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.

That’s no problem thanks for comment appreciate it

Happy to help glad you enjoyed it cheers for the comment

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?

Thanks for the comment

Cheers for the comment!

Thanks for the comment

Glad I could help!

No probs thanks for the comment

Wrong

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.

Cheers thanks for the comment!

What is the system to cleaning gravel and rocked ponds?

thanks for the comment

Very welcome

Thanks for the comment glad you found it useful

aawww thanks xx

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

thanks

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.

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

cheers appreciate it

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.

Thanks for the comment.

Not when you first put them in but the concrete weathers with the stone that’s the point

Glad that your lilies are doing well! What are your winter plans with them?

Defo thanks for the comment!

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?

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

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

You can but it will all end up in the bottom

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

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

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

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

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

Feel your pain

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

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.

thanks for the comment!

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.

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

Welcome 😊

Thanks for comment good idea

Rocks store heat in the winter and stops your pond from freezing…heard it all now

Thanks for the comment

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?

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

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

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

thanks for the comment

Thnx for the comment hope it goes well!

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. 👍

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

Cheers for the comment appreciate it

we are just saying that maintenance is very difficult when full of stone, rock

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!

thanks for the comment!

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 🤣

????

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

🤔

That’s half a story.

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..

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.

sometimes you need too thanks for the comment

Thanks for the comment. Btw we don’t make these videos for fun, plants absorb nitrate not ammonia. Good luck with the pond

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