Frequently Asked Questions

Provided is a list of common questions and answers.  It is strongly recommended that you read your maintenance manuals.  You will probably find most of your questions answered there.  If you are needing a copy of the owners manual, go to the owners manual where you can download your own copy.

Choose a topic for your question below:

Fish
Birds/Fish
UV Sterilizers
Plants
Bottom Drains
Pond Clarity
Rocks and Gravel
Plant
Winter
Pond Clean Out
Water Level
Pond Calculations
Leaks
String Algae

Fish

What  type of fish can I put in my pond?      
     
Koi and Goldfish are hardy fish that do well with the change of seasons.  Some pond owners stock their ponds with native fish or game fish. Yes you can put catfish, bass, northern pike, and others in your pond. However there is no guarantee that the fish will do well in your pond and could cause maintenance problems.

What  do I do when my fish swim into the skimmer?

Occasionally fish find their way into the skimmer.  This usually happens a few times but they will soon learn not to.  Simply take them out and place them back in the pond.  However, some people do opt to place a net or something in front of the skimmer that will keep the fish out and still allow the water to flow.  But remember, your skimmer will no longer have the capabilities of cleaning your pond properly.    

What is the recommended amount of fish to put in the pond?

Our rule of thumb for amount of fish is to have 1" of fish for every 1 sq. ft. of pond surface area.

When do I need to add dechlorinator to the pond?

Dechlorinator doesn't have to be added to the pond when replacing less than 20% of the pond total volume.  But, to be safe it's recommended to add some according to the label on the bottle.

How deep should the pond be?

Average size ponds don't need to be more than 2' deep for fish and plants to over-winter in most zones. This two-foot depth can be extended into Canada. For small water gardens in most zones you can over-winter fish and plants in 2-2.5' of depth.  As a general rule 18" is the bare minimum for fish survival in the winter.

What do you do with fish in the winter?

We leave them in the pond. Make sure that there is something keeping a hole open in the ice and the water moving. Usually if you just keep your water garden going you will be fine.  In some cases where customers turn off their waterfall or need a little extra help we will put a temperature-controlled heater and a small fountain pump in the pond near each other. When the air temp drops below 10 degrees above zero the heater kicks in and helps to keep the water moving.

Do I have to feed my fish?

No, if you don't feed your fish they will live off algae, insects, and other organisms living in their environment.

How often should you feed the fish?

This is a debatable question and also depends on how many fish you have in the pond. We usually recommend not feeding fish more than once a day. The fish have plenty of things to nibble on in the pond, and the more you feed the fish, the more waste they will produce.  Remember stop feeding the fish when they are done eating because uneaten food will fall to the bottom, decomposing and possibly causing poor water clarity.

When should you start/stop feeding the fish?

Don't feed the fish when the water is under 55 degrees. The fish metabolism is slowed down and won't be able to process the food.

How soon can I start putting fish in my pond?

We usually say 3-4 days after the pond is filled and running.

Why do my fish sit at the top of the water?

Answer: If your fish are at the top of the water almost everyday and not gasping for air then there is nothing wrong. They are probably just looking for food. If your fish are gasping for air then there is an insufficient amount of oxygen in the water.

Birds/Fish

I am having problems with birds, particularly Herons eating my fish in my water garden.

Plant tall plants around the edge of the water garden.

One great way to keep herons away from your water garden is to put a plastic blue heron decoy inside the pond. If a real heron sees the plastic decoy inside the pond they will normally stay away since herons are territorial.

UV Sterilizer

Do you use Ultra Violet lights?

With the Aquascape system we don't use UV lights.  If you follow all of the steps of the Aquascape Ecosystem and get enough plants, rocks, gravel, not too many fish and are putting the Aquaclearer bacteria, you won't need the UV light. We rarely ever have green water in our ponds that we build, and most of the time it clears up with in a couple of weeks. 

We do use them in special cases.  If the customer wants a UV light we will install them.  They are beneficial for areas that have no shade, or little to no plants.  Ponds that are in constant sunlight are very likely to have algae problems.   

What is the recommended amount of plants to put in the pond?

The recommended amount of plants is to have 30-50% of the surface covered. You want to have a good mix of plants. You don't want to have all of one type of plant. Put in a mix of marginal, oxygenators, and lilies. You'll want to have more of the first two types of plants more than the lilies.

Do you plant the plants in pots or directly into the gravel?

We plant all the plants except Lotus directly into the gravel. The plants grow much better in the gravel because their roots will never get bound. This also helps the eco-system, because the plants will be able to search out more nutrients by letting the root system travel through the gravel and rocks.

What happens to the plants in the wintertime?

Most hardy plants will die back and go dormant during the winter. The tropical plants need to be brought inside, or treated as annuals.

Question: My plants don’t seem to grow or bloom.

Your plants may not have enough sun light. They usually need 4-6 hours of sunlight a day. The other solution is to try plant fertilizer tablets.

What do I do when my plants leaves become brown or discolored?

Water lilies will turn yellow and brown. When this happens, simply prune the dead or discolored lily pad off from the bottom of the plant. On marginal plants you can simply cut the old leaves off at the base of the plant.

Drain

Do you use bottom drains?

No, we don't use bottom drains. We feel that with rocks and gravel on the bottom of the pond, the bottom drains are unnecessary. The bacteria in the rocks and gravel will break down any debris that gets down to the bottom of the pond. Also, there is enough aeration coming from the BIOFALLS© and the waterfall to aerate the entire pond.

