Walking on Gravel on Top of Liner?

[j.w]

I don't go into my pond @BKHpondcritters I just use my long handled net to scoop out gunk or anything that needs scooping out. I don't have water lilies in there anymore and nothing to trim so no need to go in there anymore. If I had gravel in there my net would be scooping out gravel all the time. When I did used to go in it it was kinda slippery but I never fell in but it is 3&1/2 ft deep so if I fell in big deal, lol! The fish must miss picking at my legs and arms tho and that is a weird feeling!

 

[poconojoe]

I don't go into my pond @BKHpondcritters I just use my long handled net to scoop out gunk or anything that needs scooping out. I don't have water lilies in there anymore and nothing to trim so no need to go in there anymore. If I had gravel in there my net would be scooping out gravel all the time. When I did used to go in it it was kinda slippery but I never fell in but it is 3&1/2 ft deep so if I fell in big deal, lol! The fish must miss picking at my legs and arms tho and that is a weird feeling!

Ditto! I do all the same things.

I agree about the net. If there was gravel, there would be no way to scoop out the stray leaf, acorns or sticks. I'd just get a net full of gravel that would probably ruin my net.

 

[BKHpondcritters]

Ditto! I do all the same things.

I agree about the net. If there was gravel, there would be no way to scoop out the stray leaf, acorns or sticks. I'd just get a net full of gravel that would probably ruin my net.

Ah, but over the years I have perfected my 'netting stuff without getting gravel' technique. Living in the woods (literally smack in the middle of ten heavily wooded acres) using a net to scoop leaves & other debris out can be a daily chore, depending on the time of year. My skimmers pull in a lot of it, but they can't get it all (especially when a wind storm blows through)

What I do is draw the net *towards* myself, just slightly over the top of what I want to pick up (leaves, mostly) which causes them to lift up off the bottom in the current I created. Then I turn the net around & they mostly just float right in (or I slowly scoop forward, away from myself). Heavier stuff like sticks are easy, since I can just wiggle the edge of the net under them or use the long-handled grabbers we have.

Yeah, sometimes I pick up a piece of gravel or two, but it's definitely not hard to scoop stuff off the top of it. At least, I don't think it is... But everyone's different & what works for me is absolutely not what works for anyone else!

 

[Lisak1]

I'm with @BKHpondcritters - the gravel keeps the slippery factor down so I CAN walk on my liner. And same here - very little actually accumulates in the bottom. And we have a similar netting technique, too! I find that it's not just the gravel that can impede netting - it's the lily pots and the rock walls and the aerator and the fish cave ... anything that can create spots for things to settle and hide. So I do the same "stir it up, scoop it out" kind of motion. Get things floating and you can grab them in "mid-air".

Again - gravel bottom or no is a personal choice so do your research and decide what works best for you, but the fear that you may not be able to keep the pond clear of debris isn't a reason to choose no gravel.

 

[Phaewryn]

Yes, that's pretty much the size (RE: Pea gravel)

It's not the size that is important, it's that pea gravel is pea shaped, meaning rounded, no sharp edges. Crushed stone, even if pea size, is not good, you want pea gravel because it's smooth. You could also use river rock, which is also rounded, but bigger. I had pea gravel in mine for the first little bit, but it looked so bad and got so nasty so quick I drained the whole thing, scooped it all out, and started over with a bare liner (I also had a silt problem because the gravel wasn't clean thus the total draining and starting over). Without any gravel/silt, the bottom disappears and you don't see it, the pond looks visually deeper and everything blends in. With the light pea gravel you saw the pump, the prefilter, and every damned leaf and grain of dirt. Everything stood out. The bare black liner is so much better. At 3 feet, yours is deeper than mine, so you might have better results (things down there may not stick out as much), but I'll never make that mistake again. I do still have gravel in the waterfall sections though.

Ah, but over the years I have perfected my 'netting stuff without getting gravel' technique. Living in the woods (literally smack in the middle of ten heavily wooded acres) using a net to scoop leaves & other debris out can be a daily chore, depending on the time of year. My skimmers pull in a lot of it, but they can't get it all (especially when a wind storm blows through)
What I do is draw the net *towards* myself, just slightly over the top of what I want to pick up (leaves, mostly) which causes them to lift up off the bottom in the current I created. Then I turn the net around & they mostly just float right in (or I slowly scoop forward, away from myself). Heavier stuff like sticks are easy, since I can just wiggle the edge of the net under them or use the long-handled grabbers we have. Yeah, sometimes I pick up a piece of gravel or two, but it's definitely not hard to scoop stuff off the top of it. At least, I don't think it is... But everyone's different & what works for me is absolutely not what works for anyone else!

