Pond Renovation Ideas

[AquaStudent]

Hello CCA. I have an old small pond in my backyard that I’ve been looking at for a couple years. I’m looking for options to get it back up sand running again so it isn’t such an eyesore. The dogs also like to drink out of it so I would also like it to be cleaner water.

The pond is approximately 9’x6’. I’m not sure where the high water line truly is but the shallow end looks to be about 12-15” and the deeper end gets to between 24”-28” above the large base rock. I believe there used to be power run out to the pond to run at least a pump to send water to the top of a stream that discharges at a waterfall.

I’ve pulled out leaves from the pond the past two years but there’s still about 6” of organic sludge at the bottom.

I don’t think I want to re-line the pond as I would like to do a larger build in this location in the next couple of years.

In the interim though, what should be the priority and preferred methodology to install a filtration system to keep the water cleaner?

I would like to put mosquito fish, WCMM, or other small fish to help mitigate biting bug populations.

I think I would like to engineer a skimmer box with a pump return to a buried tub with filtration plants into the stream or a simple cycle into the deep end of the pond. I’m open to other recommendations. I will be putting a net over the pond in the fall to collect leaves.

 

[FishEggs]

Thats a nice little pond. Hoping i can eventually build a large pond on my property when i eventually move. Right now i just have an above ground pond i built. What type of liner is it?
You might be able to create an intake bay which functions like a skimmer box but you wouldnt see a box but that depends on where pumps are or where the water is pulled from.
Or you can pump to a decorative planter filled with bio media that spills back out into the pond. Basically a dump filter. Thats what i did on mine. Its quick and easy.

 

[JLW]

I think you've got two big priorities there. The first is going to be mucking the thing out. If you want it to be reasonably clean, you've got to get all these leaves and muck out of the bottom -- rinse, drain, scoop, and even shop vac it out. Then, you've got to get electricity run out to it, safely, before even considering any sort of permanently installed filter. Are you currently using extension cords?

With a pond that small, you could probably get away with any of the inexpensive pond filters for a good long while, at least until you're ready to build it out larger.

 

[AquaStudent]

That’s a beautiful pond! That filter is exactly what I was thinking too. We have a lot of trees around so I think some sort of a skimmer or partitioned intake bay will really help keep it clean

The liner is either rubber or EPDM, I’m not sure which.