Pond Clarity

Why did my pond turn green?

If your pond was just installed don't worry because your system is trying to balance itself out. Algae is feeding off the nutrients in the water and by sunlight. It is highly recommended to cover your pond for 1 to 2 weeks with a tarp. This will block out the sunlight and allow your system to respond quicker. The other recommendation is to put aquatic plants in the pond. The plants will fight with the algae to absorb the nutrients in the water.

How often you want to turn the water over in the pond?

We try to turn the water over in the pond once every 2 hours minimum. Once every hour is the ideal turn over rate in smaller ponds.

Where do I put the bacteria in the pond?

This isn't all that crucial but for best results sprinkle the Bacteria in front of the skimmer. This will make sure that the bacteria gets into the BIOFALLS© and everywhere else in the pond.

At what temperature should you start putting the bacteria in?

Wait until the water temperature is above 50 degrees to start putting the bacteria in. The bacteria starts to really take off in temperatures above 65 degrees.

What is the difference between Liquid and Dry bacteria?

The dry bacteria is freeze dried and concentrated. It takes 3-4 days in the water before it really starts to become active. The liquid bacteria is already alive and starts to work as soon as it is in the pond. It is not as concentrated, but faster acting. The liquid bacteria is recommended for spring start up and for combating green water, the dry bacteria is recommended for maintenance during the season.

Our water garden seems to have muck and sludge on the bottom of the pond.

The muck and sludge on the bottom of your pond is from decaying algae, leaves, debris, and fish waste. Your water garden probably needs a clean out. This is not a clean task. Be prepared that the pond needs to be drained and all the sludge needs to come out of the water garden. Yes, it will stink real bad! The sludge build up can sometimes happen much more rapidly in water gardens that have lots of fish.

Q: Why do you put rocks and gravel on the bottom of the pond?

We put rocks and gravel on the bottom of the pond for a couple of reasons. The number one reason is for filtration of the pond. The rocks provide a huge amount of surface area for the bacteria to colonize on. This bacteria breaks down the fish waste and other organic debris that fall to the bottom. 

The second reason is to help lock the liner in place so that the water weight doesn't bring it down. 

The third main reason is aesthetics. The ponds with rocks and gravel on the bottom of the pond is much more natural looking than having a black liner with nothing but algae covering it up.

Winter

What do you do with fish in the winter?

We leave them in the pond. Make sure that there is something keeping a hole open in the ice and the water moving. We will put a temperature-controlled heater and a small fountain pump in the pond near each other. When the air temp drops below 10 degrees above zero the heater kicks in and helps to keep the water moving.

What happens to the plants in the wintertime?

Most hardy plants will die back and go dormant during the winter. The tropical plants need to be brought inside, or treated as annuals.

Pond Clean Out

When should I clean out my pond?

The ideal time is once there is no longer ice on your pond and the winter is over.

How do I do a clean out on my pond?

Down load our owner's manual for specific instructions. Full clean outs shouldn't be done more than once a year. Begin by draining your pond. Wash your stones and gravel with a water hose (preferably a power washer). Pump out the remaining water. Remove all the sludge and debris with a net or bucket. Clean out all filters and pumps. Refill your pond and add bacteria for two weeks to establish a balanced ecosystem.

Water Level

Where is my ideal water level?

The ideal water level should be set at approximately 3/4" below the top of the mouth on the skimmer.

I think I have a water leak, how do I know where it is coming from?

If you hear the constant hissing of a water fill valve than you may be losing water. We have found that 99% of leaks occur in the waterfall or stream. This is due to the ground settling. Check the perimeter of the waterfall or stream where the liner is. You may be able to see water seeping out. This can easily be fixed by adding fill dirt. If you can't see where the water is coming from try turning off your waterfall for a day. If the pond level drops without the waterfall on then you have a leak in the pond and not in the waterfall.

My waterfall is moving very slow what should I do?

If you have a skimmer you probably don't have enough water in the pond. The other possibilities are your skimmer is full and needs to be emptied or your pump is clogged.

Pond Calculations

Approximate Gallons of water in pond:

· Length x Width x Depth x 7.5

Quantity of Rocks to use in a 2 ft. depth pond:

· Quantity of boulders in the pond (tons) = length x width / 65

· Quantity of ¼ in.-3in. gravel= tons of boulders used x .45

Quantity of Rocks to use in a 10ft. stream:

· Quantity of boulders used in stream= ¾ ton per 10 ft. stream

· Quantity of ¼ in.-3in. gravel used in stream= ½ ton per 10ft. stream

Quantity of Rocks to build around the face of your standard Biofalls

· ¾ -11/4 tons

Liner Size

· Double the depth to both the length and width of the pond.

· Example: 4 x 6 will need 8 x 10 liner

Leaks

How do I find a leak in my water garden?

First, turn off the pump to your water garden. If the leak stops then you know the problem is anywhere there is moving water. Example: pipe, waterfall, filters, streams. If the leak continues once the pump has been turned off, then the problem is in the water garden. Let the pond continue to drain until it stops leaking. You can now figure that the leak is around the area where the water has stopped leaking. Holes can simply be fixed with patch tape.

String Algae

How do I get rid of the long string algae in my water garden.

We carry two products that combat string algae problems. S.A.B. is a product that breaks string algae down. After dosing the water garden wait a few days and then you must use a net or something to take the string algae out of the pond. Another great product for getting rid of string algae is Barley Hay. This product is placed in the water garden and will break down string algae and help prevent it from occurring.