What to do...What to do

[work_to_live]

Hello all,
I am building a 6' x 8' x 3' pond in the area shown in the picture. I am going to go with ( I think) the Aquascape 8 x 11 ecosystem kit, unless someone can suggest a reason why not to. I have search for many hours to try to find the best way to go about building the pond. I have found some responses to put the kit together yourself, but no response of "buy this instead..." I've also read about using a bog filter, but I'm not sure how to incorporate it with my set up because I am landlocked by the sidewalk and house. I have searched the internet, the forum, YouTube etc, etc., and my kids want me to stop staring at the computer and come play. I still think the Aquascape 8 x 11 kits is the best option: waterfall, liner, skimmer, pump, etc. I know there are many different opinions on everything around ponds, but any input would be appreciated!

The picture below: blue = water, green and blue-=waterfall, orange = skimmer. There is an outdoor living space to the left so that's why the falls will point that direction and I know to avoid the "volcano".

 

[Mmathis]

Hello and welcome!

 

[Jhn]

Welcome…….Better off doing it yourself, for instance you want flex pvc pipe not the kink free stuff which is junk. Depending on how creative you are/ or want to be, you can create a waterfall with just rock and use a negative edge or intake bay for your pump ditching the waterfall filter and skimmer. Size your pump to hit around 1.5-2x pond volume turnover per hour. An idea for a bog filter (simple pea gravel and slotted pipe bog)is create one wrapping around the edge of the pond by the house going over to where the waterfall is, it can be 1.5-2 ft wide and you can just use one liner for everything. You may lose a tiny bit of space from the pond but the benefits and beauty of a bog filter will more than outweigh the little bit of loss in pond volume.

 

[GBBUDD]

Welcome.
thats a tough area to work very tight and very close to the house.
It will be very difficult to have any kind of falls and not have it look cut up or like a volcano.
Are you thinking some kind of retaining wall on the back side of the falls ?

Have you ever seen the bubbling stacked slate urns? . That's a good size area for some of those.

As im sitting next to my own pond and trying to miniaturize I have a log that I made into a waterfall something like that could give the sound the visuals and not require a volcano in height.

 

[Cichlidboy]

Hello all,
I am building a 6' x 8' x 3' pond in the area shown in the picture. I am going to go with ( I think) the Aquascape 8 x 11 ecosystem kit, unless someone can suggest a reason why not to. I have search for many hours to try to find the best way to go about building the pond. I have found some responses to put the kit together yourself, but no response of "buy this instead..." I've also read about using a bog filter, but I'm not sure how to incorporate it with my set up because I am landlocked by the sidewalk and house. I have searched the internet, the forum, YouTube etc, etc., and my kids want me to stop staring at the computer and come play. I still think the Aquascape 8 x 11 kits is the best option: waterfall, liner, skimmer, pump, etc. I know there are many different opinions on everything around ponds, but any input would be appreciated!

The picture below: blue = water, green and blue-=waterfall, orange = skimmer. There is an outdoor living space to the left so that's why the falls will point that direction and I know to avoid the "volcano".
View attachment 148489

Hello and enjoy the process of building your pond your plans will more than likely change all the way threw the build or at leaste mine did

 

[GBBUDD]

Hello and enjoy the process of building your pond your plans will more than likely change all the way threw the build or at leaste mine did

The person who can build a pond with rock and not want a total contemporary look to their pond and sticks to every plan they had without deviation is either brilliant . Has ocd . or lies.....

 

[Cichlidboy]

That is definitely facts and when you think it's done you find more to do that's one of the reasons I made a cichlid pond instead of a koi pond something not so normal and ail more challenging with the heat and all

 

[GBBUDD]

Well one lesson I learned Very quickly was to make an are to catch the fish. As the population doubled every 6 months . Long story is in my showcase . Under dead pool

 

[Cichlidboy]

Well one lesson I learned Very quickly was to make an are to catch the fish. As the population doubled every 6 months . Long story is in my showcase . Under dead pool

Got ya I will check it out

 

[j.w]

@work_to_live
I would use a nice thick pond liner or in my case I found the rubber roof liner cheaper in my area years ago and also one at an irrigation company and did it all myself and if I can do it you can too! We can help you to do it step by step, just ask away!

