Wine barrel pond

[tinytawnykitten]

I used to have a pond outside which we made from an old shower bottom but we removed it when we had our son as it was too dangerous to have in the backyard. I was thinking though of setting a small one up in a half wine barrel in a garden next to the little path that leads to the front door. I am a home based caregiver but the children are never left for even a minute unsupervised at the front door cos they could get onto the road. Does anyone have any opinion, suggestion about best way to set one up? And once set up what is the best way to clean a pond? Can one just do 30% or so water changes like an indoor tank?

[georgeous]

Depending on how skilled you are with a 'wood-working device' i.e. a jigsaw you could cut it in exactly in half, and then, where the plug/cork is (I'm only going off a picture I found online, just now) join the two halves with a piece of piping or something similar - a bit like the 'water bridge' DIY project that pops up every now and then.

Just a suggestion though :oops:

HTH

[Caryl]

From what I've seen, most people seem to line their half barrels with black polythene. A small pump and filter is all you need to keep it clear.

If the barrel is kept out of full sun it will rarely need water changes. Just top up the water as it evaporates.

Two goldfish in a barrel would be plenty. Lots of plants too.

[jn]

I have a half barrel. It was 'clean' when I bought it.. (ie: not freshly stained from wine!) so I didn't line it. Afterall, barrels are made to hold liquids by design! I did however fill it and let the water sit for a couple of weeks and checked the pH and then did a big water change before adding fish to it. If its red from wine and not old and weather and not well and truly leached out like mine was it could pay to line it. Although I imagine it would only leach tannins which some people actually ADD to their aquariums anyway!

I have heaps of plants and the barrel stays clear without a filter (it gets alot of shade but the nitrates are also 0 due to all the plants and only a few fish).

The first year I did water changes every 2 weeks. I had a piece of clear hose that I used to syphon stuff out of the bottom. I have barely bothered this summer but it does get water changed by using buckets of water from the barrel to water nearby plants and then topping it up. I will probably give it a decent syphon from the bottom before winter.

Good luck with yours.