond Filter Media?

Thanks Chris for your questions.

Q:
I am in the process of re doing my pond......... It is a fair size. Approx 15 x 10 and 4' 6" deep. I will have a skimmer and a waterfall. Should I have different filter media in each or can I use the same in both? What media would you recommend

A:
It's not necessary to have different media for different filters. Saying that, you may benefit from doing so depending on your pond display and aquatic life. For example, if your pond is divided into sections of shallow and deep you may find that different media work best for different situations.

Because I am unsure of the type of aquatic life you currently have I am hard pressed to recommend a specific media for you. The good news is that most filters work. And the larger your pond the larger the filters should be.

It's great to hear that you're going to have a skimmer and a waterfall based filter, however you may want to consider looking into a biological filter as well to cover all points of pond filtration. Remember filtration not only helps clean your pond ,but just as important, it creates a haven for pond bacteria (a healthy economical level any balanced pond must have). Keeping this in mind, my best recommendation for you would be - Any material that bacteria can attach to is suitable for a filter media.

Fiberglass Ponds...

Hi Trevor,

Thank you for your questions.

As i was typing out answers to your questions I realized there was a better source for you that will likely answer some of your questions in greater detail. I've simply added the address to the source with it's corresponding question below.

Q1:
I just received a big 10 person spa or is it called a gazebo,I dont know ,anyway its a big fibreglass pond.I am going to cover most of the air holes and use some of the air holes for filtering.what I want to know is,is ok to use the sand filter or is this to big?
A1:
Sand Filter: http://www.koifishponds.com/state_of_the_art_filters.htm
- covers great info on sand filters 'dos and donts'

Q2:
can fish live in a fibreglass pond?
A2:
Yes, fish can live in a fiberglass pond. Always keep in mind to limit your fish based on fish size and pond size. Keep reminding yourself that it's always best to have less fish than too many fish. Your goal with owning a pond is always balance. Balance is the key to a healthy ecosystem

Q3:
can I put trout in my pond?
A3:
You can put trout in your pond, again follow question 2 above. You likely wont be able to add many trout to your pond. There are some fiberglass ponds out there with Koi fish so if size is your worry..you can stop worrying.

All the best to you,

More Crazy Stories from the world of Backyard Ponds...

Man accuses city of killing his fish - The Daily News

Man accuses city of killing his fish The Daily News, Canada - Aug 26, 2006 ... Pelham, 66, said a run-off of silt that came from a city construction site last year caused the vegetation around the perimeter of his backyard pond, and the ...

What's your take on the story?

technorati tags:backyard, ponds, man, accuses, city, of, killing, his, fish, daily, news

Backyard Pond Fishing ?

Success key to getting kids hooked on fishing - Chester Daily Local Online

Success key to getting kids hooked on fishing Chester Daily Local Online, PA - Aug 28, 2006 ... going fishing again. Our backyard pond also serves as a successful fishing venue for many young, first-time anglers. It’sa small ...

technorati tags:backyard, pond, fishing, kids, hooked

Popularity of Backyard Ponds hits the TV screens in Bismarck, ND

The popularity of backyard ponds as even made television news in Bismarck, ND. - Check it out!

Backyard Ponds - KFYR-TV

KFYR-TV

Backyard Ponds KFYR-TV, ND - 21 hours ago ... couple of months now. He said that he spent a good 4 to 6 hours a day working on making this backyard pond a reality. "My pump broke ...

technorati tags:backyard, ponds, tv, bismarck, ND, news

Building An Oasis In Your Own Backyard

Make your backyard an oasis to enjoy year-round - Delta Democrat Times (subscription)

Make your backyard an oasis to enjoy year-round Delta Democrat Times (subscription), MS - 5 hours ago ... Consider locating your backyard pond where you can see it from a deck or patio. ... You can put in a backyard pond anytime the ground is not frozen or overly wet. ...

technorati tags:backyard, pond, oasis, build, enjoy, year-round

Have you been getting the discounts?

Have you been taking advantage of all the discounts to all the online shops that I've found for you all? You can find some links to the right under "Get Discounts at these Shops!".

You can also find top information products by using the "Search" box above.  ClickBank contains some of the most popular online information products and now you can get discounted prices on them through the above search. Almost every topic is covered. Give it a try and let me know what you think.

I hope I've made your online experience just a little bit easier.

Enjoy! =)

PS: You will also find an excellent Fish Pond and Koi Pond information packages. Just type 'pond' in the search box and check them out for yourself.

technorati tags:discounts, packages, ponds

Keep Those Mosquitos out...

Whether you have a pond up yet or not mosquitoes are common warm season pests. Great little article about keeping these winged-biters out of your yard - check it out below!

