Should I Rock My Pond?

If you've been paying attention to our writings in the past, then this is a quick answer. Everyone, say it with me:

Yes, you should rock your pond. 

For the newbies, keep reading.

Here's some very basic definitions of "rock" that we use at Cool Ponds.

Why have rock?

In a very basic sense: having the right types and right amounts of rock helps keep your water clear.

Having the right type and right amount of rock in your pond creates a lot of surface area for beneficial bacteria to grow. Too often has this happened: a customer with no rock in their pond does everything we suggest to keep their water clear. But to no avail! Finally we beg and beg and beg the customer to please just add a little river rock in the bottom. And lo and behold-- clear water! Yes, it really can be the difference your pond needs in order to have clear water.

Here at the bottom of our crystal clear pond you can see a combination of boulders and a great layer of river rock.

Do this:

• Use a mix of granite boulders and river rock. It holds up well and looks great.
• Use river rock, which is the diameter of a quarter.
• Only add 2" of river rock to the bottom of your pond. No more and no less.

Don't do this:

• Don't ever expect to see the color of your rocks. Your rocks should be covered in a beautiful layer of carpet algae.
• Never use limestone. Algae looooves limestone.
• Don't use pea gravel. It will keep oxygen from going underneath the rock, which is very important to bacteria growth.

I can hear your questions: but won't this accumulate muck under the rock? Not enough to matter! There is enough oxygen flow underneath the rocks for beneficial bacteria to consume the muck.

And: how am I supposed to clean my pond now with all this rock? We never take rocks out of the pond, including the river rock. All of it stays in. When you do a pond cleaning, you're just going to flush any junk out from under the rocks-- that's it!

If you're still not convinced and need some proof, come by our display gardens and see all of our clear ponds -- fully rocked.