CREATING A BALANCED POND ECOSYSTEM
A watergarden is a livng ecosystem. When a pond is first built it's filled with tap water which is sterile (thank goodness, then we can safely drink it). After a while a few bugs move in and some bacteria gets started and the water gets a little softer and a little more alive. If we add some plants they bring snails with them, if we put in a few fish they eat the bugs and provide nutrients for the plants. The sun and the water create an environment that is friendly to algae and a little algae starts to grow. The fish graze on the algae and their waste continues to feed the plants, the plants give off oxygen which is beneficial to the fish. In a few months there is a cycle of life going on that is self-sustaining. From a sterile body of water we've helped create a living ecosystem that will provide a home for many plants and animals.
If we are patient and allow the pond to take care of itself it will mature into a lively ecosystem. BALANCE is the key: lots of plants, not too many fish, a stable body of water without much fluctuation, a little aeration. All of these are critical to keeping a healthy pond. If the pond is out of balance it may show it by becoming murky with green water, does this mean we need to run out and buy an algaecide? NO. More plants and especially oxygenators will help the pond back into balance. Patience is very important in water gardening, if an algaecide is added to the pond it will disturb the balance even more. First it will kill the algae. That's a good thing, right? Well, not really. The algae dies, decomposes and becomes nutrient which fuels the next algae bloom. Algaecides can also retard the growth of beneficial water plants. If the plants aren't doing well they aren't using as much fish waste and this creates an opportunity for more algae. As you can see, this is a vicious cycle. In a healthy ecosystem all the players are necessary, including algae; the algae plays a role just like the ornamental plants and fish. That said, of course we don't want the algae to be out of control and it won't be if there is enough competition from other plants and not too much nutrient load. Our philosophy of ponds is: BENIGN NEGLECT. Resist the temptation to interfere with the balance of the pond. Will a pond treated this way look like a swimming pool? No. Swimming pools are the last place a plant or fish would want to live.
