@@AquaticLifestyles Quick question, I noticed you folded the liner up inside the edgework above ground level in your other video. You did not do it here. Since my pond is a bit lower than the surrounding garden I thought it might be worth doing this to prevent run-off. Does this work well? How high do you usually make it? Cheers.
I forgot to mention, I put stones around the edge so it would be a bit further away from the actual pond than in your "small pond" video, if that makes sense.
One man show, no heavy equipment Fully educational I wanted to help you while watching, of course for free, the experience and education would be great
Really nice pond and was very relaxing to watch. I'm renovating my pond at moment. Its taking time, as its having two big waterfalls, lights and large rocks added. Rain stopped play, AGAIN, so I watch yours again, with a glass of wine. Thanks.
I like your style. I have a rectangular rough pond right now in my front yard, which I hope to improve on with a mini-wharf for kids and an Hibernaculum (a neat idea!). I also have a large satellite dish in the back yard tilted at 30 degrees. Just one thought: when you are recording, you might consider a remote mike for better sound.
@@AquaticLifestyles What kind of rocks are you using on this particular pond? It looks so big and heavy, but it seems like you don't effort so much to carry them. I wish to build a similar pond and will no have any help or heavy tools. That's why this information could be helpful for me. Maybe I can use lava rocks, but I like the shape and looks You used. Thank You for the tutorial and congrats!
hi, me again. I did follow you very closely but the connection of the pump, I didn't see how the pipes were connected? I saw you connect the skimmer to the waterfall. please clarify the connections. thank you. Your presentation though long was one of the best I seen ad I prepare to build, though I intend to build mine from concrete. God bless you.
Very nice video. In couple of months I will be building my first pond. I wanna know one thing that without skimmer how can I control overflow as where I live it rains most of the time. I will be adding fishes. Please help me regarding overflow I don't want my fishes out of the pond.
Your pond should be built so that it doesn't catch runoff from the surrounding landscape. The only water it will catch is what lands on the water surface. A lower edge should work for an overflow. All ponds should have a skimmer to remove surface debris and a biological filter to remove toxins.
@@AquaticLifestyles I live in the mountains in India. Skimmer and all that stuff are not available in India.Importing will be very expensive. I have my own well so I don't have water problem. Can I keep changing water every few days. I have many plants in my backyard so I will use that pond water.
@@RAZOR12334 It sounds like you need to build a wildlife pond. Add lots of aquatic plants to the pond, they will help with filtering (at least 60% of the pond needs to be planted) and keep fish numbers low.
I just use pond plants and hardy fish like carp and barbs, I haven’t used any other systems besides the organisms I’ve introduced from local lake systems, getting water culture
Estoy ase dos horas pegado uno mas lindo que hotro yo ise con metal desplegable dejando todo hueco y me quedo lindo pero con piedras verdaderas es jenial
here is a link to the pond kit, plus this pond has a larger 3.0 metre X 2.5 metre waterfall liner. nzpondsupplies.co.nz/collections/ecosystem-pond-kits/products/pond-kit-pond-size-4-5-x-3-0-metres
great video mate very simple but as they say keep it simple stupid lol expat living in thailand, will use as a reference to build me a pound soon as the house is finished can't wait, but this been thailand probable need a bit of kiwi ingenuity throwing in lol
Good luck with your pond. We could ship products to Thailand, but it could be costly. Check us out at www.aquaticlifestyles.co.nz and www.nzpondsupplies.co.nz
Yes, ecosystems do have filters. An ecosystem has biological filtration (beneficial bacteria) and phyto-filtration (plants). We add mechanical filtration to our ecosystem ponds to reduce the load on Natures filtration and we put bio-media in our waterfall filter to give Nature more surface area to colonise with bacteria. We also use rock and pebble in the pond to increase surface area for bacteria. Our waterfalls introduce large amounts of oxygen so that the aerobic bacteria can grow large colonies and do it's job. Our systems provide Nature with what she needs to create a healthy ecosystem, that is why it is an Ecosystem Pond.
