I don’t, however, care for the “old school” way of pond construction. The “old school” preaches that filtering pond water is unnecessary — that nature takes care of all that --- because a pond is a natural thing. The pump of choice is a submersible pump and a healthy pond is completely lined with rock over an impermeable rubber liner. Yeah — and the check’s in the mail.
Sure - a pond made of rubber with a motorized pump that requires electricity to run loaded with enough fish to feed the state of Rhode Island is sooooo natural! Muck and fish poop with no other place to go than between all those rocks churning out anaerobic bacteria and toxins that can't be absorbed into the soil because the liner gets in the way is "the way to natural pond construction". Then you throw in bottled bacteria that smells just like rotten eggs on top of all that other muck that also smells like rotten eggs and that will "process" the "waste". Sounds more like a recipe for a major fish kill.
Backyard ornamental ponds are FAR from natural and the construction of these ponds must be looked on in a whole different light than what has been the traditional method. A little "rotten eggs" is okay to seed the filter - notice I said "filter" - but not for the long run. You must create your own "nature" for a pond to remain healthy for any length of time.
What’s astonishing is the fact that MOST professionals in the industry subscribe to the “old school”. There are a few who insist their “old school” way is the only way! They do this because they stand to lose the fortune they’ve made on marketing their “old school” products. They’ve invested time and money and built their reputation on it. It kind of makes me feel sorry for these millionaires — NOT!
Then there are the professionals who have learned by the “old school” and do not know any different. They don’t know that the system they’ve been installing for years is just as expensive as a system that’s easy to clean and healthy for the fish. It may be that they’ve grown so familiar with installing this antiquated system that they are reluctant — maybe even scared — to install something with which they are not familiar. We further explore this particular system in our article titled “The “How Not to Build a Pond” Kit” on page 13 of this edition.
The Doc and I spend great amounts of time with our landscaper customers combating the “old school” ways that’s been hammered into their brains for so long. We’ve seen many successes. Landscapers who knew only one system are turned on to a world of choices and find out that not only are they creating a happier customer base they are installing state-of-the-art technology.
It is refreshing and invigorating to see our efforts begin to pay off. Two years ago I would have thought it an impossible dream but now I’m realizing that we are indeed helping to change the way ponds are built — at least in the Atlanta Metro Area. I don’t know about the rest of the world but, for the sake of our customers, we’ll continue to nurture the “new school” of pond construction and design.
