What I’m hearing from this. Is lots of people don’t like to do once a year maintenance. Properly scaled bog filters, hidden or planted. Used in conjunction with the right pump/s setup. Will make a world of difference. I have both styles of pond gravel, rocks and a bare lined pond. Much prefer the gravel and rock pond to the other one. I pull a good third to half of my plants out of the pond each year. Thoroughly stir the gravel up, letting the dirty water move into the intake bays. Use a net for heavier debris. Then flush and cycle the bog filter. That’s the job done for another year. It’s just small things to do during the year after that, like any other part of the garden.
Thanks for the comment. All ponds are different however the ones that we have worked on with stones / gravel are always the ones which the dirt never makes it to the filter and eventually blocks and builds up. It’s just what happens after time. Sounds like you are keeping on top of it though well done
Can’t you just jump in and syphon the gravel just like you do aquariums? That’s what I plan on doing once I finish my pond build. Hopefully every 6 months just do a little gravel vacuuming. 😅
@@GRadvbro how big will the pond be. What will its maximum depth be. How large will your gravel be. Will it be a still water or flowing pond. If flowing what will your filter setup be, what will be the flow rate. Will it be planted. These are things I would need to know, in order to give any sort of opinion. Please look up the channel Oz ponds. He has some really good videos. His videos are helpful even if you’re in Britain or America.
Thanks for the advice which I followed with my second pond. My first pond had gravel and it stunk when I broke it down. Now I have a bare bottom liner pond with a bottom drain, lilies in pots and plants on shelves. So much easier to keep clean. I suggest to anyone thinking of building a pond to watch your channel along with Hanover Koi Farms blog.
I do agree with your assessment! That being said I've had great success with my 3 year koi pond. I have a raised wooden koi pond. The bottom has sand and some river stone patches. My specific placements has been great. My water stay crystal clear and I don't have dirt/sediment settling on the bottom. Probably because the way I set everything up. But great information none the less. I live in Georgia, USA. Love your content
Thanks for the comment. Sand is a lot better than gravel because it’s finer so the dirt will settle in top then ideally caught by your pump etc. other areas will build up in time, 3 years still early days. How’s your pond in the winter, what air temps do you guys get over there?
Adding gravel and stones to a self-made wildlife pond serves several important purposes: Habitat Creation: Gravel and stones provide a natural habitat for various aquatic organisms, such as insects, snails, and amphibians. These creatures use the crevices and surfaces for shelter, breeding, and feeding. Biological Filtration: The surfaces of the gravel and stones harbor beneficial bacteria that help break down organic matter and pollutants in the water, contributing to the pond's biological filtration system. This helps maintain water quality and clarity. Plant Support: Aquatic plants can anchor their roots in the gravel, helping them stay in place and grow effectively. These plants play a crucial role in oxygenating the water and providing food and shelter for wildlife. Aesthetic Appeal: Gravel and stones give the pond a natural and aesthetically pleasing appearance. They can be used to create attractive landscaping features such as borders, ledges, and shallow areas. Erosion Control: In ponds with natural banks, gravel and stones can help prevent soil erosion by stabilizing the edges and reducing sediment runoff into the water. Water Aeration: The varied surface and structure of gravel and stones can enhance water movement and aeration, promoting a healthier aquatic environment. By incorporating gravel and stones, you create a more balanced and sustainable ecosystem in your wildlife pond, supporting a diverse range of plant and animal life.
This is wonderful!! You are wonderful! As a pond store business owner, the daily battle I see from frustrated pond owners with gravel in the bottom, is exceedingly sad. They are sold on what it looks like the first 2 weeks and not what it will be in a couple months. Once a gravel pond is installed, the maintenance and products to keep up with is horrifying. Props to the "company", we all know who, that started this idea because they can rake in millions off unknowing customers. I can't do business like that.
The who comment ?? To be fair it’s a completely different train of thought ..USA company making its way here to ..after 27yrs in the trade in the uk our approach is different..I have always agreed that when you need to clean gravel / rock work it is a pain ..but these ponds in fairness are set up different
I too had a outdoor pond with gravel and small rocks ,what a mistake looked nice from the start but the root growth consumed all the rocks and removing the water plants and their roots was a nightmare. So good advice and yes the plants do reduce your water volume.
Wow.. your the only person ive come across saying no to gravel etc..I've been looking at information for eco ponds and it's the complete opposite to what you say.. more rocks, gravel better for good bacteria so long as you have a pump and bog filter.. my 2p worth
Thanks for the comment. The vid is pretty clear that we are talking from a maintenance point of view. When the point comes that you need to remove the plant roots and silt, good luck with that. You can still have a lovey pond without clogging it with stones and gravel
@@curse6of6me6 stones and rocks will build with silt and the plants will grow into them. We aren’t saying people don’t use them. We are just advising what is going to happen. We are just being factual, it’s not rocket science. Perhaps hold back on the abusive message and be more constructive, it’s also not rocket science
Silt will build up in every pond river or lake. Ever wondered why rivers lakes and ponds need dredging. Lol. I guess the silt eating bacteria weren’t hungry.
I think having jets to help create water flow and push dirt and debris to the intake bay helps keep it from settling on the bottom. This is what i've seen on many other pond channels and some of them show case ponds that are 5 - 20 years old and still look beautiful with rock and gravel, with a healthy amount of sediment and green algae.
Thanks for the comment. Good water movement is a great idea. It’s just the way it goes, gravel / stones etc will always gather more dirt. They do look more pleasing to the eye, we are just trying to highlight you can still have a lovely looking pond if abit more effort is put into the design from the start rather that throwing in a load of rocks/gravel to hide the liner which will make maintenance so much easier to future proof the pond in years to come
They show you the pond freshly built.. nerve to be seen again haha because down the line.. no matter what.. it will trap everything and it's no longer pretty..been they did that..btw.. the gravel will change its luster...ugggg
What an amazing video. He touched on everything that’s wrong with my pond. At least I can show this video to my wife and remove all the rocks and debris from my pond. Hopefully, my pond doesn’t have a leak.
I never really thought about some of your points but damn they are all great and spot on! I won't mention any names (AquaScape) swears by rocking in the entire pond. They just want you to call them back out so they can take your MONEY!!!! Thanks for sharing your knowledge
Great video, happy new year by the way,.i have a blagdon pond with fish full of plants and i used gravel on the bottom and it looked amazing for 6 months until the gravels discoloured with sediment, it was a constant battle keeping it clean with my pond filter running, although it does look nicer with gravel when i move house and clean out my pond the gravel wont be going back in this time. I spend more time cleaning my pond instead of enjoying my fish
I grew if you have overhanging trees , planting lillies in the bottom is a disaster waiting to happen but if you use 10mm pea gravel 100mm thick with a perforated grid of pipe and pull oxygenated water through the gravel this problem takes 2-7 years depending on fish stocking and feeding schedule this can be cleaned by removing the fish and switch the pump round so it blows water out rather than sucking water down through the gravel cleaning it without removing any gravel
It’s best to keep your plants in decent pots so you can take them out to maintain, trim roots etc every winter, if you don’t they will just grow into all your other plants and take over.
I have a very small pond with gravel which holds around 300 litres of water that I built last year and it's already turned green with algae. I'm gonna remove them and just do what you advised and get some nice plants
There's a system to cleaning gravel and rocked ponds, it's easy as long as you don't leave it for years and years. Any pond left for 10 years is a nightmare to clean, believe me I've cleaned hundreds.