Real nature has certain elements which you have highlighted, but an ecosystem does not attempt to strain the particles ( living or dead) out of the system like these ponds.
Definition of an ecosystem "A biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment".Real nature does not have a closed system and has only one fish per few million litres of water so the biological load is less. In an ornamental pond there are many fish in a small amount of water, creating a huge amount of waste. By removing some of this extra waste we reduce the load on Nature so that she can maintain good water quality. Our ponds are not a natural pond (they are man made) but they are a whole living ecosystem, which nature sets up for us and it is exactly the same natural ecosystem that is in all the lake, streams and rivers. Our ponds have all the same micro organisms that are found in nature. They are an ecosystem.
Micro organisms rarely make up an ecosystem. They are but one cog in the wheel. I realize we are not going to change your mind about what an ecosystem or an ecosystem pond is, but the information is here for those with an interest. Cheers!
Our ecosystem pond designs and systems have been developed by a marine biologist who is a world leader in man made freshwater aquatic ecosystems. He named these Ecosystem Ponds, we did not just make it up. I may be an ornamental pond builder but I am well educated and have an in-depth knowledge of aquatic ecosystems, both natural and man made.
First and foremost, great video! I wish it was available 5 or 6 years ago when I built mine... I spent many, many hours researching and you have managed surpass all of that research in one clip. Question: Where in NZ can I buy fish safe rock foam? Cheers, M.
Thank for your great comment. You can buy the fish safe foam and any other pond product you need from my company Aquatic Lifestyles, 32 Belk Rd, Tauranga NZ open on Saturdays or I can courier products to you. Phone 027 4751336 or website aquaticlifestyles.co.nz
Why did you put the skimmer filter plate round the wrong way. The liner should be cut and stretched over the protruding opening then sealed and inserted into the hole so the face is flush.
This model skimmer has the face plate sticking out rock goes up to each side of it and there is more room inside the unit. I know this because I designed it and I own the mould and the company that makes them
What kind of foam did u use around the waterfall I'm sure 🐟🐟 safe. We're using a Jacuzzi tub for the pond trying to get a feel for the waterfall and what kind of pump we will need.
I use Aquascape Black Waterfall Foam in the waterfall. It is fish safe and designed for building waterfalls, available from aquaticlifestyles.co.nz in New Zealand. Build your waterfall with a good quality liner (EPDM) and pump size should be 6,000 litres per hour or greater.
Hi. In this eco pond can we put fish. If yes then how the poop of the fish is clean up or recycle. Also how the moist can be prevented or it form part of the pond?
In an ecosystem pond nature takes care of fish waste. Stocking levels should be kept low to help with this (one 10cm fish per 200 litres of water larger fish need more water). I'm not sure what you mean by "moist"
@@amylynnlee3 Good algae management is a combination of many things. Check out this video ua-cam.com/video/o-X4WXjAR34/v-deo.html and my website aquaticlifestyles.co.nz for more information about algae
An ecosystem pond like this has mechanical filtration (the skimmer), biological filtration (the waterfall filter), phyto-filtration (the plants). 3 types of filtration.
@@AquaticLifestyles Thank you. I am based in Saigon. I have another question. I want to build a small organic pond (swimmable). Size is around 3 (W) x 5 (L) x 1.5 m (D). Does your style of eco system (skimmer, the bio fall filter, plants filtration) work well with such a size and purpose of pond?
Aquatic Lifestyles MKII 150 skimmer filter and Aquatic Lifestyles biological waterfall filter. These are only available in New Zealand. If you are located else-ware I can recommend similar products that may be available to you.
That depends on where you get them from. This pond used around 5 tonnes of boulders from a local quarry $60 per tonne plus freight about $500 total. River pebble 1.5 tonnes from local landscape supplies $180
These are Machine Screws which can occasion be used with a nut, and it is still called a screw. It is the exception to your bolt /nut rule. See ritterlumber.net/the-difference-between-bolts-and-screws/
No chemicals should ever be added to an ecosystem pond, with the exception of de-chlorinator. Chemicals inhibit the ability of nature to setup a healthy ecosystem. This can take anywhere from 4 weeks to a whole season, adding live beneficial bacteria can speed up the process. If an algae bloom occurs, it is quite normal and healthy. An ecosystem pond works with mother nature, chemicals work against her. You always need to give nature time to do her thing.
