Full Service Aquatics & Landscape

From time to time Full Service Aquatics will get requests from our clients asking to "help our crew" of professional installers build their pond. One of the nicest part of the experience of working with a professional pond installer is the ability to relax and enjoy the process of creating a koi pond or water garden without getting dirty or throwing out your back. We understand that the idea of building with the crew sounds like fun but the truth is that our company is a well oiled machine when it comes to the construction or renovation of a pond project. This is what we do, every day, for years on end. We have a process, our work is very systematic, and can actually at times be quite dangerous. When the team from Full Service Aquatics is making your backyard paradise a reality, just sit back and enjoy the show; we got it handled from concept to finished product. But we appreciate your willingness to help all the same!!

Thanks for reaching out. We are a service oriented business and do not stock fish I'm sorry. We are here for any of your service based needs!!

The size of a pond will usually be in direct relation to the surrounding landscape that it is going into. Larger areas can accommodate larger scale ponds. A small pond in a large landscape may look out of place, an odd water hole. And conversely, a large pond dominating a smaller suburban backyard might also look out of place, when a quaint goldfish pond with a small waterfall would look amazing. Generally speaking, a good approach in placing a water feature in a landscape is to go as big as you can keeping within scale to the landscape. How your pond will be used is an important factor when planning size as well. A koi pond capable of housing several large adult koi fish should be about 10' X 12' as a starting point. Bigger is better with koi ponds but a small koi pond can be tremendously enjoyable. The 10' X 15' size range for a koi pond is a popular size. A 15' X 20' koi pond can be the permanent home to a nice population count of beautiful koi.

Depth of a pond is an important consideration. There are several factors that play a role in deciding what depth a pond should be. And of course, are we talking about how deep is it required to be, ...or how deep you want to go! Different types of water features all have differing depth requirements. Some ponds with depths greater than 3' may require permits and create possible changes to homeowners insurance. Your geographic location will play a role in how deep your pond should be. A goldfish pond in Arizona and a goldfish pond in Minnesota will not have the same requirements for depth. Your project budget is a consideration as well. A deeper pond will be a more expensive pond due to higher material and labor costs. A very deep pond, greater than 5', should only be constructed through professional koi pond water garden installers. What type of pond you plan to keep is a major consideration. A koi pond, a water garden, and a wildlife pond all have different depth requirements.

This is easily one of the top questions that is asked about ponds. An important question. And the real answer is that there is no real answer! How much a pond costs has many variables. Most professional pond and water feature installers will have a range of pricing available. Projects may run a few thousand, into the tens or even hundreds of thousands. The ranges will represent anything from a very basic pond up to a high-end pond with all of the extras included. The main factor affecting pricing of ponds will be size. Equipment choice as well as material choice play a role. How well equipped the pond is, and how easily materials can be installed, the labor involved, also make up cost. Once those factors are figured out, talk to your local pond professional for installation rates. A professionally installed pond is not inexpensive, but it will always cost more if the project ends up being cheap!! Want a koi pond? Think $10K and up. Want a water garden? Think $5K and up.

A well designed pond can be surprisingly easy to maintain. The amount of maintenance required is a factor of where a pond is located and how it is equipped. The koi pond and water garden equipment today can make the keeping of a pond easy. Filter systems, pumps, aerators and a host of other components can be used to have an "almost hands-off" pond keeping experience. Everything requires maintenance but the goal is to keep those tasks to a minimum. Your choice of equipment will play a big role in the frequency of maintenance needed. Your location is a big factor as well. Is your pond located under a tree that drops leaves? Do you experience changing seasons? Dust storms or lots of rain? Will your pond experience freezing conditions? These are things that will affect maintenance required. Do you have fish and plants? Do you use water treatments? All of these small considerations will add up to the amount of maintenance and how hard it may be.

Yes. If you are planning a pond why not plan to have some natural aquatic planting areas as part of the plan. Aquatic plants open up a whole new world of gardening opportunities, and add a whole new dimension to pond keeping. Aquatic plants are easy to keep and can be planned to add seasonal interest to any landscape. Water gardens are some of the most affordable type of ponds and very easy to care for. Create zones of integrated planting areas within your pond for an amazing display that fish cannot access.

Have you ever heard of some of the crazy long life spans that some creatures have here on earth? Some animals, like turtles, have a life span that could easily reach into the hundreds of years. A large parrot can live as long as the typical human, and are sometimes passed down as the family pet multi-generationally. Koi and goldfish are one of those animals that have a very long life expectancy. There is a legend in the world of koi about a koi fish in Japan named Hanako who lived for over 200 years. I like to believe that story even though the mathematics tell me another story. However to expect a good 60 years from a healthy koi is not unreasonable at all. If a goldfish reaches 20+ years old that is not a surprising result at all. Your koi and goldfish can live a very long time when cared for correctly. Set them up with the right environment, and you will likely have a friend for the rest of your life!!

We all love our fish. They can be pretty entertaining with their antics and eagerness to interact with us. They almost jump out of the pond at us during feeding time and many will take food right from our hands. Their dance of colors are mesmerizing, day and night, while they swirl beneath the surface of the pond in an ever changing pattern. .....And then they don't. When winter hits the behavior of our fish is also quite interesting and passively entertaining. But some of the most fun stuff such as feeding time goes away during the winter. The dance of color stops while our fish opt to stay very still on the dance floor of the pond, barely moving and breathing slowly. They stop eating from us as well, taking what little sustenance they need from the inside of the pond by gently scraping meals of algae from the surface of submerged rock in the pond.

This will sound completely counterintuitive but if mosquitoes are an issue in your area then installing a pond will help REDUCE the mosquito population. It's true. A well designed pond will not serve as a habitat for mosquitoes. • Mosquitoes prefer to lay their eggs in non-moving, low oxygen, high nutrient water. Your neighbors overturned frisbee, open garbage can, or clogged gutters represent a significantly more friendly environment for mosquito than a koi fish or goldfish pond will. The large tree that fell over in the last big storm, about a half mile away from your house; represents a much greater mosquito issue than a koi and goldfish pond possibly could. • A properly installed koi pond or water garden should have a system that moves and circulates the water through the pond, mosquitoes do not like moving water. • The movement of the water allows for a higher oxygen level to be found in the water. Mosquitoes prefer low oxygen content, even completely stagnant water.

Most pond keepers don't even realize that they have predators in their area, until they find out that they have predators in their area!! Sad truth. Generally speaking, no matter where you are located, there is a pond predator of some type in your area. Your area may not have to deal with pelicans and otters, but those areas may not have to deal with herons and minks; or even the occasional raccoon. What all pond keepers should know is that there is a pond predator lurking somewhere in your area. There are many precautions that can be taken to keep your pond inhabitants safe. If you are in the planning stages of your pond then consider having fish caves and tunnels put in or utilize integrated planting areas to limit access. There are also many deterrents available if you find you are having issues with a predator that you were not prepared to handle. Call you local pond professional for assistance with any predator issue as soon as you are aware an issue has occurred.