Our elementary school is planning to construct an indoor, lobby pond.
Any suggestions or "indoor" things about which we should be aware?
Thanks,
Carl Wytovich
Price Elementary
Lancaster, PA

Hello Carl!

First thing I would want to know is how
much sunlight is the indoor pond going to get?

And if it isn't going to get much sun can you set
up a super-super safe system of artifical lights?

Other thoughts ~
~With lots of children around I would construct a raised pond with a nice wide
brim. I would have the brim be an overhang for fish to hide and kids could sit
on.
~One rule - no hands in the water. That way the fish would not be stressed
beyond their ability to handle and no odd substances would get in the water
(like paste dissolving off of little fingers).
~A small pond biological/mechanical filter, one that has a waterfall edge built
in, would be important.
Help catch the gunk (fish poo), clean ammonia out of the water and provide
oxygen back into the water with the falls.
~All electrical connections and such pass the safety test and then some!
~I'll attach a list of pond plants that like shade at the end so if your pond
will not get much natural sunlight you can still have plants.
~Have one adult in charge of feeding so the pond doesn't go foul. A child can
be picked as feeder for the day and handed the right amount of food. Learn
about the needs of the critters and don't overfeed.
~Set the pond up with ease of cleaning in mind.
Plan now how to empty the pond, remove fish and plants and how you are going to
clean it. Cleaning an indoor pond will have its own challenges as you just
can't allow stuff to slosh about.
~Resist the urge to put in frog spawn... our former elementary school principal
could tell you tales of frog hopping down the halls, frog smuggling and frog
escapees showing up in odd places.
~Resist the urge to put in a turtle of any size. Your cleaning problems will
triple. And the turtle has very specialized needs as far as basking lights.

We'd love to hear how this goes, especially if your school sets up a web page
about it. I'm sure others will have good advice also.
Here are the shade plants ~
Shade tolerant marginals

* acorus graimineus Ogon

* any aquatic grass

* Bowles Golden Sedge

* any clover

* dwarf bamboo

* Flamingo (variegated Water Parsley)

* horsetail rush

* Japanese Ribbon Grass

* Parrot Feather

* Pennywort

* spike rush

* any Taro

* Water Parsley (green)


Flowering shade Tolerant Marginals

* Bog Lily

* Chameleon Plant

* Creeping Buttercup

* creeping jenny

* creeping jenny gold

* Japanese Bog Orchid

* Ligularia 'Othello'

* Lobelia- Cardinal Flower

* Marsh Marigold

* mazus reptans

* Primula (Candleabra) japonica

* Spider Lily

(compiled by Patrica Sample)


k30a

Hello-
I teach in an elementary school in Ohio that has had a pond in the
corner of our front entry way for 9 years (I also have a 1500 gal.
outdoor pond in my backyard.) It's a raised pond, about 5'x5' and 3'
deep 3.5' tall), made of timbers with a ledge seating area around the
two exposed areas (the two not against the window and wall.) The
liner is 45 mil EPDM rubber, has large rocks, a tiny waterfall and a
very small pump. There are about eight 1' goldfish in there, along
with some tropical bog plants (umbrella plants, etc.) The pond gets
plenty of light, but no direct sun. Typical pond plants (oxygenator,
lilies, and the like) WILL NOT grow in an indoor pond (unless you use
special grow lights which most schools won't have.) Being a
responsible teacher and a member of the PORG COLLECTIVE, I was shocked
when my principal asked me about it - my first several hundred
thoughts we How many seconds before a first grader falls in and
drowns (i.e. lawsuit!) This has NEVER happened at my school. 99% of
the students don't even notice it. No one ever puts their fingers in
the water - pennies DO make their way into it though. Visitors
gravitate to it and oooh and ahhh over it. The Kindergartners take
turns feeding them every morning. I jokingly tell the kids not to get
near the water, because those are piranha goldfish that will strip a
body (usually noisy children that don't follow classroom rules) to the
bone in a matter of seconds. Most know I'm joking. Hehehe.
If you have any questions, bring them on...
-Chase


On 18 Mar 2003 16:42:50 GMT, ESPMER (K30a) wrote:

Hello Carl!

First thing I would want to know is how
much sunlight is the indoor pond going to get?

And if it isn't going to get much sun can you set
up a super-super safe system of artifical lights?

Other thoughts ~
~With lots of children around I would construct a raised pond with a nice wide
brim. I would have the brim be an overhang for fish to hide and kids could sit
on.
~One rule - no hands in the water. That way the fish would not be stressed
beyond their ability to handle and no odd substances would get in the water
(like paste dissolving off of little fingers).
~A small pond biological/mechanical filter, one that has a waterfall edge built
in, would be important.
Help catch the gunk (fish poo), clean ammonia out of the water and provide
oxygen back into the water with the falls.
~All electrical connections and such pass the safety test and then some!
~I'll attach a list of pond plants that like shade at the end so if your pond
will not get much natural sunlight you can still have plants.
~Have one adult in charge of feeding so the pond doesn't go foul. A child can
be picked as feeder for the day and handed the right amount of food. Learn
about the needs of the critters and don't overfeed.
~Set the pond up with ease of cleaning in mind.
Plan now how to empty the pond, remove fish and plants and how you are going to
clean it. Cleaning an indoor pond will have its own challenges as you just
can't allow stuff to slosh about.
~Resist the urge to put in frog spawn... our former elementary school principal
could tell you tales of frog hopping down the halls, frog smuggling and frog
escapees showing up in odd places.
~Resist the urge to put in a turtle of any size. Your cleaning problems will
triple. And the turtle has very specialized needs as far as basking lights.

We'd love to hear how this goes, especially if your school sets up a web page
about it. I'm sure others will have good advice also.
Here are the shade plants ~
Shade tolerant marginals

* acorus graimineus Ogon

* any aquatic grass

* Bowles Golden Sedge

* any clover

* dwarf bamboo

* Flamingo (variegated Water Parsley)

* horsetail rush

* Japanese Ribbon Grass

* Parrot Feather

* Pennywort

* spike rush

* any Taro

* Water Parsley (green)


Flowering shade Tolerant Marginals

* Bog Lily

* Chameleon Plant

* Creeping Buttercup

* creeping jenny

* creeping jenny gold

* Japanese Bog Orchid

* Ligularia 'Othello'

* Lobelia- Cardinal Flower

* Marsh Marigold

* mazus reptans

* Primula (Candleabra) japonica

* Spider Lily

(compiled by Patrica Sample)


k30a

To add to the excellent advice given..... but.... forget the majority of
outside pond plants, with the exception of umbrella palms.

Many low light houseplants, can be grown in a pond. Peace Lily, arrowhead,
philodendrons, do exceptionally well in an indoor pond. Ornamental bamboo
that has become the rage as a house plant is another excellent one. Take
cuttings, or in the case of Peace Lily, rinse roots and plant all over the
above in pots with rocks, NO soil or dirt. ~ jan

On 18 Mar 2003 16:13:30 GMT, (Mr CDW) wrote:

Our elementary school is planning to construct an indoor, lobby pond.
Any suggestions or "indoor" things about which we should be aware?
Thanks,
Carl Wytovich
Price Elementary
Lancaster, PA



See my ponds and filter design:
http://users.owt.com/jjspond/

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Tri-Cities WA Zone 7a
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