All ponds need filtration, even nature puts filtration in lakes and rivers. But nature also only puts one fish per million or so litres of water. Water gardeners stock their ponds much heavier than nature would so extra filtration is needed.
All ponds need filtration to maintain healthy water. Fishless ponds can have the filtration system sized down because there is a lower biological load, but all three forms of filtration (mechanical, biological, phytofiltration) are still needed.
AquaticLifestyles "Phytofilteration?" Would that be a way of keeping the single celled algae in check? (Green water). I've just never heard of the term before. (Thanks in advance) Ps. Love your style of rock working. It's really effective.
The skimmer is a very important part of the system. It removes leaves and debris before they sink to the bottom, this reduces the biological load and keeps the pond bottom clean. It also houses the pump. You can build an intake bay which is a bit more complicated, we use these on our larger projects. Putting a pump on the bottom of a pond is not ideal because it allows debris to accumulate on the pond bottom and you have an ugly pump in full view.
I don’t have a skimmer on my pond which is approximately 7,500l. Water quality is great. I run 2 black (underwater) pumps that are impossible to see past the water lillies. 1 runs 24/7 through a pressure filter and the other (for aesthetic reasons) runs on a timer, 6hrs a day for the waterfall feature.
You don't need a skimmer to have good water quality. The advantage of a skimmer is that it reduces maintenance and sludge buildup by removing leaves and debris that would otherwise settle to the bottom. It also reduces the biological load on the pond and only takes 5 minutes to clean.
singlehandedly? My goodness. I'm beyond impressed. And such vision! such beauty on the first try. I can tell you're experienced AND talented.
Thanks Lewis
2022 here! Great video mate 👍 didnt know there were dollys for boulders! Nice and detailed instructional for pond diy!
These are great tutorials. I'm doing my pond with these steps. Thank you.
Thanks for the comment. I hope your pond project turns out great.
@@AquaticLifestyles Quick question, I noticed you folded the liner up inside the edgework above ground level in your other video. You did not do it here. Since my pond is a bit lower than the surrounding garden I thought it might be worth doing this to prevent run-off. Does this work well? How high do you usually make it? Cheers.
I forgot to mention, I put stones around the edge so it would be a bit further away from the actual pond than in your "small pond" video, if that makes sense.
@@bigpimpinbig1 Now days I always fold the liner up and back down, the bury the edge leaving the top of the fold above ground level.
Wow very beautiful style
Thanks
One man show, no heavy equipment
Fully educational
I wanted to help you while watching, of course for free, the experience and education would be great
Thanks for the comment. I worked full time on my own for 4 years. I now have machinery and some staff.
Like from India 👍
One of the easier tutorials to follow.
The backyard has a lovely view of the street
Superb work! Many thanks.
Thanks
thank you for the step by step tutorial.
Really nice pond and was very relaxing to watch. I'm renovating my pond at moment. Its taking time, as its having two big waterfalls, lights and large rocks added. Rain stopped play, AGAIN, so I watch yours again, with a glass of wine. Thanks.
thank you..very helpful to inspire a novice builder such as myself
You are welcome
I like your style. I have a rectangular rough pond right now in my front yard, which I hope to improve on with a mini-wharf for kids and an Hibernaculum (a neat idea!). I also have a large satellite dish in the back yard tilted at 30 degrees.
Just one thought: when you are recording, you might consider a remote mike for better sound.
Thanks for the remote mike advice.
You should contest in strongman contest...those are huge rocks...Nice pond as the result
Big rocks look much better than lots of small rocks stacked up.
@@AquaticLifestyles What kind of rocks are you using on this particular pond? It looks so big and heavy, but it seems like you don't effort so much to carry them. I wish to build a similar pond and will no have any help or heavy tools. That's why this information could be helpful for me.
Maybe I can use lava rocks, but I like the shape and looks You used.
