Whiskey barrel pond

[galen]

yo
well, my mother has asked me to help her set-up a barrel pond for her back patio. interesting idea, she wants plants and a 2-3 fish. she bought the barrel- 30 gallon size. anyway, before i fill the thing with water, what do you all think should be done to prevent leaking. i mean, should i tell her she needs a liner or maybe the wood will expand enough so that the leaks will stop?

also, im thinking about a sponge filter for the tank- simple and great for biological filtration and a heck of alot cheaper for this design than a laguna filter. should i use an air pump for the filter or just let the weekly water changes (10% min.) keep the pond aerated. along the same lines, i should mention that she bought an oasis pump that has several stalks of bamboo tied together for a really neat looking asian look. its kinda waterfall type effect, creating alot of turbulence at the surface. would this be good for the pond?
finally, does the pond need a substrate to thrive or is the bare wood or liner ok?

these are just preliminary ?s, so dont you worry ill be harrassing, i mean posting, more! plus, i will get up some pics soon, probably this weekend. thanks

 

[Kyohti]

I would add the pump for decoration, sound, and to have good water flow. Add some water hyacynth for shade and florals and some anacharis for oxygen and then I'd go with one really nice fantail goldfish for it and call it done.

Hyacinth is nature's biofilter!! And the purple flowers are super pretty!! The Anacharis will oxygenate without any hardcore lighting needs and help to provide additional shade and cover. If you're wanting to have that pump, waterlilies are out of the question. They don't like to be splashed and grow best in still waters. A whiskey barrel wouldn't have been enough space for a waterlily to properly expand itself anyway, I don't think.

That's my thoughts. Take them as you see fit. :dance2:

 

[Tesla_HV]

As far as the leaking problem is concerned. Before you put any sealant, try filling the barrel with water and wait a day or so to see how it holds water. You might have to add a bit of water from time to time but then again, you need to pay attention to the pond frequently for other reasons.

 

[klfvilla]

My parents have one and they've had it for probably 5 years. Its adorable. They have a decorative frog fountain on the side and the water spurts out of its mouth and provides the aeriation into the little pond with is sunk completely into the ground. I was just looking at it on Sunday. It does have a black plastic liner. They keep small goldfish in it and since we are in Canada, they release them into the nearby river in the Fall (oh well). My mother has waterlilies growing in it and real frogs come to reside in it every summer. They cause a slight problem because here they hibernate by burying themself at the bottom of the barrel for winter and since the barrel freezes fully, the frogs have to be manually hunted down and put in the river also to save them from certain fate.

 

[Longinus]

Hyacinth for sure, it is one of the most spectacular pieces of my pond.

 

[Mr. U]

Hi Galen,
I wasn't going to respond to your post cuz it seems that your mom will just empty out the pond every fall into the local river . However, just in case the fish might be kept, I will add my 2 cents. You said your mom had a whiskey half barrel. I would install a flexible or preform drop-in liner. The inside of most whiskey barrels are charred to add flavoring to the whiskey. This is ash, and will increase the acidityin your water. If you decide to get a liner, be sure to sand the inside really good to remove any splinters. Hyacinths are good plants to keep. You can even put in water iris or even bog plants like creeping jenny (although you may need to put in a cinder block to keep the bog plants from being submerged too deep in the water). Anacaris and Parrot feather are good water plants for the fish. If fish aren't going to be kept, you can go without the liner, but you will need to fill the barrel with water until the wood soaks, and swells against eachother to form a water seal.
Mr. U

 

[Reddog80p]

I agree wit Mr. U. I would put a liner in the whiskey barrel. Some sort of underlayment to keep splinters from puncturing the liner. All you need is a small inexpensive fountain pump. Put ancahrisa parrot's feather or other oxygenating (submerged plants) in. You can also add water hyacinths,water lettuce or frogbit to shade the pond from the sun if it is in a full sun location. The direct sun can cuase an algea bloom. Here's a couple pond pics of mine so you can see some examples of plants you can use. you may be able to use a real small lily variety they sell them.

 

[Corvina]

On the other hand if the barrel wood is not treated and you want to seal any leaks. Spread 100% silicone along the cracks and smooth them immediately by running a spoon along the line.
I helped a friend do this to a barrell years ago, but he was not making a pond. Let it cure for 30 hours or so.

 

[EdwardKT]

Reddog80p: Thanks for the photos.

 

[galen]

very very nice pics! well, she didnt bother and just bought the black plastic insert that forms a bubble in the barrel for water. she put in a few things, a lava rock for bacterial growth, some corkscrew grass, a papyrus plant (dunno why- they get big if i am right), and a few floating plants. she plans on adding a few fish shortly too. ill take some pics, probably tomorrow, to show you guys! thanks!