Snooze wrote:
"Koi-Lo" wrote in message
...
wrote in message
oups.com...
Pond gardening is easy but there are four very rules to remember. They
a Ponds need aquatic plants, fish, and water snails for ecological
balance;

Odds are if you have aquatic plants, you have a few snails. I've probably
got tons of them in my pond, at least in the filters, the koi probably keep
the main pond populatin in check.

I grew up in rural Michigan. All the ponds I used to play in when I
was a kid had lots snails, so I see no worry with having some in my
water garden.

Grow aquatic plants in their own pots, in ordinary garden
soil; Keep 75 percent of the water surface covered with vegetation; and
You should never need to change the water.

I strongly disagree with this unless there are no fish in the pond.

Given enough plants, enough water, and the right fishload, why not? Earth
hasn't had a water change in a few billion years. Water changes in ponds are
largely needed because ponders put way too many fish for the pond to
naturally support.

I agree. All the aquriums I've kept didn't go "out of balance" until I
added too many fish. But with an aquarium you want, or at least most
want, schools of fish because they tend to be the attraction. However,
for my outdoor water garden, plants/flowers are going to be the
attraction not the fish. So I'm only going to add a few [fish] to
control the bugs.

Patrick