Thank You for the tutorial and congrats!
@@luismhl1980 the rocks are from a local quarry and are an average weight for natural rock
@@AquaticLifestyles Thank You for taking the time to answer Me and for making Your video. Congrats again, what a gorgeous pond!!
hi, me again. I did follow you very closely but the connection of the pump, I didn't see how the pipes were connected? I saw you connect the skimmer to the waterfall. please clarify the connections. thank you. Your presentation though long was one of the best I seen ad I prepare to build, though I intend to build mine from concrete. God bless you.
I use a check valve and threaded fittings to connect the pump.
Also did not show you run the hose from the skimmer to the waterfall, great video but that would help us. Any pics of how the plumbing was done?
@@HurstHorns It was at the first of the video right after lining out the shape.
I’m lost since I saw no guidance regarding the plumbing and how they were connected....
The way you carry those rocks makes them look like the polystyrene ones from Star Trek planets.
Thanks for the comment. I assure you they are all real rocks.
Very nice video. In couple of months I will be building my first pond. I wanna know one thing that without skimmer how can I control overflow as where I live it rains most of the time. I will be adding fishes. Please help me regarding overflow I don't want my fishes out of the pond.
Your pond should be built so that it doesn't catch runoff from the surrounding landscape. The only water it will catch is what lands on the water surface. A lower edge should work for an overflow. All ponds should have a skimmer to remove surface debris and a biological filter to remove toxins.
@@AquaticLifestyles I live in the mountains in India. Skimmer and all that stuff are not available in India.Importing will be very expensive. I have my own well so I don't have water problem. Can I keep changing water every few days. I have many plants in my backyard so I will use that pond water.
@@RAZOR12334 It sounds like you need to build a wildlife pond. Add lots of aquatic plants to the pond, they will help with filtering (at least 60% of the pond needs to be planted) and keep fish numbers low.
an easy tutorial:
dig a big hole
full with water
throw some water plants and fish in
wait 1 mil years for the fish to evole into different niches
you obviously are an Idiot with a capital "I"
@@30eesh why
@@30eesh please give me a reason why am an idiot with a capital “I”
Nice
I just use pond plants and hardy fish like carp and barbs, I haven’t used any other systems besides the organisms I’ve introduced from local lake systems, getting water culture
Did this pond have a uv filter running? And is it necessary to have crystal clear water or would plants do the job?
Great video and good questions and answers in comments cheers
Cheers
Estoy ase dos horas pegado uno mas lindo que hotro yo ise con metal desplegable dejando todo hueco y me quedo lindo pero con piedras verdaderas es jenial
good joob
Thanks
what are the dimensions of this pond? How big is the liner, length and width?
here is a link to the pond kit, plus this pond has a larger 3.0 metre X 2.5 metre waterfall liner. nzpondsupplies.co.nz/collections/ecosystem-pond-kits/products/pond-kit-pond-size-4-5-x-3-0-metres
great video mate very simple but as they say keep it simple stupid lol
expat living in thailand, will use as a reference to build me a pound soon as the house is finished can't wait, but this been thailand probable need a bit of kiwi ingenuity throwing in lol
Good luck with your pond. We could ship products to Thailand, but it could be costly. Check us out at www.aquaticlifestyles.co.nz and www.nzpondsupplies.co.nz
Wonder how his hernia repair went.
Hi Herma, I've been doing this for 8 years with no strain injuries, I'm now 63 years old now "if you don't keep doing it you loose it"
Yes it is a tricky question... do ecosystems have filters? Think about that. Cheers!
Yes, ecosystems do have filters. An ecosystem has biological filtration (beneficial bacteria) and phyto-filtration (plants). We add mechanical filtration to our ecosystem ponds to reduce the load on Natures filtration and we put bio-media in our waterfall filter to give Nature more surface area to colonise with bacteria. We also use rock and pebble in the pond to increase surface area for bacteria. Our waterfalls introduce large amounts of oxygen so that the aerobic bacteria can grow large colonies and do it's job. Our systems provide Nature with what she needs to create a healthy ecosystem, that is why it is an Ecosystem Pond.
