​The “gravel bottom pond debate” (to use gravel or not to use gravel) has been ongoing for many, many years, but there are 5 critical reasons to use gravel in a pond that are really quite easy to comprehend.

​First and foremost, gravel provides a habitat for beneficial microorganisms in the pond. Fish, crustaceans, and aquatic insects feed on these minute organisms, as well as bacteria and algae that live on the rocky shore. These bacteria help break down decaying plant matter and fish waste, turning it into usable plant nutrition, which is then consumed by aquatic plants over and over again in the aquatic “circle of life.” 

Without the rocks and gravel, the bacteria would not thrive and the decaying plant matter and fish waste would accumulate on the pond bottom, getting deeper and deeper. This is the muck that you slip on if you’ve ever walked in a pond without rocks and gravel. Far less muck accumulates when you have rocks and gravel in a pond, which also means less maintenance!

​Rocks and gravel are used to naturalize a water feature, create waterfalls, and increase the biological activity in and around the entire pond. Rocks and gravel create a natural feel for the entire water garden. And simply put, they’re an important ingredient in the overall ecosystem pond recipe.

​Have you ever placed a couch in front of a window only to groan in dismay months later when you see how the sun’s rays have faded the color?  Pond liner is also susceptible to the sun’s ultra violet rays. You protect the liner from its worst enemy when you cover it with gravel, thereby increasing the liner’s longevity.

​Just like you use a rock to keep a napkin from blowing away at your family picnic, installing gravel over pond liner helps to hold the liner in place. If you don’t use rock and gravel, air bubbles can form underneath, and on occasion, pond liner can bubble up over the surface of the pond creating a Loch Ness monster of sorts.
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​Have you ever stepped into a pond without gravel on the bottom?  Unprotected liner is very slippery and if pond owners like to wade in their pond to trim aquatic plants or get up close and personal with their fish, stepping on small gravel is much safer.

​Not only do rocks and gravel help to maintain the balance of a healthy pond, but it protects the liner and acts as a safety feature, as well.

​Oh, no! My beautiful waterfall just quit working! What can I do? What's it going to cost? Can I deal with this myself, or do I have to hire a professional? Will my fish be okay?
These are usually the first panicky thoughts that run through people's minds when their pond pump quits working. ​Before paying for a service call to a professional, let’s check some basics to make sure you actually need professional help. Here are some basic, logical steps to checking out what's going on so that you'll know which professional to call if you need help.
If you're worried about your fish, you should have an air stone or two on hand to help with oxygenation of the water.
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If it's been raining recently, and things have gotten pretty sodden around your yard, unplug the pump and let everything dry out. Once you're sure it's all dry, reset the GFCI plug (and the breaker) and plug the pump back in.
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​If rain and potentially wet connections aren't an issue, unplug the pump and check/reset ALL of the GFCI buttons and breakers to make sure that it’s not just a push of a button or a flip of a switch to solve the problem. There should be a GFCI reset button on the outlet where the pump plugs in. There's also a breaker in your home's breaker box. Make sure you check them both. If anything is tripped, reset it, and then plug the pump back in. Sometimes a surge in the electrical service can cause this to happen, and then it's no big deal to reset everything and you're back in business. It's always nice when a problem has a simple fix, isn't it?
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If the pump is still not coming on after resetting the plug and the breaker, then unplug it again. Now, take a hair dryer or a lamp or something easy to carry and plug it into the outlet that the pump was in (again, after making sure all the GFCI's are on). Does that appliance work?

