Gardening Tip - The Difference Between Large And Small Ponds

The Difference Between Large And Small Ponds

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

Large ponds require a whole different level of financial and timecommittment than small ponds do. You'll need larger and moreefficient pumps and filters as well as the additional plumbingthat those devices require. You'll probably also spend a lot morefor plants and fish as well as higher maintenance costs for thoseplants and fish.

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

Of course, you always have the option of letting your pond go "aunatural" and develop into a self-maintaining ecosystem just likea 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'slikely that you'll never see your fish!

Even a natural pond will require some help from you before mothernature kicks in. You'll still need to condition the water, andremove chlorine, before fish are introduced. You'll also want tohave lots of plants both for natural shelter and temperatureregulation as well as for their oxygen-generatingcharacteristics.

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

Don't skimp on testing just because your pond is developingnaturally. You still have threats of fertilizer and pesticiderunoff entering your pond, and you still need to worry aboutkeeping oxygen levels up and water temperatures down. You'll alsowant to examine your fish periodically for signs of parasiteinfestation.

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

**************************************************
Brett Fogle is the owner of MacArthur Water Gardens and several
other pond-related websites includingMacArthurWatergardens.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!
**************************************************

Car Insurance Rates | Dental Insurance | Health Insurance | Home Owner Insurance | Life Insurance Quote

| 1 |

Hand Feeding Your Koi
One of the most rewarding and entertaining things about having aKoi pond is when your fish finally start eating out of your hand.There is no better way to learn each fishes' personality andtemprament than to have them nuzzle your fingers when they arehungry.The key to training your Koi to eat from your hand is patienceand conditioning. Like any wild animal Koi have a naturaldistrust for anything that they think can hurth them, and you'replenty big enough to do that as far as they are concerned.If your goal is hand feeding then you...(related: Gardening Tip)

How To Grow Cucumbers
The versatile cucumber (cucumis sativus) is tasty pickled, in a salad, as a salad, in a sandwich, or just eaten raw. How to grow cucumbers depends largely in part on how you plan to eat them. Cucumbers come in over 120 varieties that range from small picklers to large slicers and from dark green to the yellow of the l...(related: Gardening Tip)

Want A Garden, But Don?t Have Enough Dirt Or Space? Hydroponics Gardening Is The Answer!
Hydroponics gardening is the perfect solution for anybody who wants a garden, but does not have enough space or dirt. Hydroponics gardening is, simply put, a method of growing plants using a nutrient solution instead of dirt. With hydroponics gard...(related: Gardening Tip)

Flower Meanings
Certain types or colors of flowers mean different things, and you don't want to send the wrong message if you give them as a gift! ...(related: Gardening Tip)

How To Build A Shed
The easiest way to build a shed in the backyard is to make a trip to the local Lowe's or other hardware shop to purchase a shed-building kit.Never choose one from a picture in a brochure or from the Internet. When viewing in person, you can check for important quality control details such as thickness of timber, overlap structure of panel...(related: Gardening Tip)

Organic Gardening
"Organic gardening is not just the avoidance of chemicals, in the larger view, it is organic living using nature's laws." I read this quote by an unknown person sometime ago and realized that my parents and others like them were organic garden...(related: Gardening Tip)

You Cant Beat Perennials For Glorious Color All Season Long
When you start gardening with perennials, it's easy to think that all you have to do is get your plants into the ground, and with the exception of weeding, watering and cutting back, your garden will be done.

But here's what really happens: in the first year your new plants are underwhelming ? the clumps small, the flowers sparse. By the second year, your perennials have grown fuller and have more flowers, but in the third season ? watch out ? your plants look like they're on steroids, and you look like an accomplished gardener. <...(related: Gardening Tip)

Chicken Soup For The Soil
Keeping Your Soil HealthyYour soil is the most important part of your garden, but too many people forget to nurture their soil. Soil is a living thing, containing microbes, fungi, insect life and general "creepy-crawlies" vital to plant health and vigor, as well as a receptacle for chemicals and trace elements. Doing a little soil prep every fall pays off each and every harvest.First, add more organic matter. Use your rototiller or your spade, and dig under frostbitten plant material, grass clippings, leaves, wood chips, and compost. Avoid using any diseased plant material as compost ? burn it first if there are no local restrictions on burning. If you live near any livestock, cover your garden with 1 ? 2" of uncomposted manure, then disguise that with other organic materials, and let the whole th...(related: Gardening Tip)

Garden Statuary - Time For A Fresh New Look
Spring is coming, and now is the time to get out and whip those outdoor spaces into shape. With new growth appearing on trees, bulbs popping up and birds and butterflies coming out of hiding, your patio, garden or backyard is ripe for a fresh new look with decorative accents that put a delightful finishing touch on your own little corner of nature.Fountains, always a favorite, add the beauty of sculpture plus the relaxing sound of water, and bring a unique elegance to your garden or patio. Many people never consider fountains because they are afraid of the difficulty of transporting and installing large stone structures, not to mention the cost. The great news is that now you can get beautiful, classically sculptured fountains in modern cast materials for a fra...(related: Gardening Tip)

Choosing Pond Plants
A pond without plants is like cake without icing. Pond plantsfight algae, give fish a hiding place against predators, andbeautify our own little slice of paradise to plunk down in at theend of a tiring day.Don't smother your pond with plants, however. Start with half thesurface area, ...(related: Gardening Tip)