There are many ways to create your own unique backyard ponds or water gardens and we've some advice to help make it a great and easy experience. Before creating your water fountain determine what your targets are. Are you attempting to attract local wildlife, like frogs, turtles and birds? Would you prefer to have a drinking water garden with a beautiful zen experience to it, showcasing lilies, lotus and additional aquatic plants? What about incorporating water in to the design of your home? Remember you probably DO have space for a water fountain. They could be anything from a half-barrel to a huge and deep pond in your back yard. No matter what your intentions are we can assist you to achieve them. The first step in creating assembling your project is to pick a location. You will desire a location where one can create some color for your pond in fact it is also fine to look for a place where one can protect the water from having way too many leaves or other particles from entering. Shade can be created in many ways. Water vegetation on the advantage or in the pond will color the water, many ornamental trees are ideal so long as they do not drop way too many leaves. Backyard ponds can easily be overrun by this type of debris. The next step is to start the design process. This includes choosing the actual shape of the water fountain, any waterfalls or additional water features, filtration, and where and if you will be planting about the water. It really is highly advisable to incorporate into the design several different depths and slopes around the pond edges. This will provide extra places for seafood and animals to go around and for placing various kinds of water plants. You can create your water feature out of concrete, prefabricated tubs, or even use pond liners. Choose the option that is best for assembling your project and spending budget. Concrete is commonly more expensive than a tub or a pond liner, but it may go longer if professionally installed. If you will be keeping Koi, Goldfish, Tadpoles or other types of fish then you may want to remember to consider protecting them from predators. Raccoons and Heron are voracious seafood eaters. Among the best methods to protect your seafood and animals is to provide a way to allow them to get away from the predators. The easiest way to do this is to supply at least 3 feet of depth in the pond. Heron and raccoons have got trouble catching fish and pets as of this depth or deeper. Filtration can be very basic or very intricate. It again depends on your project. Water Gardens with a couple small fish or no seafood at all do not need large filters. You can also make your own filter out of a 5 gallon bucket, some hoses and a pump. It is extremely easy to do! If you are keeping koi, you then will need something with more flow and even more mechanical filtration to eliminate waste. Koi are dirty fish and create a lot of waste. UV sterilizers certainly are a good plan on any water fountain. They kill nuisance algae that turns the drinking water green and in addition kill parasites that may attack your fish. Preferably you will place a UV sterilizer on the return line following the filter. Adding plant life to your backyard pond can be rewarding and beautiful. Water gardens need much of the same care as any home plant or other backyard would. You will have to research your plant life, determine how high and wide they grow, how exactly to prune them and what types of additional feedings they may require. You also need to know where around the water fountain your plants would grow the very best. Some simply float on the surface, so you just need to protect them from becoming sucked up into filters or destroyed by waterfalls. Other vegetation grow at different depths, which is why we recommend building your water fountain with many depths. You can add to the look and feel of your pond by picking local stones, or going to a local landscaping store and purchasing rock that fits the experience of your project. Many landscaping shops are now starting to specialize in products for backyard ponds. Backyard ponds make great set-ups for koi. There are a few things you really need to consider. Koi get large and produce a lot of waste, so be sure you provide adequate filtration. It is better to get a system that's too huge than one which is too small. It is costly and can be very difficult to upgrade a system later. It is usually best to do it right the first time. Plants can provide another unique problem when keeping koi. Simply speaking, koi love to eat plant life, swim through plants and simply tough them up. Your koi may just destroy the plants and cause a large mess in the pond. If you do use plants, and there are many that are suitable, just be sure you choose hard and tough plants or place them in areas where in fact the koi cannot reach them. Feeding your koi is easy as long as you are aware of their needs. The feeding practices of koi are directly related to the water temperature ranges and periods. In the Spring time you should begin feeding the koi with a premium color improving growth food. During the summertime you can continue with a color enhancer, and offer multiple types of food. There are several great spirulina pellets, krill and various other treats for your seafood. As the drinking water cools down once again in the winter you should remember a couple of things. One, cut way back on feeding. If your water gets down to 50 degrees or lower you do not need to feed the seafood at all. If you will end up being feeding then head to an easy to digest Wheat Germ meals. Backyard ponds could be a lot of fun! We hope you enjoy developing and building yours!