Every spring we get an influx of phone calls from new homeowners who have inherited a pond and are trying to figure out how to maintain it. Other times it's a DIY customer who is designing their very first pond and are planning their maintenance. So naturally, we ask about how the pond (or the plan for the pond) is set up and whether or not that set up includes rocks and gravel. We often find the same 3 questions from new ponders:
“Do Rocks and gravel make ponds dirty?”
– Plain and simple: Rocks and gravel do not make a pond dirty. A pond can only become dirty depending upon how the pond owner manages the pond—i.e. are you over feeding your fish? Are you cleaning out your pond yearly? Are you properly maintaining it at all? Imagine a rock by itself---it doesn’t have any byproducts…it doesn’t ooze any liquids. If you place rocks and gravel into a body of water and just leave it alone what will it do? Sit there. However, if a pond owner overfeeds, overstocks fish, poorly maintains or even neglects that same rock and gravel-filled pond, it will indeed APPEAR dirty. The reality is that a pond without rocks and gravel will be the same amount of dirty—you just don’t notice it as much if the dark waste is against a black liner. In fact, there are benefits to gravel, in that it can actually enhance filtration and water quality in a pond if used correctly with beneficial bacteria products.
“Can rocks and gravel kill your fish?”
–It is true that some varieties of rock can fluctuate pH levels, or begin breaking down in the water, thereby causing issues. If you’re using the correct rock however, generally river gravel/pea gravel, then there is no worries about the potential of them killing your fish.
“Will rocks and gravel will poke holes through the pond liner?”
– While this COULD BE a possible problem if the pond was built incorrectly, it is also true that the damage that rocks and gravel can do to liners is from human error or poor material choices. Don’t just use any jagged/sharps and think about what you’re doing when you place them on the liner and you will see that damage to pond liners from rocks and gravel pretty much never happens. It's also important to consider what type of pond liner you've used or how old it is. We've had DIY customers try to reuse 15-20 year old liners they've found on craigslist, which is ultimately on it's way "out" (i.e. getting brittle). So of course it's set up for rips and tears and isn't the fault of the rocks--- but of the liner itself. Liners made specifically for pond use is DESIGNED to withstand and coexist with rocks and gravel. For example, we've used rocks that weigh a couple tons and haven't had problems-- it's super tough stuff!
– Plain and simple: Rocks and gravel do not make a pond dirty. A pond can only become dirty depending upon how the pond owner manages the pond—i.e. are you over feeding your fish? Are you cleaning out your pond yearly? Are you properly maintaining it at all? Imagine a rock by itself---it doesn’t have any byproducts…it doesn’t ooze any liquids. If you place rocks and gravel into a body of water and just leave it alone what will it do? Sit there. However, if a pond owner overfeeds, overstocks fish, poorly maintains or even neglects that same rock and gravel-filled pond, it will indeed APPEAR dirty. The reality is that a pond without rocks and gravel will be the same amount of dirty—you just don’t notice it as much if the dark waste is against a black liner. In fact, there are benefits to gravel, in that it can actually enhance filtration and water quality in a pond if used correctly with beneficial bacteria products.
“Can rocks and gravel kill your fish?”
–It is true that some varieties of rock can fluctuate pH levels, or begin breaking down in the water, thereby causing issues. If you’re using the correct rock however, generally river gravel/pea gravel, then there is no worries about the potential of them killing your fish.
“Will rocks and gravel will poke holes through the pond liner?”
– While this COULD BE a possible problem if the pond was built incorrectly, it is also true that the damage that rocks and gravel can do to liners is from human error or poor material choices. Don’t just use any jagged/sharps and think about what you’re doing when you place them on the liner and you will see that damage to pond liners from rocks and gravel pretty much never happens. It's also important to consider what type of pond liner you've used or how old it is. We've had DIY customers try to reuse 15-20 year old liners they've found on craigslist, which is ultimately on it's way "out" (i.e. getting brittle). So of course it's set up for rips and tears and isn't the fault of the rocks--- but of the liner itself. Liners made specifically for pond use is DESIGNED to withstand and coexist with rocks and gravel. For example, we've used rocks that weigh a couple tons and haven't had problems-- it's super tough stuff!
So Now What???
We’ve used rocks and gravel in ponds for 2 decades without any of the problems we’ve heard concerns over. These are probably the most common conerns we’ve heard against the use of rock and gravel from being used inside water features. Maybe you have questions about a different argument against the use of rocks and gravel in ponds--- ask them!
Located in Lebanon, Pennsylvania, Dreamscapes Watergardens installs koi fish ponds and pondless waterfalls (disappearing waterfalls) all over the Central Pennsylvania area. For more information on koi ponds and waterfeature installations, please contact us directly!
Dreamscapes also carries a full line of pond supplies from water treatments and fish medications to pond pumps, heaters, fountains, plants and fish! Tadpoles and snails are also available at our Aquatic Retail Center in Lebanon, Pennsylvania seasonally while supplies last from May-August. If you think you need it, we have it!
Retail Hours: April 5th-October 27th 2018:
Monday-Wednesday: By Appt
Thursday-Friday: 10am-5pm
Saturday: 9am-12pm
October 28th-April 2019: HOURS BY APPT
Contact Us
2155 State Route 343, Lebanon Pa | 717-272-6555 | [email protected]
Dreamscapes Watergardens services the city of Lebanon, Lancaster, Harrisburg, Mechanicsburg, Camp Hill, Cleona, Cornwall, Fredericksburg, Indiantown Gap, Jonestown, Kleinfeltersville, Mount Gretna, Myerstown, Newmanstown Palmyra, Quentin, Reistville, Richland, Schaefferstown of Pennsylvania,
Located in Lebanon, Pennsylvania, Dreamscapes Watergardens installs koi fish ponds and pondless waterfalls (disappearing waterfalls) all over the Central Pennsylvania area. For more information on koi ponds and waterfeature installations, please contact us directly!
Dreamscapes also carries a full line of pond supplies from water treatments and fish medications to pond pumps, heaters, fountains, plants and fish! Tadpoles and snails are also available at our Aquatic Retail Center in Lebanon, Pennsylvania seasonally while supplies last from May-August. If you think you need it, we have it!
Retail Hours: April 5th-October 27th 2018:
Monday-Wednesday: By Appt
Thursday-Friday: 10am-5pm
Saturday: 9am-12pm
October 28th-April 2019: HOURS BY APPT
Contact Us
2155 State Route 343, Lebanon Pa | 717-272-6555 | [email protected]
Dreamscapes Watergardens services the city of Lebanon, Lancaster, Harrisburg, Mechanicsburg, Camp Hill, Cleona, Cornwall, Fredericksburg, Indiantown Gap, Jonestown, Kleinfeltersville, Mount Gretna, Myerstown, Newmanstown Palmyra, Quentin, Reistville, Richland, Schaefferstown of Pennsylvania,
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