Pond Lights And The Essentials

Sponsored Links

Ponds are not just for the rich and famous. And they are not just something that exists in marsh lands far out of sight. In fact, many people have a backyard pond to enhance the look of their home. Anyone can start building a pond themselves when armed with the right knowledge. If you love the idea of having a water garden, fish pond, or watering hole with other types of aquatic life, then a pond is just what you need.

To build a pond you will require a range of equipment and pond supplies. That will not only keep everything alive, but it will look attractive too. The cost involved will vary depending on the type and size that you want. Your shopping list might seem large but it is not all that complicated. Here are some things you should consider if you are building or adding to an existing pond:

Pond Lights: Pond lighting is not essential for the majority of owners. However, if you enjoy being outside your home at night time you will definitely benefit from lighting things up. It is the perfect way to show it off to guests and family.

There are three main types of pond lights. They are wired, battery powered and solar pond lights. They are in the form of LED pond light, halogen, 10w, 20w, underwater pond lights, and other various types. To make things simple let's look at each of them individually.

Wired Pond Lights: wired pond lights are great because you can control them from a remote location, you don't have to worry about batteries or the sun, and they can produce much more light than the other two types. The downside is that you will have to mess with a lot of wire. This may mean you have to dig up your lawn. There are special lawn forks which can push cable down in to the soil but you risk cutting and breaking the wire. Another danger is if you forget where the wires are and happen to do some digging which would cut power to all of your lights. Wired setups are more expensive but may last longer over the long term as the only thing you would need to worry about is bulbs. However, if you accidently run one over with a lawn mower, you will have a much more expensive expense on your hands.

Battery Pond Lights: These types of lights are best for small areas that you don't intend to use very often. Most come with switches but you will need to manually turn them off and on. Another issue is with colder temperatures. Batteries don't do well when really cold so you may not get the best lighting from them. The best place for these types of pond lights are right around where you will be sitting or viewing your pond in the later hours. These are relatively inexpensive but the costs of batteries over time may not be worth it depending on how often you use them.

Solar Pond Lights: These are the biggest rave at the moment. Solar pond lights don't require wires or batteries. They are quite inexpensive as a set of 3 will cost about $10. You can put them virtually anywhere, even on sidewalks as some models are specifically designed to be used this way. The downside of a solar pond light is the fact that they require the sun to charge up. If you have a very cloudy day they may not last too long in to the evening. Another problem is that if you leave them outside during the winter, some of them will seem to weaken their bulbs. But overall they are a very easy and inexpensive way to light up walk ways, water edges, and even your drive way without worrying about wires or expensive batteries. If you get tired of them in one spot or need to mow the grass, you can easily remove them.

Pond Pumps and Pond Filters: Depending on the design and location of your pond, you will require a submersible pump or an external pump. Many instances will also require a filtration system. Pond pumps not only help to add oxygen to water but it keeps the water from becoming stagnant. While some plants enjoy stagnant water, the majority of problems occur from still water. Mosquitoes and other larvae bearing insects love to breed in stagnant water. Stagnant water will also encourage rot and disease. A media filter can help remove unwanted debris and help purify the pond water with the use of carbon which is especially important for fish ponds.

Pond Equipment: Skimmers, vacuums, and pond netting are also essential for your outdoor pond. Keeping your pond clean will be the biggest challenge and these tools will help. All sorts of external forces can settle in your aquatic garden. Things like green water, algae control, and ice will have a direct impact on the ponds inhabitants. Maintenance is very important as it could cost a lot of money to repair any problem. Besides, there is no price to life itself.

Pond Design: The very first thing you will need is a pond liner to hold everything together. Setting a pond in an open hole is not going to hold up well because it will drain in to the earth and rocks very quickly. If you want a swimming pond, you will need to make it deep. If you want a flower or plant pond, also known as a water garden pond, it will need to be much shallower. A fish pond will be somewhere in between the two. You can always buy pond kits to help you get started and add a waterfall, fountain, or bridge later on.

Some ponds have aquatic plants, flowers, lily pads, floating water lilies, and duck weed while others contain turtles, frogs, and fish. There are also unseen organisms like algae and bacteria that are all a part of your ponds ecosystem. What if you wanted to add fountains to your koi pond? These will need to be factored in to the overall design.

For more detailed look at ponds and water gardens, please check out our helpful articles on the different aspects of a backyard pond, pond care, and pond life.