So you're thinking about installing a pond out in your backyard. Water is naturally very beautiful, and there are few things as beautiful to put in your backyard. However, it's not enough to simply dig a hole and put a pond there. A lot of preparation goes into a successful installation, and maintenance is always a priority. If you want your pond to be beautiful and safe from the very beginning and to keep it that way for as long as you own it, pond supplies are integral to keeping it clean, functioning, and beautiful. Some supplies will only need to be purchased once, while others, like filters and fish food, will need to be purchased on a regular basis for maintenance purposes.

All-in-One or Complete Kits

Pond supplies come in two forms: pond kits and stand alone products. While the kits can save you some money and are a great starting point for beginners, stand alone products give you a lot more versatility with your pond with everything from its aesthetics to its capabilities. There are so many different parts of a pond that you need to be aware of as you're designing one that you shouldn't try to construct your own before you've gotten some experience first.

The very first pond supply that you'll need if you decide to build it from scratch is a pond liner. This will keep the water in the pond instead of letting it seep through the ground. The size of the liner largely determines the size of the pond, so this pond supply is the very foundation of your aquatic garden. If you decide that you'd like fish in the pond, you will need a corresponding pump system including spillway. Of course, you might like a pump anyway to create a beautiful waterfall. Either way, these pond supplies are typically a little more expensive. For a large pond, a 5000 gallon per hour pump can easily cost $700 or more. While most ponds are but of a fraction of that size, you can still expect to pay at least a hundred dollars for the pump alone. All in all, even discount pond supplies can set you back a thousand dollars or more.

Building a pond can be a fun experience if you've thoroughly thought it through and have a basic idea of what you're doing. Simply make sure that you have enough money to purchase all the necessary pond supplies before you start buying them, as some projects get canceled halfway because somebody can't afford a pump or fauna or fish supplies.