# Pond + Stream Setup, Help?



## xenxes (Aug 1, 2012)

Sorry for the Paint schematic (not drawn to dimension).. I want to do something like:










It's a small setup, ideally a 10' long bending stream into a 10' x 10' pond about 2' deep. I'm thinking ~2000gph (?) pump under the waterfall (~2'), biomedia inside the waterfall, and return intake at the other end of the pond. I will be planting the inside of the pond and sides of the stream, thinking MGOPS + mixed sand + layer of gravel and river rocks cap.

- What kind of pump would provide enough suction for that length; should I do a 2 pump setup?
- What return tubing to use? PVC piping or plastic hose? 
- Return piping should run parallel to the stream back to the waterfall right? Not underneath the water...

Experiences, thoughts, suggestions? Never done this before and grasping at straws :/


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## Michael (Jul 20, 2010)

Welcome to APC!

My favorite site for pond design and equipment is http://conservationtechnology.com/pond_system.html If you click on the names of the different systems, you will see a schematic drawing of how they are done. And there are links to equipment for each.

The easiest way to do your project is with a submersable pump, instead of an external pump as shown in your diagram. (Less plumbing, fewer places for leaks.) The pump can be located in a skimmer box inside the pond, where it is easy to service and protected from clogging by the skimmer screen. From there, the outflow hose can run either inside the liner under the water or outside, to the waterfall. For a pond of this size you only need one pump.

For small ponds, it is usually easier to keep the plants in pots or trays, rather than planted directly in a continuous substrate over the entire bottom of the pond and stream. This way you can lift them out to divide or cut back. Aquatic plants in outdoor ponds grow so quickly that one aggressive species can rapidly take over the entire thing if not controlled. No doubt, the plants would love it!


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## xenxes (Aug 1, 2012)

Cool ty for the link! I guess the closest one is the pondless watercourse, except I want one with a larger resevoir (pond).

Very true about the planters! Dirt in the pond area might be okay... in the stream will just get eroded, I was previously thinking about building a river bed type thing with rocks, but a row of small rectangular planters would be much much easier.


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## Diana K (Dec 20, 2007)

That is exactly the pond and stream I have, except at the highest point I have about a 45 gallon mini pond. 

1000 gph is not quite enough, though acceptable. 
Put a ball valve on a 2000 gph pump. You might want to slow the flow a bit. 

Use a hybrid pump. They are the most efficient, the most gallons moved per watt of electricity. 
They should be plumbed with larger than average pipe, though. Whatever size the outlet on the pump is, bump it up at least 1/2", and an inch larger is better. 
If you can trench a straight line you can use rigid PVC. Use schedule 40. Flex PVC works just fine, too, and is more forgiving if the trench is not straight. Bury it deep if you are where it might freeze. 
Whenever you think you want to make a 90 degree turn, use 2 fittings of 45 degrees. The savings in pressure loss more than makes up for the added cost of the fittings. 

Here is how I solved a few of the problems:

1) Pond is around 200+ gallons. It has some shelves that are about a foot deep, but most of the pond is about 30" -36" deep. The pump is down there, in a box. The box is lined with a coarse sponge. I clean this about every 6 months. Roots of some plants get quite invasive (even though most of the plants are in pots, some escape). 
2) The plumbing from the pump goes up and over the edge of the pond. No holes in the liner! It has a union right there so I can disconnect the pump. Sure it shows. Plant something there. Much easier than having to dig for it! Then the plumbing goes underground next to the pond. It is about a 20' run to the top of the water fall. 
3) The waterfall is made from 3 boulders about a foot to 18" diameter, carefully stacked, then colored concrete surrounds the outlet pipe. This keeps the water flowing in the direction I want. (So little concrete there is no issue with water parameters) There is a little bit of water that weeps around the boulders. The boulders are on a piece of pond liner that directs this water back into the pond. Under the boulders I used concrete blocks to make a retaining wall. 
4) The upper pond sits right next to the block wall. It is a preformed hard plastic material. The retaining wall is totally hidden. Pond liner from under the boulders drapes into this upper pond. But the wall keeps the pond from shifting or collapsing. The front of the pond has no support. It bows just enough to direct the water flow into the stream. Pond liner that makes up the stream is tucked right up under the lip of the upper pond. 
5) I made the stream much wider than the actual flow of water. It is about 8' wide, and almost 2' deep in the stream. Not quite so deep in most of the area. It is filled with peat moss. (yes, that is a lot of peat moss! You sure can use a blend of soil, sand and peat) Where I wanted the actual stream I used a special kind of weed mat. It is like a soft plastic sheet poked full of holes. It is not a fiber/mesh sort of material. 3" to 8" diameter cobbles hold it in place, and act like a mini retaining wall to keep the peat moss on both sides of the stream, and the stream itself clear of peat moss. The peat moss is planted with bog plants like Japanese Iris, sedge, and Canna Lily. I change the plants now and then. 
6) At the end of the stream I have made a slightly wider area so the water spreads out a bit, and VERY CAREFULLY lined up a flat rock so the water sheets across it and falls into the main pond. In the pond, supporting this rock is a concrete block. It has been there so long it no longer affects the water parameters. It is a favorite hiding place of the fish. 
7) I keep the plants in containers, in the pond, but plant them directly in the peat moss in the bog part of the system. 
8) Where the pond liner shows at the rim of the pond I have flat rocks, mostly smoothed rocks from a water setting, not the angled flagstone look. 

I do not have any fancy filter. The water runs clear unless I get in there and start really making a mess. Even the night the raccoons raided it, the water was clear even though they had dumped most of the containers of soil. Filled with little bits of mangled plants, but not cloudy.


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## scream-aim-fire (Oct 20, 2009)

make sure you buy a waterfall and skimmer kit for it like the ones that aquascape sales. believe me i had a smaller koi pond for years and tryed all kinds of different ways to build my own waterfall boxes and filter and such, it was a head ache, so much easier and a lot less maintenance having the waterfall and skimmer set up.


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## misterchengmoua (Dec 22, 2005)

any pics Diana?


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## Diana K (Dec 20, 2007)

No, the only pics I had were during the set up: My sons and their friend splashing around in the pond as it filled.


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