07-14-2010, 10:27 AM
My experience is that if you have any fish at all you won't have mosquitoes.
As far as pond construction goes...If you go liner or concrete you need to plan what type of pond you want. Is it going to be filtered or biologically balanced to eliminate the need for filtration? Almost everyone goes with pumps and filters and they discover soon just how much maintenance a pond can be. Skimmers and filters get clogged, uv lights go out, pumps are generally very reliable but pipes can get jammed up with goo.
A naturally balanced pond on the other hand is something entirely different. The whole trick is to cover most of the pond surface with big leafy plants that block the sunlight from hitting the water where the algae grows. Covering at least 60% of the pond surface is the rule of thumb. You will still have some maintenance. Water plants grow fast and must be thinned out periodically. You can't have more than a couple of koi in this type of pond because they'll tear up the plants when they're feeling romantic. Other fish are fine. The water will be crystal clear once the little biosystem is established.
I've helped many people build their own ponds. I'm happy to answer any questions here or at at 968-6059
As far as pond construction goes...If you go liner or concrete you need to plan what type of pond you want. Is it going to be filtered or biologically balanced to eliminate the need for filtration? Almost everyone goes with pumps and filters and they discover soon just how much maintenance a pond can be. Skimmers and filters get clogged, uv lights go out, pumps are generally very reliable but pipes can get jammed up with goo.
A naturally balanced pond on the other hand is something entirely different. The whole trick is to cover most of the pond surface with big leafy plants that block the sunlight from hitting the water where the algae grows. Covering at least 60% of the pond surface is the rule of thumb. You will still have some maintenance. Water plants grow fast and must be thinned out periodically. You can't have more than a couple of koi in this type of pond because they'll tear up the plants when they're feeling romantic. Other fish are fine. The water will be crystal clear once the little biosystem is established.
I've helped many people build their own ponds. I'm happy to answer any questions here or at at 968-6059