Those with ponds in their backyards

We inherited a koi pond that wasn't maintained. Hubby and my dad worked their butts off yesterday and now it looks fantastic! Couple of questions -

1 - do you leave the filter on 24/7?

2 - if you have a waterfall/fountain, do you leave that on 24/7? I find the sounds of running water very peaceful, but not sure if the neighbors do

3 - Can you recommend any good landscaping websites/books/magazines for ponds? The previous owners put down 1 layer of slate and called it a day! We would love to invest some $$ into it, and really make it a nice place to hang out in the backyard. We were thinking a japanese/zen sort of style.

Thanks!!!!

Re: Those with ponds in their backyards

yes to both of your questions. As for the third we are still working on that ourselves

First couple of days waking up in the house I always thought it was raining, and it was the waterfall

Re: Those with ponds in their backyards

I agree with the PP. You need that circulation of the pump constantly, otherwise the fish will suffocate. My dad has had a pond for 15 years or so.

You can pick up landscaping books at lowes or home depot I am sure. My mom is a "Master Gardener" (yes, she took classes) so my mom does all the landscaping herself.

Re: Those with ponds in their backyards

Yes to both questions and there are a couple of pond forums my sister frequents and has gotten a lot of good info from.
Also, if you have fish in the pond, make sure to stop feeding them when it gets cold and they slow down. You can remove the waterfall at that point also.

Re: Those with ponds in their backyards

We run both 24/7. We also have it professionally closed and opened in fall and then again the spring.

We had a gardener come and he designed plants around our pond. We have a Japanese Maple that comes over the top of our waterfall with small bushes on either side. We also have some water plants such as water lettuce and water lillys. It is still a work in progress but it got expensive. Next year we will add rocks around it to help with the dirt and drainage.

In the winter we use a small rock heater and shut the filter/waterfall off. This creates a small air pocket for the fish if the rest of the water freezes.

Re: Those with ponds in their backyards

thanks everyone!!

We're running to HD tonight so I'll be on the look out for magazines/books. We're also at some point going to bring in a professional landscaper for the front, so I'm thinking they can probably do the pond too.