Rocks on bottom of pond or not?

[Lisak1]

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.

I'll say it again - I would never put ROCKS (i.e., small boulders) in the bottom of the pond. That would make scooping difficult if not impossible and would trap gunk in between the rocks creating a potential problem. That, however, is a COMPLETELY different scenario than a GRAVEL bottom pond. A shallow layer of gravel adds to the biological processes taking place in the pond by giving bacteria surface area on which to colonize. It also, I believe, gives koi and goldfish an outlet for their natural rooting instinct. Our fish move gravel around out pond constantly. The gravel is so shallow that with one swipe of the foot you can expose the bottom liner.

I am not saying you HAVE to have gravel in your pond, but I do like to dispel the myth that gravel in and of itself is a problem in a pond when in fact it is actually a positive factor.

 

[GBBUDD]

My pond is fully rocked - big boulder walls and a shallow layer of gravel on the bottom. As an eco-pond enthusiast, I'm of the opinion that the gravel provides extra surface area to be colonized by bacteria. But it's certainly your choice. I'm just happy we've gotten to the point where people can admit the have a rocked pond without being accused of building a killer pond. haha!

WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THESE FOLKS WHO BELIEVE KOI NEED A STERIL ENVIROMENT. they seem to forget the GODS the Japanese breeders ALL have mud ponds where they grow the monsters and for some ODD reason the Japanese breeders have far superior color and size than the European and American breeders . HMMm could it be the mud pond?

 

[Lisak1]

WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THESE FOLKS WHO BELIEVE KOI NEED A STERIL ENVIROMENT. they seem to forget the GODS the Japanese breeders ALL have mud ponds where they grow the monsters and for some ODD reason the Japanese breeders have far superior color and size than the European and American breeders . HMMm could it be the mud pond?

Oh, I know. Koi are mud loving fish. Mine love nothing more than me cleaning off the waterfall and stirring up some dirty bits for them to poke through.

But to be fair, if I paid $10K for a fish, I'd want nice clear water so I could enjoy looking at it every dang minute of the day! And as always, we need to specify what type of pond we plan to keep - a dedicated koi pond is a completely different beast than an eco-pond.

 

[GBBUDD]

Oh, I know. Koi are mud loving fish. Mine love nothing more than me cleaning off the waterfall and stirring up some dirty bits for them to poke through.

But to be fair, if I paid $10K for a fish, I'd want nice clear water so I could enjoy looking at it every dang minute of the day! And as always, we need to specify what type of pond we plan to keep - a dedicated koi pond is a completely different beast than an eco-pond.

i'm SORRY I LOVE MY FISH, SALT, FRESH, Bog plants, planted tank, Nature all around. but to spend ten thousand dollars for a fish is just foolish and I know they go a lot higher then that. It will just never be from my wallet

 

[addy1]

lol my babies cost a average of 3 bucks................I don't do pricey because that fish would be the one the heron gets.

 

[Jhn]

I have bought pricey saltwater fish, a few hundred dollars, not fish kept outside.

Where I am living now the pond is out in the open, so like addy I don’t spend much money on fish. Without a doubt if I did, that would be the first one to get nabbed by a heron.

 

[Lisak1]

But that’s a million dollar shot right there @addy1 !

 

[MitchM]

It's always nice to see a successful long term pond.
Very nice, @CliffandJoann .