Pond rocks will make your pond look more natural than the black rubber liner will. Rocks also help protect the liner from tearing and from UV ray damage. Pond rocks give a home to beneficial bacteria that clean your pond water. Ponds should make your home look like it was built around it.
Rocks have texture, color, and character. They give waterfalls a real impact. Large stones can make a stream appear as if it changed course because of it. A well-trained water feature artist uses size, shape, and character to give depth, accent, and create breathtaking effects.
Water features should be constructed using different size rocks. They appear more natural and the variation in sizes creates interest. EPDM rubber liner generally comes with a year warranty from most manufacturers, but we have seen sun-exposed liners become brittle and crack in less than that time. Viewing from windows: Since most of us spend more time inside our homes than outside in our garden, it makes the most sense to locate the pond where you can see and enjoy it from the window s or room s you frequent most, such as your kitchen, sun room, family room or deck.
Orientation of waterfall: Be sure to orient your waterfall so that it is visible from the place you will enjoy it most. Next to patio or deck: Having your pond next to your deck or patio is great — since these are areas for relaxation and entertainment. The sounds created by waterfalls and streams are soothing and can help eliminate traffic noises.
Flat ground and sloping ground are both fine: A pond does not need to be on flat ground. Take advantage of sloping terrain by adding interest with cascading waterfalls, streams and tiered landscaping. Amount of sunlight: Five to six hours a day is ideal.
Excess sun causes an overabundance of algae growth and green water. Conversely, shade trees drop leaves and blossoms into the pond, robbing the water of oxygen as they decompose. If possible, try for a happy medium. Also, make sure your garden hose is long enough to reach your pond. Desirable size and shape: Once you have decided on a location, you can design the size and shape of your pond.
As a general rule, bigger is better. Make your pond at least 30 square feet with a minimum depth of 18 inches. Ponds this size will be more ecologically balanced, retain more stable temperatures, and provide greater movement for fish. Geometrically shaped ponds with bricks or flat paving stones are a nice complement to formal gardens.
For informal gardens, ponds can have a more natural, free-form shape bordered with stones of various sizes and shapes. Avoid tight curves or intricate shapes. These waste lining material, reduce water capacity and create stagnant areas where solid wastes can accumulate. How deep should I make my pond? Only after the pond is completely filled and the rock edging is in place should you trim any excess liner. In most parts of the country, a pond for goldfish and plants of 18 inches - 24 inches is generally deep enough for fish to survive in the winter.
For areas with very cold temperatures, such as upper New England or the upper Midwest, you should make your pond 30 inches or deeper so that it does not freeze completely to the bottom. Also, ponds intended specifically for Koi should be closer to three feet deep to allow room for these larger fish to swim freely.
What type of liner should I use? There are three basic methods to install a garden pond: concrete, pre-formed ponds and flexible liners. Liners come in weights ranging from tear-resistant, lightweight liners to heavy-duty EPDM liners. Concrete Ponds: This option is not used often for residential ponds due to the cost in materials and labor and the eventual issue of cracking. Pre-formed ponds: These are generally for smaller ponds ranging from 50 gallons up to gallons.
For in-ground applications, you simply excavate the shape of the pre-form and drop it in. An above ground installation takes a little more time and care when installing to ensure the pond form is stable and balanced. These are well-suited for both applications, although you cannot alter the shape. Check with the dealer to ensure the material is safe for fish. These materials are very popular for the following reasons: Less expensive per square foot Offers the most options in terms of creating the shape and size of your pond, stream or waterfall Easy to install.
Unlike pre-formed ponds, flexible liners conform to any shape hole, and most come with a year warranty. What size flexible liner do I need? It is very difficult to pack ground back into the pond to make the pond smaller. So dig the hole first, then measure for the liner. Always buy a liner that is slightly bigger than you think you will need.
Note: The pond should be at least 30 square feet with a minimum depth of 18 inches. How do I protect my flexible liner from tears and punctures? After the rough excavation phase, carefully remove all sharp objects from the surface, such as nails, twigs, rocks and protruding roots that could puncture the layer. Use a broom and dustpan to remove stones and debris.
Line the entire pond with one to three inches of sand and then properly position the underlying material to protect the main liner from root and rock punctures. The underliner is crucial — even if the soil appears free of sharp objects, they can work their way to the surface as the soil settles.
How do I install a liner? Unfold the liner on the lawn or another flat surface nearby. With at least one person on each side of the liner more for a larger liner , pick it up and walk to slide it over the hole that has been dug for your pond. Let the liner drop into the pond, making sure it extends evenly, well beyond the perimeter. And if you are a meticulous pond keeper, it can be done if you can commit to the extra work. I personally failed at having egg rocks in my pond.
My pond had too much muck at the bottoms so AWAY with the rocks. I love the look of the rocks but it was too much cleaning for me. I don't object to the black bottom pond, it's mysterious and the fish show up nicely, and the pond stays cleaner. We have just a shallow rock beach area and that requires hosing down about every two weeks. Judging by the gunk that come out from just the beach area, I'm glad we don't have a rock bottom pond. Also we have a BD pond, so can't have rocks anyway.
Kinda makes me wonder if there were some way to circumvent the whole sludge problem. Like building a giant "undergravel" filter like an aquarium has. So the sludge would never get to settle down in the rocks.
I guess if you were like a master pond builder maybe you could do something like that. I've had river rocks in the bottom of my pond for the past 3 years now.
But now I'm in the process of taking every last one of them out. It looked good at first, but as time went on it became more and more of a nightmare to clean. It's getting a lot better, but I still have a good amount of work to do. I think if you had an indoor pond they wouldn't be near as much trouble. BennyLava said:. Click to expand That will still get in between rock crevices, just as food will.
I don't have a thick layer of rocks. I can actually see the liner in some spots. When I do a water change, I get in there and scootch them around. What little comes up, the filter takes care of, and it's clear again in about an hour or so.
When I started putting the rocks in, it was a few inches deep. And the first Spring after that, there was quite a bit of muck in them. I took a bunch out. Now that it is a thin layer, much better. And plus the fish love it when I get in there.
It would force the poop to rise up. This idea would be good with a skimmer, not so good with a submersible I would think. Ultimately the submersible does need to suck the poop into to send it to the filter.
I guess to counteract this, you could turn on this air hosing a couple of times per week just to lift the junk out of it. Or, like BennyL suggested, a under gravel system, but do it reverse under gravel where the pump blows water under the grate and up through the rocks. You would have to eventually take up the rocks and clean the grate. UGF's have become unpopular because of that reason. After a few years too much anerobic bacteria grows under there along with other toxic crud.
Good ideas. Getting creative and never saying never is what keeps the technology of this type of hobby going strong. Yeah, I used to have a UGF on a home tank millions of years ago. I remember looking underneath the cabinet and seeing all the poop caught under the UGF that I couldn't clean. Made me crazy and got rid of it. After convincing my husband to take out the rocks after we had painstakingly put them in, he finally realizes why the need not to have rock in the bottom.
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