What do you think of aquascape - the company

[BKHpondcritters]

I'm going to agree with Lisak1 pretty much wholeheartedly. I learned the art of ponding while hanging around with the old Aquascape 'gang' almost two decades ago. Brian Helfrich (who is the most wonderful person imaginable!) personally designed & oversaw our pond construction back in the Chicago suburbs in 2002. Ellen & Ed Beaulieu are amazing people as well (if you're into 'Goat Yoga' go visit her at their new farm!!) Greg Wittstock is an entrepreneur who found a marketable 'nitch' and I don't begrudge him making a living doing what he has always loved. Are some of their products produced for profit? Well... yeah! It IS a business, after all, and if it didn't make a profit then Aquascape might just fold & then where would the ponding world be? The powers that be at Aquascape have been the cutting edge leaders in the backyard ponding world for a very long time now & I hope that they will continue in that way for a very long time to come.

As far as how much room or depth that koi "need"... I will once agree with Lisak1 that there are numerous (more numerous to count) ponds in the Chicago area at 2' of depth housing koi with no problems. I (personally) think that they do better with more surface area to get the needed quantity of water vs. depth for the same amount. I do have an area in the middle of my current pond that is 3', but the vast majority of the pond averages 18" (total volume about 3200 gallons) The fish have lots of room to swim (over 30' end to end) with a short 'stream' area coming in from the side where one of the biofalls is. During the cold months/weather/water temps. (and at night in the warmer times of year) the fish all hang out in the bottom of the deep area, with the smaller ones hiding in the built in caves (well, the smart ones do. we do occasionally lose fish to the local raccoons... sigh)

 

[GBBUDD]

Aquascapes video the most beautiful backyards in the world is what got me hooked on the pond.

I don't know how much this video cost aquascapes but it was money well spent ….

 

[Tula]

It's so interesting to read everyones different experiences with their ponds.....just goes to show there are many ways to keep a pond

 

[TimL94]

Is it anthropomorphism ? If I was one of those Koi I would want more than 2ft of depth... But that doesn't mean it's what the Koi actually want or need.

This is an aquascape pond and this guy lost his catfish during the cold weather. Bit off topic, but what do you guys think was the cause of his catfish dying? I feel like if he was going to have weather like that then he would've been better off having a deeper pond. (disclaimer I appreciate some parts of america had very bad weather this year and this is catfish not koi)

My comment on the video was " I would've recommended having the pond pumps off during the coldest days. Circulating the water out and back into the pond drops the water temperature a lot faster. The deeper the pond the better, rightly or wrongly I am an advocate of ponds having at least one area that is a lot deeper than the rest so that fish have somewhere to go where the water is less exposed to the elements. "

 

[BKHpondcritters]

Is it anthropomorphism ? If I was one of those Koi I would want more than 2ft of depth... But that doesn't mean it's what the Koi actually want or need.

This is an aquascape pond and this guy lost his catfish during the cold weather. Bit off topic, but what do you guys think was the cause of his catfish dying? I feel like if he was going to have weather like that then he would've been better off having a deeper pond. (disclaimer I appreciate some parts of america had very bad weather this year and this is catfish not koi)

My comment on the video was " I would've recommended having the pond pumps off during the coldest days. Circulating the water out and back into the pond drops the water temperature a lot faster. The deeper the pond the better, rightly or wrongly I am an advocate of ponds having at least one area that is a lot deeper than the rest so that fish have somewhere to go where the water is less exposed to the elements. "

I didn't watch the entire video, but the pond pictured there is WAY too small overall - not just in depth - for fish of any size. How many gallons is it? When you have a very small water volume, you will definitely have more problems with temperature swings.
And as far as what koi 'like' ? Obviously I haven't asked them, but watching the way they swim around - they don't go in circles. A six foot deep pond at six feet in diameter has over 1200 gallons of water, but I'd venture to say that a largish fish would prefer that amount to be spread out over a much longer/wider area with less depth. Just my opinion - later today I'll go out & try asking my fish.

