Backyard small Pond questions (Dallas, Garland: house, maintenance, gardens)

[ModernHomeNow]

Hello pond pros. The house we moved into had an existing pond. We wanted to keep it so I pumped the water out, cleaned it really well, and filled it again. I added environmentally friendly/safe for fish - purifier, blue color, and debris/dirt collector (something like that). My questions are:

1. Do I need a filter to go with my pump? (pump=smart pond 330 gph)..If I do need a filter (I would like one) where can I get a cheap, small one. My Pond is 100 gallons -/+.
2. What water plants can I get that help with maintenance?
3. How about underwater lighting?
4. fish? (we do have a small dog but she doesn't get to close to it)
5. we like modern designs and this is circled with flagstone. How can make it look more contemporary?

All opinions welcome on maintaining, cleaning, ways to make it look cool and presentable. ;-)






Thanks!

[momof2dfw]

You need a pump or it can get very stagnant and be a breeding ground of massive proportions for mosquitos.

What part of Dallas are you in? There is a great place in Garland just off of Garland Ave on Kingsley called Creative Water Gardens. They will have everything you could ever need for any type of water feature.
Creative Water Gardens - Home

Some landscape places like Covington's, Calloway's as well as Home Depot and Lowe's should have pumps.

As for the fish I have been told that you need some cover for them so that they can hide from large predatory birds. Something like a bridge or rock overhang. Plus it's a cooler spot for them out of the sun.

[ModernHomeNow]

As I said, I have a new small pump. I'm wondering if I need a filter, as in a separate device? I think it has somewhat of a filter but can't be much of one because it's so small.

We're around lovers/inwood area. Anything closer?

Appreciate the hideaway area advice for fish. We don't have fish yet but possibly will get a few.

[dgz]

I've had 3 ponds, so I'll take a shot at this. :-)
[*]Do I need a filter to go with my pump? (pump=smart pond 330 gph)..If I do need a filter (I would like one) where can I get a cheap, small one. My Pond is 100 gallons -/+.

If you have fish, definitely get a filter.
[*]What water plants can I get that help with maintenance?

There is a plant called coontail that is good at trapping debris, but it's not tidy. I think water lettuce does too, but I'm not sure it's sold in TX. I think it's one of those that can become invasive if it ends up in local waterways.

Some of my favorite plants: black and green taro, pickerel, water lillies
[*]How about underwater lighting?[*]fish? (we do have a small dog but she doesn't get to close to it)

If you have fish, make sure to add water lillies. This gives them a safe place to hide and makes them feel secure. It also keeps the sun from burning them if the pond is shallow. Yes, fish can actually get a 'sunburn' if under intense sun in a very shallow pond. For fish, try to have at least 20" deep of water. This is important to in the winter. And in the winter, when it gets cold, they will move toward the bottom of the pond and barely move around.

I strongly suggest not getting koi. They put a heavier 'bio load' on the filter (dirtier) and they are also more sensitive to ph changes.
[*]we like modern designs and this is circled with flagstone. How can make it look more contemporary?

Perhaps replace with a solid color cement block which would offer clean lines and then use a just a few carefully placed plants like taro and horsetail.

But do not plant horsetail in the ground outside of the pond. It is an extremely invasive plant, even though it adds wonderful texture to a landscape.

If you can boost the size of your pond, it will actually be easier to maintain than a smaller sized one. The smaller ponds (under 150 gallons) are more difficult to keep clean and balanced.