# Forum Home Renovation Pools, Spa & Water Features  Raised garden bed into a fish pond

## alsocass

I am building a productive vegetable garden that would benefit (temperature and humidity) from a pond. The section I had set aside for the pond is against the house and has a rather odd shape (that would look great as the pond).  
The width varies from 500mm to about 800mm and the height is about 400mm.
I was going to create a brick and mortar retaining wall for the garden bed and have a small pond in one section. 
My question is this:
If I were to extend the length of the pond and make it the full 400mm deep and turn it into a full blown fish pond (with bigger fish), would I need a stronger wall?

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## Oldsaltoz

A concrete filled block wall will be strong enough, you could us a decorative block or put a brick wall in front to hide standard blocks. 
It will need waterproofing, a drain pipe and and an overflow pipe, anything 0ver 400 mm deep should be fenced.
Good luck.  :Smilie:

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## alsocass

> anything 0ver 400 mm deep should be fenced.
> Good luck.

  Thanks I was wondering about that one. We were planning a cover (ie something like this http://www.justcovers.com.au/pond_sa...FZGCpAod2A7u0w) to prevent our kids getting into the pond, and the area is already fully fenced (though I am not sure if it is to pool safety standards)... better look up the council regulations first!

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## Moondog55

have been thinking about this; why not rotate the fish ponds as part of your whole garden set-up?
If you decide to use water tanks as raised garden beds they would hold quite a lot of fish. While curved concrete walls are strong and self supporting it is usually easier to build straight walls and straight walls are easier to build lids for.  Butyl rubber as a liner perhaps? Remember that for fish the water needs to be aerated so pumps will be needed

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## alsocass

> have been thinking about this; why not rotate the fish ponds as part of your whole garden set-up?

  Now that is an interesting idea (and a lot of work given the garden is on a two week rotation). We are planning to install two slimline water tanks at either end of the border garden, we are playing with the idea of having the fish tank filtering via one of the tanks. So it will aerate the fish tank, as well as providing a tank full of nutrient loaded water for watering the garden beds.  
Overall I am hesitating a bit because of safety fears, delaying the ponds. I know it would be covered and should be inpenetrably by kids... but I still hate the thought.

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