How to build a pot pond

Things you will need: 
large ceramic or clay pot 
silicone sealant
waterproof pond sealer (dark colour preferred)
paint brush
water pump (optional but necessary if adding fish)
pot feet (optional)
dark coloured pebbles
large stones or bricks
aquatic plants

First coat the inside of the pot with a minimum of 3 layers of pond sealer, make sure the base is clean and dry and free from rubble. It’s best to choose a dark colour sealant to create depth. Paint a line with the sealant for where you would like the water level to sit - then paint the rest of the inside of the pot underneath this line. Leaving a gap of the pots natural colour between the rim and the water level/sealant colour emphasizes the illusion of depth.

Once dry, lay your water pump inside the pot and pull the electrical cord through the hole at the nbottom of the pit. Leave a bit of cord in the pot so there is room to move the pump around if needed. Then, seal the hole and any gaps around the cord with silicone. If you don’t want to seal the pump in or don’t want a pump, just seal up the hole and you can add the pump in later (the cord will hang out the top).

Test the pot is water tight- fill it up half way and leave for a few days. If it had leaked drain and reseal, if not, drain and rinse pot.

Think about where you would like to place the pot. Ideally a spot that receives a good amount of morning sun during all seasons, but not too much afternoon sun in summer. Also pick a spot that is easily connected to power. Set up the pot ontop of pot feet - these are useful if you have the pump cord sitting on the bottom.

Rinse pebbles and put down a layer on the bottom of the pot. Select a variety of plants for different depths (as seen in diagram). A minimum of 3 plants is best per square metre. There are lots of different water plants to choose from including water herbs, carnivorous plants, oxigenating plants, native grasses and flowers. Figure out how you would like the plants to be placed. You can put the submerged plants straight onto the bottom in their pots. For emergent plants you can build stands with bricks and stones so that they sit at the right height.

Make sure you’re happy with your placement before filling the pot with water, as it can get murky moving the plants afterwards. Then once filled, turn on the pump, which should be sitting on the bottom of the pot, and adjust the flow. You don’t want it flowing too hard that it disturbs the plants. 

If you would like to add fish, you need to allow the water and plants to settle for 2-3 months before doing so. This is so the right environment can be created to support them. Pond plants tend to die back in winter so it may be best to start a pond in early spring.

Before adding any fish, get the water tested at an aquarium. Medaka (Japanese Rice Fish) are perfecr for pot ponds. Keep them in schools of minimum 5-6.  If you are keeping fish you need to do regular water changes. Scoop out 1/3 of the water and replace with de-cholorinated water every couple of weeks. 

If you don’t want to add fish, a pump that flows water back out onto the surface to create water movement, helps to keep mosquitoes away.

Enjoy!