Switched my koi pond from gravel bottom to bare bottom and I finally get why pond guys argue about this
I ran a gravel bottom in my 1,200 gallon pond behind the house in Reno for 3 years and could not figure out why my ammonia kept spiking every spring no matter how much I vacuumed. Pulled all 800 lbs of rock out last April and switched to a bare bottom with a bottom drain, and within 2 weeks my water cleared up and my nitrates dropped from 40 ppm to under 10. Has anyone else made this switch, or am I missing something about why some folks still swear by gravel for the plants?
Did the same thing two summers back with my 900 gallon and my nitrates went from off the charts to barely readable. I still keep a few potted lilies in there for cover but the bare bottom makes cleaning so much easier. The gravel guys usually have huge plant loads that soak up the waste, so it can work, just not for me.