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What Supplies Will I Need?
When you read our 20 Steps to building a pond, you'll also see that there are 20 components necessary to get the job done right. Aquascape Designs, Inc. manufactures all of these supplies and more which are available through our Certified Aquascape Contractors (CAC's). CAC's can be hired to do the job for you, or just contacted for the supplies and expert advice you need.
Supply #1: Liners and Underlayment
Choosing the right liner.
The first step in choosing the proper liner is to educate yourself on the selection of liners that are available. Over the years, The Pond Guystm, Aquascape's elite construction crew, have tested many different pond supplies in the field. We have also been called out to many job sites where a pond had been installed using inferior supplies, allowing us the opportunity to see how these products hold up to the test of time and the forces of nature.
Read our section on Pond Liners for detailed information on liner selection.
What does Aquascape Designs recommend?
45 mil EPDM Rubber fish safe liner.
Advantages: EPDM is extremely flexible. EPDM easily drapes into the excavated area and conforms to all of the nooks and crannies in the application.
Disadvantages: Size is a limitation when specifying EPDM for a job. The largest roll size manufactured is 50' x 100'. Seeming EPDM can be difficult. You may have noticed that Aquascape offers seaming supplies for EPDM rubber. Why not just seam two large sections together?
40 mil Polypropylene
Advantages: Durability, Custom Sizing, and Ease of Seaming.
Disadvantages: Flexibility and Cost.
Pond Supplies #2 : Filters
Choosing the right filter : the three types.
The three main types of pond filters include biological, mechanical, and chemical / sterilizer. Biological work by using bacteria to break down pond wastes, converting them into harmless particles that can be used as aquatic plant fertilizers. Mechanical filters work by trapping and removing debris and sediment, thus cleaning the pond water. Skimmers and pre-filters for pumps are two examples of mechanical filters. Water sterilizers, such as ultraviolet or ozone generators, destroy all living organisms that they contact. They are higher maintenance, and should be left for pools and spas. Many filters overlap into more than one category. For example, our BIOFALLS® has large amounts of surface area for biological filtration, while the filter mats help with the removal of fine to medium sized particles, which is a mechanical variety of filtration. Read more detailed reviews from our Pond Filtration page.
Pond Supplies #3 : Pumps and Electrical
Determining the best pump for the job.
The pump included in each of our Pro Pond Kits will provide the proper flow rate as long as the elevation change between the pond and the BIOFALLS® is 5' or less, and the pipe run is no longer than 50'.
What if you want to create a custom project, one that has a long stream, multiple streams, or extra wide waterfalls? Maybe you have a 10' drop in your backyard, and you salivate at the thought of the waterfall you can create. Before you build this project, there are a few steps you need to take in order to make sure the right pump is specified for the job.
Establishing the flow rate.
The first, and most important step, before you even begin to look for a pump, is to establish a desired flow rate for the waterfalls and stream.
For each foot of spillway width you need 1,500 gph of water flow. We have determined that this is a good "rule of thumb" for figuring the proper flow rate over a waterfall. This flow rate will help ensure that you have enough water to cover the entire width of the waterfall and stream.
Example #1
If you're building a waterfall that is 2' wide, you want a pump that will produce approximately 3,000 gph.
Example #2
If you're building a waterfall that is 10' wide, you want to use a pump that will produce a total of 15,000 gph.
The "rule of thumb" does not mean that the entire stream has to be the same width. Be creative by narrowing down the stream in spots to create racing rapids, or expand the stream slightly to create a bubbling brook. From our experiences in the field, this rate provides an attractive amount of water, not so much that it's overpowering, and not so little that it looks like a leaky faucet.
Pond Supplies #4 : Plumbing
Plumbing... A Key Component of Pond Construction.
A well designed water feature includes many supplies and construction materials for installation. One key component is a recirculation system, which requires plumbing. Like everything else, there is a right way and a wrong way to plumb your water feature.
Lots of Supplies to Choose From.
