Ponds and Streams in Your Garden
Custom Design for Water Gardens and Koi Ponds
Ponds and water features are great attracters of wildlife including birds and butterflies. Emil Kreye & Son designs and constructs living koi ponds and natural rock gardens to create a sustainable ecosystem on your property. Timeless beauty and artful design combine for notable landscapes in the New York, Connecticut and New Jersey area.
Expert Design is Essential for a Low Maintenance Pond
To develop a low maintenance pond it is necessary to create a balance between open water areas, fish and plants. As the circulation of water breaks down pond waste, plants are there to remove the minerals as nutrients, thus starving potential algae formation and helping to keep the water clear. A pond that is designed properly becomes a part of the environment and requires very little care. Once circulation is provided, the water becomes oxygenated thereby allowing decomposition to occur naturally. All that is required, is the removal of debris from the filter. Ideal pond excavation will provide soil for waterfall and stream elevations, without excessive and burdensome removal of earth from the job site.
Design & Construction of Water Gardens & Wetland Systems
Wetland systems use plants for water filtration. These are self contained ecosystems that let nature do the work. These wetland systems are often combined with streams and waterfalls to increase circulation and oxygenate the water. To achieve a natural effect to your koi pond, the design should not leave behind any evidence of the construction process once the pond is complete. Ponds are often built in low areas, but it is important that you are able to control pond overflow and runoff, or erosion might contaminate the pond’s delicate environment. Rock ledges can be built to retain the grade around a pond.
Specialized Technology for Koi ponds and Waterfall Pools.
In addition to natural methods for filtration, there are many available circulation systems on the market. We recommend using submersible pumps without check valves for frost-free use. Remember if your pond and waterfall doesn’t leak, you will not need an auto-fill, which means that you will be able to run your waterfall in the winter.
We recommend installing large skimmers that can handle a variety of pump sizes and provide for future circulation needs. As fish get larger, their size needs to be accommodated. Many water plants and bog plants are available for planting and local nurseries provide us with the right plants for any moisture and light requirements. Plants are a very important part of building a sustainable pond. Emil Kreye & Son’s water environment designs offer an opportunity for a unique plant palette, and over 60 years of experience means we know the right plants needed for the job.
How Building Koi Ponds Helps with Mosquito Control
After a completed pond installation we often see a significant drop in the mosquito population, because when mosquitoes try to lay their eggs in the pond, the fish are there to eat them. However, the more fish that are in the pond, the more fish waste accumulates, making additional circulation and plants necessary. To establish a healthy pond environment, the design process needs to strike a balance between the number and size of fish, the amount of plantings and the volume of water circulation that is needed.
The main predators for fish are raccoons and large birds. The best protection from raccoons is to design a pond that is at least 2′ deep and no smaller than about 8′ wide. The best protection from large birds is to have a pond net suspended over the water. Additionally, our koi ponds are constructed with natural fish caves and underwater ledges that help give fish a place to hide. Stepping stones across a pond also provide hiding places for fish.