Building a pond, is it as hard as it looks?

I don't necessarily think it's hard, but will be time consuming if you're going to do it right. How difficult it will be may depend on where you live. It was easy for me to dig 3' down here, but some places require a back hoe, or even a jackhammer to get through the rock to dig that far down.

Things NOT to skimp on are:

1. Adding the layer of protection between the soil and the liner. If you have moles, and don't add carpet, you'll not a have a pond very long. I used carpet, and no holes or leaks after 8 years in my liner.

2. Liners: the big box lumberyard "kits" have cheap plastic liners, and aren't well-known to last long. The pumps are also electricity hogs. You're better off paying a little more for a quality pump (pondmaster is pretty good in the US) and quality liner. I think Home Depot does sell edpm liner, but it's overpriced. Our local nursery is cheaper. I find the pumps are usually cheaper online, as we don't have a lot of local retailers here. You can also buy the liner online, but shipping would be high due to the weight.

3. Leveling the pond. Take the time to do this, or your liner is going to show all around the edge.

4. Plan your pond before you dig. Do you want plant shelves? Will you have fish? Do you want koi fish (which have requirements of their own)?

5. Dirt: You can use the dirt you dig out to build up a waterfall or stream. You can also use it for a berm somewhere if you dig out a lot.

Having said all that, I've also built ponds on the cheap, as I tend to change things often due to the easy-to-dig dirt I have here. I've had several little watering holes come and go over the years.

You can get the liner from a roofing contractor, although many complain there are chemicals on it that will kill fish. I used mine for a drainage drybed, so this wasn't a concern for me. You can also get pumps at Harbor Freight. The ones I've used from them tend to last a season or two, but also cost very little. They are electricity hogs compared to a pondmaster pump though, but are inexpensive.

Hi, WTx

Pianolady has some good tips there. If you want to support wildlife in your pond, it can take a little more effort.

The easiest type of pond to start with is the plastic molded ponds because you'll have a lot less to worry about regarding moles and such putting holes in it. The down-side is that you're stuck with the shapes and styles that are available and they don't look quite as natural as a liner pond.

The liner pond takes more planning, but can look very natural.

To support wildlife in your pond, you'll want to get the right plants in there: marginal, submerged, and lily-like aquatics. I've got an article on the plants here. http://www.the-art-of-landscape-design.com/water-garden.html

Just a note: If you've got a turtle or fish, they may eat the plants, too. Keep an eye on it!

The plants can be kept in baskets, if you like, too.

Regarding pumps -- these can be an investment. We bought our last one at www.apondplace.com It was an Oase.

Know ahead of time if your pump will run without being submerged. This is something to know -- if you don't refill your pond when it gets low, will your pump be ruined?

IMO, pumps are nice for water aeration. Build your pond correctly and get some plants to balance so you won't have as many algae problems.

Good luck!