How much does it cost to have a water garden professionally installed?
Help!  My pond is all green!  How do I fix it???
Important Pond Installation "Quick Facts"
Will my fish and plants die in the winter?
Is it normal for the water level of my pond drop a little during the summer?
Does a water garden attract mosquitoes?

	How much does it cost to have a water garden professionally installed?
	Much like buying a car, you get what you pay for with water garden installations.  A pond that is installed properly by a knowledgeable, well-trained installer that uses quality products will provide you with many years of trouble-free water gardenering enjoyment with only minimal regular maintenance.  A poorly installed pond may look good for a month, maybe even a few months, but can become more of an eyesore than a pleasure in a short period of time. There are several key elements when factoring the price for a water garden: Size - How big do you want your pond? Water Features - Do you want a Waterfall, Fountain, and\or Stream? Liner - Do you want a flexible or rigid liner? Plants - Do you want plants inside the pond?  Outside the pond? Rock - Do you want to rock the interior of the liner?  If so, with what type of rock(s)? Lighting - Do you want your pond to be lighted? Excavation Concerns - What is involved with preparing the site for the liner?  Location - How far is the building site located from the installer?  A beautiful and crystal clear 11' x 16'  Aquascape Designs Professional "Signature Series" water garden, built with a flexible quality EPDM liner and including a 3000 gph pump, waterfall (bio-fall), skimmer, three underwater lights, rocked interior and several aquatic plantings can usually be constructed in the general MetroWest area of Massachusetts for around $6,000.
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	Help!  My pond is all green!  How do I fix it???
	This is easily the number one question I am asked. However, the answer is not a simple one. Many factors control the amount of the "evil green stuff", better known as algae, that grows in your pond: The Pond's Location - How much sunlight does the pond get during the day? Plants - How many and what type of plants are in your pond? Fish - Do you have fish in your pond?  If so, how many and what kind? I have personally found that larger koi may wreck havoc on some pond plantings, but they also do a nice job cleaning up algae.  Feeding Fish - Are you feeding your fish too much fish food?  If you are, you may create a double-edged sword situation: excess fish waste  = excess nutrients for plants AND the fish may not eat as much of the algae in the pond. Filtration - Does your pond utilize any mechanical or biological filtration? Ultra-Violet Lighting - Do you have a UV unit installed? Rocks - Does your pond have any rocks and gravel in the pond? The key to solving the algae challenge is creating a balanced ecosystem within your pond.  Algae is a tiny plant that feeds on nutrients in the water, as well as sunlight.  The more nutrients and sunlight that is present, the more likely you are to experience algae problems or "algae blooms" (aka the ugly, green stuff). I recommend doing several things to help win the algae battle: Plants, Plants, Plants - Utilize water lilies and floating tropical plants such as water hyacinth or water lettuce to cover one third to one half of the surface of the pond.  This helps to block out some of the sunlight as well as removing nutrients from the pond's water, starving the algae on two fronts. Filtration - Every pond, big or small, should have some form of mechanical (filter pad\media) or biological (enzymes) filtration to help keep the water clean.  I recommend utilizing both methods to keep your water clear.  Many of the better quality external filters actually combine both methods in a single unit.  Rocks and Gravel - There are many different opinions on whether or not to rock the inside of a pond for a variety of reasons, so all I can do is give you mine.  I have seen the benefit of adding rocks and gravel to ponds first hand.  It works!  Not only does it give your pond a much more natural look to it (who wants to look at an ugly black liner?), but it provides the beneficial enzymes that work to break down and decompose all the waste in your pond a lot more places to live and grow.  They just simply can not grow and multiply very well on the slippery black rubber walls of an un-rocked pond. Enzymes - Add them!!!  There are a variety of products available such as Microbe-Lift and AquaClearer that provide your pond (new or old) with a beneficial enzyme jump start.
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	Important Pond Installation "Quick Facts"
	Pond Liner Types: Preformed – Hard, rigid molded plastic EPDM -Flexible, “fish safe” rubber liner * Do not forget the underlayment! Flexible Liner Sizing: To buy the right size liner, be sure to “accurately” measure… 1. The length in feet of the excavated area, add twice the maximum depth in feet and then add an additional 2 ft for overlap X 2. The width in feet of the excavated area, add twice the maximum depth in feet and then add an additional 2 ft for overlap. Pond Water Volume Formula: Total Gallons = Average Length x Average Width x Average Depth x 7.5 Filter Types: Bio-Filters and Pressure Filters Keys to Building a successful Pond: Location, Location, Location Electricity – Remember that you have to run electricity to the pond to power the pump, lights, etc., so plan accordingly. Make sure to use a quality underlayment under your EPDM liners Depth for over-wintering fish: min: 24” Do not feed fish when water temp drops below 50 degree Fahrenheit Create shelves in the pond for various aquatic plants Filter pumps should circulate the total pond water volume every 2 - 4 hours Try to cover approx. 65% of the pond’s surface area with lilies and floating plants to help control algae. A good Spring cleanout helps give your pond a happy and healthy start to a successful pond season.
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	Will my fish and plants die in the winter?
	If your pond is in a region that experiences icy conditions during the winter, there are a couple things you need to keep in mind if you want your fish to survive; The experts say a pond should be at least two feet in depth in some area of the pond for over wintering fish in northern climates. I personally recommend having an area that sits at least 2.5 feet below the surface. You will need to make sure that you have some form of aeration in the pond during the winter months. You also need to maintain a hole in the ice on the surface of the pond to prevent the gases that can be toxic to fish from building up underneath the ice. If you have a water fall\feature that you shut down during the winter, you can accomplish this with a simple 300 gph+ pump that shoots water up a PVC tube to a point just below the surface. It's also recommended that you keep a floating heater onhand for those really cold spells. As for your plants, place your hardy water lilies in their pots at the bottom of the pond, and they will be just fine. Hardy marginals that have been planted in the pond should be trimmed back to a point just above the water level. Tropical plants will need to be brought indoors.
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	I have noticed the water level of my pond dropping a little during the summer.  Is that normal?
	Even a quality, well-built pond with no leaks can loose 1" or more of water per week during the warm summer months due to evaporation.  Windy weather and water features such as fountains, streams and waterfalls also tend to increase water loss. Please remember when adding new tap water from your hose to your pond to use a dechlorinator product to neutralize the chlorine that is added to municipal water supplies.
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	Does a water garden attract mosquitoes?
	If you have fish, frogs and/or toads in your pond, you will have no mosquito worries. The fish and friends will gobble 'em up for you! Additionally, mosquitoes avoid moving water, so if you have a waterfall or fountain, they will avoid your pond altogether.
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	Do you have a question that you didn't get answered here???
	Email me!!! I am happy to answer any of your water garden questions via email. PondGuy@MetroWestWaterGardens.com
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