When you decide to build a pond on your property or overhaul an existing one, every choice is ultimately yours. While you can get advice and premium service from a pond building and maintenance company, peers and online forums, what you do and how you execute it are completely up to you. A popular question is what to do with the bottom of your pond. Keep in mind that this question usually doesn't apply to natural ponds since nature itself has figured that all out. For those who build and maintain ponds in their backyards or on property, it's valid to know what might be better for you. Many pond owners want a more natural look and choose to put rock and/or gravel on the bottom. Pros: rocks and gravel provide a unique, layered medium for aquatic plants to grow their roots creates a biological system for beneficial bacteria to break down sludge makes a pond look less manufactured and more real - as if it was in your backyard all along ...