Q:

Don’t ponds and water features require a lot of time and expense to maintain?
A: A well designed and properly filtered pond usually requires only 20-60 minutes every couple of weeks for maintaining a healthy ecosystem.
   
Q: What about times of drought and water restrictions, doesn’t a pond require a lot of water?
A: After initial fill up, a pond area actually requires less water to maintain as a lawn or planter area of equal square footage.
   
Q:

Why are bottom drains so important?
A: Without bottom drains, fish waste and organic debris accumulate on the bottom of the pond.  Bottom drains allow this debris to be removed from the pond thru the filtration system and greatly reduce maintenance.
   
Q:

Should I put gravel or rock on the bottom of my pond?
A: We do not recommend gravel or rock on the bottom.  The gravel or rock tends to trap organic debris and prevent it from being removed through the bottom drain(s) into the filtration system.  Gravel or rock bottom ponds require periodic draining and pumping out of the muck.
   
Q: How many fish can I put in my pond?
A: This depends a lot on the type and size of the ponds filtration system.  A good rule of thumb is 1” of fish for each 10 gallons of pond volume, with proper filtration.
   
Q: How do I keep my water from turning green?
A: Green water is caused by excessive growth of plank tonic algae.  Algae can be controlled through proper biological filtration and the use of a correctly sized ultraviolet clarifier.
   
Q: How much should I feed the fish?
A:

Feed only what the fish will consume in a 5 minute period.  Un-eaten food only adds to the bio-load in the pond.  In other words, what goes in, must come out.  In winter months when water temperature is low, reduce or stop feeding as the fish are less active.
   
Q:

What are the building code requirements for installing a water feature?
A:

Check your local requirements!  Generally any water feature over 18” deep requires a “pool safe” yard (In some areas this is 5’ fencing, self closing gates, doors and sometimes window and door alarms).  The electrical source for the equipment should be GFCI protected and installed by a qualified electrician.