A few things to note with that pond, from someone who owns the same pond 1. Since you already added fish, go to the fish store and find beneficial bacteria to put in to the water. You could possibly have a large fish kill due to the water not being ready for fish. (And even then, there's no guarantee that some of the fish might not die. ) We added very dirty water from our large ponds to this small pond, waited a week, for filtration and fish still died. So be prepared. 2. Find a good filter that uses a fine mesh that you can add carbon to. That would be the best way to keep that pond clear. We had an issue with clarity, even with existing pond water from the two ponds we have out in the front yard. Something submersible works great for this kind of pond. Just find something that doesn't have suction cups. They will detach after a week or so and can't be put back on for the life of you. We found one that just sits at the bottom and you can direct the flow nozzle. 3. Even with the fountain, you might want to look into an air stone if you notice you're not getting enough bubbles. Not enough dissolved oxygen could kill the fish. So keep an eye on if they hang out at the top of the water and it looks like they're "gasping" for air at the surface. That's how you would know for sure. 4. Look up, for your area, how deep water needs to be for the fish to be able to survive the winter. Those ponds will freeze and since it's not *that* deep, the entire thing could freeze, killing all the fish. So be prepared to move the fish for winter or upgrading your pond. Same goes for the floating plants, they do not last in the cold, so you can take them inside before it gets cold and keep them alive that way, or just buy new ones, up to you. 5. Be careful using the ramp, we had to take ours off as it just invited more bugs into the pond than it ever did helping any frogs get out. I live in a heavily frog and toad infested area and we have not had a single one want to be in that pond. They much much more prefer the wet areas in the planters and in the dirt. 6. Buy mosquito dunks, they are safe for the fish and they really do work. You will get mosquitos no matter what you do, but this will at least help keep the population down. The dunks also help with the black fly larva that love the moving water in ponds. I don't want to bombard you with too much information too quickly. It looks great. Just be prepared if anything goes south. You're on the path to making something beautiful, and who knows, you might just get into using that pond for some small aquaponic set ups. Find a floating net pot and plant some lettuce or something, you'd be surprised at the results! Good luck! Wishing you all the love!

I would be super interested in a video about maintaining and cleaning that pond in the future!

#GardenGoals! Especially with all the CLT heat this summer I’m sure your garden thanks you for such a “cool” and “refreshing” feature add

This is beautiful! The solar "pump" is one I got specifically for the mosquito problem with my bees' water and it worked - until the pump faded in the sun. It lasted a year, so the panels on it are not as good as more expensive solar panels. But it did work and it definitely gave me ideas for future upgrades. I think more pond videos from you would be lovely, and fitting for your content!

wow, you got so lucky with the pet store employee! acclimating, stocking, etc… petsmart isnt exactly known for their knowledgeable fish care tips lol, this is great!!

I have 2 small ponds in whiskey barrel planters. In the beginning I had to top them up alot. Between evaporation and the leaking... As time went on, they hold water pretty well. I had rosy minnows that overwintered 2 winters in the above ground ponds. I also have a small inground pond, and goldfish overwintered in that one. Also in zone 8. (Portland, OR) We had a real cold snap this winter and my water lillys survived, but most of my other water plants did not and the rosy minnows did not. They were pretty old, though. Last winter was their 3rd winter.

I think it's great that you're trying to learn and expand your garden in different ways, it's awesome, however, you may need a better pump anyway unless you get more plants and beneficial bacteria in there because the waste from the fish and plants that gets dropped at the bottom of the pond needs to get filtered up in some way, otherwise you could end up with a high toxin content in the water that will harm the fish, i'd also recommend adding some type of carbon pellets or something like that to the bottom of the pond and that can help increase the "cleanup" and add beneficial minerals to the water. I know you said you plan on getting more plants but I'd also recommend looking more into what type of plants will benefit your specific setup and fish (to add more filtrating plants and hiding places for fish) and also maybe getting some type of tunnel or cave for the fish since they really do enjoy having hideout places, other than that I think you're doing a really good job and I hope this helps in some way :) really enjoy your videos :) Thanks for making great content and I'm excited to see how this new addition does in your garden, I'm sure the pollinators and other critters will love it! Also SerpaDesign here on youtube has some really great videos on making bioactive setups like this and I personally recommend his channel a lot :D

So happy you added a pond! You will love it.

That pond is awesome. I might have to get one. I just wish it was a little bigger and deeper, but that would cost even more. Excellent addition to your garden.

That little solar pump is awesome! Even in that pond it has got to work for aeration! I bet if you got some kind of fishing sinker and use fishing line to tether it that would stay floating more in the center and look perfect! At least it wouldn't risk squirting water out of the pond. Thanks for the content. I have a place for that fountain in my birdbath and bee bath. That was my very first thought!

Liked before I even started watching because I know it’s always a good one when you release a new video. Thank you! Hope you enjoy your holiday 🥰❤️

I have a preformed above ground pond liner. I have the .25 cent gold fish in it with water lettuce and a love it. I have 1/4 inch hardware cloth over the top because the racoons will eat the fish on me.

Great job Meg. Looks beautiful, have fun with that pond Itch.

Hi Meg❤😊Watching from the philippines🇵🇭🥰😊

Oh, I used to use stress coat for my betta years ago! fantastic choice for dechlorinator :D

Thanks!

