Turning a Swimming Pool into a Pond

[Rozzie]

Has anyone here ever turned an inground swimming pool into a pond (intentionally - not by letting the water green up all summer!)?

I'm wanting to do so and could use thoughts from anyone who has done so. Heck, I'll even entertain thoughts from those who haven't done so, just for the sake of conversation.

Here's the scoop:

1. I have an inground, concrete (gunite?) kidney shaped swimming pool.
2. I've been given estimates of 12,000 & 15,000 gallon capacity. Not sure and since it's irregularly shaped measuring the capacity is not a quick thing to do.
3. It does hold water. Trust me. I'm in the mist of pumping it out now.
4. The pump and filter do NOT work. These would have to be replaced with appropriate items for a pond.
5. The pool is 50+ years old and surrounded by a concrete patio.
6. There is a chain link fence (brand new) that would need to stay in place for insurance reasons. There is also privacy fence around my yard.
7. The deep end is about 6.5 feet deep (estimate - I'll measure it more accurately once empty and dry.) The shallow end is about 3 feet deep. The slope in the center is pretty steep. Nothing is going to "sit" on the ramp long term.

I'd prefer to keep costs on such a project low. I have seen directions for using liners, zillions of dollars worth of sandbags and landscaping, etc. This is a bit more than I want to spend. Any thoughts on how to do this and have a nice looking pond without spending a fortune would be appreciated. The pump will cost a fortune (and having it installed--that's beyond my skills) so I'd need to keep other costs to a minimum. Might take me a couple of years to do a project like this, if I decided to go ahead with it.

 

[SarahFair]

I dont know anything about ponding but I would get some kind of "fountain" to keep the water moving/cycling so insects dont get bad

 

[mom'sfolly]

Recently in a magazine, perhaps Mother Earth News, I saw the coolest pool conversion in the world. It had become a pond with a waterfall, and a hydroponic garden and tilapia farm. Very, very cool....I wish I could remember what magazine I saw it in, it was at the local bookstore about a month ago.

 

[SillyChicken]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptF8sFOD2XM

Kinda cool idea...... but if you're in colder climates, you may need different equipment. Like a bubbler or something to keep gasses under control.

 

[bluie]

Koi or even ordinary gold fish should keep bugs under control, providing the water doesn't freeze all the way to the bottom in winter. What zone are you in? I would scrounge free rocks to place aesthetically around the patio.

 

[Cindiloohoo]

You might get sme ideas from here https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=403676

 

[wildorchid053]

you need to keep the water moving or it will smell bad.. other than that a pond would be great

 

[LALASD4]

Have to add some water plants also.

 

[StupidBird]

The local "botanical garden", a donated property, did convert the old swimming pool there to a koi or lily pond. To reduce volume and depth for liability purposes, it was filled halfway or so with clean gravel. For fish, still requires pump and filter. Talk or email a pond specialist for specifics on volumes, sizing, etc. Even goldfish and lilies look nice.

 

[Rozzie]

I just wanted to pop in and say thanks! I'll read each of your posts in more detail in the next couple of days. My week has been crazily busy.