Real nature has certain elements which you have highlighted, but an ecosystem does not attempt to strain the particles ( living or dead) out of the system like these ponds.
Definition of an ecosystem "A biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment".Real nature does not have a closed system and has only one fish per few million litres of water so the biological load is less. In an ornamental pond there are many fish in a small amount of water, creating a huge amount of waste. By removing some of this extra waste we reduce the load on Nature so that she can maintain good water quality. Our ponds are not a natural pond (they are man made) but they are a whole living ecosystem, which nature sets up for us and it is exactly the same natural ecosystem that is in all the lake, streams and rivers. Our ponds have all the same micro organisms that are found in nature. They are an ecosystem.
Micro organisms rarely make up an ecosystem. They are but one cog in the wheel. I realize we are not going to change your mind about what an ecosystem or an ecosystem pond is, but the information is here for those with an interest. Cheers!
Our ecosystem pond designs and systems have been developed by a marine biologist who is a world leader in man made freshwater aquatic ecosystems. He named these Ecosystem Ponds, we did not just make it up. I may be an ornamental pond builder but I am well educated and have an in-depth knowledge of aquatic ecosystems, both natural and man made.
First and foremost, great video! I wish it was available 5 or 6 years ago when I built mine... I spent many, many hours researching and you have managed surpass all of that research in one clip. Question: Where in NZ can I buy fish safe rock foam? Cheers, M.
Thank for your great comment. You can buy the fish safe foam and any other pond product you need from my company Aquatic Lifestyles, 32 Belk Rd, Tauranga NZ open on Saturdays or I can courier products to you. Phone 027 4751336 or website aquaticlifestyles.co.nz
So what is Not To Do based on your experience? I will barely build my pond, thank you.
Why did you put the skimmer filter plate round the wrong way. The liner should be cut and stretched over the protruding opening then sealed and inserted into the hole so the face is flush.
This model skimmer has the face plate sticking out rock goes up to each side of it and there is more room inside the unit. I know this because I designed it and I own the mould and the company that makes them
What kind of foam did u use around the waterfall I'm sure 🐟🐟 safe. We're using a Jacuzzi tub for the pond trying to get a feel for the waterfall and what kind of pump we will need.
I use Aquascape Black Waterfall Foam in the waterfall. It is fish safe and designed for building waterfalls, available from aquaticlifestyles.co.nz in New Zealand. Build your waterfall with a good quality liner (EPDM) and pump size should be 6,000 litres per hour or greater.
Es fantastico
What is the pond size
Pond is 4.5 meters x 3.0 meters plus the waterfall. (15 feet x 10 feet)
What type of glue was used on the underlayment ?
No glue. Welded with a heat gun, melt one piece and put the other piece on it before it sets.
Hi. In this eco pond can we put fish. If yes then how the poop of the fish is clean up or recycle. Also how the moist can be prevented or it form part of the pond?
In an ecosystem pond nature takes care of fish waste. Stocking levels should be kept low to help with this (one 10cm fish per 200 litres of water larger fish need more water). I'm not sure what you mean by "moist"
@@AquaticLifestyles sorry i mean Algae. My pond is concrete and i have a lot algae growing
@@amylynnlee3 Good algae management is a combination of many things. Check out this video ua-cam.com/video/o-X4WXjAR34/v-deo.html and my website aquaticlifestyles.co.nz for more information about algae
where did you purchase the stone? how much are they? nice video, thanks
I got the stone from a local quarry
What type of stones were used? Are they concrete?
@@tachanakas if they were from quarry, they should not be concrete.
So except for the skimmer, we dont use any filter?
An ecosystem pond like this has mechanical filtration (the skimmer), biological filtration (the waterfall filter), phyto-filtration (the plants). 3 types of filtration.
@@AquaticLifestyles Thank you. Do you ship these products overseas?
@@tamho5034 We can ship overseas, but it's costly. Where are you located? I may know of a supplier of similar products close to you.
