- Use caution when adding pebbles to your pond.
In this three part series we are going to look at the proper pond setup and what is needed to keep a healthy ecosystem. With pond season upon us it is time to make the necessary changes to our ponds. Especially if you are currently in a new build, take these tips into consideration and you’ll save yourself money and a lot of headaches in the future.
Let’s explore the idea of pebbles at the bottom of the pond. If at all possible it is best to keep the inside of the pond simple. The focus of the koi pond should be just that – koi. The outside of the pond can be landscaped however you’d like, but on the inside it should be smooth with minimal obstructions. The reason for this is for easy removal of detritus and debris which, if left to decay, will cause problems in the future. As a maintenance specialist, I’ve seen ponds with pebbles and rocks on the bottom operate flawlessly for 3 all the way to 5 years! Then I’ll receive a call which sounds something like,”I don’t know what happened, but my pond is black! I haven’t had any problems for 3 years now everything is black and I can’t see the bottom.”
This is a culmination of: improper setup and a lack of proper maintenance. These ponds usually have pebbles on the bottom that give it a “natural” look. If the pond was built properly from the beginning it should be 36″ deep and the sides and bottom painted black, so when you look from the top you are not able to see to the bottom. The koi then become the focus, and not what is at the bottom of the pond. If you are so inclined you can mount stones along the sides of the pond, like tiles in a pool. This technique gives you the natural stone look at the surface of the pond, and the bottom of the pond is still simple and clean ideal for maintenance and koi health.
If you need to have stones at the bottom of the pond then following these guidelines will help you in the long run.
1. Choose larger rather than smaller stones. Using stones that are about 5-6″ across is much better than using small 2-3″ stones because it is much easier to remove the debris from in between the larger stones. Besides, the smaller stones get stuck in the pond vacuum making it much harder to perform routine maintenance.
2. Routine maintenance is key. Vacuuming the debris caught in between the stones is essential to preventing future problems. A pond vacuum, and a reputable pond service specialist is highly recommended to perform this laborious task weekly or bi-weekly.
3. Do not use stones with sharp edges. Koi have been known to injure themselves on the sharp edges of the rocks, so don’t take the chance, only use smooth stones.
Hopefully these tips will help you when designing or maintaining your pond. I’ve seen too many people with ponds that have been setup incorrectly. It is a burden to both the homeowner and the koi pond hobby as a whole. It is very discouraging to deal with an imbalanced pond. Most will give up on the pond and turn it into a planter. Don’t let that happen to you. It doesn’t cost anything to follow these instructions, knowledge is power, and in this case it’ll save you money.
Check back soon for proper biological filtration requirements, and proper acclimation/quarantining of new koi.
Love Your Fish.
