Pond Time!
by Gregg

The South Florida weather is finally cooling down and it is a great time to add a pond to your garden, porch or patio. Your new koi pond will be a very enjoyable hobby. It may look like a tough job but with a little help and a day or two set aside you can create an unbelievable, traffic stopping pond in your yard.

 Expense may be the first question on the tip of your tongue. How much is this going to cost me? I think it will surprise you when you find out you can install a 100 gallon pond for about three hundred dollars, including the filter and an ultraviolet sterilizer. Before you go with a little prefab consider using a liner because you will get a much bigger pond for just a little more money. The liner will allow you to create any style to fit your space and also allow for a deeper pond, which is a lot better in our hot climate.

 The three main considerations are going to be:
1. Liner size and material (prefab or poly)
2. Filter pump combination
3. U.V. sterilization

 As always, when keeping fish, the bigger the better is true. The larger (more gallons) the pond the easier it will be to keep. It may take a little more time and money initially but it will be well worth it in the end. Almost everyone I talk to with a pond wants to increase their original size after they find out how much beauty and joy the pond brings to them.
 
Filtration and pump size is something you will have to discuss with one of the pond pros at Beverly’s, because there are many options available to you. I recommend that you use an external filter so it does not detract from the beauty of your pond. The basis for most of the decisions is going to be your budget and size of the pond.

 Ultraviolet filtration is a must in my opinion! You would be surprised at the number of so-called experts that do not know that a pond without a U.V. is a green algae pit compared a pond with a U.V. At Beverly’s we will guarantee that if you buy a U.V. light and do not have a crystal clear pond in ten days you can bring it back and get a refund. The money you save on algae killing chemicals will pay for the U.V. in 6-8 months, but the important thing is your pond will be beautiful year round with sparkling water!