I just cleaned mine. One foot of silt at the bottom. Stones are only at the rim, bottom is not covered, so it was not difficult to remove the shit. Still I did it after 12 years. You know a shoemaker always has bad shoes. I am a pond builder btw. And never put stones, gravel at the bottom, only from the first stair step upwards.
Thanks for all the excellent advice. That pond you show at the end is beautiful!! I'm planning on making what's probably more like a drinking puddle for the wildlife in my garden! I thought lining it with gravel would be the way to go but now, following your advice, I will keep it free of stones and just make the perimeter as attractive and accessible as possible. I'm off to check out your other vids now, to see if I can find anything that looks more like my puddle! 😂
I've just built my first pond, which is fairly small, and I have seen a lot of videos stating that gravel is a good thing for the bottom of a pond, so I am now a bit confused as to what is right.
Hi David thanks for comment. We are just advising about our experience from people who have used stones/rocks/gravel in a pond and we are the people they call when they have problems with it. If you want a fairly natural looking pond for short time, put gravel or stones in it, but beware of the longer term problems like we mention in the vid etc
Gravel/rock on the bottom does help. It creates more surface areas for beneficial bacteria to grow. That being said.. its also a lot more maintenance. You HAVE to fully clean it somewhat often. I have a bare bottom koi pond for ease of maintenance
I am making a wildlife pond with no filter and fish. My question is can I put pebbles, sand on the gradual sloping design of my pond, some will be submerged at the shallow ends, but not at the bottom? Many thanks for your great info!
I want to put sand down. Then the liner. Then, cover it with concrete for complete protection. If I'm careful during construction, it should be good for decades. Then rocks on top. One thing is certain. I am tapping the thumbs up 👍 button to feed the algorithm monsters.
rocks are for the nittrogen cycle and to harbour good bacteria, not really aesthetics. So they are neccassary in the main. Also to store heat during cooler months so it prevents the fish freezing
If one wants to use gravel one needs to set up the pond like a fish tank with an under-the-gravel filter pump. Like, before adding the gravel, one adds a slightly raised drainage platform for the gravel to lay upon, with a space below for the intake of the filter pump to rest. Also for cleaning gravel that is without a lower filter pump, there is a siphon design for cleaning out the rocks in large fish tanks, which one can replicate and use for smaller ponds. One would only need to scale it up to fit one's pond size. Just saying.
Thnx for the comment. I used to work at the Brighton sea life centre, all the systems were run on under gravel filters, ok at first but an absolute nightmare as they block up and very difficult to clean, they have been removed and update to more efficient systems thnx for the comment
All of thoes concerns are negated by spending the money of haveing a professionally built natural swimming pool...its self filtering and only needs annual pruning...but it dose cost a lot...I love using large sandstone flats for the bottom...a big bog filter and several beach entrances...looks beautiful and low maintenance.
Will be doing a vid on swimming ponds. They do look nice but you are planting aquatic plants in them, very invasive and you may get 5 - 10years if you are lucky before they are just one huge messy plant system that you cannot remove. Cutting or pruning will not sort out the root system. Good luck trying to get them out. It’s so bad we do not take those jobs on anymore…thanks for the comment
A great idea is using a suction grid at the bottom of the ponds under pebbles as intake into the filters. Basically a standard Bog but in reverse. There seems to be a big consensus of them clogging up but ive done 3 over the past decade without any issues. Bottom Drains can clog up and people install a purge incase this happens. Can always be done with a suction grid and even plumb a backwash system in if really needed.
Tip to anyone who builds a pond, don’t put the filter on the bottom of the pond. Use a skimmer box on 1 end and a waterfall on the other. This information is crap. Definitely use rocks. I’ve done it both ways and my pond now is always crystal clear.
Lol we aren’t saying don’t use rocks we but be tactful, if you cover your entire pond good luck with a leak and also it will be a total mess at some point when the silt builds up.
What are your thoughts on some people who say that the rocks help form bacteria that help keep the water clean? I know that doesn't answer the problem of sediment sitting in between the rocks/gravel. But I'd like to do an intake bay and bog filter, is that design still doable without stone and rock to support it?
So what substrate can I put in my pond to help hold down the pond plants I have Cause I don't have Lillie's I have plants that need to be at the bottom
Rocked out ponds look great for a few months. Then they get overgrown or full of gunk and they are a nightmare to maintain. If your not having fish they are fine. But soon as the fish go in and the algae starts growing, big mess.
Just use an Aquascape Biofalls and Skimmer to suit the size of your pond. Easy maintenance, no clogged pump because it sits in the Skimmer. Use an underlay, a high quality butyl liner and an OVERLAY before putting the rocks and gravel in. Ecosystem pond, no problem. I've built mine and it's crystal clear.
@@thep0ndman I have zero sediment in my pond and will never have sediment in my pond because I have an Ecosystem Pond. If I put my hand in and move the gravel around, there is NO silt underneath it. As I said previously it consists of fish-friendly rocks,pebbles, various gravels, an underlay, a butyl liner, an overlay, an Aquascape Biofalls, and an Aquascape Skimmer with a pump housed within it. You don't get any sediment in an ecosystem pond. The Skimmer takes care of it. The larger debris, like leaves, goes in the fabric basket, and smaller bits go into the special sponge that sits on the top inside it. The Skimmer basket and sponge are cleaned out very easily whenever needed, and that depends on the time of year, with Autumn being the busiest. The unit sits at the edge of the pond, has a lid, and is hidden by whatever you choose to put on top to camouflage it. It's dead simple to access in 30 seconds from the edge of the pond. No need to get in the water because the pump sits in the very bottom of the Skimmer. The pump runs perfectly because it's always pumping clean water. The pond never gets silted up, and water quality is perfect for aquatic life because of the Biofalls filtration. The Biofalls filter gets cleaned once a year only because you will kill the beneficial bacteria that are added and that break down the harmful stuff in the water like fish waste, ammonia and nitrogen. It's a fantastic system and beautiful to look at, especially having the Biofalls, which is not only the vital part of the filtration but is the source of a waterfall - or stream.
@@anniegetchergun I appreciate your description of your ecosystem pond and sounds for sure like you are on a higher level playing field than most. Would love to see not only images of your project, but diagrams as well showing the logistics. I think the video producer is addressing the majority of small pond owners, and as such he's probably right to keep things simple like maintaining smooth pond surfaces to help keep it clean, kind of like most aquarium owners are better off keeping things simple which therefore hopefully makes it easier (for most) to clean and maintain. However, being a bit more educated and inspired by the natural benefits of an Ecosystem type pond, I fully agree with you on many basic aspects, and feel that gravel, boulders, plants etc. all can thrive in a wonderfully well balanced ecosystem type pond such as you've described, where the biology of the ecosystem plays the key role in long term maintenance of cleanliness. Please let me know if you have a link where your pond can be viewed, it sounds fantastic!
Always several schools of thoughts. Personally I love the rocks and pebbles. Yes they will change color as your pond matures. I do end up cleaning some algae off a few rocks and my waterfalls. As to the build up at the bottom. I can stir up the pebbles and get very little debris floating out. I’ll throw in some muck reducing bacteria every so often. My plants are all in baskets. Lots of water movement plus koi constantly stirring things up and grazing helps as well. I don’t do any major cleaning once a year either. I use a sieve pre filter then biological at my waterfalls. One small bog filter waterfall too. Plants simply thrive in that. To each his own and every pond is different. This works for me on all levels. On one more note personally I think you need a nicer background than sitting in your truck to make these videos. I do enjoy listening to you but think some different pictures to break things up a bit would be nicer. But again that’s just me. Thank you. 🤙🏻🤙🏻
Thanks if you listen to what we say, we clearly say ideally use rocks around the edge but don’t fill your entire pond with them. Gravel on the bottom is pointless as it just silts up and acts like huge sponge that cannot be maintained. Please make better videos with your own background to share with everyone.
