# Looking for reference books on naturally planted ponds



## M82 (Oct 5, 2013)

Hi,

I'm looking for D. Walstad's method equivalent for ponds, I know the principles should be the same but was wondering if there are any reference books out there focused on ponds that you'd recommend.

Thanks!


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## dwalstad (Apr 14, 2006)

I haven't looked into this much. However, a colleague of mine (Richard Schucks, owner of Maryland Aquatic Nurseries in Jarrettsville, Maryland) has been building ponds based on my concepts for years. 

His floating island mats are a pretty cool way to purify the water. The mats contain emergent plants with their roots in the water.

It might be a good place to start.


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## s2man (Nov 8, 2016)

Gee, I thought the Walstad method mimicked a natural pond ; - ) 

Rules of thumb: Heavily planted and lightly stocked. Emergent plants have a CO2 advantage and can absorb more nutrients than submerged plants. 

Those floating mats sound awesome! I have seen that in hydroponics, but it was all industrial looking. I can imagine a pretty island of plants with moss to hide the hardware... 

For fun, Google natural swimming pools to see folks using a wetland to filter their pools. Gorgeous.


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## Michael (Jul 20, 2010)

Here is a link to a manufacturer of floating biofilters: http://www.floatingislandinternational.com/products/biohaven-technology/

In my own ponds, and those I design for clients, planted biofilters provide all the filtration. There are a number of ways to do it, but basically you pump water from the pond into a planted artificial wetland. The water flows by gravity through the wetland and back into the pond.

While I don't use a continuous soil layer on the bottom of the pond, most of the ponds have gravel on the bottom which collects sediment and provides a large surface area for beneficial bacteria. Aggressive plant species often colonize the gravel layer.


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## s2man (Nov 8, 2016)

Bioremediation. They use it at coal mines; man-made wetlands. I convinced a client to use it at an old, leaking landfill - Hey, it's either that or dig a giant trench, put in drain tiles and run it to a tank, and then haul the effluent off to a treatment plant. Sheesh. No brainer, but so hard to convince people. 

Nature has the answer, whether it is for simple koi poop or worse.


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## M82 (Oct 5, 2013)

Thank you all for the insights! Really like the floating island mats concept.
Agree that the application may vary, wether it's naturally planted aquaria, ponds, aquaponics, wabi-kusa...it's all in the biology so well documented in Ms Walstad's book & a bit of creativity 

...For anyone interested, adding a link to a book on ponds available in the site of Diana's colleague:

"Pond Basics 4 - Proven Methods for Creating and Maintaining a PondThat's High in Pleasure and Low in Work."


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## dwalstad (Apr 14, 2006)

Well, this question opened up a box!

M82, thanks for the web link to the pond book. I further found the floating island stuff that I was excited about. These are really cool. In a big pond, it also gives the fish a place to hide. Here is a web link showing the islands.

http://floatingwetlands.com/floating_wetlands.html

Schuck's son runs this nursery in Charleston.

When I was doing some exploring of South Carolina swamps with aquatic plant people, we came across many natural floating islands.

Mr. Schuck also uses the wetland pond filter idea that Michael describes. It works beautifully as well. One can just never have too many plants!


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## Michael (Jul 20, 2010)

I am itching to do a project with a floating island, but haven't found the right client and site yet!


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## s2man (Nov 8, 2016)

Dang it. You guys keep enticing me. First, I didn't like nano tanks. But, I saw so many beautiful ones, I am starting two of them. 

Now, I need a pond. Please stop showing me cool stuff I can do. LOL


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## M82 (Oct 5, 2013)

dwalstad said:


> When I was doing some exploring of South Carolina swamps with aquatic plant people, we came across many natural floating islands.


Hi Diana - Out of curiosity, how were the natural floating islands naturally floating?


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## dwalstad (Apr 14, 2006)

M82 said:


> Hi Diana - Out of curiosity, how were the natural floating islands naturally floating?


I don't know, but here's a website that shows much larger floating islands made of buoyant peat. You'll see a picture of trees growing on the islands. And wood does float....

http://www.natgeocreative.com/photography/470843


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## M82 (Oct 5, 2013)

Nice!
Found below explanation  would have never imagined that these can be so huge and even carry full-size trees!

_"Natural floating islands are typically peat-based and are essentially biofilm reactors. Biofilmgenerating bacteria grow on the surface area of plant roots within the peat and on the surface area of the peat itself. Much of the island buoyancy is not associated with conventional factors such as low-density materials or entrained air. Instead, these islands float because of biogas (gases produced by bacteria within a biofilm) contained between the water table and the top of the island. This zone of trapped biogas can actually extend below the waterline on the inside of the island. This buoyancy contributes substantially to floating islands' durability, longevity and size, which can encompass dozens of acres and support thousands of full-size trees."_

http://www.floatingislandinternational.com/wp-content/plugins/fii/news/42.pdf


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## dwalstad (Apr 14, 2006)

M82 
So, it is bacterial gases that keep these islands floating. *Very* interesting. 
Wow, it is a beautiful world!


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