Making a Splash-Waterfalls and Plants

Because waterfalls and plants are so dependant upon tastes I have decided to combine these categories. For instance, in waterfalls, you may prefer a big splash of water from one location while another may prefer a gentle spill across a wide area. In plants, one might prefer a subtle look while another chooses to make a bold statement with large, colorful plants. As you can see, there will be choices to make, from subtle to bold and everything in between.

Let’s talk first about waterfalls. I prefer the sound of the gentle waterfall. My main waterfall has a small, gravel covered pool near the top, where birds can drink and bathe. The pool is then bordered by Arrowroot and River Rush which spreads through the crevices of the fall and creates a gentle spill into the pond. This waterfall spreads gently into a slope for a softer fall.

Mosquitoes lay their larvae in still or almost still water, so the gentle waterfall does little to move the water enough to discourage them from visiting. To counteract this problem, I have also added a bubbler to the center of the large pond. The bubbler doesn’t distract much from the waterfall, but makes a big difference in the movement of the water.

The smaller pond has become more of a filtration system than it is used as a pond. The waterfall into the small pond is more upright and has further to “fall”. Much of the debris that makes it through the pump in the large pond settles to the bottom of the small pond, leaving the top water clear as it flows into the river and finally back into the large pond.

The river has a gravel bottom and is peppered throughout its length with larger rocks, Arrowroot and Parrots Feather, to further filter the water before it reaches the end of the river. The water at the end of the river is then slowed by thick plantings of Louisiana Iris and Arrowroot, before falling gently into the large pond.

All of this works together to give plenty of movement to the water in the ponds. A single sharp fall of water could do the same job. By creating a more upright fall with a single or only a few rocks jutting out over a long drop into the pond you can get more movement and much more splash. This bigger splash translates into more water movement from a single space. Of course the bigger the splash, just like with color, the louder the sound of the fall.

The choice of a faster fall over a slower fall is certainly subjective. So the next consideration will be in the cost and strength of the pump. A faster waterfall will need a stronger (or faster) pump to move the water quickly through the pump and reach the proper height of the fall. A sloped waterfall is well suited to a filtration system at the fall because you will want the water to enter the filter more slowly. Pondmarket.com has everything you need for your pond, including the pond itself.

Waterfalls add necessary oxygen to the life within the pond and when creating the sloped waterfall and adding plants into the fall itself, it also acts as a filter. The plants roots and stems will filter out some of the less desirable bacteria that finds its way through the filter, while at the same time introduce beneficial bacteria and oxygen to your pond.

As mentioned at the beginning of this blog, plants are subject to tastes. Yet, for the healthiest pond, there are a few rules to follow. There are three types of plants: Floating plants, marginal plants and submerged plants. Floating plants might include water lettuce, duckweed or water hyacinth. Marginal or bog plants will have the widest variety of choices, including the monster cattails. Finally, submerged plants, often called oxygenating plants.

When thinking of floating plants, it is important to note that for the best results for keeping algae out of the pond, you want 50% coverage of the top water. Water hyacinth spreads rapidly in my area to give quick cover to the pond. My sister uses duckweed to offer cover in her California pond. She says it covers her pond so quickly that she has to forcefully thin it out every week.

Marginal plants might include Louisiana Iris, Pickerel, Arrowroot or just about any plant that will grow in moist to wet soil. If you live in a tropical area, you will have a vast number of choices including taro, umbrella and canna. Many garden centers will offer tropical plants for ponds in non-tropical areas, however they will have to be brought inside to over-winter or considered annual plants.

Submersed plants are great for catching deep debris and algae, helping to keep your pond water clear and clean, not to mention that many, like hornwort, parrots feather and anacharis are great spawning areas for the fish. I suppose water lily falls into the category of submersed plant, though with its burst of beautiful blooms throughout the summer months, it’s hard to compare with parrots feather.

When planting pond plants it is best to use “old soil”. That would be the heavy dirt out of your garden rather than using a potting mix. A potting mix is too light and will quickly float out of your planters and dirty your pond. You can buy special pots made for the pond or you can use regular plastic garden pots. When potting, layer the bottom of the pot with small gravel, add the soil and plant, then top it off with another layer of gravel. This will keep your plants and dirt inside the pots.

Before introducing any plants into your pond be sure to check local recommendations and prohibitions as some plants can become invasive.

If you remember that your pond is three stories tall, you will have a healthy and beautiful pond for many years to come.

Spawing Koi and Goldfish

I am sorry to be so long getting back to these pages. I think (I hope) you were anxious to hear about the spawning process. The weather here has not been favorable to an internet connection or even, for the most part, turning on my computer. Even as I write this, thunder is rolling and I have no connection to the internet.

I’m sure you aren’t interested in my weather and you probably aren’t interested in what else has kept me busy, but I’m going to tell you anyway. I have a very stubborn hubby. He almost never sees a doctor and a bite on his toe that I believe is from a brown recluse, is no exception to his rule. I have been treating it with Epsom Salts and essential oils and so far it seems to be working. He is lucky to have a wife interested in natural remedies or by now his toe might well have fallen off.

Spawning? The goldfish are still at it. I haven’t seen any spawning activity from the koi since May 20th. But, it seems that every time it rains a heavy downpour the goldfish begin to get jiggy again.

About the beginning: I woke up at 4 A.M. feeling rested and thinking I was ready to get out of bed. I didn’t want to disturb anyone, so I took a pillow and blanket out to the swing next to my pond. The sound of the waterfall quickly lulled me back to sleep.

I was awakened about an hour later by the sound of heavy splashing, it was just daybreak. I blinked to clear my vision. The rambunctious koi were crashing into rocks and the sides of the pond. They were crashing and diving over and into the potted and floating plants as well as each other.



Fish that were not involved in the spawning itself, followed nearby creating a slurping sound as they gathered as many eggs as they could eat before the eggs found a home on the plants, walls and rocks. There was so much activity going on, I couldn’t tell where I should watch next.

The most interesting sight of all was my prettiest calico koi, it is nice to finally know that she IS a she. At one point, she was standing on her head in a corner of the pond. More of her body was out of the water than what she had in the water! I am so pleased to have caught much of the shenanigans on camera. There are still eggs attached to rocks above the waterline, though the first batch of fry has hatched (so has a second and third batch).

I spent most of the day enjoying the show and taking pictures. Later I got a large, deep pot, which I placed in the shade of a redbud tree, and filled it with pond water. I carefully pulled plants and rocks from the areas where the koi had been most active and dropped them into the big pot. In less than two weeks I had both koi and goldfish fry swimming happily in the deep pot.

When goldfish and koi are together, as mine are, it is difficult to identify a koi fry vs. a goldfish fry at first, unless you have a very strong magnifying glass. However, koi begin to show color within a few days, while goldfish take weeks before they begin to change from non-color brown to the colorful beauties they will become.

Because the goldfish have continued the spawning process, I have an almost constant influx of fry, seeming to hatch almost daily. However, I have not bothered to remove them from the community pond. Plants and carefully placed rock formations give the newly hatched fry many secure places to hide from hungry predators.

Plants in the pond not only give security and beauty to your pond and fish, they are also healthy filters to the water quality. Next time I will talk about pond plants and update you on the growth of the fry.