@@thep0ndman I DID listen to what you said. And that’s your opinion. In my case the pebbles are not causing a problem. And I was only offering constructive criticism , no need getting your panties in a wad. And yes my channel is coming soon. Then I suppose you can critique me . Have a great day 🤙🏻🤙🏻
Hi I've recently go into pond plant I keep gettin these small black worms how do I get rid of them I am eventually going to get some small gold fish I'm in the process of getting electricity up to patio pond so I can keep the pump & filler running over winter as it's a solar pump & filter I have there isn't much on UA-cam aboot these small black worms I think they r eating my plants can u help I'm greatful for you videos as they have helped me alot thanks Debbie from Paisley.
Hi Debbie, can you send us a pic of the worms? Could be mosquito larvae, have a Google on what they look like but not sure about them eating your plants cheers for the comment. Fish will help!
Hi you have helped they are indeed mosquito larvae I googled them so I could see what they look like I didn't want to get goldfish till I get electric next to the patio pond thanks for your help.
I like what I hear but wonder about dogs tearing liner when getting out. (I have 2 golden so you know they will get in!). Do you think stoning the shelf would help protest the liner? I appreciate your advice!
Hi Jen, thanks for the comment. If your dogs are going to go into the pond then it would be a good idea to protect the liner or use a more hardy material like fibre glass if you haven’t built the pond. Of course dogs in any pond isn’t ideal perhaps an attractive fence around it?
Looks like I'm in deep silt. I have pebbles and slightly smaller gravel all over the floor of my pond. Initially it looked beautiful. Nearly four years on I think it's time for a change based on your video. Submerged string algae and (why did I do it?!) the introduction of spiked water milfoil absolutely love the pebbles and gravel. Ok my pond is an ornamental wildlife pond with no fish, however there is a lot of historical plant debris and maybe not so 'aquatic' soil at the bottom. My plan is to drop the water level in the pond to as low as I can go, keeping it at a level high enough for the creatures in the pond to stay alive. I've purchased a plastic shovel and hopefully with a lot of careful determination, I should be able to remove a lot of the pebbles and gravel. Would a kind of 'brush' action work ok from time to time? Kick up some silt so that the filter has a chance to pull it away? Thanks again for the video, good work.
@@thep0ndman No worries. It did work. I now have a small hill of pebbles and gravel that I'll redistribute over another area of the garden. Man, some of those pebbles look like I've dipped them in engine oil and then left them out in the sun to dry. I'm glad I saw your video now rather than later. Thanks again.
May I ask a ?. I'm in the process of building a pond. I made the mistake of buying a LLDEP liner (went cheap) Iv'e had to patch several holes already and it so hard to work with. I just bought a new Firestone 45 mil liner. Should I pull the old liner out or can I just keep it in and put the new liner over it to help protect the new liner? This is my first time building a 12x16. pond so I don't know what to do. Thanks for the info in this video. Oh someone else told me you cant use cement in a pond because it's toxic to fish.
You can leave it in if you want. We usually take them out to make sure there are no other issues with the ground but it’s really really important today down a heavy duty underlay do not use carpet or anything else but a pond grade underlay from an aquatic shop. Cement is fine once it has go off, we use a waterproofer in the mix if it is going underwater but lots of people don’t bother
Sand is better than gravel as the silt will sit on top, if you can fit your pipework similar to an aquarium with the pump or bottom drain just above the sand to catch all the debris
If you have a pond and do maintenance on it or get someone in to do the work then you can have a grave in the bottom as long as it's not too thick, I have a grave in my pond and don't have any issues with it as I clean my own pond.
My old pond had no gravel just a handful of assorted large rocks in the bottom. Then large rocks around the edge it seemed to thrive and regulary had new fish. My new pond is two one above the other one won't face fish yet bottom one Will. The top will be a wildlife pond fir frogs etc. So no stones in the fish pond and just a few in the top pond.
Thats interesting. I have heard from other pond experts that the more rock you have, the more beneficial nitrifying bacteria will grow to naturally balance the water, a major requirement to maintaining healthy clear water and animals. You seem to be discussing rocks being bad based on the fact you don't enjoy cleaning ponds that are not maintained. There is much more to it than that.
Thank you for the comment. We are basically saying that you can use rocks/gravel, just don’t completely cover your pond, invest in a good filter system, build the pond properly so you can future proof it should you need to clean it or have a leak, have potted plants etc to help naturalise the pond and in a way where you can maintain, have the best of both worlds a pond that looks awesome but maintainable. Anybody can just throw in a load of stone or graben, if a company wants to charge you do it that way I would be wary
If you completely cover your pond in stones which is what most tend to do who think that’s how to build a pond, you cannot find a leak. If you install an attractive stone edge and cement it in properly, the liner is fully protected from the stones etc so that area won’t leak. If you drain and clean the pond out, any damage in the pond is easily found thnx for the comment
Pond maintenance - Keeping it nice. Rock and gravel / lilies not a problem. Debris is filtered out, removed regularly as it accumulates. Pond not over fed/overstocked. Plants including lily's are managed seasonally. The pond is a beatiful feature of the garden. Pond restoration - after (sometimes years or decades) of neglected maintenance. Giant lily bogs. Over stocked with over grown fish, under equipped/ defective filters pumps etc. GRAVEL AND LILY'S are a nightmare. Tonnes of slurry and gravel to 'wash?' Pond is an eye sore nightmare.
I've got a fibreglass pond 11ft long 8ft wide kidney shaped ive done a very light scattering of gravel plants in bags of equatic soil . Is this a good idea using gravel standing on it could it puncture the fibreglass matey
hi john, it should be ok in theory but we wouldnt recommend too much weight or sharp edges. The video is mainly just about the amount of dirt etc that collects in the gravel or stones which after times makes it more un manageable...
@@thep0ndman thanks for your reply 👍. I watch your videos frequently and I like your honesty and knowledge very helpful indeed keep up the great work matey
I'm done using epdm liner and switching to bentonite. I don't need all these damn rocks to hide a liner that's not there. I can move boulders and won't have to deal with a seam coming apart. Nor where this years leak could be.
Coming late to the conversation but would be interested to know what you think of a certain well known American brands approach that builds ponds based on skimmers, rocks and gravel. I won't mention their name as that would be unfair.
Haha I know who you mean we will be doing a video on it. Basically it’s a lot easier to just chuck in however much stone to hide the liner which is what they pretty much do. Some look quite nice but heaven help you if you get a leak. If you put heavy stone on liner they should place on a bed of cement to cushion and protect it and I don’t think they even know how mix a bucket load up
We aren’t saying you can’t use rocks, stones etc, but if you cover your entire pond and you need to some maintenance on it, after a few years of silting up it becomes very difficult and if you get a leak, well good luck trying to find it…thanks for the comment.