I actually use a kayak oar to swirl the pond water up enough to scoop stuff out. You must not live near any oak trees? Acorns are now something I view with the utmost scorn. I've found no way to get them but to go in head-first and pick them up by hand (since my liner is stupidly textured on the bottom and they like to hide under the pump/prefilter). No amount of swishing the net over them makes them lift up enough to scoop (maybe I need a bigger more hearty net than my indoor aquarium net), but I do use your method for everything else and it works a charm for the lighter stuff. If I never see another oak tree in all my life, I'd be OK with that. The maple seed pods are also a pain, but at least they float if swished up.

 

[poconojoe]

I use a pool net. I have one for the pool and one for the pond. I have one long expanding pole. The net is the large mesh bag type. Not the flat skimmer type.

I kind of scoop forward, then pull back, then quickly forward to catch whatever I just disturbed. It's kind of hard to explain, but I get everything. Sticks, acorns and sometimes huge clumps of leaves, depending on the time of year. In the Spring, I'll get so many leaves, i can hardly lift the net out of the water.

These nets are strong. They'll last maybe 4-5 years. When it begins to rip, I'll buy a new one for the pool and use the one from the pool for the pond.

 

[Phaewryn]

I use a pool net. I have one for the pool and one for the pond. I have one long expanding pole. The net is the large mesh bag type. Not the flat skimmer type.
These nets are strong. They'll last maybe 4-5 years. When it begins to rip, I'll buy a new one for the pool and use the one from the pool for the pond.

My little aquarium net is not designed for the work it's been doing. Those pool nets are expensive though!

 

[BKHpondcritters]

@Phaewryn - We have pretty much every tree imaginable, including Oaks! In this picture that large trunk directly behind the chairs is a 80 - 100' Oak & she has a sister Oak next to and a bit behind.

For some strange reason I don't have a problem with acorns in the pond. Tannins from the tassels in the Spring? Oh yes! Leaves? Yeah. Once in a while, whole branches? Definitely. But, other than on a random occasion, no acorns. (not complaining, mind you! lol)

 

[poconojoe]

My little aquarium net is not designed for the work it's been doing. Those pool nets are expensive though!

The net is not expensive... here's the one I just bought for $17:

Amazon.com

Here's an example of a 12 foot telescoping pole for $36:

Amazon.com

Still way cheaper than buying a pond specific net/pole.

 

[addy1]

That is the one I have used off and on for around 9 years now.

 

[Lisak1]

We use a pool net, too. The one we bought came with two different shaped nets. It may be a tad more expensive than what you'd buy as a pond net, but we bought three of those in the first two years - they just don't last. This one has lasted us six seasons and it looks like new. We store it outside and it's held up beautifully. So in the long run it's actually much cheaper.

 

[addy1]

We store it outside

Mine sits under a bush down by the pond, so if needed I don't need to climb the hill to get it. Still in great shape.

 

[Phaewryn]

@Phaewryn - We have pretty much every tree imaginable, including Oaks! In this picture that large trunk directly behind the chairs is a 80 - 100' Oak & she has a sister Oak next to and a bit behind.
For some strange reason I don't have a problem with acorns in the pond. Tannins from the tassels in the Spring? Oh yes! Leaves? Yeah. Once in a while, whole branches? Definitely. But, other than on a random occasion, no acorns. (not complaining, mind you! lol)

Mine bounce down the hill (and off the retaining wall) and into the pond. They go "rustle rustle" as they fall through the leaves overhead (and I dodge around with my arms overhead braced for impact), then "crack", as they hit the stone/concrete, then "plook!" into the pond! I must have picked up 5000 acorns this year already. Thankfully most do not land in the pond, but when they do, they hide really well under the pump and prefilter. I think before they just rolled all the way down the hill, but now that I have built nice flat terraces, the acorns have a nice landing zone. I'm hoping the weed barrier cloth I have for my next landscaping project is acorn proof, as I'm sure I missed a few and they got raked into the dirt when leveling.

 

[Phaewryn]

The net is not expensive... here's the one I just bought for $17:

Amazon.com

That's expensive compared to the $1.23 one I have now:

https://www.amazon.com/Marina-Black...QJFS/ref=pd_di_v2_sccai_1/134-0631316-4558561
(got it when it was way cheaper than it is now)

 

[poconojoe]

That's expensive compared to the $1.23 one I have now:
View attachment 131727
https://www.amazon.com/Marina-Black...QJFS/ref=pd_di_v2_sccai_1/134-0631316-4558561
(got it when it was way cheaper than it is now)

5 inch net, 16 inch handle. I guess your pond is very small, but if it works for you...great!