You can easily make a small in-ground pond in your yard if you own a house. Purchase either a plastic formed pond liner from a garden store or, if you have little money, you can make a cheaper pond using a child’s plastic formed swimming pool. I can purchase those here in Texas for about $9. Purchase the largest pool you can find if you are planning to put goldfish in it. Dig a hole in the ground that will exactly fit the liner you have purchased. Be certain, first, that the ground is perfectly level. If it is even a centimeter off, you will not be able to fill the pond properly and the water will run out. Place some gravel in the bottom for the plants and so that wastes will fall down into it. These ponds should also have some kind of filtration fountain system. You can purchase a special filter at a pond store or you can make a bio-filter waterfall in one of two ways.
1) For the first type of small pond bio-filter, you can sue a ceramic pot like in the barrel pond. Make sure it is a good 5-6 gallons in capacity. Fill it partly with gravel and put plants in. Drill a small hole in the side of the pot at the top and place in a spout of some type. If you want it to look nice you may want to use a piece of bamboo (see picture above). Have the water pump out of the pond and into the pot filter. Then set the pot next to the pond so that the water flows cleanly into the pond out of the bamboo spout.
2) If you like, you can also make an in-pond bio-filter. Just take a smaller pot (about 1/2 -1 gallon) and place it in the pond on the side so that the rim sticks above the water about 1 or 2 inches. Fill this pot with lava rock all the way to the top. Make a fountain any way you like on the side of the pond, but have the fountain pour into the pot of rocks. This water will flow out the top of the pot and be cleaned by the rocks. You will not have to clean this filter except to rinse out the rocks every year or so.
When placing the fountain pump in the pond, make sure that you do not place it on the bottom of the pond. You should place the pump about three inches beneath the surface. That way, if the tube accidentally gets pulled from the fountain it will not pump all of the water out of your pond and kill your fish and plants. Always scoop leaves and dead plants out of the pond as they will rot and kill the fish.
You should also have some kind of drainage system for an in-ground pond. Make a hole in the side of the pond liner at the very top where the water level should be. You can attatch a piece of PVC pipe that runs downhill underground or under some rocks that will allow water to drain during rainstorms, thus preventing flooding. Make sure to cover the entrance of the pipe with a small piece of 1/2 inch wire mesh so that fish will not swim into the tube and be killed.
Once the pond is in place you can hide the rim by placing flat rocks around the top of the pond (see pic. below). Plants should be added once the pond is completed and filled with water. Be sure to wait at least one week before adding your fish. No more than three goldfish should be allowed in a pond of this size as they will grow quickly. Be sure that the plants are cleared enough for the fish to breathe. DO NOT add koi to a pond of this size. Koi grow to several feet in length and would soon outgrow their habitat and die. Choose fancy or “feeder” goldfish.
Also, see my article on how to care for your pond koi and goldfish: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/505861/how_to_care_for_your_koi_goldfish_and.html
