Like most people who wanted the sound of water, we started ten years ago with a small
100-gallon prefabricated pond. We bought plants and a few goldfish. We had a small pump
with a foam filter to circulate the water and even a cute frog for the sound of splashing
water. We were happy and pleased with our creation. Within a week the water turned green
and the fish died.
Why did our fish die and why did our water turn green? We were on a mission to understand what went wrong. What we didn't know at that time was the importance of filtration and water quality. We wanted to keep our small puddle healthy for fish and the water clear enough to enjoy watching them. Let the learning curve begin!
We spent endless hours researching pond building (liner versus cement), concepts of various filtration options (from the basic lava filter to state-of-the-art Nexus filters) and the additional bells and whistles to create a well functioning and healthy environment for keeping our finned friends.
Many ponds later and of course, each one being bigger than the one before, we've made all the mistakes and found most of the solutions! Over the years we have found that each pond requires various approaches for success. Is the pond in full sun? Is the pond primarily a water garden? What type of fish will the pond be home to? A pond built to keep Koi is much different than a pond built to house goldfish.
Why did our fish die and why did our water turn green? We were on a mission to understand what went wrong. What we didn't know at that time was the importance of filtration and water quality. We wanted to keep our small puddle healthy for fish and the water clear enough to enjoy watching them. Let the learning curve begin!
We spent endless hours researching pond building (liner versus cement), concepts of various filtration options (from the basic lava filter to state-of-the-art Nexus filters) and the additional bells and whistles to create a well functioning and healthy environment for keeping our finned friends.
Many ponds later and of course, each one being bigger than the one before, we've made all the mistakes and found most of the solutions! Over the years we have found that each pond requires various approaches for success. Is the pond in full sun? Is the pond primarily a water garden? What type of fish will the pond be home to? A pond built to keep Koi is much different than a pond built to house goldfish.