@@thep0ndman thanks for your very prompt reply, I have no desire to fill the pond with rocks or gravel so your video was very enlightening and a real relief. I think I will spend my money on plants and make it a work in progress…
Yes they love rock ponds, and they struggle to clean properly. Once clogged they can only remove a small amount of silt as the rest is in the rocks. Lots of videos online where they attempt to clean. You can still have some rock in the pond as I like the look, but it’s almost that it’s for people that don’t know how to build them properly so they just chuck in so much rock to hide the liner…
@@thep0ndman I lived in the states for a few years and 99% of their koi ponds were beautifully created with rocks and gravel with large water falls, water quality was spot on good filtration played a key but the main thing was a once a year drain down clean and refill , gravel and rocks only become a problem if you are not prepared to do the work to look after them , and the states being the states , they have a guy for that 🤣
I'm confused here. Most other videos and pond experts say its best to add gravel and rocks so who is right. If you just want an outside koi tank then fine without rocks but most people want something more natural in the garden. I imagine its just easier to clean a bare liner than one covered with rocks and pebbles when they're covered in green algae. Its just a balance between aesthetics and practicality.
Rocks gravel etc is more pleasing on the eye but when it comes to maintenance it’s a nightmare. You can still have rocks etc in the pond but we wouldn’t recommend to cover it entirely thanks for the comment
Hi ,I have been preparing to build my pond all winter ,to make it tomorrow 1st May with rocks and pebbles. !!!😮 After watching your video I am not going to do that now. 😢 Would it be ok to just have a couple of bricks in the pond with a slate on top for a fish cave ? Is it best to have every type of plant in a basket or plastic pot ? Oh just 1 more question please is it ok to put some bricks in for the potted marginal plants to get to the correct height? I don’t have any shelves in my 2 foot deep above ground pond. It is 5 foot by 2 foot. Just a pond liner straight on top of flag stones. Thank you very much for this video I was going to make a big mistake in 1 days time. 😊😊😊
Hi thanks for the comment. We aren’t saying don’t use stones just don’t over do it. Yes if you have plants keep in large pots so they will grow but won’t take over as you can take them out each year to cut back. You can use bricks just make sure there isn’t anything sharp.
You have been dealing with ponds that have been totally neglected. I know people that have ponds over 30 years with rock and gravel that don't have those problems.
? I don’t understand the comment. The only time your gravel I’ll not “absorb” floating debris is if the gravel is physically smaller that the sediment passing by. Then it will settle on top and hopefully the pump will pick it up. This is what we are saying in the video and giving other alternatives. Good luck to you friends if they have a leak or they do decide the pond needs cleaning or they just want a change. We aren’t just making it up 🤣
This video is antithetical to what gravel is supposed to do in ponds. In my case, I have 2 ducks and am making a small pond, and I may add some fish. You put a liner down, and then gravel. Around the top rim, you put water plants and such. No filter will be able to suck up all the duck poop and food debris without clogging regularly. The point of the gravel IS to catch the sediment, but more importantly, as a home for good bacteria. The plants absorb much of the waste ammonia and provide more food for the good bacteria. The good bacteria help to consume the dangerous bad bacteria from the waste. You also must have moving water, it must be agitated, so that particles go to the filter. And there will be necessary maintenance regularly needed to vacuum up, or at least agitate the gravel to loosen the sediment for removal. As I've been told many times, "the more media in the pond, the better, and the clearer the water." It sounds like your suggestion is for lazy people who do nothing to take care of a stagnant body of water that turns into a messy, smelly bog over time. That isn't what a pond should be. It seems that the more research I do, the more I find that a majority of people stop short of doing everything they should be doing to create what they would really like. Thus... 1) Gravel is a must. 2) Water movement and aeration is a must. 3) Filtering is a must. 4) Proper, beneficial plants are a must.
@@ChrisShortyAllen any thing in a pond live will live on any thing porus. That includes liner too. A bio firm will live on rocks which live off the fish. This helps filter a pond. Clearly its not as good as a filter but it all helps.
It isn't the pebbles that are the problem, it is poor design, construction and maintenance and plant selection that is the problem, quite often combined with overstocking with fish and overwhelming filtration. A well constructed/designed pond with a focus on hydraulic retention time, i.e. water turnover, of not less than 6hrs for the total volume, combined with a wetlands/bog filter, along with well designed pond floor drainage, that draws from across the entire pond floor, with a minimum 4% gradient and which flows into a sump or several sumps, that can then enable the removal of the sediment on a monthly basis using a sump pump, will almost totally eliminate the problem.
It is the pebbles, stones. Unless you have no gravity where you live heavier particles will fall to the bottom and get trapped between the stones, rocks, pebbles. It will build up and fingers crossed you do not get a leak as you won’t be able to find it without causing more damage. Agree some ponds are build as well as others
What about the real reason you should not use gravel in the pond. It will be a major breeding ground for bad bacteria which will end up killing your fish.
Unfortunately that’s not 100% true, ponds with poor water quality can effect immune systems of fish, if they become stressed they will become susceptible to infections. Bacterial infections in fish are secondary caused by something firstly usually always water quality related. Thanks for the comment. Tbh gravel etc has beneficial bacteria like any filter system it’s just difficult to clean and maintain should you need too..
What I’m hearing from this. Is lots of people don’t like to do once a year maintenance. Properly scaled bog filters, hidden or planted. Used in conjunction with the right pump/s setup. Will make a world of difference. I have both styles of pond gravel, rocks and a bare lined pond. Much prefer the gravel and rock pond to the other one. I pull a good third to half of my plants out of the pond each year. Thoroughly stir the gravel up, letting the dirty water move into the intake bays. Use a net for heavier debris. Then flush and cycle the bog filter. That’s the job done for another year. It’s just small things to do during the year after that, like any other part of the garden.
Thanks for the comment. All ponds are different however the ones that we have worked on with stones / gravel are always the ones which the dirt never makes it to the filter and eventually blocks and builds up. It’s just what happens after time. Sounds like you are keeping on top of it though well done
Do you mind if I ask you some questions. I’m starting my pond now and have some concerns and questions
Can’t you just jump in and syphon the gravel just like you do aquariums? That’s what I plan on doing once I finish my pond build. Hopefully every 6 months just do a little gravel vacuuming. 😅
@@GRadvbro how big will the pond be. What will its maximum depth be. How large will your gravel be. Will it be a still water or flowing pond. If flowing what will your filter setup be, what will be the flow rate. Will it be planted. These are things I would need to know, in order to give any sort of opinion.
Please look up the channel Oz ponds. He has some really good videos. His videos are helpful even if you’re in Britain or America.
Thanks for the advice which I followed with my second pond. My first pond had gravel and it stunk when I broke it down. Now I have a bare bottom liner pond with a bottom drain, lilies in pots and plants on shelves. So much easier to keep clean. I suggest to anyone thinking of building a pond to watch your channel along with Hanover Koi Farms blog.
Glad I could help!
I do agree with your assessment! That being said I've had great success with my 3 year koi pond. I have a raised wooden koi pond. The bottom has sand and some river stone patches. My specific placements has been great. My water stay crystal clear and I don't have dirt/sediment settling on the bottom. Probably because the way I set everything up. But great information none the less. I live in Georgia, USA. Love your content
Thanks for the comment. Sand is a lot better than gravel because it’s finer so the dirt will settle in top then ideally caught by your pump etc. other areas will build up in time, 3 years still early days. How’s your pond in the winter, what air temps do you guys get over there?
I’m glad I watched this now, before I plan my small pond . Great advice 👍
Happy to help glad you enjoyed it cheers for the comment
Adding gravel and stones to a self-made wildlife pond serves several important purposes:
Habitat Creation: Gravel and stones provide a natural habitat for various aquatic organisms, such as insects, snails, and amphibians. These creatures use the crevices and surfaces for shelter, breeding, and feeding.
Biological Filtration: The surfaces of the gravel and stones harbor beneficial bacteria that help break down organic matter and pollutants in the water, contributing to the pond's biological filtration system. This helps maintain water quality and clarity.
