Tin Bath Pond – How To Build & Maintain

Tin bath pond is very popular for garden and interior style pond. They are small in size and easy to build.

You can use a tin bath ponds for your garden, increasing home interior beauty, natural attraction, etc.

Today, I’ll discuss the details you should know about tin bath ponds and how to build one.

How To Build A Tin Bath Pond

Tin bath ponds are very easy to build and they require minimum care. You can build a pond using a tin bath for many purposes. A tin bath will function as the frame for your pond, so you don’t have to worry about the primary design at all.

You can use any size tin bath you want. Tin baths are available in multiple sizes i.e. 35 to 55 inches in lengths, 20 inches wide, and 12 inches deep. The larger the size of a tin bath, the more impressive it will look.

Things You Will Need to Build a Tin Bath Pond

For building a tin bath pond, you will need the following things

• Tin bath ( you can use other large containers too)
• Waterproof sealant or pond liner
• Bricks to place on the tin bath floor
• Planting baskets for plants
• Aquatic composite
• Oxygenating plants
• Gravel or rocks
• Water hosepipe

Now, follow my instructions step by step –

Collect A Tin Bath & Choose a Place

You can buy a tin bath from the internet or search in a local shop. If you are looking for a standard size, I would recommend 48″ in lengths and 20″ wide x 12″ deep tin bath.

After collecting the tin bath, you need to pick a location to place the tin bath pond. Mostly, tin bath ponds are used as a mini pond, which is mainly suitable for house interior. But you can place your tin bath pond anywhere possible. Make sure the place gets some natural light.

It’s better to choose the location before filling the tin bath with water, otherwise, it will feel heavy to move around.

Clean And Make a Base For The Pond

When you have placed the tin bath in your preferred location, clean it thoroughly. If you find any drainage hole, you have to patch it and then seal it using a waterproof sealant or cover the tin bath with a pond liner.

I would recommend you use a waterproof sealant for sealing the tin bath, it is easier to use and user-friendly.

Now, you have to make a base for the pond. You should create a thick layer of cleaned rocks or gravel along the base of the pond and create some levels using the bricks.

Adding Pond Plants

Putting plants inside your tin bath pond is very important. It is what creates the attraction and keeps the water clean. You have to collect some aquatic plants.

Now, put a layer of aquatic composite at the bottom of the planting basket and place the plants. Two to three plants per plant basket in good enough.

You can add more compost around the plant and water thoroughly to settle the compost. You should top it with a layer of cleaned gravel across the surface.

If you have more plant baskets, then repeat the same process with each basket.

You can also add some floating pond plants to increase the beauty of your pond.

Water Filling

Fill the two – thirds of the tin bath with water using a hosepipe attached to a water source. After that, put the plant baskets into the water, standing them on the bricks. You should place plants in the centre or at the of the tin bath back for better views.

After the plant arrangements, to up the level of water around 2 to 3cm below the rim of the tin bath. When you are done with these arrangements, your tin bath pond will be done.

You can add some stones above the water surface to make a platform for the birds to sit and drink. Add a couple of oxygenating plants and it will help to aerate the pond and limit algal growth.

Things That Are Good To Know

Filling your tin bath pond with rainwater is a great choice. Rainwater is kinder to animals and plants. If you use tap water then leave the filled pond for a day to allow the chlorine and other chemical components to leave the water.

You should fully submerge some pondweed to oxygenate the pond and it will help to clear the water. Ensure that your aquatic plants come in mesh pots, it will help the water to circulate through their root effectively.

You should create some ledges sticking out of the water for frogs and bugs to sit and have shelter under the plants. Animals provide natural beauty to your ponds.

It is very important to be patient with your pond as it matures through time and allow some creatures to find it.

If you notice algae growth or blanket weed, don’t worry – just pull them out using your hand and you should not use any tool for this as it might harm the plants.

As your pond matures, you’ll notice bugs, amphibians, and birds enjoying your new pond.

Why Have A Tin Bath Pond – The Benefits

Tin bath ponds are a great natural attraction for your home interior. You can use these ponds in your gardens or backyard.

Tin bath ponds are very easy to build and cost-efficient. These ponds provide a friendly environment for children to play around and they are also safe. As they are not very big, you can move them around to your preferred location.

Having a pond in your household always provides a better environment with a natural touch.

Maintenance of Tin Bath Ponds

The water in your pond might evaporate in warmer weather, in which case you will need to top it up.

You should cut the back access foliage in winter and autumn to get as much light as possible. Always remove dead branches and leaves from the water to avoid stinky sludge forming on the bottom of the pond.

You should check for any drainage hole and recycle the water frequently.

The surface of the water might freeze, but don’t let everything to freeze, otherwise, your plants will be in great danger.

FAQ Related To Tin Bath Ponds

Can I Add Fishes in Tin Bath Ponds?

Adding fishes in tin bath ponds is not ideal. There is a huge chance that it will intoxicate the fish over time and decrease their lifespan.

Besides, fishes need more space to grow and tin bath ponds do not provide such space for them. The temperature of tin bath ponds in different weather is not suitable for fishes. You should stick to adding more plants rather than fishes.

However, if you build a considerably large tin bath pond you can add small fish in it. In that case, you have to add a filtration system in your pond.

What Is the Best Oxygenating Pond Plant?

There is a huge variant of oxygenating plants available.

• Arrowhead (Sagittaria subulata)
• Eelgrass (Vallisneria)
• Fanwort (Cabomba)
• Hornwort (Anthocerotopsida)
• Red Rotala (Rotala macrandra)

These are considered as the best oxygenating plants.

Where Can I Find Tin Baths?

There are some online markets where you can buy tin baths by your choice.

You can search on eBay, Amazon, Gumtree, and many more online shops.

Contact some local shops to buy tin baths from them.

Can I Fill a Tin Bath Pond With Tap Water?

Yes, you can, if it doesn’t contain chlorine or chloramine.  If it does, you have to dechlorinate the tap water before adding it to your pond.

Try to fill the pond with rainwater if possible because it will provide the best environment for plants and animals.

Final Words

Building and maintaining a pond is easy, but you have to be careful because a single mistake can harm your whole project.

Read my instructions carefully, you will be able to build a tin bath pond and enhance your knowledge about it.