My first pond was in a similar spot like yours and it turned out fine but the water fall was really hard to make room for and it was right up against the house. I eventually took that pond out and made a bigger one on the other side of our walkway.
Don't mind the silly pinwheel, I stuck it there to help ward off critters trying to get at the fish.
That pond took up every inch of the area so it was really a tight fit. The small waterfall was in that corner in the back right of the photo.

You can see it better in this photo. Was not a very pretty waterfall but it worked.

 

[work_to_live]

Welcome…….Better off doing it yourself, for instance you want flex pvc pipe not the kink free stuff which is junk. Depending on how creative you are/ or want to be, you can create a waterfall with just rock and use a negative edge or intake bay for your pump ditching the waterfall filter and skimmer. Size your pump to hit around 1.5-2x pond volume turnover per hour. An idea for a bog filter (simple pea gravel and slotted pipe bog)is create one wrapping around the edge of the pond by the house going over to where the waterfall is, it can be 1.5-2 ft wide and you can just use one liner for everything. You may lose a tiny bit of space from the pond but the benefits and beauty of a bog filter will more than outweigh the little bit of loss in pond volume.

I have not ruled out the bog filter and figured there could be a way to incorporate it into the pond. Are you saying the waterfall filter and skimmer could be eliminated because of the bog?

 

[work_to_live]

View attachment 148510@work_to_live
I would use a nice thick pond liner or in my case I found the rubber roof liner cheaper in my area years ago and also one at an irrigation company and did it all myself and if I can do it you can too! We can help you to do it step by step, just ask away!

My first pond was in a similar spot like yours and it turned out fine but the water fall was really hard to make room for and it was right up against the house. I eventually took that pond out and made a bigger one on the other side of our walkway.
Don't mind the silly pinwheel, I stuck it there to help ward off critters trying to get at the fish.
That pond took up every inch of the area so it was really a tight fit. The small waterfall was in that corner in the back right of the photo.

View attachment 148511

You can see it better in this photo. Was not a very pretty waterfall but it worked.

View attachment 148512

View attachment 148513

View attachment 148514

I thought about putting my waterfall in the corner but didn't like it being so tight to the house. Having it on the outside will allow it to face where we'll be most of the time. I think I can make one that looks semi-natural because I'm using stratified flagstone and can built it into steps that come out of the hill that will contain the waterfall box.

 

[work_to_live]

Welcome.
thats a tough area to work very tight and very close to the house.
It will be very difficult to have any kind of falls and not have it look cut up or like a volcano.
Are you thinking some kind of retaining wall on the back side of the falls ?

Have you ever seen the bubbling stacked slate urns? . That's a good size area for some of those.

As im sitting next to my own pond and trying to miniaturize I have a log that I made into a waterfall something like that could give the sound the visuals and not require a volcano in height. View attachment 148498

I like the look of the log. I may be wrong, but I think I can pull it off. I am using more square edged, stratified flagstone which is natural to the area that will be more step like. I can have them jutting out of the hill. I'm going to give the hill as much of a footprint as I can to create a more gradual slope.

 

[work_to_live]

Is there anyone on here that has any input of the different brands of pond kits, or is everyone here anti-kit? They vary quite a bit in price. The noticeable difference in the Aquascape is it seems to have more filtration incorporated. For anyone who would say DIY, do you know where any information could be where a DIY kit could be purchased in place of a pre-made kit?

 

[GBBUDD]

the nice thing about a kit is they sell you a pump for the size of the liner your buying. and the skimmer or bio falls . other wise there's some homework to do on your own