# Looking to build a pond



## egoreise (Mar 16, 2011)

Hey, guys. I'm looking to build a pond in my basement for my goldfish. 

I've got concrete walls and floors with no carpet, and a utility sink ten feet away from the location, for ease of cleaning and filling and such. I'd like to use a preformed 150 gallon liner. I'm not sure yet how to build the frame and support and such. I just know that I'd like to be able to tear it all up and take it with me if I ever move.

I was originally thinking of getting a couple big aquarium filters, but now I'm thinking about a waterfall filter housed in a tupperwear container, as I have seen several variations of it described online. 

I also plan on hanging a full spectrum light from the ceiling so I can grow some plants around the edges, too. The nearest window is one of those tiny basement windows several feet away.


Has anyone here done this? How did it work out? Any recommendations?


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

I haven't done it, but I'd go with concrete blocks. You'd likely need a second soft liner to protect the waterproof liner from sharp edges, but they are cheap, stable, and movable.


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## egoreise (Mar 16, 2011)

That is a good idea! I read somewhere that you could stack the bricks to support the liner, and then hide it with a wooden frame.  Or I could go with the liner sheet instead, but I assume I'd need a way to secure the bricks. If I go that route, how deep should my pond be for the goldfish to do well?


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## Revolution1221 (Apr 20, 2010)

egoreise said:


> That is a good idea! I read somewhere that you could stack the bricks to support the liner, and then hide it with a wooden frame.  Or I could go with the liner sheet instead, but I assume I'd need a way to secure the bricks. If I go that route, how deep should my pond be for the goldfish to do well?


you can buy big holding ponds at farm and fleet for cheap got our 350 gallon for like $200 then you can just stack bricks around them make it look real nice. they are just oval shaped ponds for the most part but very nice and nice quality. ours measure 6x3x3 i belive


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## chronoboy (Jan 17, 2011)

go with a big canister filter if you are doing a water fall, i had a pond in my old place on my covered porch and i just used preformed pond with cinder block blocks and just used a little preformed pond for the top tier put plants around it and some cool lighting and everybody loved it and always commented on it.


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## Revolution1221 (Apr 20, 2010)

use a pressureized pond filter. They will do far more gallons per hour than a canister and have much larger and better ways of filtering a lot less hassle also.


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## chronoboy (Jan 17, 2011)

ya i just had the canister filter sitting around so i used it, and my pond wasnt that big total of about 80g, on a 200g plus pond probaly wouldnt of been the best choice, but i was happy with it for the pond i had.


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## Revolution1221 (Apr 20, 2010)

chronoboy said:


> ya i just had the canister filter sitting around so i used it, and my pond wasnt that big total of about 80g, on a 200g plus pond probaly wouldnt of been the best choice, but i was happy with it for the pond i had.


oh yeah for that small of one it wouldn't be bad. im still really excited to dig the pond out this summer. Its gonna be big we are hopping to make it atleast 4,000 gallons and about 5-6 feet deep


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

Landscaping timbers ( from any lawn and garden center or lumberyard ) and some long bolts make a mighty fine pond support, and then you can easily take it down someday.


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## egoreise (Mar 16, 2011)

I'm going to have to stick to a 150 gallon. That's about all I can fit into my basement. I have to consider that my boyfriend's jam room is also in the basement (don't worry about losing the effect of the pond, cuz not a lot of sound escapes that room!), so there needs to be plenty of room to haul speakers, drums, ec t. back and forth.

Nobody here has tried to make the waterfall come out of a tupperwear container full of filter media? Apparently you pump it up through pipes attached 2 or 3 inches from the bottom, and it spills out through a hole near the top. I was thinking maybe I would use lava rock on the bottom (for the ben. bacteria), wiffle balls in the middle, and cotton stuffing on the top. Then I'd just have to figure out how to disguise the container. I imagine the filter wouldn't have to be too incredibly big... it's only for 150 gallons tops... And I'm mainly considering this because I'm on a budget. That's why I'm not looking to do a 150 gallon aquarium. 


My woodworking skills are poor, but landscaping timbers are easy enough to work with! And the benefit to using a pond liner that isn't preformed is I could use sand bags or something to add tiers before laying the liner down.


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

consider some sort of lid, even just a tarp. The evaporation from a large open water surface (esp. one with a waterfall) will make for high humidity in the basement.


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## egoreise (Mar 16, 2011)

Oooh yeah.. and there's already high humidity in our basement... hm....


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