I have rosy red minnows in my musk turtle aquarium, they are fun to watch. A few suggestions, I would recommend a beneficial bacteria there are many brands I personally like fritz but something like start right would work as well. I always use a water conditioner like Prime that removes chlorine and Chloramine it also removes heavy metals and Ammonia, I use stress zyme plus with every water change as well but with city water I twnd to use a water conditiiner with it. You can get a solar ran air pump and get a sponge filter to use to help keep the bacteria going, it also adds oxygen to the water. The surface agitation is great. Be careful with the floating fountain and floating plants it will clog up easily just keep an eye on it; and if it gets too close to the edge during full sun it can drain the water from your pond because it will water your sunflowers for you LoL you can help this by attaching something heavy like one of the big rocks you have in there to fishing line and attaching it ro the fountain so it doesn't float to the edge. Ive been keeping fish for a very long time, and started gardening a few years ago so I love it!

LOVED this video! Thx for sharing....❤

The pond looks amazing :)) I think you will need to add some fish hiding places (like a little house or something like for aquariums) and a better pump, water circulation helps with oxygen levels in the water, especially with a non-moving body of water in the sunlight, algae can easily go crazy and algae steals oxygen from fish and plants :(

Love the pond! For mosquitoes I would recommend getting mosquito dunks. They specifically target the larvae of mosquitoes and related species while being safe for pretty much everything else. If you're looking for other fish to keep in your pond/ponds, get some medaka rice fish! They come in a lot of colors, stay small and are super hardy. I keep them outside in tubs and they do great where I live in central NC

What a beautiful pond you created. I didn't have enough time to maintain my pond and dismantled it after 2 years; then heard that floating a bundle of barley straw in the water would eliminate algae. The best thing about my pond was that it attracted dragonflies and they reproduced, which was good for the garden. Otherwise, I only saw green Anole lizards using the pond. No fish because the neighborhood cats roam around my garden constantly. Also, it became apparent that the plants that will survive winter in the pond actually require a lot less maintenance when not grown in the pond. Maybe I'll try the pond again whenever the garden maintenance requires less time!

I think it looks nice. I have some indoor koi and would love to diy a pond one day. I’d still really enjoy on of these in my front yard, but it gets as low as -15 out here 🥶

I read online that you should add oxygenator plants and if you have clay soil, that’s perfect for them to grow in!

I love this!

Yay! Good job 👏🏽

It’s a cute idea. I bought one of those solar fountains the other day and it only lasted a few minutes. Later I read on the box that it won’t work in over 110 degrees. I am in texas and I think it may be too hot right now. Also it says to keep it clean but that’s virtually impossible being outside. I may try again in the fall.

Congrats on the new pond!!! Super excited for you!! Since you are feeling the itch of ponds I would recommend watching some of Ed the Pond Professor for general ecology knowledge of ponds. He is a wealth of information and will get you thinking about the ecology of the pond you just built and future ponds you will build.

Bruh, the new hyper fixation is so relatable haha 🤣 I actually got a half whiskey barrel that I’m working on rehydrating right now to make a pond out of! I’m learning a lot of stuff while I wait for this process to be over lol 😂

The fishes look so happy! Early in the video you mentioned a bee water thing you have. I wonder if you could do a short or something where you show that? I want to know how I can provide water for bees in my yard. Thank you!

You can get similar things for much less. Though I’ve been looking at preformed molds that are probably more for in ground. I want one for frogs and toads to eat the awful slugs we get. The only problem is in Oregon we have limited amounts of frogs and toads and many are protected due to population. Cascades frog I’ve seen at the park nearby. So, they could come by. They aren’t uncommon here, but are more endangered further south in the cascades area.

Fish can be a lot of work. Like a LOT. If you do set up another pond, I'd hold off on getting any more until you get the hang of fish keeping. The pond looks cute though. Good luck

Very cute introduction to garden ponds. Side note....don't ever put the chameleon plant in your garden. It becomes the ground cover from hell - speaking from experience. 😵‍💫

Ooh!! I've been trying to figure out how to add a water feature to my small space as well. 😍 I've looked at container bog gardens and other "containerized" possibilities. Soo excited for you!

gwt your winter heater in the summer it will be cheaper

❤

Check out the video from Erin The Impatient Garden on her garden water feature.

Not sure if you'll see this, but I just started gardening this year and am having the same issue where my entire (tiny) yard is sloped. How did you manage to level it all enough to put in raised beds? I'm hoping to build my first raised bed this fall, but have no idea how to level the ground!

I'm surprised you didn't go with chaos ponding...😮 Wait, is that a thing tho? 😅

what happens in the winter?

Beware of that chameleon plant, they're pretty invasive. I've owned my house for 23 years and I still battle with it in my garden beds from the prior homeowner. 😢

I'm going to need you to stop making videos. They're so good I watch them at work and I'm going to get myself fired.

Ma'am. Get out of my Google search history. 😂🤣😂 Fr, how did you know that this is EXACTLY what I've been 'pond'ering (😉) for the past few weeks?

Beautiful! But whatever you do, DO NOT, I repeat do not, plant the chameleon plant in the ground. It will take over and invade everything! And the roots smell nasty when trying to dig it up…ask me how I know 🫠 Also keep an eye out for nighttime predators and blue herons 😬 we also have lots of experience with losing fish. Maybe being in the city will make that less of an issue for you though. There are safe additives you can use to keep algae at bay too. PS I think a big part of the price was unfortunately the pump 😂 and the convenience, obviously