General question for everyone Please.

We are in the process of planning a pond. A big pond. Well beyond anything I'd ever imagined and not quite big enough for my hubby's dreams. He grew up in Northern Ohio though where all you do is dig a hole and it makes its own pond. However big you want you just dig the hole.

Well now we get to our yard which is in an area where there are 5 homes to an acre so we have little bitty yard and not so much space to work with. I'm content with 200 gal, hubby says screw it lets go for 2000.

How many of you in pond planning have soo much anxiety you don't even wanna take the shovel to the ground for fear of royally screwing it all up? I've read the if you had it to do over again posts and am still worried that we're gonna wanna change too many big things in the long run.

Just needed to vent for a minute, I swear the more pictures and advice I look up the more intimidating this gets.

Christina

Oh Christina!!!! You are perfectly normal! I was a total nutbar when I was in the planning stages. I took a full year of planning and research and when it came time to dig, I STILL changed my mind 10 more times. I honestly felt like I was going nuts. I was obsessed! Am I happy with the pond I have now?? NO, lol, I hate it. I think it's too big and too wide and too deep and too ugly! I guess that's why people have more than one pond or rebuild their first attempt. I thought I had over researched things. I have a huge binder full of stuff I printed off the internet and have read it all a hundred times. Even though I think I know what I am doing now :rolleyes: I still can't make up my darn mind about the changes I want to make. Just have fun with it. Think of it as a hobby, lol, cause I don't think ponding is a cut and dry adventure. Wait until you start losing sleep because all you can think about is pond plans, then it turns into worrying about the fish once you are done!!! Welcome to the ponding nightmare, uhhh, I mean life ;)

You are going to make mistakes and do things you'd later wish you could change. That's just the way it is. If you do lots of research beforehand, there will be fewer regrets. My mistake list is at http://www.fishpondinfo.com/problem.htm

But really, even with some imperfections, there really is nothing like looking at a mature watergarden and all the literally thousands of animals and plants that are enjoying and using it. If I had time, I could watch all day. In the heat of the summer when all natural ponds are shriveled up around here, it's most interesting to watch the various insects come in for water. If my pond weren't there, where would they go?

Your space is limited. If you put in a 200 gallon pond, you'll enjoy it and probably wish you'd had the 2000 gallon. There's no reason though that you can't have both! Try out a smaller pond and then later put in a larger one. It can be even smaller than 200 gallons (but don't expect to keep larger fish like koi in that). I have a 1800 and a 153 gallon pond. I have more land though. If money, time, etc. aren't limiting you, then I say go for the bigger pond!

Take your time. Enjoy the process. Getting there is part of the fun!

KoiKrazy lives up to her name. Don't let her scare you off ponding. Most of us only have a pond nightmare once a month. :D

Christina

Maybe my philosophy will help in decision-making. Just remember this: The bigger and more expansive the pond, the less grass there is to mow. 'Nuf said.

Don

Akk Lassie, tis all silly talk! :P

You can research all the fun right out of it! Just walk around your yard, and when the mood strikes you stop and turn a shovel full of dirt. There, you have started your pond right there and that is all there is to it! :blink:

Seriously though, don't get freaky on it. Remember, it is supposed to be fun! If it isn't fun, why would you be doing it? Dig the hole for your small pond. Saying a hole is 200 gallons or 2000 gallons means nothing until you actually SEE it in the ground. Then you will know if it is too small, so then make it a bit bigger. Then stop, or make it a bit longer, or a bit wider, or maybe give it a kidney shape....it is a work of art in many ways, and as such it will come out the way it wants to come out, and when you get to the right point you will just know.

Either that, or get really drunk, decide out of the blue you want a pond, know zero about it, just pick the worst spot on your lot and dig until you sober up, and then be to stuborn to fill it back in the next day and admit you made a mistake! LOL...either way, you will end up with a pond! ;)

Derrick

When I come home from work I will say to Terri, I am going out to play in the water.

Work is something you have to do, or get paid for.

If it was work I would fill it in.

ITS ALL ABOUT THE HOBBY :)

Ditto what he said! :)