Plant Support: Aquatic plants can anchor their roots in the gravel, helping them stay in place and grow effectively. These plants play a crucial role in oxygenating the water and providing food and shelter for wildlife.
Aesthetic Appeal: Gravel and stones give the pond a natural and aesthetically pleasing appearance. They can be used to create attractive landscaping features such as borders, ledges, and shallow areas.
Erosion Control: In ponds with natural banks, gravel and stones can help prevent soil erosion by stabilizing the edges and reducing sediment runoff into the water.
Water Aeration: The varied surface and structure of gravel and stones can enhance water movement and aeration, promoting a healthier aquatic environment.
By incorporating gravel and stones, you create a more balanced and sustainable ecosystem in your wildlife pond, supporting a diverse range of plant and animal life.
Wrong
Can't thank you enough for your advice. I'm almost ready to install the liner and following ALL your suggestions. They just make sense!
That’s no problem thanks for comment appreciate it
This is wonderful!! You are wonderful! As a pond store business owner, the daily battle I see from frustrated pond owners with gravel in the bottom, is exceedingly sad. They are sold on what it looks like the first 2 weeks and not what it will be in a couple months. Once a gravel pond is installed, the maintenance and products to keep up with is horrifying. Props to the "company", we all know who, that started this idea because they can rake in millions off unknowing customers. I can't do business like that.
Thanks for the comment. Gravel is soooo messy it’s crazy how quickly it goes rank.
Who?
The who comment ?? To be fair it’s a completely different train of thought ..USA company making its way here to ..after 27yrs in the trade in the uk our approach is different..I have always agreed that when you need to clean gravel / rock work it is a pain ..but these ponds in fairness are set up different
I too had a outdoor pond with gravel and small rocks ,what a mistake looked nice from the start but the root growth consumed all the rocks and removing the water plants and their roots was a nightmare. So good advice and yes the plants do reduce your water volume.
thanks for the comment
So glad I saw this. Was about to buy pea gravel to enhance the look if my fish pond. Definitely a no no. Thanks for posting
Wow.. your the only person ive come across saying no to gravel etc..I've been looking at information for eco ponds and it's the complete opposite to what you say.. more rocks, gravel better for good bacteria so long as you have a pump and bog filter.. my 2p worth
Thanks for the comment. The vid is pretty clear that we are talking from a maintenance point of view. When the point comes that you need to remove the plant roots and silt, good luck with that. You can still have a lovey pond without clogging it with stones and gravel
@@curse6of6me6 stones and rocks will build with silt and the plants will grow into them. We aren’t saying people don’t use them. We are just advising what is going to happen. We are just being factual, it’s not rocket science. Perhaps hold back on the abusive message and be more constructive, it’s also not rocket science
Silt will build up in every pond river or lake. Ever wondered why rivers lakes and ponds need dredging. Lol. I guess the silt eating bacteria weren’t hungry.
I think having jets to help create water flow and push dirt and debris to the intake bay helps keep it from settling on the bottom. This is what i've seen on many other pond channels and some of them show case ponds that are 5 - 20 years old and still look beautiful with rock and gravel, with a healthy amount of sediment and green algae.
Thanks for the comment. Good water movement is a great idea. It’s just the way it goes, gravel / stones etc will always gather more dirt. They do look more pleasing to the eye, we are just trying to highlight you can still have a lovely looking pond if abit more effort is put into the design from the start rather that throwing in a load of rocks/gravel to hide the liner which will make maintenance so much easier to future proof the pond in years to come
They show you the pond freshly built.. nerve to be seen again haha because down the line.. no matter what.. it will trap everything and it's no longer pretty..been they did that..btw.. the gravel will change its luster...ugggg
What an amazing video. He touched on everything that’s wrong with my pond. At least I can show this video to my wife and remove all the rocks and debris from my pond. Hopefully, my pond doesn’t have a leak.
Thanks for the comment
I never really thought about some of your points but damn they are all great and spot on! I won't mention any names (AquaScape) swears by rocking in the entire pond. They just want you to call them back out so they can take your MONEY!!!! Thanks for sharing your knowledge
I get your point but can you imagine how boring it would be for a fish to live in a black room with nothing in it .
well you can put rocks but not big ones you can't move by hand
Excellent points, thank you so much. You've helped me avoid a massive disappointment.
No probs thanks for the comment
Great video, happy new year by the way,.i have a blagdon pond with fish full of plants and i used gravel on the bottom and it looked amazing for 6 months until the gravels discoloured with sediment, it was a constant battle keeping it clean with my pond filter running, although it does look nicer with gravel when i move house and clean out my pond the gravel wont be going back in this time. I spend more time cleaning my pond instead of enjoying my fish
I grew if you have overhanging trees , planting lillies in the bottom is a disaster waiting to happen but if you use 10mm pea gravel 100mm thick with a perforated grid of pipe and pull oxygenated water through the gravel this problem takes 2-7 years depending on fish stocking and feeding schedule this can be cleaned by removing the fish and switch the pump round so it blows water out rather than sucking water down through the gravel cleaning it without removing any gravel
Thanks for comment. Have an easy life, don’t put gravel in your pond, it’s really not needed
Hmmm no UV to change no sponges to replace to filter to flush sounds like a pretty easy life to me
Thank you, I wasn't sure but I thought it would be good for plants but now i know better than to add gravel.
It’s best to keep your plants in decent pots so you can take them out to maintain, trim roots etc every winter, if you don’t they will just grow into all your other plants and take over.
I have a very small pond with gravel which holds around 300 litres of water that I built last year and it's already turned green with algae. I'm gonna remove them and just do what you advised and get some nice plants
There's a system to cleaning gravel and rocked ponds, it's easy as long as you don't leave it for years and years. Any pond left for 10 years is a nightmare to clean, believe me I've cleaned hundreds.
Cheers thanks for the comment!
What is the system to cleaning gravel and rocked ponds?
I just cleaned mine. One foot of silt at the bottom. Stones are only at the rim, bottom is not covered, so it was not difficult to remove the shit. Still I did it after 12 years. You know a shoemaker always has bad shoes. I am a pond builder btw. And never put stones, gravel at the bottom, only from the first stair step upwards.
I agree with you completely rocks and gravel end up with green algae n mud and crap in the gravel best not to use any or just very very few
Defo thanks for the comment!
Thanks for all the excellent advice. That pond you show at the end is beautiful!! I'm planning on making what's probably more like a drinking puddle for the wildlife in my garden! I thought lining it with gravel would be the way to go but now, following your advice, I will keep it free of stones and just make the perimeter as attractive and accessible as possible. I'm off to check out your other vids now, to see if I can find anything that looks more like my puddle! 😂
This has to be the Absolute best yet I’ve seen on UA-cam. Everything you just said makes 100% sense. Brilliant 🙏
cheers appreciate it
Tremendous video. I can’t even watch pond vids with boulders. Thank you so much for your informative videos !!!! Cindy from Louisiana
Cheers for the comment!
I've just built my first pond, which is fairly small, and I have seen a lot of videos stating that gravel is a good thing for the bottom of a pond, so I am now a bit confused as to what is right.
Hi David thanks for comment. We are just advising about our experience from people who have used stones/rocks/gravel in a pond and we are the people they call when they have problems with it. If you want a fairly natural looking pond for short time, put gravel or stones in it, but beware of the longer term problems like we mention in the vid etc
Gravel/rock on the bottom does help. It creates more surface areas for beneficial bacteria to grow. That being said.. its also a lot more maintenance. You HAVE to fully clean it somewhat often. I have a bare bottom koi pond for ease of maintenance
I am making a wildlife pond with no filter and fish. My question is can I put pebbles, sand on the gradual sloping design of my pond, some will be submerged at the shallow ends, but not at the bottom? Many thanks for your great info!
