Our Pond Is Waking Up…..

If you have a pond in your yard, you have noticed it beginning to wake up. The fish are moving, the perennial plants are beginning to sprout, and maybe the water has turned brackish with water borne algae. Yech!

Our pond is about 30 feet in diameter and 6 feet deep. This is the second pond in our life, and I wanted make certain that it wasn’t the maintenance headache that was our first pond. I wanted it to be as natural as possible, and healthy in function and appearance.

There are many, many websites that proffer solutions/designs/systems for the perfect pond. There are water scrubbers, filters, recyclers, all kinds of contraptions on which one can spend thousands of dollars. The one design that I never see is the one I placed in my pond as I built it: an under-gravel filter, just like those you see in aquariums. This item, coupled with a pair of ultra-violet filters, keeps the pond very clear. A healthy pond still needs lots of water plants and marginal plants to compete with algae growth, but I think the under-gravel filter system does the most for the overall health of my pond. The best part is that it is inexpensive, just a recycled 3/4hp 220v hot tub pump and lots of PVC pipe.

It is a bit complicated to go into all of the details here, but if you are interested in knowing more about this approach, give me a call. A pond is a beautiful amenity to add to any home, as long as it looks good. Poorly planned, or unattended, it just becomes an eyesore. So plan ahead and you’ll have something you’ll enjoy for years to come.