Now that you’ve started planning on having a pond…. it’s time to get to work!

Small-Pond-1 before Components of a Pond:

Altogether, a pond system is an interlaced community involving biological filters (bio-falls), mechanical filters (skimmers), aquatic plants, rock and gravel, pumps, pond liners and even koi fish if you want to go that route! If set up correctly, a pond can be a low-maintenance slice of paradise: clear water, darting fish, and the noises of nature all in your own backyard!

Biological Filter (bio-falls) ensures your water stays clean and helps by colonizing the beneficial bacteria that break down pond waste products. These beneficial bacteria, or ‘leftovers’ are then put back into the pond where they can benefit the ecosystem.

Mechanical Filter (skimmers) are important because they catch the larger chunks or debris. This helps collect and remove debris from the pond before it has a chance to sink to the bottom or get passed into the biological filter.

Small-Pond-1 afterAquatic Plants not only make your pond look good, but your pond benefits from it too! The variety of aquatic plants are so vast and beautiful, they essentially help remove excess nutrients from the pond. Without these plants, the nutrients would quickly become food for algae. Plants also provide food, shade, and protection for a variety of pond animals.

Rock and Gravel provide a much needed surface area for beneficial bacteria to grow. It aims to help with filtering water and keeping your pond clean and clear. It also protects the pond liner from damage due to the sun’s harmful rays.

Pumps are another essential component that most ponds require. This allows you to move water from one place to another, such as from the pond to a waterfall or through a fountain. In return, pumps aerates the water, therefore improving the water quality.

Pond Liners are flexible (even in cold weather), puncture resistant, UV resistant, easy to install, and will last a lifetime. During installation, a material should be placed under the liner to protect the liner from sharp rocks and roots. The best material to use is a pond liner underlayment and will not decompose in the ground.

Koi Fish are so beautiful to look at and play a huge role in controlling algae! Fish are great Koi Fish in backyard Pondbecause they control algae growth by consuming it. This means they add color and life, control algae, and feed themselves all without having to maintain your pond!

Believe it or not, you don’t need all 7 of these components for your pond to work. Every pond is different – some take more maintenance than others and others do not. That will be your journey to finding out just how achievable building a pond is. Be sure to choose your products carefully and you will have a great pond experience.

Benefits of Owning a Pond:

Not only will you make all your friends and family jealous with your breath taking, one of a kind pond, but you’ll gain other benefits along the way! Gaining a lifestyle is a guaranteed benefit of having you own pond; caring for living creatures like fish and plants are known to change the style to fit you. You’ll also bring in other friendly creatures like fish, frogs, birds, and dragonflies, to name a few. Bonus: they will also gain a home AND snack on delicious algae! The excitement and exploration never really ends when you own a pond and that’s truly the best take away you can acquire.