There's More Than One Type of Pond?

​When you hear the word “pond,” any number of things may come to mind, depending upon your personal experiences, or that of friends and relatives.  For example, if you’re from the Midwest, a pond to you is probably anything you can see across.  If you’re from the Southwest, it may be a cow tank.

​Game Fish/Recreational Pond

​This type of pond can be anything from a cozy little fishing retreat to a man-made lake supporting everything from bass fishing to water skiing.  If your goal is to hang out on your back porch and practice your fly casting, this might be something that interests you.
Pros:  Quite entertaining if you're into fishing or raising game fish
Cons: Generally not very attractive

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​Settling/Retention Pond

​This type of pond is specifically designed to catch run-off from rain, irrigation, etc.  It is actually designed to be dry most of the time.  This is something of a requirement in some cities and communities, either as a neighborhood or on individual lots.
Pros:  Acts as stormwater management
Cons:  Can breed mosquitoes if the water stands too long because it has no circulation

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Rigid System Pond

​This type of pond is appropriate in some settings, such as swimming pools.  There are several types of rigid liners to choose from, depending on the application and your goals.
Pros: Can be easy to maintain, just throw in a chlorine tab once in a while
Cons: Will absolutely eventually crack and leak, and because it's a rigid system, repair is costly and most of the time ineffective compared to the cost.  Not very natural-looking.

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​Koi Pond With Techno-Filtration/Sterilizers

​This type of pond is for those of you who are specifically interested in raising multi-thousand dollar show fish.  They are generally not pleasant to look at, they require a lot of equipment and maintenance (see picture), and they are rather expensive, both to set up and to maintain.  However, if your goal is to raise show Koi, this is what you need to invest in.
Pros:  Great for raising show Koi
Cons:  Maintenance-hogs; not very attractive

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​Organic Water Garden/Flexible System Pond

This is the type of pond that we will spend the majority of this book discussing.  An organic water garden is a sustainable, low maintenance, ecological environment created within the pond.  This pond will support Koi (as pets) and aquatic plants, and provides a rich environment for both to thrive.
Pros: Beautiful; low maintenance; last a LONG time
Cons: Your friends, families, and neighbors may visit more often than you'd like just to hang out by the pond

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