There are several different methods used in plumbing these days, and over the last ten years of pond construction, we've toyed around with most of them. There are different kinds of pipe, many random components, and a wide array of fittings. After building 100+ ponds per year, over the last several years, we know that the plumbing method we use today, is the best way to go.
Types of Pipe
Schedule 40 PVC - The cheap cost of this material makes it the most commonly used plumbing material in the country.
Pros
Strong and rigid, mainly used in household applications.
Each fitting and component is connected using glue and primer.
Inexpensive.
Cons
Only sold in ten foot increments, therefore difficult to transport.
The need for 45° and 90° elbows to make necessary turns in your pipe.
Every elbow will add head pressure to the pump, and will most likely restrict the water flow to a less than desirable look.
Susceptible to cracking during the freeze / thaw cycle of most zones.
Poly Pipe - Poly Pipe was originally designed for use in the irrigation industry. Aquascape's construction crew used this pipe for several years before the days of flexible PVC. The discovery of flexible PVC has made the plumbing installation a much simpler and more effective process. Therefore we couldn't think of any pros for the use of Poly Pipe in the water garden application.
Cons
Large Size. A 100' roll of 2" poly pipe stands over 5 1/2' tall and can be extremely hard to work with once unpackaged.
The use of an industrial heat gun is necessary to reform the packaged shape.
A rubber mallet, barbed fittings, and metal clamps are necessary for making connections.
Inconvenient and extremely labor intensive.
Flexible PVC - This stuff is great! It came to us from the pool and spa industry. All connections are made with the primer and glue included in our ProPond Kits.
Pros
Can be rolled tightly for transportation.
Strong Memory. Which means it will unroll and straighten out much more easily than poly pipe.
Can handle sharp turns and tight corners, which alleviates head pressure on the pump by avoiding the use of trees and elbows.
Will expand and contract with seasonal changes.
Cons
None!
We can honestly credit the use of flex pipe for giving birth to the "one day pond." For years we struggled to complete a pond in a single day, and for years we were pretty darn close. Flex pipe was the answer to our prayers.
Pond Supplies #5 : Rocks and Gravel
Types of Stone Available
Granite - A common stone used in the midwest for all types of construction - from home building to landscaping and water features. It's found in two forms - rounded cobblestones or boulders, and quarried chunks and pieces blasted out of large granite deposits. They come in a wide range of colors and sizes and look best when set in a random, naturalistic manner.
Aqua Blue Boulders - These are our personal favorite for pond supplies. We prefer them because of their rustic beauty and character. These stones can be harvested from natural hillsides and quarried. The harvested hillstones are more intersting because they've been weathered and may have mosses and lichens growing on them. Their rustic character allows them to be placed as accents throughout a property, or used in focal points.
Gravel - The main purpose of gravel is cost effective cover for the liner, while providing a habitat for beneficial microorganisms. The gravel also lends structural stability to the pond. To achieve this, gravel is placed in between and behind the boulders. The gravel becomes a free floating mortar, naturally locking the boulders on place. The gravel supplies we use are similar in character and color to granite boulders, only smaller. The gravel is smooth, giving it a water worn feeling that's easy on the feet, for those who venture into their pond.
How Gravel Helps the Ecosystem
The rocky bottom is totally alive and brimming with activity, covered with algae, microscopic invertebrates, and bacteria. This section of the pond is basically a compost pile. When organic debris falls to the pond's bottom, it's broken down it's broken down by the benthic inhabitants. These organic recyclers will live off of uneaten fish food, decaying plant matter, and nitrogenous fish wastes. If this substrate pond supply was not present, the pond would quickly die, effectively being suffocated by toxic fish waste and organic build up.
All of these supplies and more are available through our Certified Aquascape Contractors.
The content of the Pond & Water Garden Resources Website comes from the book Pond Builders Bible everything Aquascape Designs Does Revealed. Published by Aquascape Designs, Inc. / The Pond Guy Publications. | Batavia, IL
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