starting a new pond

[thanew]

ok, i've started my dad on the idea that he needs to have a pond in his apartment complex, but im a little lost on where to actually begin. none of the local fish stores are really knowledgeable so its a little iffy with asking them on how to begin...

so if you guys could point out any websites, or maybe a few books to read in order to really get an outline of things i'd need to start it..

also I'm not really too fond of koi, and I've seen someone on here with like a 500 gallon pond with cichlids and the such.. is that a real viable idea ? i love cichlids and the such but I'm not so sure with ponds still..

so any help will be greatly appreciated.

[acronym:71e60defac="Thanks in Advance"]tia[/acronym:71e60defac]
thane

[RogerMcAllen]

It is a perfectly good idea, in fact there is a guy who used to post shots of his outdoor cichlid pond. The biggest worry that I would have would be temperature stability.

i agree cause the summer the sun would get the water really hot and in the winter REALLY cold so i dont know im trying to help out my librarian in the school library cause her dad got a pond and they have gold fish in there anyone with advice would really help

[dr_girlfriend]

For your area, I'd stick with koi or non-fancy goldfish. I've never kept cichlids outside, so I don't know howd they would handle the winter. You could always buy or build a winter holding tank if you were dead set on it.
[acronym:5936c617b8="Just My Opinion"]JMO[/acronym:5936c617b8]

[frog girl]

In San Bernadino you might be able to do it because I think temperatures are pretty temperate there. You need quite a bit of sun to do lilies but there is no reason not to go with lower light plants and a shadier setup to help with water temps in the summer. If you do pick a sunnier spot be sure you don't have too many shallow areas & you have a lot of cover on your water they reccomend at least 2/3 to keep the water temps down. Water lettuce or lilies will do the trick.

I would make it as much like their natural habitat as possible but thats just me.

[frog girl]

I don't know how kosher this is but the Garden Forum has a section for aquatic plants that is basically all about ponds & everyone posts their USDA zone so you might get an idea from folks with similar temperatures to your own. No offense but I think there is a slightly bigger community of pond folk there.

link is http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/ponds/

ok, i've started my dad on the idea that he needs to have a pond in his apartment complex, but im a little lost on where to actually begin.

Since it's an apartment complex, I think you want to start with contacting the apartment manager and getting permission. Since a pond is pretty much a permanent feature, it may well be tough to get permission. I've lived in enough apartments to have a pretty good idea that they will likely say "No". Don't mean to burst your bubble, but think about it from their point of view. Your dad could build a pond, then move out, leaving them to either maintain the pond, or remove it. This is something I'd think they wouldn't want to be stuck with. Then you have to realize the liability they'd have to assume in case of a pond-related accident.

Certainly go ahead and check, but don't be surprised if they don't allow it.

I'd probably think about doing a barrel water garden, or a pop-up pond on your dad's balcony (if he has one). That seems far more likely to be permitted by the managers.