Freshwater

Setting Up Your Simple Indoor
Goldfish Pond
Chapter 15: Putting It All Together
A good place for this pond would be on an enclosed patio or in a finished
basement. For this setup, we will be using a half whiskey barrel with a submersible
pond filter:
1. Place your half whiskey barrel in a level area that is free from windows
and drafts.
2. Add the pond liner.
If it is pre-fit barrel liner, just set it in place. If you have to make your
own, use a flexible liner and fit it into the barrel, allowing the excess to
hang over the edges.
3. Fill the barrel with water, leaving about six inches at the top.
4. Add several inches of gravel or smooth river stones to the bottom and
set your pond filter down into the barrel after attaching it to your
pump.
5. Add dechlorinator and then trim off the excess liner.
You can tack the end of the liner six inches below the rim on the outside
using a staple gun.
6. Place your pond plants in the pond.
Add a few floaters to start with. For stand-up plants, you can use overturned
clean flowerpots as a base to raise the level of your plants.
7. Plug in your pump and add a top.
There are several ways to add a top to the barrel, but our favorite way is
to have a lumberyard cut a heavy board in the shape of a circle with a
large donut hole in the middle. Simply set the board on top and you’ll
have a little rim around the opening to place decorations and small
rocks. This also covers the overhanging liner.
8. Let the pond run for 24–48 hours then add your starter goldfish.
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