On the other hand, people that construct their pond with gravel from the begin-fling tell a completely differ­ent story. They find mainte­nance to be easier with the gravel because the build up of muck doesn't occur in the first place. Bacterial colonies living in the pond’s gravel bottom break down, decaying plants, fish waste and other organic material that falls to the bottom. In essence, the gravel provides a home for bacteria, which in turn work continuously to break down organic material, which substantially reduce pond muck from building up. Ponds with gravel, therefore, stay cleaner and are easier to maintain than non-gravel ponds.

Q    I'm interested in having a skimmer filter installed on my existing pond to handle leaf debris. I have a few concerns. My pump currently sits in the bottom of the pond. I was told it needed to be there to proper­ly circulate the water. I'm also worried that my fish will become trapped inside the skimmer and die. How do I assure proper pond water cir­culation and make sure my fish don~ become trapped?
A    FIRST OFF, let's address your concerns about proper water circulation. Ponds that are less than six feet deep usually can be cir­culated just fine with a sur­face skimmer and a properly sized pump. Since the aver­age pond is only two feet deep, circulation is never a problem. A properly sized pump and skimmer add oxygen to even the deepest parts of these ponds. Stratification of your water can be detrimental to your fish, and bottom circulation is recommended for all ponds deeper than six feet.

Your concern about fish being trapped in the skimmer is well founded. Some fish, especially small ones, may investigate the skim­mer and be unable to swim out. Larger fish have been known to swim in and out, almost like a Nordic Track for Koi!

The good news is small fish can live for days inside the skimmer. Simply leave the lid off the skimmer for the first few weeks after you install it in your pond. When you see a fish in the skimmer bay, simply plop him back in the pond. After a few times they'll learn. It goes without saying that some fish learn faster than others. Therefore, you can think of your skimmer as a way to test the IQ of your fish! 

B.O.C.A. (the Building Organization Code Administration) is a national govern­ing body that has set prece­dence on swimming pool codes It states that bodies of water which are two feet of depth or less or 250 square feet (10' x 25') or less, are deemed land­scaping and do not fall into swimming pool regulations. Most water gardens are well within these size and depth limits.

On the flip side, some municipalities don't care if a pond is fifteen feet deep! All municipalities are differ­ent. As long as you stick within B.O.C.A. codes it is highly unusual for a city to have a written rule requiring you to get a permit.

Q    I have goldfish and Koi in my two-foot deep pond in Minnesota. Every winter I bring them indoors to a large aquarium. As an ice fisherman, I know lakes freeze two feet thick here. I've heard of ponds in the area that are only two feet deep and the owners let their fish stay in there all year. Can fish be frozen in the ice and survive?
A    AS AN ICE FISHERMAN, you've seen lakes in your area freeze two feet thick. However, backyard ponds in your area that are only two feet deep will not freeze more than eight inches max.

Why? In a shallow back­yard pond the earth warms the water and prevents it from freezing deeper. In a lake that is much deeper, the earth will warm the bottom but the surface will freeze much more. As for fish, they cannot be frozen solid in an ice cube and still live. However, in your two-foot deep pond there's at least 16 inches of water for them to hibernate in.

Other ponds, however, turn tan during the season. This is caused by runoff getting into the pond. New mulch that's placed around the pond can bleed its col­orant into the water. Adding activated carbon into the filter will clear up stained water beautifully. The darker the water the more activated carbon you'll need.

Q    Will frogs and turtles live in a backyard pond? I'm a nature lover and would love to have these guys take up residence in my yard.
A    THERE'S A SAYING MADE FAMOUS FROM THE MOVIE FIELD OF DREAMS..."If you build it, they will come!" Frogs, and some-times turtles, will find your pond on their own. And if they like it, they'll call it home. Frogs are found virtually in any pond anywhere.

Where do they come from? Surrounding bodies of water usually. However, new plants pur­chased at the garden center might have some tadpole eggs attached. Also, spring visitors like breeding ducks may bring fish or frog eggs in on their wings.

Both frogs (usually tad­poles) and turtles can be introduced to your pond. Just make sure you purchase native species, and don't be surprised if they migrate away. Sometimes they stay, sometimes they don't.

The same traits that help them survive in the wild make them less than perfect pets in a decorative pond. Colorful Koi and goldfish, on the other hand, have been bred to thrive in a decorative pond setting. Native game fish do not clean the pond like Koi. Bass, bluegill and perch are predatory fish and have a higher ammonia content in their waste.

We do know of one guy however, who bucked con­ventional wisdom and actu­ally trained his bass to eat night crawlers out of his hand. They would leap two feet straight out of the water and grab them from his fingertips. Who says dolphins have a corner on the intelligence market?

A skimmer filter eats many too. Larvae hang out on the surface and get sucked into it. The over­turned Frisbee, however, is just the kind of stagnant, predator-free home in which larvae flourish. The more larvae a mosquito mom wastes in your pond instead of the Frisbees, the better off your neighbor-hood and your fish will be!

Q    I'm interested in build­ing a pond, but I'm not sure how long I'll be living in my current home. I've heard pools can be detrimental to selling a home in my area. Will a pond decrease my property value?
A     EVERY AREA OF THE COUNTRY IS DIFFERENT. A swimming pool in Florida is almost always a plus, but in Michigan to some buyers it might not be.

When it comes to ponds, not all are cre­ated equal. If you want to increase your property value, install a pond that's low maintenance. That means you'll need a mechanical skimmer and biological filter. Most of all you'll need to establish a pond ecosystem to let nature do most of the work.

As for your home's resale value, note this: landscaping has always been the number one home improvement you could make to recoup your money. Unlike any other home improvement, landscaping, and your pond, mature with age, increasing in value and beauty. While wallpaper fades, carpet is worn and appliances age, your pond and its landscaping keep improving with time. Don't wait another day if you want to increase your prop­erty's value tomorrow.

Q    I want a pond but I'm not sure how big it should be. I'm worried that I will either make it too small or too big. Is there any good size that's a middle of the road pond for a beginner?
A    THE ANSWER to your question is yes. A middle of the road sized pond is 11' x 16' that's two feet deep. This is a good size for the novice, but also takes into account the future desires of an experienced hobbyist.

As for your concerns about going too big, don't worry. The number one complaint most people have about their ponds is that it is too small. On the flip side, guess how many people wish they had built it smaller? If you guessed none, you'd be correct!

While nobody ever com­plains that a pond is too big, everyone seems to find new plants or fish to add to their pond. You may be a beginner now, but after a few seasons you'll be a full-blown hobbyist. If your pond is small to begin with, you'll find yourself investing in a new one, and starting all over from scratch. As a Rule of thumb, 11'x16' is a good size to balance the desires of a novice with the future needs of a hobbyist. Bigger, however, never hurts.

Q    Is it best to build a pond in full sun or full shade?
A    NEITHER. Ideally your pond should have a mixture of both. Full sun ponds tend to experience more aquatic plant blooms and more robust growth. They also, however, tend to grow more algae. Full shade ponds may have fewer algae, but the aquatic plants will be harder to grow.

Either situation is accept­able though, provided you take the necessary steps. Choose your plants accord­ing to your conditions; some do better in shade and vice versa. Full sun ponds need to be treated more often with S.A.B.™ and an occasional harvesting of algae may be necessary.