Fish Pond Facts

Creating a fish pond can be one of the most rewarding home projects you will ever complete. . A successful fish pond requires a well-balanced habitat. The type of habitat that you create determines the kind of fish that it can support.

Keep the following pointers in mind when you are creating your fish pond:

No two fish pond owners are exactly alike so that means no two fish ponds are exactly alike. The perfect pond for one person wanting to keep aquatic plants in full sun is not going to be the perfect pond for someone that wants to raise Koi. Even so, there are some elements, considerations, and concerns that are common to all ponds.

All fish ponds, or any water pond, should have clear water without green-water algae blooms.

By using the proper fish pond filter, combined with proper pond management techniques, good results can be obtained with minimal effort and no algaecides. Skimp on the filtration, or neglect your fish pond management duties, and you'll soon have an very large bowl of split-pea soup with planktonic and free-floating algae for vegetables. Yuck!.

A good pond should require little maintenance and have little, if any, sludge accumulation. A well-designed fish pond need not be much work. In fact, you should work harder at cutting your lawn than you do maintaining your pond.

Your pond should be affordable and stay within your budget. Not just your construction budget, but your maintenance and upkeep budget as well. No matter how little you INTEND to spend, you may find yourself "hooked" on the beauty and spend money on waterfalls, submerged pond lights, and all of those delightful Koi.

You can build a fish pond for anywhere from less than $100 for a simple goldfish pond to $5,000 and up for a professionally installed pond complete with pumps, waterfalls, rocks, plants, fish and filters.

Algae is not your friend, well almost not. Of course, some string algae will grow but you should not allow it to dominate or reach the pond's surface. Algae is controlled with good biological filtration that includes plants, rocks, bacteria, and high oxygen levels and Your goal is not to totally eliminate algae. After all, it cushions the stones on the bottom and is excellent fish food. It also helps filter the water.

Make your water move if you can afford to. Let your water recirculate from waterfalls, water fountains or statuary. Moving water is very relaxing to watch and to listen to. In addition, it helps to keep your pond's oxygen levels high. Moving water requires a pump. Be sure to match the pump to your budget and water flow needs. 1000 gph is needed for every 12-inches of waterfall width.

A well-balanced fish pond should be a safe, chemical-free habitat for Koi, or other pond fish, and plants. This can be accomplished with good filtration, both mechanical and biological, beneficial bacteria, and no harsh chemicals.

Your fish pond will compliment the visual impact of the landscaping. In fact, there is no other landscape feature that can appeal to so many senses and do more to dramatize the outdoor environment! Like any good landscape feature, a properly designed and installed pond will appreciate in value.

You can build your own fish pond. Don't be intimidated, it is' not that difficult! As our Koi raising Chinese friends say -- "The longest journey begins with the first step." So get started and you'll never look back.