How to dig a pond on a site with your own hands

How to dig a pond on the site with your own hands for breeding

A small fish pond can be artificially created. This will not only provide excellent fish for consumption or sale, but also effectively in terms of beauty - the aesthetically designed pond will become a real decoration of the site. There are various types of mini-ponds for fish farming. To create a reservoir, you need to correctly choose a place, and also follow the algorithm on how to dig a pond on the site.

General

Types of ponds

Types of ponds in which to breed fish, quite a lot.

They are classified according to all kinds of characteristics:

• The purpose of the pond is for feeding, spawning, outgrowing or wintering.
• Pond water supply - key (filled from a natural spring), brook (a natural stream is needed here), dug (rain, ground and flood waters).
• The base of the pond - natural or artificial.

You can independently organize a pond using all kinds of technologies:

• Without the concreting process (i.e.

  without lining) - in this case, the border of the pond is lined with turf and clay.

• Concrete - durability and practicality, the organization of this reservoir is very laborious.
• With PVC film - a fairly simple option that has a limited service life.
• Plastic - limited in size, suitable for breeding small and ornamental fish.

So, let's look at how to choose a place to place a reservoir.

How to choose a site

To organize a pond of artificial origin, you need to correctly select a site. The following factors are extremely important:

1. Upland - the place for an artificial pond should never be placed below the level of another area of ​​the site, otherwise all dust and water from the rain will begin to fall into the pond. If the ground is perfectly flat, then the hill can be created artificially.
2. Lack of shrubs and trees - they should not be near the pond, because falling leaves will begin to fall into the reservoir, rot in it, and this negatively affects the inhabitants of the pond. If it is not possible to move the reservoir away from such vegetation, you will need to clean it regularly.

3. Competent lighting - the light of the Sun should hit the surface of the water up to 7 hours a day, no more. The shadow can be created using artificial fences - this option is the most effective. The complete absence of light is also undesirable, since the flora in the pond will begin to grow extremely slowly, and the fish will begin to lag behind in development.
4. Soil peculiarity - a clay sole is perfect for a pond organization, and it is better to choose a site for a reservoir so that there are no stones in the ground.
5. Competent calculation of the area for the reservoir - it is required to take into account the amount of fish that you plan to grow.

   Overpopulation of the pond should not be allowed, as this is fraught with high consumption of food, a large number of fish waste products, and the water will bloom.

Consider the ways of arrangement.

Details

Technology

When arranging a pond for fish farming with your own hands, you first need to determine the technology. When choosing, it is important to take into account not only personal needs, but also opportunities.

With film

In order to make a pond with PVC film, you need to choose materials.

It should be quite tight, at 0.2-0. 3 cm. Black film will be cheaper. The size of the material also matters - it should be one large piece or a couple of large pieces that need to be fastened.

In the role of material, it will be correct to use large banners, but first, the material needs to be checked for integrity.

To properly dig a pond on the site, you need:

• Sand.
• Shovel.
• Special adhesive (sealant) or soldering iron for bonding film seams.
• Stapler with staples.

• A pair of flat planks.
• A strip of PVC film 10-15 cm.

First, you need to dig a pit for the pond and give it the required shape. The advantage of the film will be that this material is very flexible, and therefore it is required to embody any design ideas. In order to give the future of the reservoir the required shape, it is important to avoid excessive bends.

We do not recommend making the corners sharper than 130 degrees. At the bottom of the pit, it is important to make a sand pillow. Even a layer of sand with a height of 10 cm is enough. It is important to level the walls of the reservoir, from them sharp stones / roots should not be seen, as this may cause the film to break. This is followed by the main stage, which involves the connection of individual film pieces.

If you use a soldering iron for this purpose, then it is enough to press down on the edges for 3-5 seconds. You can also align the second seam. When using a sealant (i.e. an adhesive) to seal joints, it is important to degrease the surface first.

For this, you can use gasoline, acetone and other liquids with similar qualities. After degreasing, the surface to be treated must be wiped dry and left in the sun to dry - the material for gluing must be completely dry.

Next, there will be surface cleaning. For this, sandpaper is used - the grain size should be minimal. It is required to glue film pieces together with an overlap with a step of 15 cm.

You can effectively use boards for this, which must be perfectly even. The film piece is required to be attached to the board with a stapler, in the same way prepare the second part of the material. Use a plastic strip as an interlayer. It is required to thoroughly coat it with the composition on both sides, and apply it to the pieces of film only on those parts that will touch.

Then connect all the parts and place the load on top, that is, heavy boards.

The drying time is indicated on the packaging, but we advise you to wait at least 24 hours. The film needs to be carefully spread. It should protrude beyond the edge of the reservoir, and the film ends need to be dug in, and bricks or stones should be laid on top. By the way, you can lay out the entire pond with stones, but do it carefully so that the film is not damaged.

Without concrete

This option can be used if the soil is waterlogged and the groundwater is high.

To organize an artificial reservoir, the following materials and tools are required:

• Branch pipes.
• Spatula to mix the mixture.
• Water.
• Clay.
• Shovel.

• Sod.

First, you need to outline the boundaries of the future pond and make a foundation pit of the required depth. The pond can be arranged in place of a natural ravine on the site - it needs to be expanded and deepened, and also an earthen dam must be organized. It is required to pour it along the total length with layers of 0.2 meters and tamp it well.

