Changing the Way the World Builds Ponds – Part Two

Editor's Note: This is part two of "Changing the Way the World Builds Ponds," by Greg Wittstock of Aquascape Designs. For part one of the story, click here:

DON’T BE TOO TECHNICAL. UV light sterilizers, bottom drains, bead filters, vortex filters, chemicals test kits, etc. Every gadget conceivable has been created and marketed to do one very simple thing: keep water clean. The problem with this thinking is people do not build ponds or have ponds because they want clear, clean water. Water gardens are created because people want to enjoy fish, frogs, lilies and nature.

However, many manufacturers and suppliers are so focused on cleaning dirty water that they fail to realize the greater goal of pond ownership in the first place. Gigantic black tubs sit alongside a water garden discharging the water over stacked flagstone. Large vortex filters as big as the pond are buried in tandem. UV light sterilizers radiate and kill all the bacteria, algae spores and organisms that pass by the lights. Bottom drains suck up fish waste, clogging over burdened filter pads. Do any of these people realize that filtering a pond is not why people want water features in the first place?

Over-complicating this hobby has scared and confused many pond builders and hobbyists alike. We have found success taking the exact opposite approach. We follow the "Keep It Simple Stupid" philosophy. We work with nature and not against her. We believe in pond filters, but they are only one part of a well-designed system. We view filters simply as tools that allow us to create beautiful low-maintenance water features. Complicating water features with giant filters and gadgets does not make the water quality any better than simply creating an ecosystem in the pond itself. And experience has shown us that more complicated systems have more problems.

MYTHS AND MISPERCEPTIONS. The most frequently asked question we hear is, “What do you do with the fish in the winter?” When we answer that we leave them in the pond, people are astonished. They can't believe goldfish and Koi survive Chicago winters in only 2 feet of water. It's funny, but they never think twice about the bluegill down the street. Yet, the question says a lot about consumers' knowledge about ponds. If they are shocked to hear fish can live year-round in a pond, how many other misperceptions have they formed about ponds?

It is amazing, but probably 80 percent of what is written about ponds is either false, inaccurate or misleading. That is very scary since the people who research ponds the most are the hardest ones to sell, because you have to re-educate them on virtually everything. As was mentioned earlier, the reason this is such a prevalent problem in the water gardening industry is the people who disseminate the information on water gardening are not necessarily the ones installing water gardens.

Almost all of the myths that surround water gardening have their foundation in truth. Raccoons can easily catch fish in shallow pre-formed ponds. Many people have shallow preformed ponds. Almost everyone asks. “What you do about raccoons?” Our answer? Build the pond correctly. We don't build ponds that are shallower than 2 feet. (By the way, no building code in the country states water gardens cannot be this deep.) Water depth regulations of 18 inches for ponds is another myth people hear but never see written. The reality is, raccoons do not eat fish out of our customers' ponds. However, if you build the pond shallow, eliminate rocks and gravel and make it too narrow, you better believe you will have a problem.

With myths, people focus on the 1 percent and make it seem like that 1 percent is reality for all systems. Anything can and does happen with ponds. Instead of hyping up the exceptions we need to preach the reality. Instead of recycling old, outdated information on ponds the information givers need to constantly update their experiences. When more correct, honest and accurate information is circulated, everyone will benefit on a greater level.

TOO BASIC. Digging a hole, slapping down a liner or installing a pre-formed tub and stacking flagstone around the perimeter do not make a pond. Systems like these become cesspools. Yet, all the time these systems are sold and marketed as water gardens. Adding an undersized pump and fountain or waterfalls does little to rectify what will certainly become a maintenance nightmare. These types of systems are exactly what create the perception that all water features are a lot of work.

Many books profess that all you need to filter a pond is a proper balance of aquatic plants. Although this is possible, actually achieving a proper balance of aquatic plants is beyond the scope of most hobbyists. Instead, by recommending that this method is achievable, most hobbyists who try to abide by this principle end up with high-maintenance, poor water quality ponds. All ponds, regardless of plant loads, will benefit from good filtration and aeration. This fact is not debatable. Water is a magnet for wind-blown debris. Mechanical skimmers remove this debris before it can settle and decompose in the water. Waterfalls provide aeration for fish. At night, plants release carbon dioxide. Warm water holds less oxygen than cold water. In the summer, when the plants are at their fullest and the water is at its warmest, fish kills from lack of oxygen can occur in plant-only ponds.

By keeping it too basic the list of problems continues. True, keeping it basic does reduce the costs for the hobbyist, and sometimes enthusiastic hobbyists will keep upgrading until they develop a good working ecosystem in the pond. Unfortunately, the problems they have along the way will be reported to friends, neighbors and relatives. In the end you either pay to have a good system that decreases your maintenance or you spend your time trying to make it work. Therefore, since time is a commodity, this should be one of the primary selling points in getting people to upgrade their initial order.

The author is chief executive officer, Aquascape Designs, Batavia, Ill.