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New pond advice please.


Biddy

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Apologies - just copied this from the 'Welcome ' section as it seemed appropriate to list here too!

Hello all - just registered - found the forum a few days ago whilst googling for affordable pond liners!

I live just N of Waikanae on 2 acres of very sandy old beach dunes about 1k from sea. Have just dug a 5m x 3m figure of 8 type pond in back yard. 2 deep sections approx 50cm and 80 cm rest shallowing to edges.

After reading a few posts re pond liners I went to my local Crightons today and picked up a 7m x 4m piece of builders polythene (250 microns thick) for $28!! Talk about a bargain.

Have filled pond today - the rain sure helped and would welcome advice as to what to put in it!

My ideal would be to have fish of some sort - probably a few goldfish to start, a lily or 2, something to oxygenate and ultmately some other wildlife - frogs, invertibrates, etc. Anyone with good advice for low maintenance interest for the family? Also low cost is preferable (as you can tell from my penny pinching pond liner purchase!

Idea is to have a variety of borders - decking, boulders, pebbles, sand etc in distinct areas around the edge and ultimately a twee bridge going across the thin bit.

Will post pics soon if anyone interested.

Cheers

Mike

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You could do native shrimp with native fish and some WCMM would look good. Then you could have water lillies and a few frogs. I'd say boulders around it would look cool.

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Am I not right in thinking that the bulk of natives - ie bullies and kokopu would be a bit boring - ie not too visible and probably living on the bottom - pond is quite deep. Anything that would be a bit more showy and keep the kids entertained.

Love the idea of native shrimps but must confess to never having seen a WCMM - however just googled them and they look pretty cool. Presumably they'd be visible darting around?

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Where can you buy native shrimps or do you just go and catch them?

Catch them, usually found in slow flowing, shallow water.

They're really neat I have between 20-30 of them in my tank.

:bounce:

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So a trip down to the local stream with net and bucket seems in order then!

Haha yeah for sure! Good day out :D

I don't know how widely spread they are I only know area in Tauranga where I can find them.

Good luck and let me know how it goes for you!

:bounce:

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Another query?

What do you put directly on top of the liner - especially on the steep sides of the pond? I'm tempted to chuck in some gravel, stones and sand but am flummoxed as to how to protect the sides - any bright ideas?

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Another query?

What do you put directly on top of the liner - especially on the steep sides of the pond? I'm tempted to chuck in some gravel, stones and sand but am flummoxed as to how to protect the sides - any bright ideas?

Well when we made a pond at my aunty's house we used rounded river rocks, as they won't puncture the liner, we just made a few rocks here and there in piles with a few plants then the algae and dirt and what not settled on the bottom and made the black liner look more natural.

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