You can but it will all end up in the bottom
I want to put sand down. Then the liner. Then, cover it with concrete for complete protection. If I'm careful during construction, it should be good for decades. Then rocks on top.
One thing is certain. I am tapping the thumbs up 👍 button to feed the algorithm monsters.
rocks are for the nittrogen cycle and to harbour good bacteria, not really aesthetics. So they are neccassary in the main. Also to store heat during cooler months so it prevents the fish freezing
Rocks store heat in the winter and stops your pond from freezing…heard it all now
If one wants to use gravel one needs to set up the pond like a fish tank with an under-the-gravel filter pump. Like, before adding the gravel, one adds a slightly raised drainage platform for the gravel to lay upon, with a space below for the intake of the filter pump to rest. Also for cleaning gravel that is without a lower filter pump, there is a siphon design for cleaning out the rocks in large fish tanks, which one can replicate and use for smaller ponds. One would only need to scale it up to fit one's pond size. Just saying.
Thnx for the comment. I used to work at the Brighton sea life centre, all the systems were run on under gravel filters, ok at first but an absolute nightmare as they block up and very difficult to clean, they have been removed and update to more efficient systems thnx for the comment
My water lilies definitely
Work to naturalise my pond they look good too!
Glad that your lilies are doing well! What are your winter plans with them?
I like that all the "debris" disappears between the rocks. It's all about regular maintenance as with anything else.
Thanks for the comment.
All of thoes concerns are negated by spending the money of haveing a professionally built natural swimming pool...its self filtering and only needs annual pruning...but it dose cost a lot...I love using large sandstone flats for the bottom...a big bog filter and several beach entrances...looks beautiful and low maintenance.
Will be doing a vid on swimming ponds. They do look nice but you are planting aquatic plants in them, very invasive and you may get 5 - 10years if you are lucky before they are just one huge messy plant system that you cannot remove. Cutting or pruning will not sort out the root system. Good luck trying to get them out. It’s so bad we do not take those jobs on anymore…thanks for the comment
Any advice regarding a stream?! Gravel in the bottom… do we leave it running… how deep?
A great idea is using a suction grid at the bottom of the ponds under pebbles as intake into the filters. Basically a standard Bog but in reverse.
There seems to be a big consensus of them clogging up but ive done 3 over the past decade without any issues. Bottom Drains can clog up and people install a purge incase this happens. Can always be done with a suction grid and even plumb a backwash system in if really needed.
Thnx for the comment but we would recommend to steer clear of under gravel filters, they do work but when they block all I can say is good luck
Tip to anyone who builds a pond, don’t put the filter on the bottom of the pond. Use a skimmer box on 1 end and a waterfall on the other. This information is crap. Definitely use rocks. I’ve done it both ways and my pond now is always crystal clear.
Lol we aren’t saying don’t use rocks we but be tactful, if you cover your entire pond good luck with a leak and also it will be a total mess at some point when the silt builds up.
This was very helpful, thank you....
Thanks for the comment glad you found it useful
What are your thoughts on some people who say that the rocks help form bacteria that help keep the water clean? I know that doesn't answer the problem of sediment sitting in between the rocks/gravel. But I'd like to do an intake bay and bog filter, is that design still doable without stone and rock to support it?
So what substrate can I put in my pond to help hold down the pond plants I have
Cause I don't have Lillie's I have plants that need to be at the bottom
I might lay some flagstone now instead of gravel/stones.
Thanks for comment good idea
Finally someone with some sense.
Rocked out ponds look great for a few months. Then they get overgrown or full of gunk and they are a nightmare to maintain. If your not having fish they are fine. But soon as the fish go in and the algae starts growing, big mess.
Agree they do look nice to start off with but your filters stay fairly clean as all the rubbish is trapped in the rocks/gravel. Thanks for the comment
Just use an Aquascape Biofalls and Skimmer to suit the size of your pond. Easy maintenance, no clogged pump because it sits in the Skimmer. Use an underlay, a high quality butyl liner and an OVERLAY before putting the rocks and gravel in. Ecosystem pond, no problem. I've built mine and it's crystal clear.
Sounds good but good luck if you ever need to clean the pond if it needs it due to silting up
@@thep0ndman That's the whole idea of using a proper filtration system - it doesn't silt up!
Yes but filling the pond with rocks and gravel, where do you think most of the silt etc has gone…
@@thep0ndman I have zero sediment in my pond and will never have sediment in my pond because I have an Ecosystem Pond. If I put my hand in and move the gravel around, there is NO silt underneath it. As I said previously it consists of fish-friendly rocks,pebbles, various gravels, an underlay, a butyl liner, an overlay, an Aquascape Biofalls, and an Aquascape Skimmer with a pump housed within it. You don't get any sediment in an ecosystem pond. The Skimmer takes care of it. The larger debris, like leaves, goes in the fabric basket, and smaller bits go into the special sponge that sits on the top inside it. The Skimmer basket and sponge are cleaned out very easily whenever needed, and that depends on the time of year, with Autumn being the busiest. The unit sits at the edge of the pond, has a lid, and is hidden by whatever you choose to put on top to camouflage it. It's dead simple to access in 30 seconds from the edge of the pond. No need to get in the water because the pump sits in the very bottom of the Skimmer. The pump runs perfectly because it's always pumping clean water. The pond never gets silted up, and water quality is perfect for aquatic life because of the Biofalls filtration. The Biofalls filter gets cleaned once a year only because you will kill the beneficial bacteria that are added and that break down the harmful stuff in the water like fish waste, ammonia and nitrogen. It's a fantastic system and beautiful to look at, especially having the Biofalls, which is not only the vital part of the filtration but is the source of a waterfall - or stream.
@@anniegetchergun I appreciate your description of your ecosystem pond and sounds for sure like you are on a higher level playing field than most. Would love to see not only images of your project, but diagrams as well showing the logistics.
I think the video producer is addressing the majority of small pond owners, and as such he's probably right to keep things simple like maintaining smooth pond surfaces to help keep it clean, kind of like most aquarium owners are better off keeping things simple which therefore hopefully makes it easier (for most) to clean and maintain.
However, being a bit more educated and inspired by the natural benefits of an Ecosystem type pond, I fully agree with you on many basic aspects, and feel that gravel, boulders, plants etc. all can thrive in a wonderfully well balanced ecosystem type pond such as you've described, where the biology of the ecosystem plays the key role in long term maintenance of cleanliness.
Please let me know if you have a link where your pond can be viewed, it sounds fantastic!
Your absolutely right..uggg..I did gravel in my first pond.. never again..
Feel your pain
Always several schools of thoughts. Personally I love the rocks and pebbles. Yes they will change color as your pond matures. I do end up cleaning some algae off a few rocks and my waterfalls. As to the build up at the bottom. I can stir up the pebbles and get very little debris floating out. I’ll throw in some muck reducing bacteria every so often. My plants are all in baskets. Lots of water movement plus koi constantly stirring things up and grazing helps as well. I don’t do any major cleaning once a year either. I use a sieve pre filter then biological at my waterfalls. One small bog filter waterfall too. Plants simply thrive in that. To each his own and every pond is different. This works for me on all levels. On one more note personally I think you need a nicer background than sitting in your truck to make these videos. I do enjoy listening to you but think some different pictures to break things up a bit would be nicer. But again that’s just me. Thank you. 🤙🏻🤙🏻
Thanks if you listen to what we say, we clearly say ideally use rocks around the edge but don’t fill your entire pond with them. Gravel on the bottom is pointless as it just silts up and acts like huge sponge that cannot be maintained. Please make better videos with your own background to share with everyone.
