Landscaping & Gardening Information
 
Web World-SuperSite

The Difference Between Large and Small Ponds


If you think that a large pond is simply a small pond that "grew up", you're in for some pond maintenance problems. Let's start off my defining the terms that we'll be using here. A large pond is anything over 1,000 gallons (5,000 liters). A pond that holds over 4,000 gallons (20,000 liters) is a very large pond.

Large ponds require a whole different level of financial and time committment than small ponds do. You'll need larger and more efficient pumps and filters as well as the additional plumbing that those devices require. You'll probably also spend a lot more for plants and fish as well as higher maintenance costs for those plants and fish.

Your building and maintenance costs are dependant, to a great extent, on how deep your pond is. A 6' deep pond, for example, calls for a large and highly-specialized biofilter which uses a lot of electricity and requires a pretty hefty chunk of space for installation. You'll need extra UV power and some sophisticated plumbing including bottom drains, skimmers, valves, and the like.

Of course, you always have the option of letting your pond go "au natural" and develop into a self-maintaining ecosystem just like a real pond. If that's your goal, don't go for a 6' depth. Natural ponds will be more cloudy than a filtered pond and it's likely that you'll never see your fish!

Even a natural pond will require some help from you before mother nature kicks in. You'll still need to condition the water, and remove chlorine, before fish are introduced. You'll also want to have lots of plants both for natural shelter and temperature regulation as well as for their oxygen-generating characteristics.

If your pond takes root and begins to develop naturally then you'll actually end up saving quite a bit of money on fish food. A natural pond generates and attracts a lot of natural food sources and it's likely that you will never have to feed your fish at all.

Don't skimp on testing just because your pond is developing naturally. You still have threats of fertilizer and pesticide runoff entering your pond, and you still need to worry about keeping oxygen levels up and water temperatures down. You'll also want to examine your fish periodically for signs of parasite infestation.

Keeping a large pond can require an inordinate amount of time and money. My best advice is not to build one unless you are willing to do your part in keeping it.

**************************************************
Brett Fogle is the owner of MacArthur Water Gardens and several
other pond-related websites including MacArthurWatergardens.com
and Pond-Filters-Online.com. He also publishes a free monthly
newsletter called PondStuff! with a reader circulation of over
9,000. To sign up for the free newsletter and receive our FREE
'New Pond Owners Guide' visit MacArthur Water Gardens today!
**************************************************


MORE RESOURCES:

Calendar for Nov. 20
Milpitas Post, CA - 14 hours ago
... event planning, facilities planning, fundraising, grant writing, graphic design, and landscaping/gardening. The Wildlife Center, located in San Jose, ...


National City Bank lobbies closing Thursday for volunteer effort
TCPalm, FL - Nov 12, 2008
Employees will emerge from their desks and cubicles and spend the afternoon engaging in activities such as landscaping, gardening and painting. ...


Roses & Raspberries
Battle Creek Enquirer, MI - Nov 15, 2008
Janet is closing her business after 13 years serving the Battle Creek landscaping, gardening and birding communities. We will miss you! ...


National City employees reach out in Paint Your Heart Out program
Palm Beach Daily News, FL - Nov 13, 2008
... County Thursday while employees took part in charitable tasks at various locations from 1 to 5 pm Tasks included landscaping, gardening and painting. ...


Courier Reports Fourth-Quarter and Year-end Results
MarketWatch - Nov 6, 2008
... books and study guides; and Creative Homeowner, a publisher and distributor of books on home design, decorating, landscaping, gardening and crafts. ...


Thursday is Community Appreciation Day at Treasure Coast National ...
Stuart News (subscription), FL - Nov 10, 2008
National City employees will be engaged in a variety of tasks, including projects such as landscaping, gardening, painting, helping children with homework ...


National City bank employees to volunteer at Treasure Coast agencies
Fort Pierce Tribune, FL - Nov 1, 2008
Employees will be engaged in a wide variety of charitable tasks, including outdoor and indoor projects such as landscaping, gardening, painting and other ...
National City employees to volunteer along the Treasure Coast Nov. 13 TCPalm
all 8 news articles


John Henry Miller
Escanaba Daily Press, MI - Oct 29, 2008
After retirement in 1980, he and Gerd moved to the hills of Pennsylvania were he occupied himself with landscaping, gardening, tinkering and woodworking on ...


Garden Fair set
Haleakala Times, HI - Oct 29, 2008
Experts will be available to answer landscaping, gardening and tree questions. There will be booths representing the landscape industry, tree-friendly ...


It's time to winterize lawn equipment
Greenville Daily Reflector, NC - Oct 24, 2008
If you have home landscaping, gardening, lawn or tree-related questions, call the NC Cooperative Extension Master Gardener Volunteers in Pitt County at ...

Landscaping-Gardening - Google News

home | site map
© 2006