Ponds & Their Problems
FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions about waterfalls, rockpools and garden ponds Review others’ frequently-asked questions. To help you 'get it right', we are building a list of questions people frequently ask, along with answers and advice. If you ask a question we don’t know the answer to, or ask a particularly good question you will receive a copy of the excellent 256-page A4 sized book “Rock and Water Gardening”. At September 2012 there are still three books to give away. What should I consider when deciding on a position for my water feature? (Elsternwick) .
Proximity to viewing
points from the house should be considered – the
closer it is, the more impact it has. Sun orientation
is another. Water trickling off a waterfall in the
morning sun looks best. Consider drainage issues
before you begin construction! If you have a slope,
this can make for an interesting feature. However
there are so many ways of using slopes that it's best
to read our technical sheet which covers many points.
Phone or email (see form below) for this sheet. The sheet also contains
suggestions for suitable plantings around your water
feature.My pond has got very murky. What should I do about it? (Blackburn) .
Clear water makes water
features a delight. Murky water pleases no one. There
are 4 kinds of murky water – pea green, black
stagnant, green strandy/cloudy and dark tea coloured.
There are six causes – excessive warmth and sunlight,
overstocked with fish, insufficient water movement, no
oxygenating water weeds, poor pond drainage and leaf
decay in the pond. Toprock's technical sheet
addresses fixing these problems in detail and can be
sent out to you at no charge.My fish are being taken by some animal. How do I stop it happening? (Doncaster) .
You are more likely to
have a marauding bird than a cat. You can put hollow
logs or hollow artificial rocks (like Toprocks) in the
pond to provide a refuge for your fish. Preferably
locate them on a ledge within the pond rather than the
bottom, as there is less oxygen at the bottom. A few
sleepers over a section of the pond can also be
helpful. If the fish are still disappearing, then I’m
afraid you have a visiting cormorant - more prevalent
with the increase in wetlands and parks. You will need
to put a net over the pond whenever it is not
supervised for at least six months. Contact
Toprock for where to get a suitable net. |