Iluvatar

I am thinking of getting a pond and what do you think is better, a frontyard, or a backyard. I am not putting it in the driveway. My front yard has some trees so the falling leaves can polute the pond and it gets plenty of shade only not at midday and there is a fence around it. In the backyard there are the dogs and it gets alot of sun but there is more space for a bigger pond but I am worried about the dogs. I want a fairly big pond and my front yard is kind of big but as big as a small backyard then again my backyard is HUGE. So what do all the fishlore fish people think who own ponds, what would be better. I hear a shady place is better and I have to keep plants around and in the pond. I also want a pleco but I also hear tree leaves can polute the water but the trees in the front dont shed many leaves but I am guessing my front yard but I dont know how the plants will do so I am also guessing backyard. It is also bigger. Oh and driveway is not an option.

Chief_waterchanger

We have our pond (5000 gallons or so) right in front of our home, but we live out in the country. In LA I imagine that it gets quite warm, so shade is definately a good thing. We have a 22-23 year old Crape Myrtle shading our pond. Leaves will not hurt the fish in the short term, however, in the long-run it will make the water more acidic. (Just use a koi net to scoop out the leaves every month or so.

How big of a pond?
What kind of fish other than pleco?

Iluvatar

I have two kois in a twenty gallon tank and I also have a silver arowana and they just dont stop growing. I am thinking of one thousand gallons but I dont know. It gets very warm in Los Angeles and I want the pleco for algea. I have decided to do my front yard and here are pictures of fish.

hockeyref88

Backyard for sure!!! What kind of pond?? Concrete or pond liner? How big?..........Also you cant keep a pleco year around in a pond even in LA. It gets to cold..I live in Long Beach and have a 1000 gal pond in my back yard so I can tell you from my experience in this area if your interested.

Rick

TFA101

Im not sure about the arowana. 48" is quite big and your koi definitely cant top that. The koi and pleco, go for it. As for the arowana, he'll need something as big as a tank you'd see in a public aquarium. Sea World maybe?

Iluvatar

I dont want that big of a pond but I have no idea when I am getting it I want it in my front yard to keep it away from the dogs but I will know when it is finnished. Still no permit and one is needed...I thinkbut I am not very sure and I cant get a giant sea world tank like where they keep the fish. I hope I get the pond soon.

hockeyref88

You can keep it away from the dogs a number of ways. One being raising it a little out of the ground. Being in LA I would be afraid someone would put something into the pond that would kill the fish. What kind of dogs do you have??

Iluvatar

I have a german sheperd mixed with a golden retriever and a german sheperd. Two dogs. They are very big and the frontyard has alredy been planned just need a permit.

Chief_waterchanger

Koi and arowana should not be kept in 'most people's' aquariums. Koi commonly live 25-40 years (there are some that are recorded to have reached over 150 years of age) and can get as long as 5 feet, but usually only 2-3 feet. Arowana naturally come from the Amazon river area and eat small monkeys out of the trees. (Jumping out of the water to catch monkeys off of low lying branches.) I do not think it would be wise to keep an arowana in a pond, especially when not in a tropical region. I would suggest no smaller than a 200g tank for the arowana, but really unless you have a lot of money to invest in it I would get rid of it (to a store or someone that knows how big they get and what their needs are and can supply those.)

We have 4 koi in a 5000 gallon pond and put a pleco or two out there in the summer, but have to do a 50-80% drain on the pond in the late summer/early fall to catch the plecos back out.

Iluvatar

There will hopefully be a "heater" for the pond but it is more like a boiler.

hockeyref88

Enough said then. I just wouldn't want people I don't know walking by to have such easy access to my pond. I built my pond without a permit in my backyard and I'm a general contractor.

Iluvatar

I dont think people will put stuff in it becuase there is a fence around it and my dogs are always barking when someone walks by. There are gyaps between the fence and I have seen big green netting at places wich I dont know what is for but I might be able to use that. Or netting. The people wont have that easy access unless they jump the fence but its alright until something happens

hockeyref88

Sounds like you have it figured out...................I will only say one last thing. As soon as you finish building your pond you will wish you had built a bigger one. It happens to everyone. Bigger is better!!! Good luck mate

Iluvatar

If that happens I will just build one in my backyard I think it will be nice to have a pond fore a backayard but has it ever been done, if so that is awesome. Good luck on whatever you are doing too. Thank you all at fishlore once again for the advice. I kind of went with the first thing posted. Oh and almost forgot, thanks for the good luck.

Butterfly

Are there other people in your household? What do they think about a pond? Any good suggestions?
I want a pond one day but I think t may be an above ground one. you know where you stack blocks and then put a liner in it and then put a row of blocks around the top to hold the liner. Good luck, sounds exciting.
Carol

Iluvatar

Of course. There is my mom, my dad, my brothers, my dogs, my uncle, and my fish. THey all think getting a pond is a great idea and my dad is helping me out on this he is the one who does all the legal stuff by that I mean that he is the one getting the permit. My brothers arent that exited.
I cant get it.

Butterfly

Family projects are so cool and fun. A pond would be something the whole family can enjoy and good for you because you already know how/where to learn how to take care of fish
Carol

Iluvatar

I might not get that pond soon.