Keep mosquitoes out of yard - Jackson Hole Star-Tribune

Keep mosquitoes out of yard Jackson Hole Star-Tribune, WY - Aug 13, 2006 Is there a place in your lawn that puddles every time you water? Do you have a birdbath or a backyard pond? How about gutters on the house? ...

technorati tags:backyard, pond, mosquitos, out

Looking for Pond Stones?

You can find pond rocks at your local hardware store, pet store, and landscaping stores.  If you're looking to get rocks of any shapes or sizes, then you can look almost anywhere. Construction sites, around your neighborhood, near the creek. 

If you're still unsure and would rather not waste too much time running around searching for certain size and shape rocks and stones, I'd recommend heading to your nearest pet/fish store or hardware store such as HomeDepot, and see what they have in store or whether they know of any local supplies. They may know of some local areas that the general public would not be aware of.

technorati tags:pond, rock, stones, creak, homedepot, store

What's An Above Ground Pond?

If you're interested in building an above ground pond you have many options. There are also those that are considered above ground yet require a little bit of digging. In other words, an upper portion of the pond is above ground and a lower portion is below ground. What I discuss here are ponds that are completely above ground.

Above grounds can be just as gorgeous and complex as a below ground pond. The only difference? Complete above ground ponds require no digging for your pond.

Depending on the size of your pond you can use practically anything as your pond base as long as it's strong and sturdy enough to support the water and aquatic life, if any.

Large above ponds are built similar to below ground ponds. You can use cement with an inner liner. Preformed ponds are common. Or if you've read one of my previous posts on Barrel ponds, you'll know that these make great ponds as well.

Smaller, simpler ponds can be created using buckets, smaller barrels, small pond kits or preformed ponds. Again, anything that's strong and sturdy enough to support your pond and pond life.

It's really up to you to decide what you want as your above pond. All rules that apply to underground ponds will apply to above ponds as well.

Things you need to note are:

- location

- size

- weight

- desired aquatic life

That covers the basics. Keep in mind that most medium to large above ground ponds still require some digging. Digging is required to correctly landscape and form your new pond to your selected location. Sturdiness is very important.

I'll note the 2 most common types of above ground ponds. Well actually 3.

1. Preformed ponds shaped out with shelves and water falls [required some digging]

2. Barrel ponds [no digging]

3. wood or cement structured ponds with a liner interior [digging required]

Hope, the information has given you some idea of what to expect and look for when selecting your pond type.

A final note: There was a previous post titled, "Want An Above Ground Pond ?? - READ THIS FIRST", posted on July 16, 2006. I suggest taking a look at that post as well.

technorati tags:backyard, above, ground, pond, barrel, liner, preformed

Making Your Very Own Home Made Pond Filters Is Easier Than You May Think...

Looking to learn more about how Filters actually work, what they're made up of, or even to make your very own pond filter? I recommend checking out the article below. It's great! It's all about Pond filters and how to make your very own.

Make Your Own Pond Filter At Home. Building Pond Filters Easier Than You Think.

Once you understand the principles of a good pond filter you will quickly recognize that all that is often required is a box containing biomedia ... water is pumped through this box 24/7 so that colonies of bacteria that build up on biomedia surfaces remain strong and viable so they can do their natural job of purifying pond water.

Biomedia is a fancy word for almost any solid items such as stones, plastic rings, hair curlers, foams and other specially designed materials. These "things" are just surfaces on which bacteria can cling ... the best biomedia are those that have very high surface areas (called specific surface area or SSA) and that can be easily rinsed clean to remove solid debris that clings to the surfaces.

The advantage of buying a ready made commercial unit is that you don't have to do it yourself. In general these units are over-priced so do not be atken in by the bigger is always better approach. The really important part is the biomedia and for small to medium ponds try to find a filter with Alfagrog or Supra as the biomedia...........read more...

How To Make Your Own Pond Filter At Home Cheaply

technorati tags:backyard, ponds, home, made, filters, easy

Build a Barrel Pond ...

A Barrel pond is quick and simple to build. They can be placed anywhere on your property, including your deck or patio. And to be honeset, I think they look great. Check the link below for some great info on how to build the best Barrel Pond.

Creating a pond in a barrel isn't a new idea, but what makes this project different is the sheer size of the barrel - at least three times as big as the average barrel pond!

Gardenworld

technorati tags:backyard, barrel, pond, deck, patio

Choosing the right Filter for your Koi Pond

How to choose the right filter?

Choosing the correct filter system for your Koi pond can be a baffling process, with so many types and designs of filter on the market - where do you start? Remember, we are concerned here with specific filtration for Koi ponds, as opposed to garden ponds which might contain other types of ornamental fish.

Koi Water Garden for a comprehensive range of Koi pond filtration including vortexes and protein skimmers

If you're looking for a filter for your Koi pond and you're not sure what's best for you check the above article out. It has great information for you.

technorati tags:koi, pond, filters