There are a lot of myths out there on what is needed to maintain a pond, or on why a pond will bring you nothing but problems and headaches. Here are seven specific myths that I would like to officially destroy and hopefully help convince more of you out there to become a pond owner and water gardener.
Raccoons will eat all of your fish - Raccoons do not like to swim and will usually sit on the side to swipe fish with their paws. The fish are aware of a possible threat and will swim to the bottom and stay out of harms way until the threat goes away.
Rocks and gravel make it difficult to clean the pond - The Eco system pond will maintain a natural balance that allows mother nature to do the maintenance work on her own. Beneficial bacteria are able to colonize on the rock and gravel which are able to break down debris and muck that would usually feed algae and help it grow.
Fish cannot survive in cold climate - When temperatures drop the the fish will naturally swim to the bottom and hibernate during the winter, there is no need to bring them inside and protect them from the cold weather.
You must test your pond for PH daily - When working with aquariums and pools of water that use chemicals, you do need to check the PH balance often. But when working with a natural Eco system, there is no need to test
Ponds attract mosquito's - Mosquito's love stagnant water, so if the pond is stagnant then there will be mosquito's near by. The trick is to continuously have the water moving and less mosquito's will come around. Also any larvae on the water surface will be taken in by the skimmer and drowned, or eaten by the fish. A properly built pond can actually reduce the number of mosquito's in the area.
Draining and cleaning the pond must be done on a regular basis - If the pond you have is not working with a natural Eco system, draining and cleaning the pond will be a regular headache. But if you are taking advantage of a naturally balanced pond you may have your pond cleaned once a year max, and some don't require it at all.
The more filtration the better - If you were filtering water for drinking then more filtration is best, but when talking about a naturally balanced pond it is not necessary. Over filtering a pond can cause some maintenance problems that can become costly. if you can see a dime at the bottom of the pond, it is more than clean enough.
Still have more questions? Give California Waterscapes a call and they will be more than happy to answer them for you.
Here is a how to video that any homeowner can use. It has happened to all of us at least once, where one of the sprinkler heads breaks. But rather than having to pay someone else repair the broken sprinkler head, follow these easy steps that will your irrigation system up and running in no time.
The question that I hear the most when it comes to water gardening is, how do I keep predators from eating the fish in my pond? There are a lot of ways to keep birds, raccoons, and other animals out heres a list of a couple of ways to do it.
When building your pond, remember to add a fish cave in the deepest part of your pond by stacking flagstone and leaving enough space for all of your fish in there. This will give all of your fish a place to swim and hide if a harmful predator is in the area. Most animals like raccoons will put their paws in to grab a fish but almost never fully submerge themselves in the water.
Scarecrow motion activated sprinklers are another way to scare away birds and other animals that have wandered into your backyard for a meal. These are the quickest to install and very popular with pond owners. They work similarly to motion activated flood lights, except they emits a 3 second burst of water to scare the pond predator away. These can easily be found online and in the ground in minutes.
Netting is also available to keep out those pesky predators from munching on your fish. There are lots of different sizes to choose from and can be trimmed down to fit your water feature. Visually this is not the best choice since you will see a black net over your entire pond, but it is effective.
Posted by: The Backyard Getaway / Category:
maintenance,
tips
For those of you that have a wooden deck as part of your outdoor living room, we always want you to keep in mind that regular maintenance is a must. The video below will go into more detail on how you can extend the life of your deck and avoid having to replace it.
These are some good tips, and it should be done regularly every year. It's some hard work, but it beats having to spend thousands of dollars because the wood has warped or split and no longer usable. If you need help finding a contractor near you, remember that Service Magic is always a great way to find qualified contractors near you. Read more »
