We love to spend our time fishing. We love fresh air, fun, and delicious fish. However, we do not like to go all the way to the lake. Now, you don't have to do that anymore. This way, you can build your own fish pond in your backyard!
Step
Step 1. Prepare the place
Prepare a special place in the yard to make a pond. The place should be large enough for the fish to swim freely, but not too large to exceed your yard.
Step 2. Observe if the soil is suitable for a pond by making a small hole and pouring water into it
The longer the water absorbs, the better. If the soil is not suitable, don't worry, read Step 4. If the soil is good, continue to Step 3.
Step 3. Dig a hole
This hole will soon become your pond. The hole should be as large as your planned area.
Step 4. If the soil is not suitable for making a pond, place materials such as plastic, sand, a thin layer of concrete, etc
above the soil layer, after the hole has been dug. Make sure the layer looks nice and natural. If the result looks sloppy or bad, try again or make sure you can hide the area with old tires, plants, and rocks.
Step 5. Plant aquatic plants
Many types of fish like to eat aquatic plants in their natural habitat. To plant without damaging the roots, cup your hands and place the roots on your palm. Dip your hand into the hole where the flower will be planted, open your fingers and place the plant. This will allow the roots to spread out before the hole is closed above it. (This is the same technique as planting in a tank.) Arrange them strategically so that the plants are well hidden. Plants must be hidden from larger predators that can and will eat them.
Step 6. Add water
There are two ways to do this, the first is to wait for the rain to fall until the water fills the fish pond. The second option is to use a hose or bucket to fill the pool with water from the tap. Before using the hose, make sure the pH of the water and everything is balanced. Most tap water from PDAM contains chlorine to kill germs, but chlorine can also kill the good bacteria needed by the pond ecosystem. So that the bottom of the pool (sand, gravel, etc.) is not disturbed, pour water from the hose into a bucket. Don't forget to tie a long rope to the bucket, you don't want to dive into the muddy water to retrieve it later after the pool is full.
Step 7. Let the water sit for a while before putting the fish in it
Make sure you keep species that won't eat each other and types of fish that you can eat. Also add cleaning fish such as crayfish and broom fish to keep the bottom of the pond clean. Also include a lot of rocks as a hiding place for them. Before you put fish into the pond, adapt them to the new water. Do this by putting the fish into a tub or bucket with the original water, then gradually add water from the pond until the fish get used to it and the water in the tub is completely replaced with pond water. After that, net the fish and gently enter them into the pond.
Step 8. Enjoy
Congratulations, you're done, now you can enjoy the pool in the backyard. In addition, purchase a bubble pump for your fish pond.
Tips
- Make a pond under the open sky. So, the pool can be splashed by rainwater, and if the water evaporates, the rain can refill it.
- Go to a nearby pond or lake to see what types of fish or plants are there. It is likely that these species of fish and plants are the best choices for your pond because they are close by and have a similar climate.
- You also need an air filter to keep the oxygen levels in the water high.
- Prepare some fish and plants in advance. Buy more than 1 species and more than 1 for each species. That way, the pond ecosystem will be very diverse and fish can breed to produce more fish. As a rule, you can prepare at least 3 pairs of fish (3 males and 3 females, all of which are adults).
- The depth of the pool should reach a minimum of 1.5 meters.
Warning
- The work on this project will take quite a long time, don't expect everything to be completed in one day.
- If you don't add aquatic plants, the fish won't have enough shelter to protect themselves from predators. In addition, organisms that live around aquatic plants will become a source of food for fish later.
- If you catch all the fish in the pond, there will be no fish left to breed.
- You will need an air bubble pump for ponds with certain types of fish.
- If you don't include fish of a different sex, they won't be able to breed. So after the first generation of fish die, the fish in your pond will run out.
- If you are lining the bottom of the pond, use a non-toxic material to prevent fish from dying.
