Watching Koi Fish Is Good for Your Health

Have you ever noticed that many Dr. offices and Dentist offices often have aquariums in them?

           “Fish tanks and displays are often associated with attempts at calming patients in doctors' surgeries and dental waiting rooms," said PhD student Deborah Cracknell.
Watching fish and marine creatures going about their daily lives, swimming and meandering is oddly soothing and hypnotic. And, according to research recently published in Environment & Behavior, it’s good for your health too.

I for one have spent many hours at our water garden pond watching my koi fish in an effort to relax.
Like you, I wear many hats in my daily life; I need the quiet time to transition from my workday at Pondtastic, to being Mom and Wife. I go to the pond armed with koi food and a glass of wine.

Like many pets our koi are happy to know Mom is home and the feeding frenzy begins. To me this is more comical than relaxing, many of our Koi are hand fed and that means I’m getting wet as they swim and splash like crazy to get their food.
Once they have eaten I sit on my huge rock (thanks Jim) that’s when the relaxing really begins.

My favorite fish in the pond are my butterfly koi, as their extra-long fins gracefully float by I can feel their calming effect. Of course I love my standard koi as well; they glide through the pond always looking for more food. Baby koi grant us with the occasional glimpse as the swim in and out of the aquatic plants.

After watching my koi for about 20 or 30 minutes I’m ready to switch hats and finish the night.

Is my health better? I think so; my resting heart rate is lower and I feel relaxed.
That’s good enough for me.

Pondtastic Water Gardens of Orlando Installs the Aquascape Pond Ecosystem

Ecosystem Ponds

Ecosystem ponds can be easy to understand, At Pondtastic Water Gardens, we have complete knowledge of what components go into a basic, or advanced functioning ecosystem. An ecosystem pond works with Mother Nature to provide food, shelter, and safety to the wildlife around it. It also provides you with an all-natural, low-maintenance piece of paradise. It’s important to remember, however, that every piece of the ecosystem puzzle must be present in order for a true ecosystem to be in place. Eliminate one of these elements and you’ve got an unbalanced ecosystem that won’t be so low-maintenance anymore. Check out the things you’ll need to get your ecosystem pond fired up:

Circulation System is really just a fancy way of saying “pumps and plumbing.” The proper size pump and pipe diameter are extremely important for the aesthetics of a water feature. More importantly, an efficient circulation system keeps the water moving and provides the necessary oxygen levels for healthy fish and plants.

Proper Filtration System includes the use of both a biological and a mechanical filter. A biological filter provides surface area for beneficial bacteria to colonize and remove excess nutrients from the water. A mechanical filter will not only pre-filter the water and house the pump; it will also skim debris from the water’s surface to prevent the accumulation of organic materials on the pond floor.

Fish are an integral part of any ecosystem. Unfortunately, fish are often seen as creating a maintenance nightmare. Contrary to popular belief, fish will actually reduce pond maintenance, as they graze on string algae and bottom feed from the pond floor.

Aquatic Plants are Mother Nature’s true filters. Plants are great for adding character to a pond by providing color and texture, but from a filtration perspective, they’re second to none. Thriving from the excess nutrients in a pond and depriving algae of its food source, the aquatic plants in a water garden, given proper coverage, are critical for the overall health of the ecosystem.


Rocks, Gravel, and Bacteria have been a controversial element in the hobby for many years. Many enthusiasts have steered away from rocks and gravel out of fear that their system will become a maintenance nightmare. On the contrary, rocks and gravel will not only make your pond look more natural, they will also protect pond liners from UV light degradation and they provide tremendous surface area for beneficial bacteria to break down excess nutrients in the water and dissolved organic debris on the pond floor.

Having all these things in place makes all the difference in the health and success of your water garden. Use them and work with Mother Nature, not against her, for a chemical-free wonderland of water! The truth is that most people opt for the ecosystem way of water gardening because it’s easier and it just makes sense. A low-maintenance ecosystem pond provides you with more free time to enjoy friends and family … while gathered around your pond, of course!

Tell a story !

Recently Seth Godin wrote in his daily blog:

People are moved by stories...

It took a minute for this is sink in before I realized how true that statement really is and the impact it has had on our business.

If you know us at all, you know that we love a good story !

It doesn't really matter what it is about we love sharing our lives and experiences with our friends/ customers.

I think that because of this our customers/friends enjoy sharing their stories with us.

We like to say that "we build friendships one pond at a time " and that attitude carries thru our entire staff.

We have been invited to many of our customers/friends weddings , birthdays, BBQs, Christmas parties, etc... We are so thankful that our customers/friends invite us into their lives.

We love sharing stories and we love hearing stories... got a good one to share?  Send us an email and let us know.
Info@pondtastic.com

Welcome to my pond... relax and stay awhile

Well this is my first ever blog.....

I hope I am doing this correctly haha

Ok, so tomorrow we plan on our new website going live. This is very exciting for us because we have been planning and working on this website and the concept of it for about a year now.

We finally have it finished and I have to say I think it looks PONDTASTIC.

We are also just 2 days from our biggest event of the year here at our Orlando showroom. We are hosting a Customer Appreciation Day on Saturday Feb 13th.

Our staff has been working long hours to prepare for this event. We have brought in so many new items... we have guest speakers all day long... specials... and FREE HOT DOGS haha

I plan on using this blog to talk about everything.... we will discuss the pond industry, environmental issues, the weather, client questions, new products and virtually anything else that pops into my head.

Nothing is off limits !

I plan on this blog being current and informational and at all times.... entertaining.