@@AquaticLifestyles Thank you. I am based in Saigon. I have another question. I want to build a small organic pond (swimmable). Size is around 3 (W) x 5 (L) x 1.5 m (D). Does your style of eco system (skimmer, the bio fall filter, plants filtration) work well with such a size and purpose of pond?
What is the size of the pond in this video btw?
hi AquiticLifestyles i have a question about the material, what is that black liner you use? is it Nylon?
The liner is Firestone EPDM rubber geomembrane, 1.14 mm (45ml) thick.
Deep water lol, it doesn't even come up to your knees.
Nice design though.
There was a city council depth restriction when this pond was built.
What generation of biofalls is that?
that pond is awesome
Thanks
What filter was used???
Aquatic Lifestyles MKII 150 skimmer filter and Aquatic Lifestyles biological waterfall filter. These are only available in New Zealand. If you are located else-ware I can recommend similar products that may be available to you.
How much$ for the boulders and rocks?
That depends on where you get them from. This pond used around 5 tonnes of boulders from a local quarry $60 per tonne plus freight about $500 total. River pebble 1.5 tonnes from local landscape supplies $180
I may be wrong, but this is the second pond video where a "bolt" is called a "screw". Bolts and nuts go together. Screws stand on their own.
These are Machine Screws which can occasion be used with a nut, and it is still called a screw. It is the exception to your bolt /nut rule. See ritterlumber.net/the-difference-between-bolts-and-screws/
Well, thank you, in all my decades working with fasteners, I did not know that.
Does anyone know what song was used
Had to start by adding chemicals. Only criticism.
No chemicals should ever be added to an ecosystem pond, with the exception of de-chlorinator. Chemicals inhibit the ability of nature to setup a healthy ecosystem. This can take anywhere from 4 weeks to a whole season, adding live beneficial bacteria can speed up the process. If an algae bloom occurs, it is quite normal and healthy. An ecosystem pond works with mother nature, chemicals work against her. You always need to give nature time to do her thing.
Where can I buy the underlayment inthe US?
Home Depot and Lowes don't sell it.
Where in the US are you located?
AquaticLifestyles NC
Follow this link to locate a store www.aquascapeinc.com/find-retailers#store-locator
can you build it without a filter
like make it self sustaining
All ponds need filtration, even nature puts filtration in lakes and rivers. But nature also only puts one fish per million or so litres of water. Water gardeners stock their ponds much heavier than nature would so extra filtration is needed.
So if we go fishless we can do without the filter?
All ponds need filtration to maintain healthy water. Fishless ponds can have the filtration system sized down because there is a lower biological load, but all three forms of filtration (mechanical, biological, phytofiltration) are still needed.
AquaticLifestyles "Phytofilteration?" Would that be a way of keeping the single celled algae in check? (Green water).
I've just never heard of the term before. (Thanks in advance)
Ps. Love your style of rock working. It's really effective.
Diameter liner how much
An Ecosystem pond can be made almost any size.
Nice job. What kind of underlayment do you use?
I use a geotextile cloth, normally BIDIM A14
if i spent a lot $ for this pond look like this you must be kidding me .
It's about the artist
Can I get away without that ugly skimmer??
The skimmer is a very important part of the system. It removes leaves and debris before they sink to the bottom, this reduces the biological load and keeps the pond bottom clean. It also houses the pump. You can build an intake bay which is a bit more complicated, we use these on our larger projects. Putting a pump on the bottom of a pond is not ideal because it allows debris to accumulate on the pond bottom and you have an ugly pump in full view.
Not the answer I was hoping for but thanks
I don’t have a skimmer on my pond which is approximately 7,500l. Water quality is great. I run 2 black (underwater) pumps that are impossible to see past the water lillies. 1 runs 24/7 through a pressure filter and the other (for aesthetic reasons) runs on a timer, 6hrs a day for the waterfall feature.
You don't need a skimmer to have good water quality. The advantage of a skimmer is that it reduces maintenance and sludge buildup by removing leaves and debris that would otherwise settle to the bottom. It also reduces the biological load on the pond and only takes 5 minutes to clean.