Rocks on bottom of pond or not?

[Lisak1]

rock less bottom pond is easier as far as maintenance is concerned

Glad you're feeling better!

I think much depends on the individual pond. We simply don't get muck build up in our pond - I don't know why exactly, but we don't. The gravel (not rocks - that would be a whole other conversation) on the bottom is shallow - when I get in the pond to groom lilies I stir it around with my feet and only a small amount of silt gets stirred up. Could be that we don't have a lot of organic material that gets in the pond. Could be we have good circulation to the skimmer. Could be our bog helps with filtration is a way that mechanical/biological filtration does not. No clue. But my gravel bottom is always clean and free of muck. We have 8 or 9 big koi and lots of goldfish in our pond, so there's plenty of fish to create waste.

We do scoop leaves from the pond in fall and spring and I just don't find the gravel to be an impediment to keeping the pond bottom clean. But - to each their own! As I said earlier, I'm just glad the garden pond hobby has advanced to the point that we aren't demonized for even SUGGESTING that you can build a rocked pond and keep koi in it. I should hop back on a few OTHER forums and let them know that my fish are STILL thriving, in spite of all their dire predictions! ("They aren't dead yet. BUT THEY WILL BE!") Their computers may explode from rushing to tell me how wrong I am!

 

[CliffandJoann]

I I know what you mean...one forum which shall remain un-named had members
that said butterfly koi were not koi! Everybody was an expert, especially
the new ponders ... they were the first year wonders that knew everything.
They had these big elaborate filter systems...and we had a DIY filter system.
I quit that forum...too many near-do-well elitists that knew everything...

I don't profess to know everything, except that we've had a pond for twenty one years
and only lost one koi...we think he got stuck in the dog leg section
in the winter and froze...We do our best, and love our koi and they love us.

 

[Lisak1]

Your pond and yard is beautiful @CliffandJoann - I shamelessly stole many planting ideas from you when we were first landscaping our pond! I would study your videos and try to figure out what I liked about certain areas that you had planted and then copied it - or tried anyway!

How deep is your pond?

 

[CliffandJoann]

The deepest part is 3 1/2 feet..the dog leg and in front of the beach is about 21 to 24
inches deep. You did not steal anything. Sharing ideas is why we belong to forums,
isn't it?

testing resizing a photo ... Ah, it worked

This is an idea ...we planted a few pots with pond plants ...

instant water garden and it makes nice gifts ...hey, you already have the plants,
just pick up pots without holes in in...I scour garage sales...you can pick up slow crock
pots for two to three bucks...just remove the pot and throw away the outside.
( that's what I did here)

 

[CliffandJoann]

testing...did another instant water gardens...this is one on the big deck, another crock pot bowl...I was feeding the baby cardinals born in our yard.

 

[CliffandJoann]

OK, now that I know how to resize to post photos here...
here is our beach section...this is the only part of the
main pond that is rocked...except for the rocks on the bottom
that the koi pick up in their mouths, roll them around and
spit them out where they want them.

This area is 4' X 5' and slopes downward. We feed them
here so they hang out in the beach a lot begging for snacks
with their puppy dog eyes!
We vigorously hose this once a week to release all the
debris that gathered in between the rocks.

The Pups...

 

[j.w]

Good to see ya back @CliffandJoann and your ponds are looking great as usual!

 

[CliffandJoann]

Thanks JW...it's good to be back

I just learned how to re-size photos and the last one came out different..
donno why? I'll try again...ok, I think I forgot to hit full image.

 

[mrsclem]

Love the beach feeding area!

 

[Mucky_Waters]

Hi Lisa...I had some health issues for the last couple of years, but now I'm back.

Well, perhaps I should clarify what I mean. It's easier to maintain a rock less bottom
pond. Our biological pond has a rocked bottom, the rock less bottom is easier,
any debris is easily removed with a net. We also have the rocked beach area, when we hose the beach so much muck and fish waste is released.
As I said, a rock less bottom pond is easier as far as maintenance is concerned.

Welcome back Joan, I think I've told you before, but your pond design and videos were the inspiration for my current pond.
I'm not sure how people like Addy and Lisa get away with having so little muck and sediment buildup in their ponds and bogs but I know that even my little 3000 gal pond accumulates quite a lot of muck, fortunately I have a bottom drain and most of the pond muck is captured in my settlement tank. My last pond didn't have a bottom drain and I was regularly scooping the muck off the bottom of the pond which of course temporarily messed up the pond water and disturbed the fish critters in the process. Every pond I have ever personally inspected that didn't have a bottom drain and the owners didn't regularly clean out the bottom sediment their ponds had thick layers of sediment on the bottom. And as I said, my settling tank captures most of this muck and when I open the bottom drain in the settling tank to flush out the accumulated muck the rotten egg smell is overwhelming, it makes me very glad I'm no longer trying to just scoop off the bottom of my pond and in the process stirring it into the pond water, and yes rocks on the bottom would certainly interfere with scooping muck off the bottom of the pond.

 

[Lisak1]

I'm not sure how people like Addy and Lisa get away with having so little muck and sediment buildup in their ponds and bogs

It's a mystery for sure. Maybe just really neat and tidy fish!

 

[CliffandJoann]

the
Hi Mucky. Many people have healthy ponds with rock bottoms, but I imagine it's
more work. We never have to vacuum, we never empty the pond for cleaning,
never ever use any chemicals, and do not have a uv light. Heck we never test our
water either. (more about that later)

Our first filter tub traps most of the muck...the second tub cleans out any
remaining residue -- then the water leaves the third tub and travels underground
and enters a 200 gallon biological pond...the bio pond has a rock bottom ( no fish)
and plants...the rocks and plants aid in scrubbing the water before it travels through the biological pond -- and then exits the biological pond -- to travel back to the main pond -- where the water re-enters the main pond from under the small dock. This is a continuing
process...The filters get cleaned once a week.

The head guy knows each fish up close and personal. they are happy and healthy
and that's how we know our pond is healthy and there is no need to test our water.

**As I said, our fish are 20 and 21 years old and we only lost one koi in 21 years.
If our fish ever even look slightly off...I'm sure we would run out and get a test kit.
** I am not recommending that anyone not test their pond...

Another thing we do is run fresh water into the pond each day ...it's on a timer,
we estimate that about 40 percent of our water is exchanged each week by running
the hose and filling the pond until the excess water overflows.

I posted the above photo of the system we have...it's three tubs that are about 35
gallons each...it's a gravity fed system...the three tubs are level with the pond.

Pond two is what we call the dog leg...we added that second on after the second year.
so that the fish have a larger swimming area.
Hope this is clear...
Joann

Oh, we do have rock shelves all around.

 

[CliffandJoann]

Rock shelf all around the pond.

 

[addy1]

I'm not sure how people like Addy and Lisa get away with having so little muck and sediment buildup in their ponds and bogs

I have tidy poopers. I think my bog is so big and the plants just eat up anything that ends up in the pond. I didn't groom the lilies much last year, even with all the dead stems the bottom stayed cleanish.

 

[Tee]

What is your opinion of placing rocks and gravel on the sides and bottom of your pond? Right now we just have a few rocks that have fallen in but I'm trying to decide whether to add more.

My pond never has looked like the pictures you see clear and clean all the way to the bottom. My water is clear but because of gunk leaves and my water plant you don't see the bottom. So bottom line don't waste your time or money. I also agree with wanting to dip out the bottom of your pond and rocks would just make it very difficult.