# Can an old swimming pool be turned into a fish pond?



## WaYA (Dec 19, 2008)

I have an old swimming pool that has been taken down. I was thinking about cutting it down to make a larger garden pond out of. It's a 4x15 pool, I was thinking may be a 2x15 pond. Is that to small?
Could I use the swimming pool pump and filter on the pond or would it not keep the water right for the fish?

Have a good one,
Becky


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## Twistersmom (Dec 9, 2008)

I don't know much about outdoor ponds, but I think you would have to keep about 3 or 4 feet underground level to keep water cool enough during summer, and deep enough to not freeze through in summer. Hopefully someone that knows more than me will post!


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## WaYA (Dec 19, 2008)

The pool I have up still is above ground. It's always cool in the summer. It stays up year round and has never froze in the winter. It gets an ice cover over the top of it. But by noon it's melted. What I need to know is there anything that the pool liners is made out of that would harm the fish?


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## onefish2fish (Jul 22, 2008)

im unsure, but chlorine may have leeched in and will slowly release.


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## WaYA (Dec 19, 2008)

Ok, If I turn the liner wrong side out is the chlorine still going to be there?
I have an in ground pond but the water snakes decided to have lunch there last spring. So I thought I would do another pond above ground. Where I live it doesn't freeze bad in the winter, besides I can always bring the fish in iif I have to.


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## finsNfur (May 4, 2008)

I'm not sure about the answer to your pool to pond question, but I can tell you snakes might still get in your pond even above ground. I've known people with above ground pools to get snakes in them. Eeek!


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## WaYA (Dec 19, 2008)

It will be harder for a snake to get into above ground tho.


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## Cody (Dec 22, 2007)

But it can still happen.

I would not try to make a pond out of a pool that has been already used, and with chlorine. Just to be safe.


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## WaYA (Dec 19, 2008)

The pond has been down a couple of years. So all the choline should be washed out of it. I think I'll put it up then test it, if it shows up anything. I'll make a big fountain out of it with rocks and all kinds of plants around it. Then maybe the snaes will stay out of my pond.


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## Nudist (Oct 19, 2008)

i dont know if it really works or not but i have always heard if you put moth balls around, snakes will stay away. its worth a try anyway.

Steve


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## WaYA (Dec 19, 2008)

*Ok, I'll have to try the moth balls. Maybe they will work.*
*Thanks*


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## JHK30 (Dec 29, 2008)

you can do an above ground. just take the fish out in the winter or put a heater in the pool.


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## jmilez1 (Aug 18, 2010)

It's not good to turn your old pool into a pond. Your fishes wouldn't grow healthy and strong. Just transform your old pool into a playground so that your kids could play there.


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## kitten_penang (Mar 26, 2008)

why wouldnt the fish do well?? any body of water with the right conditions and good upkeep will be awesome for fishes.


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## buckmanrules (Oct 18, 2010)

Hi! I grow koi and know lots of folks with koi ponds. I have seen above ground pools converted into lovely koi ponds. Since you live in Arkansas it is even POSSIBLE the koi would winter over. I know people in states north of you that cover their ponds with a 3 mil plastic sheet in the winter and the koi survive. Your filter COULD work. . I do not know your set up. The chance of fish getting into the filter would be a concern. You might want to wait till perhaps next April or May. Set it up. Start with inexpensive koi. see how they do. Put some water plants in and start a water garden. (papyrus, Irisis, water lilys). Turn different size clay pots upside down and put the pot with your plant on top of them. With little effort this should work. Have fun! Perhaps it will work so well you will purchase brick at the local building supply center and surround it in brick making it semi permanent. I've seen that too. Go for it!


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## WH2O (May 15, 2010)

Don't bother with the snakes, you will do more harm than good. The snakes in your pond are harmless ribbon snakes, the pond will be too small for a cotton mouth. The mothballs will kill your fish faster than any snake can. So unless your keeping 10000 dollar koi, don't worry about the snakes.


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## Mikaila31 (Dec 18, 2008)

Don't worry about the chlorine either, it should of defiantly gassed out by now. If you are worried at all, just buy some chlorine test strips for pools(BTW the strips will work fine here no liquids needed). Test the pool at setup and after it has sat for a few days, IMO though it will likely read zero. If it doesn't, just hit it with some Prime and test it regularly for chlorine, eventually it should all be neutralized. Since chlorine is a pretty reactive molecule it doesn't like to hang around for long. Probably something you should know as someone who has kept a pool, you have to keep adding chlorine for it to stay at the proper levels. Which is why I feel it should be perfectly fine for fish. 

No idea about the snake thing, except I love snakes ^_^

You could in theory keep tropical in it during the summer. I know around here breeders setup 50-300 gallon cattle troughs outside for raising tropicals. If it can be done in Minnesota I can surely be done south of Minnesota.


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## WH2O (May 15, 2010)

Why do people care so much about snakes?!

(glances at TV)


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## Tamara (Dec 4, 2010)

Hi, you can totally use your old pool . . . the chlorine won't be an issue . . . you actually can change a third of tank or pond water with chlorinated water without adding any dechlorinator because the remaining volume is enough to dilute the chlorine, so even if there were a little chlorine on the walls, it wouldn't make a diffference once you fill the pool. . . and even then, it would evaporate after 24 hours. I've kept Fancy Goldfish outdoors for years this way when no dechlorinator was availble and they thrived.

Though, I have read on hard core pond sites that pool filters don't work well as Koi filters. Koi Phen is a good site to check out.

What kind of fish are you going to put in?


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## WH2O (May 15, 2010)

Also the fish will most likely reproduce faster than the snake can eat them, especially goldfish.


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## thefishboy (Aug 20, 2010)

Wowo that would be a lovely outdoor pond .. I wouldnt worry about the chlorine..


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