Ponds

Ponds are a lovely aquatic site and serve many functions. This page will specifically look at Ponds as the habitat of aquatic life. When looking at Ponds the first classification to identify life contain Ponds are natural ponds and artificial Ponds.

• Natural Ponds:

Natural ponds are sculptured by earth herself and having one in your yard or business cannot be artificially made. Generally, these Ponds are already filled with great biodiversity and need little to no human invention or assistance. There are times when illness or pollution occurs when human intervention is necessary.

• Artificial Ponds:

  Artificial ponds are made by humans and go through a set of ecological phases similar to fish aquariums before being safe for aquatic life. While some of these phases may be accelerated by being outdoors, others such as the nitrogen cycle are unavoidable. Ponds generally have a longer wait time for the nitrogen to complete a first spike and drop of nitrogen molecules. This is due to the larger water volume. Nitrifying bacteria take longer to colonize enough of the water volume to keep nitrogen molecules at low concentrations. A month is the average length of time given for most ponds to be safe for aquatic life.

  Ponds in the common household yard that range in size from 20 to 75 gallons are sufficient for housing goldfish. Other fish kinds of life are generally discouraged. Many commonly sold fish are not compatible with the low temperatures and weather fluctuations of Kansas. Goldfish are a species of carp that survives well and cold waters, as well as have been selectively bred for household aquariums. The goldfish will still require a heater for a pond in the winter as they cannot survive in frozen water. Native fish are not recommended for house artificial Ponds in most cases. Transferring fish from the environment can come with disease risks, and wild-caught fish have a hard time adapting to commercial fish foods. However, catfish are known to make great pond fish as well. Artificial Ponds may host other styles of animal life such as frogs and turtles. Artificial Ponds can be classified into two main groups bioactive ponds and mechanical ponds.

  Bioactive Ponds: have been designed to work with nature to filter nitrogen waste from the water and deliver food and oxygen. Many are dug out in the ground and filled with water, then allowing nature to take over mimicking a natural pond. These Ponds do not require a mechanical filter but require a vast amount of space and water to maintain a healthy environment. Small bodies of water are likely to evaporate in summer and freeze in winter.

  Mechanical Ponds: these are the most common types of Ponds for fish care. Most mechanical Ponds function as an outdoor fish tank. A filter keeps the fish water purified while heaters prevent freezing. Refilling evaporation and water changes is a maintenance requirement for proper upkeep.