The Backyard Oasis
Robert Rice
robertrice@juno.com


As many a Southerner has discovered a Backyard Pond is a wonderful way to add a new dimension to your gardening. The sound of trickling water and the splash of color make excellent compliments to Gazebos, Pergolas, or deep perennial beds. Relaxation is now defined as sitting outside enjoying a tall cold glass of iced tea and soaking up the sights and sounds of my Garden Pond.
One of the most pleasant surprises I have had is the amount of wildlife that visit my pond. It is a literal oasis in my neighborhood. Birds of countless types visit for a drink and an occasional meal, leopard frogs , bullfrogs, tree frogs and toads have taken up permanent residence there and are raising broods of wiggly tadpoles. Dragon and Damsel flies cruise through my yard like stained glass airplanes eating insects and delighting the children . Aquatic insects like water striders dance across the ponds surface. I can honestly say I will never garden without a pond again. It has become both a classroom and a entertainment to myself and my family.
Setting up my first pond proved to be a snap I used a preformed 180 gallon variety from a local hardware store dug a suitable sized hole and in no time I was in business. Also available are pond liners which allow you to customize your pond to any unique shape you can imagine. I had previously decided to follow a Naturalistic approach and use Native Plants as much as possible. I found getting Native Plants no real Problem. Fourtunatly Barry from the local fleamarket and Elizabeth from my local Garden Gate nursery carried a nice collection of locally grown native plant stock . That allowed me to put together a colorful variety of southern native plants that mixed in well with my new pond. Now back to pond basics The main criteria that you must follow is the pond must be at least 18 inches deep. However I'd recommend going 3 feet deep if you can. I would also strongly recommend you add a deep and shallow end . By making it slanted and a bit deeper you allow your fish to move to the area that they are most comfortable with. In the spring the fish will congregate in the shallows warming in the afternoon sun. In the summer they will disappear to the deeper cooler parts of the pond. This staggering will allow you keep fish outside year round.
I decided against exotic species, like Koi, a Domestic Asiatic Carp. I would use species specifically designed to thrive in my local southern conditions. Species designed for the unique water and seasonal conditions of my pond. I would use local species , which I catch with a simple dipnet (you can also use dry flies to catch small Bream) and the assistance of my children . With Natives durability my ponds needed no filters . The fish loved the heat , feasted on mosquito larvae thus I had much less buggy summers and most pleasant of all I had self sustaining populations of fish. So every spring each of my ponds would refill themselves with killies, shiners and small species of Bream. Observing their fascinating courtship and life behaviors has become the subject of many a lazy afternoon discussions with my oldest daughter Erin. The pond is somewhere between a classroom and movie theater in my child's eyes.
Killies , Shiners , Bream what are you talking about ? Just like when you started using Native plants in your Garden you gotta learn some new terms. First the shiners. Usually what folks call minnows. These small, long , thin colorful fish inhabit ponds , lakes and small creeks. They make excellent pond fish. They need just a slight current to be happy and are great at munching mosquito larvae the curse of every pond owner. Second are the Killies. The Killies are typically larger and wider than shiners but similarly shaped. They inhabit the top inch or so of a pond. They are sometimes called topminnows killies are about the most durable fish you will ever find. They have a great array of colors and thrive in ponds as small as 30 gallons. Finally the Sunfish or Bream as they are locally known. These fella's are cousins to the ones you catch on the hook. Just accept the fact that the little guys are the ones that work best in a garden pond and you will be fine. I collect my pond fish with a dipnet or a fly rod and occasionally with a fishtrap. To begin with learn just a few species of Shiners, Killies and Sunfish . In no time at all you will be adding a new kind of color to your garden. The kind that swims in your Garden Pond.
Putting in a Garden Pond stocked with local species is a great way to help your garden look better , your local wild things be happier and give yourself and your family a small lesson in natural history. I recommend it highly. Doing it may very well forever change the way you garden and they way you look at water gardening.
For additional information I recommend you check out the following resources Peterson's Field Guide to Freshwater Fishes by Brooks M. Burr and Larry Page a great book for identifying your catch and the Native Fish Conservancy a national pond gardener friendly non profit organization dedicated to preservation of our greatly underloved native fish membership is but 10$ and includes their publications and many merchandise discounts. They support conservation projects all across the country. From Land Purchases to children's programs.

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Here is a good but incomplete starter list of Southern Fishes For your Pond. You will find many other local types that work great in your pond. Just do a little collecting and you will surely find a fish for your pond.
Ponds 20-60 gallons
Heterandria formosa
A tiny colorful livebearer similar to the Guppy a great fish for the kids and the pond.
Fundulus chrysotus
The Golden Topminnow is a colorful durable Killie excellent for the Garden Pond and common to most parts of the South
Ponds 60-200 gallons all the above plus
Dollar Sunfish
A small Sunfish with intense colors and a exciting personality and temper.
Bluespotted Sunfish
A intensely colorful fish that is rather shy and does great in well planted tannic ponds a must see.
Flagfin Shiner
A stunningly beautiful shiner with a pallet of Yellow and Orange in its fins. They will however need a deeper pond to get out of the heat. So keep that in mind.
Southern Redbelly Dace
A large Minnow with a golden body who's belly that turns blood red in a matter of moments depending on their mood then just as quickly turns back.
Orange Spot Sunfish
If you live in the upper South This Lil fire ball may have come across your path. You will not soon forget the brilliant blues , reds and orange all mixed together on this underwater rose.
Ponds 200 gallons and above- all the above species plus
Longear Sunfish
This Mid Sized Sunfish absolutely thrives in larger ponds. As you can see by his photo he is one of the Most Beautiful fish in the world. His small makes him a great addition to a pond as he feeds mostly on insects and not his pondmates.
All of my ponds get fed 2X a month and that's it. Mother Nature supplies the rest of their diet and I never put more than 2 inches of fish for each 10 gallons of water this allows the pond to maintain a nice balance of fish, bugs and other things. So give the Native Fish pond a try you , your garden and the wild things around you will appreciate your efforts.