I was thinking the same about swiming pool too and also before I build I also thought if one day I am tired of the fish I can convert it into a swiming pool but swimming pool need longer and wider space and preferably a rectangular one. I have the space for the minimum swimming pool but that will take up most of the garden space I have.
For a mimimum to do lap excercise is 5' x 40' which is only good for 1 person. My fish pond is 5' x 15'. For a fun pool preferble to have a square one something like with a minimum width of 15 feet. so that few ppl can get in together. To really have a meaningful pool is to have a pool that can do lap and fun. That is to have a narrow lap lane of 40 feet and one end with the width of 15 feet and same time to have solar water heater suppling hot water during evening swim, as this is the time you go to the pool. For this size it take up most of my garden space. My garden is large at the back and narrow at front.
I ended up giving up swimming pool and have a half 8 pond in front portion of the house.
Added on February 20, 2012, 11:05 amQUOTE(tehtmc @ Feb 19 2012, 11:34 AM)
Yes, can swim with the fish...if you don't mind a fishy swimming pool that is.
I can imagine it's so nice and soothing to have a pond like that. But one has to be prepared to put in the hard work maintaining it, no?
I find it difficult just to maintain the garden - the plants, shrubs and the lawn.
Yes, maintaining a garden is not easy. there are so many wild grass to pull and clear everyweek on the lawn. If you miss and not maintening it in for few months it will be out of control. You got to fertilise and water the plants otherwise there will be no flowers.
The pond need to be maintain as well cleaning the filter once every 3 months or so and sieving out debris everyweek. Not forgetting feeding the fish and sometimes the fish get sick when you introduce new fish without quarantine. But other time it is pleasurable to sit by the pond and visitors come admiring what you have and make the garden more meaningful instead of just an extra land space. With it many of my friends go after houses with land. Unfortunately most semi D came with only 10 feet land which has no meaning. 15 feet is perfectly nice. Too big a space you cannot maintain and keep up and became a burden. When it is very big it is better to build pergola taking up some of the space and these spaces need little maintenance. Plant trees but to keep up with leaves. One tree will do to shade the hot afternoon sun and row of bamboo to shade morning or evening sun. Otherwise the garden is hot like desert.
This post has been edited by stevie8: Feb 20 2012, 11:05 AM