 

[TimL94]

I didn't watch the entire video, but the pond pictured there is WAY too small overall - not just in depth - for fish of any size. How many gallons is it? When you have a very small water volume, you will definitely have more problems with temperature swings.
And as far as what koi 'like' ? Obviously I haven't asked them, but watching the way they swim around - they don't go in circles. A six foot deep pond at six feet in diameter has over 1200 gallons of water, but I'd venture to say that a largish fish would prefer that amount to be spread out over a much longer/wider area with less depth. Just my opinion - later today I'll go out & try asking my fish.

No idea about the gallons, but I did have the same feeling, go on... just a little deeper... and a little wider.... and a little longer..... and a little deeper...... *cough*.
Whatever you do dont watch the other videos of this pond.... well maybe its unfair of me to judge, the guys knowledge and skill for inside terrariums and fish tanks is amazing, but this guy got into the pond last year with a hard brush and scrubbed the rocks clean sat there watching as he furiously scrubs off all the bio/ecosystem that had built up on the rocks.

 

[GBBUDD]

To me, and yes I am a bit more crazed with pond size then most. I don't see that as a pond , i'm sorry to me it's a water garden accent piece a couple gold fish a few frogs maybe a turtle and that's about it. as mentioned above put your self in there fins would y

ou want to spend your life in a over sized puddle?​

 

[brokensword]

Is it anthropomorphism ? If I was one of those Koi I would want more than 2ft of depth... But that doesn't mean it's what the Koi actually want or need.

My comment on the video was " I would've recommended having the pond pumps off during the coldest days. Circulating the water out and back into the pond drops the water temperature a lot faster. The deeper the pond the better, rightly or wrongly I am an advocate of ponds having at least one area that is a lot deeper than the rest so that fish have somewhere to go where the water is less exposed to the elements. "

just for edification; ponds less than 8' (I've actually read 10-13' but can't find that link at the moment) don't typically stratify, so there's no real reason to think the temp is much different top to bottom. I believe @MitchM actually charted top/bottom temps one winter, there in his Canadien abode. I do believe there's a lot of stress put on 'already stressed' pond fish in the winter-spring transition time when the water above mixes too rapidly with the lower water, i.e. rapid temp changes.

pond thermocline

 

[Lisak1]

The idea is that when a fish swims top to bottom, there's different muscles being used/developed.

I don't know... I've watched our fish swim. Seems like they swim the same whether up and down or one end to the other. But that's just from my inexperienced, know nothing eye! Aren't koi river fish by nature? Or did I just dream that up?

 

[Lisak1]

To me, and yes I am a bit more crazed with pond size then most. I don't see that as a pond , i'm sorry to me it's a water garden accent piece a couple gold fish a few frogs maybe a turtle and that's about it. as mentioned above put your self in there fins would y
ou want to spend your life in a over sized puddle?

Did you watch the whole video? He actually has two "ponds". I agree - the first one is a water feature. The second one is larger and deeper... not sure how deep though. My one comment would be that he's fixated on the algae in his ponds an removing it - he sees no algae as a sign his pond is healthy. He never really addresses why he has excess algae, other than to remove it. Perhaps that would give him a clue as to why his catfish died. If those were channel cats, they are notorious for producing a lot of waste and can get really big really fast. I guess I could go watch his videos and answer my own questions, but he seems more aquarium than pond.

@TimL94 - that theory of waterfalls over cooling the pond gets tossed around here. I don't know if we've ever settled the question, and much does depend on your pond construction - like where you pull the water from, how big your waterfall is, etc. We run our pond all winter without any issues.

 

[GBBUDD]

Have to admit I did not, I judged the book by it's cover. my bad

 

[GBBUDD]

Aren't koi river fish by nature?

Yes they are and its quite the site at breeding season when 24" fish start jumping out of the water

 

[Lisak1]

I just know our fish - our one lonely koi and his goldy/shubby harem - love currents. They love to tempt fate by swimming right up to the negative edge and just hang there, like it's a fishy treadmill.

 

[Doctor mcboy]

i bought stuff from them. they were good. so i give em a thumbs up.

 

[JamieB]

Good point about “ glorified mud puddles “ as I sit here and contemplate the mud puddles in my driveway... honestly surprised I’ve never found fish in them after the river floods. The semi going in and out has made them fairly deep, and if we didn’t have traffic, they could almost become small ponds!