@@thep0ndman I DID listen to what you said. And that’s your opinion. In my case the pebbles are not causing a problem. And I was only offering constructive criticism , no need getting your panties in a wad. And yes my channel is coming soon. Then I suppose you can critique me . Have a great day 🤙🏻🤙🏻
@@thep0ndman just wondering if a false bottom has been tried so that water is sucked down through stones. Like indoor old school fish tanks.
Hi I've recently go into pond plant I keep gettin these small black worms how do I get rid of them I am eventually going to get some small gold fish I'm in the process of getting electricity up to patio pond so I can keep the pump & filler running over winter as it's a solar pump & filter I have there isn't much on UA-cam aboot these small black worms I think they r eating my plants can u help I'm greatful for you videos as they have helped me alot thanks Debbie from Paisley.
Hi Debbie, can you send us a pic of the worms? Could be mosquito larvae, have a Google on what they look like but not sure about them eating your plants cheers for the comment. Fish will help!
Hi you have helped they are indeed mosquito larvae I googled them so I could see what they look like I didn't want to get goldfish till I get electric next to the patio pond thanks for your help.
I must say, I’d rather have more maintenance, than these unnatural looking ponds.
Thanks for the comment
I like what I hear but wonder about dogs tearing liner when getting out. (I have 2 golden so you know they will get in!). Do you think stoning the shelf would help protest the liner? I appreciate your advice!
Hi Jen, thanks for the comment. If your dogs are going to go into the pond then it would be a good idea to protect the liner or use a more hardy material like fibre glass if you haven’t built the pond. Of course dogs in any pond isn’t ideal perhaps an attractive fence around it?
Brilliant advice I learnt this the hard way u are the best!
aawww thanks xx
Looks like I'm in deep silt. I have pebbles and slightly smaller gravel all over the floor of my pond. Initially it looked beautiful. Nearly four years on I think it's time for a change based on your video. Submerged string algae and (why did I do it?!) the introduction of spiked water milfoil absolutely love the pebbles and gravel. Ok my pond is an ornamental wildlife pond with no fish, however there is a lot of historical plant debris and maybe not so 'aquatic' soil at the bottom. My plan is to drop the water level in the pond to as low as I can go, keeping it at a level high enough for the creatures in the pond to stay alive. I've purchased a plastic shovel and hopefully with a lot of careful determination, I should be able to remove a lot of the pebbles and gravel. Would a kind of 'brush' action work ok from time to time? Kick up some silt so that the filter has a chance to pull it away? Thanks again for the video, good work.
Yes that could work thanks for the comment!
@@thep0ndman No worries. It did work. I now have a small hill of pebbles and gravel that I'll redistribute over another area of the garden. Man, some of those pebbles look like I've dipped them in engine oil and then left them out in the sun to dry. I'm glad I saw your video now rather than later. Thanks again.
glad we could help!
@@petelongrs
May I ask a ?. I'm in the process of building a pond. I made the mistake of buying a LLDEP liner (went cheap) Iv'e had to patch several holes already and it so hard to work with. I just bought a new Firestone 45 mil liner. Should I pull the old liner out or can I just keep it in and put the new liner over it to help protect the new liner? This is my first time building a 12x16. pond so I don't know what to do. Thanks for the info in this video. Oh someone else told me you cant use cement in a pond because it's toxic to fish.
You can leave it in if you want. We usually take them out to make sure there are no other issues with the ground but it’s really really important today down a heavy duty underlay do not use carpet or anything else but a pond grade underlay from an aquatic shop. Cement is fine once it has go off, we use a waterproofer in the mix if it is going underwater but lots of people don’t bother
Would sand work better than gravel? Much harder for debris to sink to the bottom, and better for plants to grow in.
Sand is better than gravel as the silt will sit on top, if you can fit your pipework similar to an aquarium with the pump or bottom drain just above the sand to catch all the debris
Could you not have large river washed stones and a bottom drain. Would there be enough movement for the waste to get dragged into the drain
If you have a pond and do maintenance on it or get someone in to do the work then you can have a grave in the bottom as long as it's not too thick, I have a grave in my pond and don't have any issues with it as I clean my own pond.
Thanks for the comment
My old pond had no gravel just a handful of assorted large rocks in the bottom. Then large rocks around the edge it seemed to thrive and regulary had new fish. My new pond is two one above the other one won't face fish yet bottom one Will. The top will be a wildlife pond fir frogs etc. So no stones in the fish pond and just a few in the top pond.
Can't you stir up the pebbles occasionally to let the filter catch it?
Those bolders being set in concrete looks natural 😂😂😂
Not when you first put them in but the concrete weathers with the stone that’s the point
Now this I agree with,makes sense👌🏿😎
thanks for the comment!
Is pea gravel a big deal in a small pond with no fish?
Thats interesting. I have heard from other pond experts that the more rock you have, the more beneficial nitrifying bacteria will grow to naturally balance the water, a major requirement to maintaining healthy clear water and animals. You seem to be discussing rocks being bad based on the fact you don't enjoy cleaning ponds that are not maintained. There is much more to it than that.
Thank you for the comment. We are basically saying that you can use rocks/gravel, just don’t completely cover your pond, invest in a good filter system, build the pond properly so you can future proof it should you need to clean it or have a leak, have potted plants etc to help naturalise the pond and in a way where you can maintain, have the best of both worlds a pond that looks awesome but maintainable. Anybody can just throw in a load of stone or graben, if a company wants to charge you do it that way I would be wary
How would you ever repair the liner in your example if all the rocks are fixed with cement along the border?
If you completely cover your pond in stones which is what most tend to do who think that’s how to build a pond, you cannot find a leak. If you install an attractive stone edge and cement it in properly, the liner is fully protected from the stones etc so that area won’t leak. If you drain and clean the pond out, any damage in the pond is easily found thnx for the comment
Some excellent points in there. Many thanks
Very welcome
Pond maintenance - Keeping it nice. Rock and gravel / lilies not a problem. Debris is filtered out, removed regularly as it accumulates. Pond not over fed/overstocked. Plants including lily's are managed seasonally. The pond is a beatiful feature of the garden.
Pond restoration - after (sometimes years or decades) of neglected maintenance. Giant lily bogs. Over stocked with over grown fish, under equipped/ defective filters pumps etc. GRAVEL AND LILY'S are a nightmare. Tonnes of slurry and gravel to 'wash?'
Pond is an eye sore nightmare.
Cheers for the comment appreciate it
I've got a fibreglass pond 11ft long 8ft wide kidney shaped ive done a very light scattering of gravel plants in bags of equatic soil . Is this a good idea using gravel standing on it could it puncture the fibreglass matey
hi john, it should be ok in theory but we wouldnt recommend too much weight or sharp edges. The video is mainly just about the amount of dirt etc that collects in the gravel or stones which after times makes it more un manageable...
@@thep0ndman thanks for your reply 👍. I watch your videos frequently and I like your honesty and knowledge very helpful indeed keep up the great work matey
I'm done using epdm liner and switching to bentonite. I don't need all these damn rocks to hide a liner that's not there. I can move boulders and won't have to deal with a seam coming apart. Nor where this years leak could be.
