where to get rock?

[iceman27030]

can i take rock from my local stream to fill the bottom and sides of my 16 x 21 x 3 pond

[Russell Peters]

Quote: Originally Posted by iceman27030 can i take rock from my local stream to fill the bottom and sides of my 16 x 21 x 3 pond

Are you going to have Koi in your pond? If you are I would strongly recommend not putting rock in the bottom and sides. When you put rock in your pond you provide a way to trap debris that will rot and eventually cause major problems for your Koi. If you are interested in finding out moer, I would recommend that you post this question in the general forum.

[Steve Nguyen]

you can put rocks on the pond edge as long as there is no water touching the rocks. you don't want your koi to get injuries from bang into the rocks.

take Russ's advice, don't put rocks on the bottom if you plan to keep koi.

Steve

[CarolinaGirl]

Also remember that is may be possible to bring home parasites from the creek rocks. Creek rocks are fine....that's where many of my rocks came from....but not IN the pond. Around the top is fine, but not in an area where koi can be injured on them or where they can trap debris.

[iceman27030]

i was told that bacteria was not able to stick or grow on just the liner that it needed rock to have a place to grow - so if you dont put rock in the pond what do you put in it?

[Russell Peters]

Quote: Originally Posted by iceman27030 i was told that bacteria was not able to stick or grow on just the liner that it needed rock to have a place to grow - so if you dont put rock in the pond what do you put in it?

The information you are getting is incorrect. If you put rocks in your pond you will have major trouble some day.

Please post your questions in the general forum. You will find out exactly what you need to know there.

[CarolinaGirl]

Quote: Originally Posted by iceman27030 i was told that bacteria was not able to stick or grow on just the liner that it needed rock to have a place to grow - so if you dont put rock in the pond what do you put in it?

Whoever told you that was either misimfommed or they flat out lied. Believe me...beneficial bacteria will grow on the liner just fine. Your filter should have plenty of beneficial bacteria in it also. Rock will trap all the fish crap and uneaten food and allow it to decay in your pond. This makes the fish's pond much the same thing as a toilet. The sludge that developes under those rocks provides a breeding ground for bacteria (not the good kind), parasites and allows hydrogen sulphide gas to develop (which is deadly). Additionally, koi can easily get scratched or cut on rocks and with that bacteria breeding there, their little wounds can get infected and lead to death. Rocks in a pond are BAD. A properly designed pond has no rocks in the bottom. There should also be a botom drain that carries all the waste to the filters.

[MCA]

Time to join a koi club and do some research on koi pond systems. In a koi pond...rock and plants go on the outside....just koi on the inside.

Koi are large riverine carp...not small tropicals. Water gardens are more suited to housing goldfish and gambusi (skeeter fish).

This thread is full of world class koi ponds. For My Friend Jan T - KoiShack

Few of us can do ponds like these...but they are our inspiration.