On Fri, 4 Jun 2010 13:58:23 EDT, Chip wrote:

I know this group and virtually every serious koi ponder says-NO rocks
in pond. For cleaning this is great, but there is a substantial faction
that says rocks and gravel are good and house good bacteria to help
clean up the bad stuff. Almost all in-house aquaria have lots of gravel.

What's the real skinny?

Chip

Even serious aquaria keepers are getting rid of gravel on the bottom and
keeping the bottom free. Why? Well.... it harbors more bad than good
bacteria and it needs to be vacced. That's one chore I wasn't about to do.
Not to mention, it makes the aquarium extremely heavy if you ever have to
move it (and you will).

Gravel in an aquarium is more decorative than functional. An inside
aquarium has more water running thru it per hour than the vast majority of
ponds and they don't have all the outside debris to deal with, from bird
poo to blown in leaves & dirt. Not to mention plant pots of dirt that might
get up-ended by the fish. It is easier to vac a bare liner, and nothing
catches up on it's way to the bottom drain if one has one. ~ jan
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Zone 7a, SE Washington State
Ponds: www.jjspond.us