Water Garden Questions and Answers
Q: I've heard conflicting stories on how rocks and gravel affect pond maintenance. People without rocks and gravel say that every year inches of pond muck covers the bottom of their pond. They say that adding rocks and gravel would make cleaning out the muck a nightmare. But, those people who actually have rocks and gravel covering the bottom and sides of their pond swear that there's almost no muck build up in their pond. Who's right?
A: TECHNICALLY BOTH SIDES ARE RIGHT. Traditionally constructed ponds are designed without gravel covering the bottom for fear that pond muck would be difficult to clean off the bottom. People that have these ponds could never imagine the mess that adding gravel would cause during clean outs.
On the other hand, people that constructed their pond with gravel from the beginning tell a completely different story. They find maintenance to be easier with the gravel, because the build up of muck doesn't occur in the first place. Bacterial colonies living in the pond's gravel bottom break down, decaying plants, fish waste, and other organic material that falls to the pond bottom.
In essence, the gravel provides a home for bacteria, which in turn work continuously to break down organic material, which substantially reduce pond muck from building up. Ponds with gravel, therefore, stay cleaner and are easier to maintain than non-gravel ponds.
Q: I'm interested in having a skimmer filter installed on my existing pond to handle leaf debris. I have a few concerns. My pump currently sits in the bottom of my pond. I was told it needed to be there to properly circulate the water. I'm also worried that my fish will come trapped inside the skimmer and die. How do I assure proper pond water circulation and make sure my fish don't become trapped?
A: First off, let's address your concerns about proper water circulation. Ponds that are less than six feet deep usually can be circulated just fine with a surface skimmer and a properly sized pump. Since the average pond is only two feet deep, circulation is never a problem. A properly sized pump and skimmer adds oxygen to even the deepest parts of these ponds. Stratification of your water can be detrimental to your fish, and bottom circulation is recommended for all ponds deeper than six feet.
Your concern about fish being trapped in the skimmer is well founded. Some fish, especially small ones, may investigate the skimmer and be unable to swim out. Larger fish have been known to swim in and out almost like a Nordic Track for Koi!
The good news is small fish can live for days inside the skimmer. Simply leave the lid off the skimmer for the first few weeks after you install it in your pond. When you see a fish in the skimmer box, simply put it back in the pond. After a few times they'll learn. It goes without saying that some fish learn faster than others. Therefore, you can think of your skimmer as a way to test the IQ of your fish!
Q:What should I do when the weather turns cold?
A:We recommend that you leave your water garden running year around. You will enjoy the beautiful winter scenes that ice and snow can create. Watch your streambeds as ice formations could re-direct the water to flow over the side of the water feature. If this happens simply disconnect the pump from power and unscrew the union above the check valve to free the water from the pipe and waterfall area. The pump will easily come out of the skimmer box and you can just store it in the garage until temperatures moderate.
Q:Do I have to move my fish inside during the winter?
A:Our experience shows that a water garden installed by Exotic Aquatics, that has a minimum depth of two feet, will provide a safe environment for your fish to over-winter. It is important that a hole should remain in the ice, during cold periods. You can use a floating pond heater or you can temporarily install a bubbler fountain that will agitate the surface and keep a hole open. This will allow gases to exchange and provide oxygen for the fish. Stop feeding your fish once the water temperatures fall below 55 degrees. The fishes’ metabolism slows down in cold water and they could get extremely sick if fed in cold temperature.
Q:How often should I clean out the bottom of my water garden?
A:Really it depends upon the debris load upon your particular pond. Normally, we recommend you clean out as much leaves, twigs, trash etc. as you can each fall. During times of heavy leaf fall some leaves will actually sink before being pulled into the skimmer box. Removing these materials will reduce the amount of material left to decay over the winter.
Q:I can’t keep my pets out of the water feature. What can I do?
A:We have found just like us humans our pets really enjoy the water garden too! Over time they will spend more time basking in the sun than wading in the pond!
Q:The water clarity is poor. What can I do to help clear up the pond?
A:Sometimes early in the spring when the water temperature rises quickly due to a nice Spring day, you will find that the water feature will experience an algae bloom. This is natural and is due to the fact that the pond has not had a chance to grow enough beneficial bacteria to feed on the nitrates in the water. We recommend treating your pond with dry or liquid bacteria at twice your normal rate. This will help boost your water gardens ecosystem and should clear up with in a week or so. DO NOT TREAT YOUR POND WITH POOL CHEMICALS! Chemicals are detrimental to your fish and plants and can imbalance you ecosystem for months! If you have other questions regarding water clarity please call.
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