An outdoor fish pond can be a great investment for those who have the space, time, and money, not to mention ideal temperatures the majority of the year. But, for those who may not have the outdoor space, time, or budget to build an extravagant outdoor fish pond, there’s another option for you—an indoor fish pond. The idea may sound unorthodox, but it’s, in fact, very common, and can be done on a budget if you follow these tips:
- Have All The Necessary Equipment
Before building your pond, here are some essential pieces of equipment you should be sure to have:
- Heater: There are two kinds of heaters: submersible and partially submersible. While either heater can work, submersible heaters are better designed to keep tank temperatures regulated. Be sure the heater you purchase is the appropriate size for your pond, otherwise, you potentially face malfunctions down the road.
- Thermometer: Whether you prefer a thermometer that hangs over the edge of your pond or floats on the surface, some form of thermometer is important to ensure your heater is doing its job and the water is at the proper temperature.
- Filters: There are three kinds of filters: biological, mechanical, and chemical. Biological filtration will rid the pond of toxic ammonia that fish produce. Mechanical filtration will trap pieces of uneaten food or leaves before they decompose. Finally, chemical filtration removes heavy metals, dissolved organics, or additional ammonia through chemistry. Many filters will provide all three types of filtrations, and those are the filters you should lean toward.
- Gravel: Gravel is important for three reasons. It provides decoration, surface area for bacteria to attach, and a place to plant roots for live plants you wish to have in your pond.
- Gravel Vacuum: There are many different types of gravel vacuum on the market, which serve the same purpose, but with slight variations depending on which kind you choose. Different vacuums will be built for different sizes of tanks or ponds, so be sure you’re buying the appropriate size for your needs.
- Test Kits: Test kits are very important to ensure the water chemistry is correct for the type of fish you’re going to be including in your pond. Remember that different types of fish will require different kinds of water parameters.
Other important pieces of equipment you’ll want to be sure to have are lights, powerheads, air pumps, plants, and nets, as all of these will prove beneficial to the upkeep of your indoor pond.
It’s important to have the said equipment before purchasing any fish or turtles to inhabit it. While it may be exciting to buy all the fish you want and simply throw them in, this is how you kill them easily and force yourself to restart the process. Be patient, and make your pond’s water chemistry and ecosystem established before introducing any fish to their new environment.
- Choose The Right Pond Location
Where you decide to put your indoor pond is one of the most important decisions you’ll make regarding your indoor pond build, so there are many considerations to keep in mind. These include:
- Choose a room on the lower floor of your home because not only will an indoor pond be heavy, but there’s a chance there’ll be leaking at some point; thus, it’s best if your pond is located on stable ground instead of a top floor.
- Also choose a spot that’s safe from both small children and other pets so that no one can access it easily while no one is home. It’s also a good idea to build a barrier around your pond, especially if there are small children at home.
- Putting your indoor pond by a window, where there’s partial sunlight, can help provide balance to an ecosystem that includes fish and plants.
- You’ll also want to be near an electrical outlet in order to easily plug in lights, heaters, filtration systems, etc.
- Placing a fan near your pond can help with circulation and dispersing both heat and moisture.
- Measure how much space you have in the area you finally choose and make your building plan based on that.
- Know The Best Materials To Utilize
For the walls of your pond, you’ll want to be sure to buy materials that will hold up, like:
- Construction grade boards
- Plywood
- Screws/nails
- Pond liner
- Sand and gravel
- Rocks or bricks for decorating
- Hosepipe
- Oxygenating plants
When building your pond, you’ll want to design it as if you’re creating an outdoor pond. It’s important to utilize not only a pond liner, but also sand and gravel on the floor of the pond. On that base, you can utilize real plants that not only help with aesthetic and decoration, but can also help oxygenate the water for any fish you fill it with.
Building Your Pond
When it comes time to putting all the pieces together and building your indoor pond, the steps are simple. These should include:
- Measure and cut your wood for the frame.
- Attach plywood to the inside of the pool and line the floor with carpet (you’ll want to use carpet glue to make sure it stays attached to the wood).
- Cut the liner to the correct size and line the pond’s floor, making sure it hangs over the ponds wall by about three inches. You can use bricks or decorative rocks to weigh down the liner, and make sure it stays in place.
- Cover the floor with sand and gravel; do so carefully so as not to damage the liner.
- Install filtration, pumps, and heaters inside the pond and, then, fill the pond two-thirds with water.
- Add appropriate live plants.
- Install lights.
After all the equipment has been installed, including your plants, test the water with one of your test kits. Once it’s been confirmed safe, you can begin adding your fish.
Conclusion
Many are surprised by how simple and inexpensive it can actually be to install an indoor pond. If you follow the above tips, a weekend off of work and a trip to the pet store can be all it takes to create a beautiful indoor pond for your family to enjoy.
