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Gardening / DIY / How to make a small pond with a metal tub
metal tub small pond with plants and fountain

How to make a small pond with a metal tub

By Gemma | July 19, 2024

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If you don’t have a space large enough for a pond but would love a small water feature then you will love this DIY pond. Let me show you how you can make one just like mine.

pinterest image DIY your own pond

This post contains affiliate links please see my full disclaimer

Table of contents

  • What you need for the pond build
  • How to build the pond
    • Building the optional fountain feature
      • A few pond plant suggestions
      • More from the garden

      What you need for the pond build

      • Galvanized metal tub
      • Flex seal liquid rubber
      • Solar powered water fountain pump
      • Pond plants, soil, pond basket pots.
      • River rocks
      • Decorative rocks
      Supplies to make a small pond

      If you want build you own fountain like I have done here then you will need:

      • At least one fountain like plant pot and another pot or stand for that pot to sit on top of.
      • PL 600 that is made specifically for landscape blocks.
      • PVC pipe. The clear flexible tubing.
      • Plumbers putty The stay soft kind.

      How to build the pond

      The process to build the pond is very simple.

      Begin by cleaning your galvanized tub really well to removing any dirt or debris.

      Paint the galvanized tub with liquid rubber

      Next step is to paint the interior with the flex seal liquid rubber, I used black but if you prefer you can use the white or grey. By adding this rubber layer it will make your pond last a lot long and not rust.

      I would recommend using a cheap paint brush and plastic tub/tray for the application just in case you have trouble cleaning the brush at the end.

      Let the first coat dry for 24hours then apply a second coat, leave that to completely dry for 48 hours. Don’t forget to clean or at least wrap your brush and tray in plastic overnight so it doesn’t dry out.

      If you have any questions about the flex seal rubber paint, please check out their FAQ page here.

      Place pond in final location

      Once your tub it all prepped go ahead and place it where you want it to sit. Making sure it is level.

      It’s best if your pond can get some sunlight. You don’t want it to be baked by the sun all day but also it shouldn’t really be in deep shade either.

      Deep shade tends to encourage the growth of bad algae over time.

      If it gets too much sun and heats up the oxygen levels will drop considerably, it also will warm up the water too much. For your plants that wont be ideal, also if you are wanting to keep fish they will need it to remain cool.

      If you don’t have a choice then maybe try to surround the exposed metal with other plants they will provide some good shade.

      Once it is in place fill the tub with water. Do not overfill remember we are adding plants and rocks too.

      Adding your rocks and plants

      You may need to begin by repotting your plants into pond basket pots with pond soil and grit you should be able to buy these from your local garden centre. If you can’t find them click here for links to baskets, potting soil. The gritty crushed stone is to go onto for the soil it should hold most of the soil in place when submerged.

      pond plant pots

      You can then place your plants slowly and carefully into place within the pond. They may need adjusted again at some point but let them settle first. The water may get cloudy and muddy looking but this will settle in a few hours time.

      Add in any river rocks or decorative stones etc at this time too.

      Add in you fountain

      Set up your fountain according to the instructions it came with.

      I used a small solar powered fountain, Make sure to look at the wattage it needs to be powerful enough and that the solar panels are decent quality. The one that I bought I was very happy with it has a 6.5W panel. I did look around and for the price point there are some mixed reviews. I have linked mine above.

      It should come with a variety of sprinkler/spray options so choose the one you like the most.

      One thing I found fantastic and extremely helpful was that the cable connecting the solar panel to the pump it really long, making it so much easier to find a sunny location for it.

      If you want a bit more of a challenge and build a larger fountain like mine then let me show you how I made mine…

      Building the optional fountain feature

      The pot

      I began by finding a plant pot that just screamed water feature. It wasn’t expensive, I actually found it in a homesense here in Canada. You should be able to find something similar where you live. You may also luck out and find one second hand.

      The nice thing with using a plant pot is that it has a hole in the bottom for the PVC pipe.

      two plant pots glued together

      The base

      Now it needs to be placed on a stand of some description. Again I would recommend attaching it to something that has a hole to feed the pipe through. Previously I had mine balanced on a cinder block but that didn’t work well at all it was far too unstable.

      Instead I have used another plant pot that was taller than the metal tub.

      Glue the two pots together using the PL 600, making sure the holes are aligned.

      Leave that to dry for a couple of days.

      Assembly

      Thread your PVC pipe through and cut to size once in place. leaving enough length to feel deep into the pond.

      To make sure the pipe stays in place and water tight I used some plumbers putty around the hole within the plant pot. It works really well, it is very forgiving.

      Fill the pot with river rock and have the pipe right up to the lip of the pot. The water will flow much better this way and wont leak down the side of the pot. Getting the tubing in the right position can take a little bit of adjusting.

      Once your water feature is in its final setting attach the PVC pipe to the pump and submerge it into the water. This is when you will make any needed adjustments, just take your time this can take a while to get right.

      pond fountain

      A few pond plant suggestions

      There are so many plants to choose from and it comes down to personal preference.

      Keep in mind the growing zone, plant size, and also depth level. All of this info should be on the info tag.

      Don’t get hung up on aerating plants because of the pond size it will need topping up with water regularly this will help the oxygen as will the fountain.

      I love to grow a Japanese iris, you will find them usually in purple, yellow or white.

      You can use a large variety of grasses such as fiber optic, prince tut, spiral, or rushes.

      Chameleon plant, careful it can be invasive being confined to a small location should help keep it under control. Keep it well trimmed. It is also super hardy and can take shade.

      Mares tail, great plant to have. Fish love it and it will keep your water clean.

      Water lily’s, although I have learned racoons will eat them. So if you live in an area with racoons don’t waste your money they are expensive.

      I love Colocasia also know as taro they are not hardy though so would need to brought inside or treated as an annual if you live where the the winters get cold.

      side view of galvanized tub pond

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