Thnx for the comment hope it goes well!
Coming late to the conversation but would be interested to know what you think of a certain well known American brands approach that builds ponds based on skimmers, rocks and gravel. I won't mention their name as that would be unfair.
Haha I know who you mean we will be doing a video on it. Basically it’s a lot easier to just chuck in however much stone to hide the liner which is what they pretty much do. Some look quite nice but heaven help you if you get a leak. If you put heavy stone on liner they should place on a bed of cement to cushion and protect it and I don’t think they even know how mix a bucket load up
Great advice very well explained 👍
thanks
I’d be interested to know if the same applies to a wildlife pond ?
We aren’t saying you can’t use rocks, stones etc, but if you cover your entire pond and you need to some maintenance on it, after a few years of silting up it becomes very difficult and if you get a leak, well good luck trying to find it…thanks for the comment.
@@thep0ndman thanks for your very prompt reply, I have no desire to fill the pond with rocks or gravel so your video was very enlightening and a real relief. I think I will spend my money on plants and make it a work in progress…
@@thep0ndman On reflection, I’m not sure if you read my question?
Ever been to America ??? Nothing wrong with rocks and gravel if your prepared to do the maintenance but that’s the thing ,
Yes they love rock ponds, and they struggle to clean properly. Once clogged they can only remove a small amount of silt as the rest is in the rocks. Lots of videos online where they attempt to clean. You can still have some rock in the pond as I like the look, but it’s almost that it’s for people that don’t know how to build them properly so they just chuck in so much rock to hide the liner…
@@thep0ndman I lived in the states for a few years and 99% of their koi ponds were beautifully created with rocks and gravel with large water falls, water quality was spot on good filtration played a key but the main thing was a once a year drain down clean and refill , gravel and rocks only become a problem if you are not prepared to do the work to look after them , and the states being the states , they have a guy for that 🤣
Tell me you like swimming pools without telling me you like swimming pools😂😂😂
thanks for the comment
But wouldn’t you want some dirt at the bottom of the pond for the fish to dig in?
we are just saying that maintenance is very difficult when full of stone, rock
I'm confused here. Most other videos and pond experts say its best to add gravel and rocks so who is right. If you just want an outside koi tank then fine without rocks but most people want something more natural in the garden. I imagine its just easier to clean a bare liner than one covered with rocks and pebbles when they're covered in green algae. Its just a balance between aesthetics and practicality.
Rocks gravel etc is more pleasing on the eye but when it comes to maintenance it’s a nightmare. You can still have rocks etc in the pond but we wouldn’t recommend to cover it entirely thanks for the comment
Gravel no, but larger pebble stones are great for water clarity.
Hi ,I have been preparing to build my pond all winter ,to make it tomorrow 1st May with rocks and pebbles. !!!😮
After watching your video I am not going to do that now. 😢
Would it be ok to just have a couple of bricks in the pond with a slate on top for a fish cave ?
Is it best to have every type of plant in a basket or plastic pot ?
Oh just 1 more question please is it ok to put some bricks in for the potted marginal plants to get to the correct height? I don’t have any shelves in my 2 foot deep above ground pond. It is 5 foot by 2 foot. Just a pond liner straight on top of flag stones.
Thank you very much for this video I was going to make a big mistake in 1 days time. 😊😊😊
Hi thanks for the comment. We aren’t saying don’t use stones just don’t over do it. Yes if you have plants keep in large pots so they will grow but won’t take over as you can take them out each year to cut back. You can use bricks just make sure there isn’t anything sharp.
@@thep0ndman Thank you for all of your good advice. 👍
Can't you just use muck reducer tablets if you like rocks?
????
Thanks boss 😊
Welcome 😊
You have been dealing with ponds that have been totally neglected. I know people that have ponds over 30 years with rock and gravel that don't have those problems.
? I don’t understand the comment. The only time your gravel I’ll not “absorb” floating debris is if the gravel is physically smaller that the sediment passing by. Then it will settle on top and hopefully the pump will pick it up. This is what we are saying in the video and giving other alternatives. Good luck to you friends if they have a leak or they do decide the pond needs cleaning or they just want a change. We aren’t just making it up 🤣
@thep0ndman we use a net to remove debris when ever we see it and use a vacuum to clean the rocks at least once a year
@@thep0ndman you shouldn't put large rocks directly on the liner. There are things you can do to protect the liner from punctures
Sorry plz let me know the exact part in the video where we said to put large rocks directly onto a liner?
This video is antithetical to what gravel is supposed to do in ponds. In my case, I have 2 ducks and am making a small pond, and I may add some fish. You put a liner down, and then gravel. Around the top rim, you put water plants and such. No filter will be able to suck up all the duck poop and food debris without clogging regularly. The point of the gravel IS to catch the sediment, but more importantly, as a home for good bacteria. The plants absorb much of the waste ammonia and provide more food for the good bacteria. The good bacteria help to consume the dangerous bad bacteria from the waste. You also must have moving water, it must be agitated, so that particles go to the filter. And there will be necessary maintenance regularly needed to vacuum up, or at least agitate the gravel to loosen the sediment for removal.
As I've been told many times, "the more media in the pond, the better, and the clearer the water." It sounds like your suggestion is for lazy people who do nothing to take care of a stagnant body of water that turns into a messy, smelly bog over time. That isn't what a pond should be. It seems that the more research I do, the more I find that a majority of people stop short of doing everything they should be doing to create what they would really like. Thus... 1) Gravel is a must. 2) Water movement and aeration is a must. 3) Filtering is a must. 4) Proper, beneficial plants are a must.
Thanks for the comment. Btw we don’t make these videos for fun, plants absorb nitrate not ammonia. Good luck with the pond
I got me some nice big rocks off side oh the road but all my fish died
🤔
That’s half a story.
Rocks add biological filtration to a pond.
How?
@@ChrisShortyAllen any thing in a pond live will live on any thing porus. That includes liner too. A bio firm will live on rocks which live off the fish. This helps filter a pond. Clearly its not as good as a filter but it all helps.
Lots of so called pond experts here on UA-cam, but id say you're the only one who tells it how it is!
you don’t clean out the pond you want the dirt in there cause then it looks like an actual real pond
sometimes you need too thanks for the comment
It isn't the pebbles that are the problem, it is poor design, construction and maintenance and plant selection that is the problem, quite often combined with overstocking with fish and overwhelming filtration.
A well constructed/designed pond with a focus on hydraulic retention time, i.e. water turnover, of not less than 6hrs for the total volume, combined with a wetlands/bog filter, along with well designed pond floor drainage, that draws from across the entire pond floor, with a minimum 4% gradient and which flows into a sump or several sumps, that can then enable the removal of the sediment on a monthly basis using a sump pump, will almost totally eliminate the problem.
It is the pebbles, stones. Unless you have no gravity where you live heavier particles will fall to the bottom and get trapped between the stones, rocks, pebbles. It will build up and fingers crossed you do not get a leak as you won’t be able to find it without causing more damage. Agree some ponds are build as well as others
Since the purpose of my pond is for wildlife and plant habitat, this is rubbish advice for my goals.
What about the real reason you should not use gravel in the pond.
It will be a major breeding ground for bad bacteria which will end up killing your fish.
Unfortunately that’s not 100% true, ponds with poor water quality can effect immune systems of fish, if they become stressed they will become susceptible to infections. Bacterial infections in fish are secondary caused by something firstly usually always water quality related. Thanks for the comment. Tbh gravel etc has beneficial bacteria like any filter system it’s just difficult to clean and maintain should you need too..