Custom Stone & Watercscapes - Calgary Ponds & Water Gardens

For a detailed Garden Portfolio in Calgary, Alberta; please contact the author of this article:

Paul Gettis
Custom Stone & Waterscapes
(403) 870-1142
waterstones@gmail.com

Hopefully you find this information useful!

What Are The Essential Components I Need To Build A Calgary Pond or Watergarden?

Ponds in Calgary, and Water gardening in general have become increasingly popular. So have waterfalls for that matter.

Anyways, the thing about a pond is that you create an ecosystem. Any nature lover would adhere to what a naturalistic paradise in your own backyard can do for your senses…..and well being for that matter. Especially in a city like Calgary.

The key elements you need for a balanced pond or watergarden are:

1) Filtration

2) Aeration & Circulation

3) Rocks & Gravel

4) Plants

5) Fish

First of all, pond filtration is achieved by taking the entire volume of pond water through a filtration medium.

This is essential because in these filter mats, you grow beneficial bacteria that help complete the nitrogen cycle.

Aeration and circulation is important as well and is achieved by having a waterfall in your pond. The waterfall help break up the surface of the water and allows your pond to be oxygenated.

Rocks and Gravel at the bottom of your pond are one of the hottest debates in the industry. The debate is that they are hard to clean on one side, but on the other side, they are a great place to colonize bacteria, which in theory should help clean the pond itself.

We adhere to the rocks and gravel theory as pond builders in Calgary.

Plants that you want to be in your Calgary pond are great because they not only look nice, they directly compete with algae for nutrients.

Fish will help your ecosystem simply by feeding on excess algae. They contribute to the balance of your pond and contrary to what many believe are very low maintenance. Most ponds have enough food in them to feed your fish.

You see, a pond system must always be in balance. It doesn't matter if you are in Calgary or Russia. Nutrients going into a system must equal nutrients going out of the system in your pond.

That is why it is key to make sure your pond is done right. In Calgary there are many, many contractors out there.

Some are good and some are just fly by nighters that are looking to make a buck and do not know what they are doing. Especially with the boom Calgary has seen in recent years, these kind of chaps are everywhere.

The recession help filter most of them out of Calgary and the Pond industry, but beware, be cautious, ask for references and do everything else that your mother taught you to do when dealing with strangers.

Anyways, back to ponds and building them in Calgary. A few general rules to follow. Make sure the pond is not the low spot in your yard. If your pond is the low spot in your yard it is susceptible to ground water runoff, which puts a tonne of excess nutrients in your pond system.

If your Calgary pond is built in a spot that gets tonnes of run off, you have no hope of having a clear pond, as there will always be an excess of nutrients in your system. Algae, will be the first to grow and create the balance, that nature so forcefully commands.

POND ALGAE - The Good & The Bad

There is no avoiding algae in your pond. These single-celled plants are very hardy and, once many of them form a colony, they turn the pond's surface into an ugly green mess. There are, however, some beneficial types of koi pond algae that one actually should be happy to see sprouting up in their pond. The question is: How does one eliminate the bad pond algae and keep the good algae in the pond? The answer is quite complex.

Healthy Competition

Algae, like all plants, needs nutrients and light to survive. Algae Blooms are more frequent when there is an excess of light and nutrients. Pond algae can be outcompeted for these resources by other plants. Floating plants are a great way to fight the algae in your pond. They are also very nice to look at. Plants such as Duckweed and Water Hyacinth are excellent ways to deprive pond algae in the pond of the light it needs to flourish. As well, plants like this help give fish cover and roots which are good for their breeding.

Plants will help take away excess nutrients in your pond water. This will help put a strangle hold on algae. Make certain to incorporate plants into one's pond plans.

Circulation - Enemy of Pond Algae

Pond Algae loves stagnant water. Constant moving water will help keep algae to levels that are manageable in your pond. A pond pump for a garden pond should circulate about 50 percent of the water per hour. Your entire water volume should be circulated every hour for a koi pond. Circulation is crucial to ensure that your water doesn't become saturated with algae. This environment will become really unhealthy for fish.

Pond Algae Filtration

There are several different types of filters on the market. All of them can help combat algae in the pond in various ways. The things most recommended to fighting algae in your pond are UV filters and biological filters.

UV Filters that will destroy Pond Algae?

Ultraviolet light is a powerful biocide. Factually speaking, UV light is one of the ways that hospitals and other health care professionals sterilze their tools. In terms of keep your pond algae free, Ultraviolet radiation is very good.

Ultraviolet light provides pond algae control by actually destroying the DNA in the algae's cells. A small amount of water is dragged through the filter at a time and is exposed to intense ultraviolet light. DNA is destroyed. Think about how the sund can destroy human skin tissue. Don't worry about getting cancer from the filter, however, the UV from the sun is orders of magnitude more powerful than that emitted by the filter.

These filters can take a long time to work but they can provide excellent results. They are among the single best ways to eliminate algae from one's pond. Best of all, they don't eliminate the beneficial algae that grows along the pond liner and which provides a snack for the fish!

Pond algae and biological filters

Biological filters use single-celled organisms to consume and outcompete the algae in a pond. These are very good ways to keep this bothersome plant under control. Sometimes these filters take a while to make a difference but they are definitely worth it. Once the filter has balanced the water against the growth of pond algae, the results are spectacular.

Keep your filters running all the time to make sure you keep a clear pond. Be patient and, sooner or later, the difference will be remarkable. Cleaning your filter mats from time to time can allow your beneficial bacteria to be replenished every so often. It is important to pay attention to the manufacturer's instructions for the device you are worried about.

Manual labour to destory algae in your pond?

Some species of pond algae can be taken out of the pond physically. On features such as waterfalls and fountains, one may see long strings of green algae take hold. A person may easliy grab and scrub this gone with hands. This type of pond algae is not to be thought of in the same way as the thin, fuzzy algae that is found all over the rocks and gravel in your pond. The latter type is of great benefit to the pond's ecosystem.

The pond algae that collects in mats on the surface of the water can be removed with a simple net. This should be done as soon as it is noticed. These mats are just free-floating colonies of algae and are easily enough skimmed off the surface.

Mechanical water skimmers can make these chores a little better. These devices are a type of filter that pulls water in from the surface of the pond and filters out debris and other pollutants such as pond algae mats. Every pond should have one of these installed.

Fish pond algae is generally at its worst when the pond is first installed. This is because the tiny ecosystem hasn't quite balanced out and the pond algae will have several ecological niches in which it can establish itself. Over time, plants become more developed, filters colonize bacteria, your UV filter (if you have one) is given time to work. The end result is that your pond becomes clearer.

One common misconception: A clear pond doesn't always mean healthier water. One may look at their crystal-clear pond and feel that all is right with the world without realizing that the water is filled with nutrient-draining pond algae and harmful bacteria. The biological filter should be left on at all times; also make sure the correct UV filter is purchased for the job. Ideally, look for a UV filter that is advertised as a "sterilizer" rather than a "clarifier".

Pond algae control, as one can see, is a significant effort. Pond is like a fine wine, the more established and older it gets, the better it tastes. Those who have concrete-lined ponds will have the most difficult startup time of all. The Ph in these ponds tends to be high which encourages the growth of pond algae. If one happens to be the owner of such a garden pond, be doubly-aware of the hazards presented by this plant and be prepared to fight something of a battle.