A. This is a valid concern, but by taking the proper precautions from the onset, it should not stop you from having a pond. When fish go missing, most pond owners first blame raccoons as the culprit. Granted, they can swipe fish from the ponds edge, but will rarely go swimming for a meal. The fish will swim to a deeper section of the pond when a threat is present.

The more likely thief will be the blue heron. The tall, long-legged, big-beaked bird can clear out a pond of fish and fly away with a full belly. Remember these are protected animals, so you cannot rid yourself of them completely, so instead other precautions will need to be made. The first is to install a scare crow, a motion sensitive sprinkler that will send a shot of water at the invader. Make sure you move the scare crow often so the birds won't learn where it's coming from. Secondly, it is important to build caves for your fish to hide in. In addition, plants like lily pads will also provide cover.

Predators are a valid concern for pond owners, but they should not be a reason to not own a pond.

A. Simply stated, you don't. With the presence of rocks and gravel at the bottom of your pond, aerobic bacteria will have plenty of surfaces to live and consume fish waste and debris for you. So, the combination of rocks, gravel and beneficial bacteria will keep the bottom of your pond muck free.

A. Although UV Lights will probably keep your pond water clear, they aren't the only faq and they certainly aren't the natural way. In a naturally balanced pond, UV will not be needed for clear water. In the naturalistic setting, the way Mother Nature intended, the fish eat the plants, then produce waste that is broken down by aerobic bacteria that colonizes on the rocks and gravel and then taken back in as nutrition by the plants. A naturally balanced pond is low maintenance.

UV lights do have drawbacks. UV clarifiers will not affect string algae at all. All the algae they do kill will fall to the bottom of the pond creating an environment for an even larger algae bloom later. Finally, UV Clarifiers are expensive and require replacement bulbs yearly.

A. Yes. There are thousands of ponds filled with happy, healthy koi around the country that are not 3 feet deep. Even in colder climates where freezing is a concern, the water will only freeze 8 inches leaving plenty of room for your fish as long as you make sure there is an opening for gas exchange.

A pond deeper than 2 feet can be considered a swimming pool by your local government and therefore may have additional requirements. In addition, a deeper pond will require more water and additives.

A. Why not? They live with plants in nature don't they. Fish and plants are a necessary part of your pond ecosystem. The fish eat the plants and produce waste. Aerobic bacteria breakdown the fish waste and debris and the plants then consume the bacteria, creating the full circle.

With the right balance of plants and koi, your koi can survive on the algae and plants in the pond without the need for you to feed them.

A. They stay in the pond. As long as you have 2 feet of water, oxygenate the water and keep a hole in the ice with a bubbler to allow the naturally produced gases to escape from under the ice they will survive the harshest of winters. They will hiberbate at the bottom of the pond and will slowly wake up as the water warms in the spring.

A. A naturally balance pond should not require frequent testing.

A. Mosquitos generally lay their eggs in stagnant water. If any do lay their eggs in your naturally balanced pond, the fish will see the larvae as a treat. Your skimmer will take care of anything your fish miss.

A. Well, you may have more leaves in your pond, but having more shade during the summer will minimize algae blooms. Besides, your skimmer will take care of floating leaves, but you may have to clean the debris net daily in the fall.

A. Koi are really just fancy carp, and carp are bottom feeders. Bottom feeders love to scavenge for anything available in between the rocks. A rocky bottom is a natural environment for them just as you would find in rivers, lakes and ponds in nature.

A. Just because chlorine is good for humans in swimming pools, doesn't mean it is good for your plants and fish in your pond. Occassionally, you may need to use algaecide, dechlorinator and fish antiobiotics, but a naturally balanced pond should let Mother Nature manage any maintenance issues.

A. Some real estate agents believe that a pond can actually increase the value of your home, unlike swimming pools which can be deadly for the resale value of your home. As water features become more and more popular, you can bet the demand will become greater.

A. A professionally installed water garden is built with shelves. The first being about ankle deep once the rocks and gravel are laid in. We do recommend you make your neighbors aware that you do have the pond and educate your children and friends about water safety. There is also an alternative, the Pondless Waterfall. You will still have the benefits of the relaxing falling water without the safety concerns of a pond and they can always be converted to a pond later.

A. It makes sense at first to put the pond in the lowest part of the yard, but when you consider the run off that will make it's way into the pond, you will begin to realize that the lowest part of your yard is actually the worst location for your pond.

A. No! Your pond is a living breathing ecosystem and needs constant oxygen, just like you do.

A. Well, if you don't set up your system to be naturally balanced, you will have to clean your pond often. But if you have all necessary components of the ecosystem we don't think you ever have to clean out your pond more than once a year if ever at all.

A. No. Some believe that the oxygen level at the bottom of your pond will be too low without a bottom drain, but as long as your pond is not any deeper than 2 feet, oxygen levels will vary little from top to bottom. Bottom drains tend to leak and cause problems.

A. More is always better right? Wrong. You can actually over filter your pond. Remember your fish would not live in drinking water in the wild and they shouldn't in your pond either. As long as you can see a dime on the bottom of your pond, water clarity is fine.

A. No. You can raise koi and have a beautiful water garden. The koi will grow up healthy and happy with your plants without using chemicals for either.

A. Nope. Mother Nature has done a pretty good job so far and we should leave it that way. If you have a problem in your pond, observe Mother Nature and do what she might do to deal with the problem.