• If not, then the plug itself has a problem, and you’ll need to contact an electrician. Yes, GFCI plugs and breakers can go bad -- nothing is forever. A licensed electrician will be able to find the problem and get it fixed. In the meantime, you can use an extension cord and plug the pump into a different GFCI-protected outlet temporarily.
• If the appliance works when plugged into that outlet, then it’s probably the pond pump. You can double-check this by using an extension cord into another GFCI-protected outlet to see if it comes on. Don't plug it into a non-GFCI outlet because it may work, but there's probably still a problem, and you could cause a serious problem by keeping the pump plugged into that non-GFCI outlet (like a house fire). If the pump works on the other GFCI outlet, then it may be the original outlet, after all, depending on the age of the pump. If not, then the pump is definitely a goner.
• Call your local professional (us, person who installed your pond, licensed electrician, etc.) and let them know that you’ve checked out the issue and it’s definitely the pump that’s the problem. If you're calling someone who didn't install the pond, they'll need to know the details of what kind of pump you have, so be prepared with that information. Better yet, send them a picture of the pump and the label on it with its specs.

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Not necessarily! If you have a pump that just plugs into a standard GFCI outlet, you may be handy enough to replace it yourself. You may have to call around to find the appropriate replacement.

The price will include a service call (varies by professional), as well as the price of the pump. You can obtain a replacement pump yourself at one of the big-box stores or from Amazon.com; however, be aware that if there's a warranty issue with the pump later on, it will be all on you to deal with it -- a professional will not honor the warranty on a pump that they did not provide.

​During the winter, when the water is cold (below 55 degrees), your fish shouldn’t be in any immediate danger, especially if you have a good amount of surface area of water exposed for oxygen transfer, and your fish are less than 6" in length.

Hope these tips help, and might even save you an unnecessary service call fee. Let us know if we can be of service!

What the heck are those little brown fish in my pond -- are they baby Koi? This is a common question for people after we build someone a pond. Most of the time, they don't even notice them until their Koi or goldfish start becoming friendly. Once the hand-feedings start, they suddenly realize that there are a bunch of little brown fish in the pond. No, they are not the result of your Koi or goldfish fish breeding. They are Gambusia Affinis, commonly known as Mosquito Minnows, and they are part of the reason that a well-built pond is the cure for a mosquito problem.

They are vector control. Mosquito minnows' main purpose in life is to seek out and eat mosquito larvae in a body of water (as small as a mud puddle!). This is their all-time favorite food. That's not to say that they're not opportunists, as well. They will happily munch on Koi food, too, when given the opportunity, which is when people usually start noticing that they're there. All of a sudden, there are a bunch of little brown minnows darting around amongst the colorful pond fish. ​Water naturally attracts mosquitoes, so a pond full of hungry fish (and Mosquito Minnows) will keep those blood suckers under control.

Nope. They feed themselves: first and foremost, on mosquito larvae. If none of that is available, they'll eat whatever they can get, including roe (fish eggs). Yep, they are also population control for your Koi and goldfish. In fact, fish eggs are their second-favorite food source. As long as you have these in your pond, you will not have baby Koi or goldfish and your planned population will be maintained.

If no mosquito larvae is present, and there are no fish eggs to eat, then they turn cannibalistic. So, when times are good (lots of food), they multiply like crazy (they have live babies every 4-6 weeks). When food is scarce, they eat each other, thus being a self-controlling fish population. It may seem harsh, but that's part of life in and around water: the cycle of life.

One of the first questions we're often asked when folks call us for the first time is how long will it take to build my pond. Obviously, that depends on the size. The short answer is that our average pond project is started and completed in the same week. Part of our reputation, besides being the cleanest contractor people have ever worked with, is that we show up when we promise and we stay until the job is done. As a rule, we don't hop around between projects.
Keep reading to understand our entire process -- it's a bit different than you may have experienced with other contractors before. ;-)

If you're planning on building the pond yourself, then it can take anywhere from a weekend to a whole lot longer.

We estimate that the average time it takes for someone to go from first contact with us to signing a contract and getting on our construction schedule takes about 2-3 weeks. That time estimate depends on our client's schedule, as well as the amount of incoming requests at any given time.

We do our best to get back to people who first contact us within 48 business hours. During times of unusual incoming requests, this can take a little longer, and we try to keep you posted on where you are in our que.

