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Choosing how to landscape and finish a water feature is the most fun design decision you can make. Through landscaping you can bring in your personal taste and create the aesthetic you desire, to completely transform your outdoor space.
Consider how the following elements can completely personalise your waterscape:
Additional stream, waterfall or decorative water feature
Decks, bridges, paving or firepits
Lighting
Aeration
Rocks
Plants
Fish
Let’s explore the different options available for these finishing options.
Additional stream, waterfall or decorative water feature
Not only does adding a waterfall, stream or decorative water feature to a pond heighten the appearance of the water feature, but these features also help circulate and oxygenate the water. This circulation and oxygenation is beneficial for fish and plants as well as pond filtration and clarity. Adding a waterfall, stream or decorative water feature also has the added benefit of introducing running water which is soothing and relaxing.
Decks, bridges, paving or firepits
The possibilities are endless when it comes to designing an outdoor water feature and its surrounds. You may want to consider some landscape construction to compliment the pond or water feature. Features such as paving, decks or bridges to go around or over a pond can completely transform an outdoor area and increase its liveability.
Lighting
Lighting makes an excellent addition to a water feature as it allows you to optimise your pond use at night. Predators are also less likely to get close to your pond if the area is well lit. With the added illumination of lights, you can safely navigate around you water feature or swim in your recreation pond at night. In addition, lights can transform an outdoor space by adding a decorate accent or simply allow you to enjoy a pond’s beauty at night.
Lighting is fundamental to a pond for many reasons. Firstly, underwater lighting helps illuminate the contents of a water feature or highlight the flowing water in waterfalls or streams. Whereas external spotlights emphasize features around the pond.
We use Aquascapes LED pond and landscaping lights with low voltage transformers and photocell timer options. Photocells automatically turn the lights on when the sun goes down and turn off when the sun comes up, alternatively they can be set to turn off after 2, 4 or 6 hour timing increments. Our lights are available in 1, 3 or 6 watts.
Aeration
Aeration helps improve water quality by circulating water, keeping it fresh and clear as well as increasing oxygen in the pond. Movement created in your pond by aeration is beneficial at displacing surface debris in stiller areas of the pond or an area where debris may settle on the pond floor. A pond aerator will provide excellent aeration and increase oxygen levels in bodies of water.
Rocks
Rocks of different sizes, shapes and characters serve to give a pond its form. Medium to large boulders provide an attractive perimeter and define the shelves and ledges around and inside the water feature. While small rocks and gravel hold larger rocks in place as well as covering the pond liner and providing a place for beneficial bacteria to grow.
See below for some of the types of rocks that look great in a
Water feature:
Granite
Limestone
River Rock
Basalt
Blue Stone
Rocks not only add to the style of a pond, giving it a natural appearance, they also have both functional and ecological benefits.
Rocks can help a pond by:
Hiding and holding in place pond materials such as the liner (protecting it from damage)
Providing a surface for plants to attach their roots
Providing shelter for fish
Helping filter the water
Creating an environment for beneficial bacteria to break down organic material
Plants
Plants not only make a pond look great, but they are also highly beneficial to the pond ecosystem. Plants provide oxygen, shade and shelter for fish as well as filtering the water, balancing nutrients and reducing algae growth. This filtration also helps reduce maintenance as it ke
eps your pond cleaner. You can also grow edible aquatic plants in your pond as an added benefit.
Having a mix of the right plants will create biodiversity and year-round colour.
Some plant suggestions are:
Water lily
Lotus
Iris
Sedges
Rushes
Water Chestnuts (edible)
Fish
Fish make a great addition to a pond as they make great low-maintenance pets, they are pretty to look at and they also help maintain your water feature by feeding on algae and sediment. This pond contains beautiful Koi fish which are known for their striking patterns and colours. Be entertained by these enticing fish as they swim around, get up close and personal and feed them from your hand or simply kick back and relax and be transformed by these mesmerising fish. Koi are also known for bringing good fortune and luck!
Fish make a great addition to a pond and are an important part of the ecosystem. Not only do fish make great pets, they are also relaxing to watch, all the while helping maintain your water feature by feeding on algae and sediment. See below for some common species of fish and aquatic life we recommend:
Koi
Goldfish
Silver Perch
Golden Perch
Catfish
Mullet
Rainbows
Gudgeon
Shimp
Fresh water muscles
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