About Ponds
The Pond Doctor can maintain your pond and improve the water quality of your pond ecosystem, water feature, aquatic gardens. Ponds all have one thing in common… water! The presence of water in a landscape brings a higher quality of life to those that live there. Perhaps it’s built into the human DNA. We drink it, wash with it, even play in it. It’s no accident that people flock to the water for recreations. Our species loves the water. We love the look and feel of it, and the sound of it cascading to the force of gravity.
When a small pond or water garden is added to our world, it becomes a place of beauty, a spot to escape from the traffic and busy lives we lead. Around our ponds, we’re free to daydream, watch the fish swim by, unwind from the trials of the day. But none of this happens without the application of a little human energy.
Pond Ecosystem
A properly installed Aquascape Ecosystem Pond will provide year round enjoyment with minimal maintenance required. We see many ponds built with no skimmers or bio-falls. These ponds built without adequate filtration become a chore to deal with and and all enjoyment is lost.
All ponds are their own ecosystem. Every pond is different. No two ponds are the same. There are many factors that affect water quality. Sunlight, organic debris, fish and plant load, as well as storm run-off , all affect water quality.
Some of the most common problems The Pond Doctor encounters include:
- Foul, dark colored water
- Fish deaths
- Pea green water (algae blooms)
- Overgrown plants
- Muck accumulation
- Lack of filtration
- Pond liner leaks
Common services offered by The Pond Doctor include:
- Installing filtration systems in ponds that previously had none
- Repairing or improving filtration systems
- Seasonal pond cleaning
- Fish removal for pond maintenance
- Liner repair or replacement
- Plant removal and repotting services
- Fall service available
- Low voltage underwater lighting
The Pond Doctor sees inadequate (or absent) filtration as the biggest problem pond owners face in maintaining a beautiful pond. When left to itself, any self-contained pond will eventually revert to a smelly mud puddle. In the past, many home ponds were not equipped with filtration at all. This requires more frequent draining and cleaning to prevent the water from fouling.
A proper filtration system includes the use of both a biological and a mechanical filter. A biological filter provides the surface area for beneficial bacteria that colonize and remove excess nutrients from the water. A mechanical filter pre-filters the water and also houses the pump. Keeping the pump away from debris. It will also skim debris from the water surface before it has a chance to settle to the bottom.
The Pond Doctor only installs Aquascape Inc. products. Aquascapes vision focuses on an ecosystem approach to water features that relies on the most natural balance of circulation, filtration, plants, fish, and rocks and gravel to ensure sustainability.
Modern Water Features
Today’s ponds often include fountains and waterfalls, all of which add beauty and the soothing sound of running water. But these systems can break down. Because they are under (or in) water, most pond owners don’t have the resources to drain their pond and repair the problem. The Pond Doctor specializes in the maintenance of all types of water features. He can also add a waterfall or fountain to your existing pond.
Fish and Other Live Specimens
Koi and goldfish do well in our mid-Atlantic climate, and are common water garden residents throughout the area. These fish can winter over under the ice, provided the pond gets fall maintenance to prepare it for winter. Other living creatures in a pond include frogs, turtles and aquatic plants. Keeping them all healthy and happy is, by and large, a matter of water quality maintenance.
The Pond Doctor has years of experience with the careful removal of fish and other pond inhabitants. They’re placed in nearby holding tanks while pond maintenance is performed, and then gently released back into their home once water quality is established and the temperature is correct.