Once we've had a chance to chat, we usually get out to see your job site and put together your plan and contract within a week from the first telephone conversation.

Once we have a plan, contract, and deposit, we can schedule your start date for next in line.

The next question is almost always, when can you start? Depending on the time of year (Spring being our busiest season), we are typically between 3 and 5 weeks out for a new project. Not gonna lie, we've been as far as 3 months out before. We always appreciate people who can plan ahead just a bit! ;-)

It's as easy as 1-2-3! You might find our process a bit different than what you've experienced with contractors in the past. Our system is designed to first and foremost make sure that we're a good fit for you -- that we're the company that can best meet your needs, goals, and expectations. If we're not, we have no problem referring you to a colleague that we feel would be a better fit.

Step 1. The initial contact is typically done through a phone or video conversation. We ask a whole bunch of questions, so please be patient with us as we get to know you and go through the discovery process of how we can be of service. Again, we have your best interest at heart. The last thing we want to do is jam our product down your throat and create an unhappy client because we didn't meet your expectations. We have a stellar reputation for a reason! If we're looking at remodeling or replacing an existing feature, we'll also ask for photos so we know where we're starting from. If everything goes swimmingly with the phone conversation, and you're comfortable with moving forward with your project -- and our company, we move on to the on-site design consultation.

Step 2. We call this an on-site design consultation because we're coming out to design your pond or water feature. The "free estimate" part has already been handled during the phone conversation beforehand -- another factor in making sure we're a good fit for you. At this time, we meet with all the decision-makers involved to make sure that everyone gets their questions answered, their concerns addressed, and their expectations heard. When everyone involved is comfortable and chomping at the bit to get the party started, we lay out the design, write up the contract, and collect the deposit. The deposit is 1/2 of the contract amount, which allows us to go ahead and order and dedicate the materials necessary to complete your project.
We do have a design consultation fee if you're not quite yet comfortable, or want to continue to talk it over amongst yourselves, etc. That covers our time, education, and expertise for this visit that was set aside just for you. This is why Step 1 is so important to make sure we're all on the same page before Step 2.

Step 3. You are put on the construction schedule for next in line. And we don't just leave you hanging until then! We send out communication emails to let you know what comes next, and keep you informed along the way.

That's really all there is to it. It's as easy as 1-2-3 to elevate your outdoor living experience! Can we get started on yours?

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LET US HELP YOU WITH YOUR DIY POND​

Yes, we DO have a Fall season in Phoenix, albeit not very darn long. And there are some things you should and should not do to prepare your pond for the "winter" ahead.
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Decaying leaves and foliage produce toxic gases that can harm your fish so you want to remove this debris before they can get saturated and sink to the bottom. If you have a skimmer on your pond, this helps tremendously. If you have any deciduous trees around, our Fall winds can blow them right into your pond. You don’t need to remove every single last leaf, but try to remove the majority. If you have a skimmer, check it weekly.

It's tempting to get everything "cleaned up" to prepare for winter. This is actually the worst thing you can do for your aquatic plants. We typically don't get any hard frosts in Phoenix; however, we can get a freeze or two. If you've trimmed and thin your aquatic plants too much, they will have no protection, and a frost could kill them. After the last danger of frost has passed (around the end of February), THEN you can go after any dead stuff and reveal the new lush growth getting ready to "spring" forward.
​Aside from protecting the plant, if you have any amphibious life in your pond, they need the protection from the cold, too. They'll snuggle down into the heart of the plants and hibernate for the winter.

Add Cold Water Beneficial Bacteria to the pond once the temperature drops below 50 degrees, if you need to use any at all. You may not need it, especially if your pond is mature.

​Once temperatures drop to 50 degrees at night (remember, pond water more closely follows nighttime temps rather than daytime temps), stop feeding your fish. They need to get ready to hibernate and you’ll want to avoid any metabolic complications. You can feed them Cold Water Fish Food, or give them natural treats like melon, oranges, lettuce, and even Cheerios.