The dam must be 0.5 meters higher than the water level in the reservoir. The end should be rounded by a groove that will act as a flood diversion. What pond can be dug on the site? At the end of the preparatory process, follow this algorithm:

1. Make holes for the pipes, and then mount them.
2. It is required to cover the walls and bottom in the reservoir with diluted clay - the optimal thickness is 15 cm.

   After the wall, it is required to evenly cover with turf.

3. There is another option - mix the sod and clay equally and dilute the mixture with water. The mixture should be so thick that it will not crack in the future. They need to evenly process the bottom and walls of the pit.
4. Fill the pond with water - and you can't start the fish right away, because the pond must last for at least a month.

   This is done so that the bottom of the pond is covered with silt and it is possible to plant plants that will take root successfully.

5. After the due date, it is required to drain the water and fill the reservoir again. After organizing the required conditions (suitability of the aquatic environment), you can start the water.

After the organization of the bypass and supply ditches, you can make gutters from concrete. If a natural ravine was used to create a pond, then there will be a coastline on the crest of the dam.

To do this, sand is poured up to 15 cm thick. The width of the coastline can be up to 1 meter.

With concrete

This version of an artificial reservoir is attractive for a huge operational period, but it takes a lot of time and effort to implement it ...

To create a pond with a concrete base, the following tools and materials are required:

• Tubes (collection and drainage of water).
• Waterproofing foil.
• Spatula
• Reinforcing mesh.
• Components for concrete coating - sand, cement and water.
• Sand.

• Crushed stone.
• Spatula.

Concreting mix is ​​best done by hand.Feeding from a car is appropriate if you organize large reservoirs, because there will be a lot of concrete. The creation of an artificial pond with concreting is carried out according to the following algorithm:

1. Marking the boundaries - the shape for the future reservoir can be selected different, but taking into account the peculiarities of the work that lies ahead - it will be very problematic to execute sharp bends.

2. Dig a pit - at this stage it is important to take into account that the concrete layer will occupy a certain place, and therefore the capacity of the pond will be less. It is required to observe the angle of inclination of the side surfaces, which should be 20 degrees.
3. Remove tree roots, debris.
4. Make holes so that water can be drawn into the pond and drained. It is important to install tubes in such holes.

5. Tamp the ground - you can do everything with your feet, but it will be much easier and more effective to use a special apparatus.
6. To organize a pond in soft soil, you first need to pour a thin layer of crushed stone, and then organize a cushion of sand, and then a thickness of 1 cm is enough. Compaction of the soil is required to begin only after this stage of preparation.
7. Arrange waterproofing - for this take the film, spread it on the bottom and press it against the walls. Use sharp stones or pegs to secure the edges.

8. Prepare a mixture of concrete - for one measure of concrete, you need to take 3 times more filler (sand or crushed stone). So much water needs to be added to make the mixture very thick.
9. Make the first layer of concrete and wait until it hardens. The manipulations need to be repeated several times to get a 10 cm layer of concrete.
10. Without waiting for the concrete layer to dry, apply a reinforcing mesh to the walls of the reservoir - you can attach it to the required area and press down a little.

    This stage is optional, but it makes it possible to organize an excellent support.

11. Apply a layer of concrete on top of the reinforcement - 5 cm thick is enough.
12. Smooth out the unevenness with a trowel, using the same concrete mixture.
13. Wait until all material layers have completely solidified. If the weather is sunny, very dry or hot, it is required to line the entire concrete surface with grass or cover with damp burlap.

    In hot weather, you can spray the concrete with clean water to prevent cracks in the material.

If you didn't know, you can dig a pond in the area with an excavator. In the video, you can look at the experience of a man who made a concrete pond.

Conditions for breeding

It is required not only to choose the technology for creating a pond, but also to implement, create the required living conditions for the inhabitants of the reservoir. Otherwise, their growth and reproduction may slow down, there is a risk of death.

For the reproduction of fish in such a reservoir, the following conditions are important:

• Oxygen - if it is not in the water, then the fish in the pond will die. Different aquatic plants will be a source of oxygen, and prefer water lilies, water hyacinth and water walnut.You need to buy such useful flora in a special store. If you take plants from natural reservoirs, then there will be a high risk of death in unusual conditions.
• If you plan to populate the pond with plants, it is important to select them by depth.

  For a pond with a shallow depth, it is great to use a chastoha, a gopher and a head-head. Reservoirs with an average depth are perfectly populated with pondweed or water lily. If you organize a deep pond, then you can use a basilis, loosestrife or Siberian cleanser to fill it.

• Acidity level - you need to focus on the species of fish that you intend to breed. A neutral level is ideal.

• The presence of the necessary elements in the water - proper feeding of pond fish makes it possible to maintain the health of the population. Fish are in great need of phosphorus, iron, potassium salts and nitrogen compounds. It is required to competently saturate the reservoir with them. You can buy feed additives at the specialty store, and the dosage is always indicated on the package. You can also make the food yourself.

  This is not an easy task, but it will cost much less than expensive feed.

It is not difficult to make a reservoir, you need to correctly select a site for a pond, prepare materials and carry out the necessary work. Be sure to create favorable conditions for fish and get a wonderful pond with healthy breeding fish.