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Seasonal Maintenance Tips |
| WINTER |
Once the water begins to freeze,
you need to keep a hole in the ice over the winter to prevent
the gases in the pond from building up and killing the fish.
This can be done by one of several methods:
- If your waterfall doesn't splash much, you may be able
to leave it run all winter.
- Using a small pump in a shallow area to keep the water
moving at the surface so it doesn't freeze. Keep it in
shallow water (8" - 12") and minimize splashing at the
surface.
- Use a large size aquarium or pond bubbler to do the
same as above.
- There are also some floating de-icers that achieve the
same effect as the two points above.
- Use a pond heater. Perhaps you may want to put a timer
on the heater. (for 1-2 hours a day).
- If the ice freezes over totally, don't chop a hole. Use
a bucket of hot water to melt the ice.
- In the winter, the warmest water is at the bottom. That
is where the fish will stay. Don't put a pump or bubbler on
the bottom - it will make the water even colder.
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Frequently Asked Questions |
The following are a few of the more
common questions asked by people considering having a pond put
in.
- How big or small can it be?
- As big or small as you
like. However small ponds tend to be harder to keep
balanced. Our average size
for pond installation range from about 8' - 10' x 12' -
16'
- What about pre-formed ponds versus liners?
- Pre-formed ponds are generally smaller and too
shallow (18") to keep fish over the winter. As
pre-formed ponds gets larger they are as expensive or
more money than the liner type ponds.
- How deep does a pond have to be to keep fish over the
winter?
- We recommend that an area of the pond (not too large)
should be about 2.5' deep, but the rest of the pond can
be 2' or less.
- How big a pump do I need?
- The rule of thumb is to be big enough to circulate
the volume (gallons) of water in the pond once every 1-2
hours, more towards the 1 hour mark.
- Other factors to take into
account are how high the waterfall is, and the distance to the
waterfall. Also you need to think about whether you want
a "Babbling Brook" or "Niagara Falls" or somewhere in
between.
- How do I determine the number of gallons of water in my
Pond?
- Average length x average width x average depth =
_ cubic feet
_ cubic feet x 7.5
U.S. gallons per cubic foot = _
gallons in pond (approximately).
- How do I know how much liner is needed?
- Longest length and width plus about 7 feet (2
½ ' to the bottom plus 2 ½ ' up the
other side plus 1' extra at the edge on each dimension.
Example: 10' x 13' pond needs about 17' x 20' liner.
- Can I have the pond in full sun or largely shade?
- Yes, and yes, it just takes proper design work and
you can have a pond anywhere on your property.
- Do I need to put anything in the water?
- Yes, you need to put water conditioners in the water
to help establish and maintain a balance in the
eco-system of the pond. This is especially important to
do in the spring.
- How much maintenance does it take?
- A properly designed pond and filtration system
should only require about 15 - 20 minutes of maintenance
per week.
- How often does it need to be cleaned out?
- Once established, we recommend an annual cleanout,
usually in the spring.
- Can I have a waterfall or stream without a pond?
- Certainly,
it is called a disappearing waterfall and /or stream.
These are great where you don't want the maintenance of a
pond, or where you have concerns about your toddlers. We
can also create your own unique water feature such as a
"bubbling stone" or use your imagination for a "container"
feature of your own design.
- What about indoor water features?
- Yes we do indoor features,
and we can help you with various types
of unique container features or a "water wall".
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