The Difference Between Large and Small Ponds
If you think that a large pond is simply a small pond that "grew
up", you're in for some pond maintenance problems. Let's start
off my defining the terms that we'll be using here. A large pond
is anything over 1,000 gallons (5,000 liters). A pond that holds
over 4,000 gallons (20,000 liters) is a very large pond. Large ponds require a whole different level of financial and time
committment than small ponds do. You'll need larger and more
efficient pumps and filters as well as the additional plumbing
that those devices require. You'll probably also spend a lot more
for plants and fish as well as higher maintenance costs for those
plants and fish. Your building and maintenance costs are dependant, to a great
extent, on how deep your pond is. A 6' deep pond, for example,
calls for a large and highly-specialized biofilter which uses a
lot of electricity and requires a pretty hefty chunk of space for
installation. You'll need extra UV power and some sophisticated
plumbing including bottom drains, skimmers, valves, and the like. Of course, you always have the option of letting your pond go "au
natural" and develop into a self-maintaining ecosystem just like
a real pond. If that's your goal, don't go for a 6' depth.
Natural ponds will be more cloudy than a filtered pond and it's
likely that you'll never see your fish! Even a natural pond will require some help from you before mother
nature kicks in. You'll still need to condition the water, and
remove chlorine, before fish are introduced. You'll also want to
have lots of plants both for natural shelter and temperature
regulation as well as for their oxygen-generating
characteristics. If your pond takes root and begins to develop naturally then
you'll actually end up saving quite a bit of money on fish food.
A natural pond generates and attracts a lot of natural food
sources and it's likely that you will never have to feed your
fish at all. Don't skimp on testing just because your pond is developing
naturally. You still have threats of fertilizer and pesticide
runoff entering your pond, and you still need to worry about
keeping oxygen levels up and water temperatures down. You'll also
want to examine your fish periodically for signs of parasite
infestation. Keeping a large pond can require an inordinate amount of time and
money. My best advice is not to build one unless you are willing
to do your part in keeping it. **************************************************
Brett Fogle is the owner of MacArthur Water Gardens and several
other pond-related websites including
MacArthurWatergardens.com
and Pond-Filters-Online.com. He
also publishes a free monthly
newsletter called PondStuff! with a reader circulation of over
9,000. To sign up for the free newsletter and receive our FREE
'New Pond Owners Guide' visit MacArthur Water Gardens today!
**************************************************
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