1. What is a water garden?
2. What is an ecosystem?
3. Are water gardens and ponds hard to maintain?
4. Do I need to have fish in my pond?
5. How many fish can I have in my pond?
6. What do I do with the fish in the winter?
7. When can I open/close my pond in the spring/fall?
8. Why do I have algae in my pond?
9. What is a Pondless Waterfall?

1. What is a water garden?
A: The term water garden was developed to describe a natural living ecosystem pond that has rocks, fish, plants, and water circulation. We believe that while a water garden may be a pond, a pond is not necessarily a water garden. To deserve the name water garden a pond needs to contain all of the above named parts and needs to be naturally maintained and balanced. Water circulation is critical to the health of a water garden and we prefer to circulate the water through the use of a sparkling, cascading waterfall.
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2. What is an ecosystem?
A: The word ecosystem is used to describe a natural system in which plants, animals, and micro organisms live and interact with their surroundings.
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3. Are water gardens and ponds hard to maintain?
A: A properly installed water garden should be very low maintenance. Some people enjoy working on their pond and purposely make it more work than necessary, for these people, it becomes their hobby. Others don’t want to, or don’t have time to mess with a pond, and they shouldn’t need to. The most important thing to consider is that this is a living pond. Living ponds will have plant and animal growth and they will change with time. We as pond owners need to find the patience to let Mother Nature take her course and balance our ponds. Typically the first year of pond ownership is the hardest because the pond is new and out of balance, and the owner is new and doesn’t know what to expect. If the pond is properly installed and allowed to balance, it will be low to no maintenance and will be beautiful.
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4. Do I need to have fish in my pond?
A: No, you don’t need to have fish in your pond, but you will probably want to. Many people don’t want fish for fear that they will need to be cared for as pets. This is not true. You do not need to feed the fish in your pond. This is a natural pond and as such will have abundant food present in it for the fish to eat. The fish actually help you maintain your pond by feeding on the algae and stirring up the bottom to help reduce sediment build up. Too many fish or overfeeding of fish will adversely affect water quality and should be avoided.
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5. How many fish can I have in my pond?
A: Typically it is recommended to have one inch of fish for every 13 gallons of water. Remember, fish will grow, so plan accordingly. Gallons = length (in feet) x width (in feet) x average depth (in feet) x 7.48 Obviously this is merely an estimate. Water gardens are never perfect squares or perfect depths and they also contain many rocks.
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6. What do I do with the fish in the winter?
A: Your fish will survive the winter in your pond as long as it is at least three feet deep and you keep a hole in the ice for oxygen exchange to occur. The water will not freeze all the way to the bottom due to the heat of the ground below. A hole in the ice can be kept open with a floating heater, aerator, or a bubbling pump. Occasionally we see problems with very cold winters and ponds that are raised up out of the ground behind a retaining wall or other structure which allows the frost to travel more deeply into the pond.
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7. When can I open/close my pond in the spring/fall?
A: When you open or close your pond is up to you, but typically we open ponds in mid April and shut them down in late October to early November.
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8. Why do I have algae in my pond?
A: Any healthy natural pond will have some algae in it. How much algae is the question. The amount of algae growth will depend on the amount of nutrients and sunlight available for the algae to grow. Cut down on the nutrients and sunlight and you will reduce the amount of algae. Reduce any surface runoff that is entering your pond. Runoff can carry large amounts of nutrients, especially if the area surrounding your pond is fertilized. Plant lots of aquatic plants in your pond. The aquatic plants will help to shade the water and they live and thrive on the same nutrients that the algae does. Adding natural bacteria treatments to your water will help to digest any decaying matter in your pond which will in turn lessen the amount of nutrients available for algae. Last but not least, your fish will eat the algae if they are hungry. “Hungry fish make for a clean pond.”
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9. What is a Pondless Waterfall?
A: A pondless waterfall is essentially, a waterfall without a pond. Some people prefer to have a pondless waterfall because they want to turn the water feature on and off as they see fit. Some people feel that they are safer because there is no standing body of water. Generally they require even less maintenance than ponds.
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