You might have been searching some Facebook groups for the answer: How often do I need to test my koi pond water? And you probably are getting every answer imaginable. The one answer we commonly see is that you need to test your water daily.

This myth comes from the aquarium industry and it has a lot to do with the fact that an aquarium is a much smaller body of water and the small size makes it more difficult to balance. Mother Nature never tests her water, and her ecosystem does just fine. A well conceived, naturally balanced water garden normally requires no testing either.  The only time there is an exception is if you are having a fish or water quality problem, and you need to get to the root of the problem.

Even then, keeping it simple is far more effective than turning your backyard into a science lab experiment. You see, these water features are literally small renderings of natural lakes and streams that Mother Nature herself creates. There is only so much we can do to manipulate the biological organisms at play. A far more effective approach is to set up biological filtration system where Mother Nature can grow a true biological system, just like in nature. The moment we start messing with it and dumping every treatment in the water we can find, we start messing with it and upsetting it’s balance. Your pond is a natural, breathing, living organism. Which means it’s not going to change overnight.

To recap, remember, set up your pond to support Mother Nature, not manipulate her. This means keep it simple. No need to test your water like a scientist. Mother Nature is far more effective and capable when we leave her alone.

Below is an example of how we build ecosystem ponds to support the organisms of Mother Nature in our backyard ponds.