People have been accessorizing their homes for years. It is usually born out of the need to improve their surroundings and the availability of too much time in the hands. Some turn to gardens, some create mini-parks, and others turn to fish ponds. All these serve various functions, but the one that stands out the most is ponds.
Ponds are not easy to set up, especially if you live in a place that doesn’t have a natural water body nearby. Having one comes with its own share of benefits and problems, which we are going to discuss below in detail.
Benefits of Having Ponds in the Backyard
The benefits of setting up a pond on your property are many; some of the notable ones include the following
They Bump up Property Value
For every modification that you add to your property, the value goes up, and if a time comes when you need to sell the house, the final price will factor in the pond. If you add more accessories like a pond floating dock or an advanced form of an air pump for the fish inside, whoever comes to buy your property will have to cover the cost of adding that to the property eventually. It is a good investment.
Attracts Wildlife
Ponds are wildlife magnets,the moment you set up one, you will start seeing life flourish around it, and this includes both animals and plants. You will notice new plants that were never there before, and eventually, the pond will be teeming with all kinds of water animals, most of which you never added yourself alongside the fish. You will have all kinds of birds spending time near the pond for quenching their thirst, which is a good thing to have around the house.
Aesthetic Appeal
In the same way that a flower garden adds beauty to the compound, so does a pond. Actually, a pond does one better as it adds more animals and plants of all kinds. You will have flowering water plants and colorful fish transforming the whole compound. This is the reason why ponds are very relaxing; the beauty in them makes them a great spot for just relaxing when you have your free time, and this can be therapeutic.
Good for the Environment
By setting up a pond, you are literally creating a new ecosystem, and this gives birth to more animals and plants, which end up colonizing the area, repopulating it with natural life of all kinds. This is good for the environment as the quality of the air is improved, and the cycle of life is sustained as the animals, and plants get to support each other in a symbiotic relationship.
Drawbacks of Having a Pond
As much as they are good additions to your property. They also come with their own set of problems that include the following.
Too Much Maintenance
Ponds are draining. They need constant attention, especially if they have fish, just to stop it from turning into a smelly mess of brackish water. You may be forced to install air pumps and filters of all kinds that will require cleaning and electricity to run. You can save on bills by using solar pond aerators. All these maintenance costs money, not to mention the regular inspection by a qualified pond expert every once raccoons in a while. This may be too much for some people.
Attracts the Wrong Wildlife Too
Among the many types of animals that will be drawn to the pond due to the availability of food and water are snakes, raccoons, and other undesirable intruders that may turn your home into a dangerous place. Some of these animals may eventually start hiding around the house and may even get in. This is particularly bad if you have children around because they are never that aware of the danger posed by some of the animals.
They Take Too Long
Before the pond transforms itself into what you imagined when setting up, you would have waited years. Before the water plants blossom enough to transform the compound into a paradise and before the fish multiply, you would have waited for quite a while; this may not be something most people would be willing to go through. You’ll need a lot of patience before realizing your pond dreams.
Mosquitoes
Ponds are usually stagnant most of the time; this could be a breeding ground for all sorts of unwanted animals like mosquitoes. This could become very uncomfortable for you when they sneak into the house and start buzzing around on top of carrying the risk of transmitting malaria to everyone in the house. You could choose to fumigate them, but that may kill the fish in the water.
Conclusion
When setting up a backyard pond, you have to be ready for anything. It may not go as you plan, and getting rid of one is quite the headache. Therefore, think carefully and weigh whether it is worth all the trouble and the pain to have one. If you feel you can handle maintaining a pond, then do not hesitate to get one by all means.
