Pond Supplies Evaluated

Pond Supplies are the basics for keeping our water gardens up and running and no matter the size of the pond, sooner or later you’ll wind up needing some of this “stuff”.

What I’ve tried to do is give you reviews of the material and explanations of the different price points so you’ll understand the choices you are making.

For example, when you look at pond liners you’ll find the polyethylene is very cheap but it is a monster to work with because it is so stiff (doesn’t go around corners very well) and it doesn’t last as long as EPDM in sunlight … but it is cheap. But if you're going to keep fish in your pond, you want to read this section on pond liners for fish safety.

I try to give you the information you need to make good decisions about your pond supplies rather than "sell" you something.

Some of the pond supplies you’ll find on the market are not particularly relevant to having a good pond and there are alternative ways to solve those problems.

For example, there are a ton of algae control products on the market you can pour into your pond or you can use plants or barley straw to environmentally solve the problem. Click here for a link to algae control using plants. Here’s the link for algae control products and reviews.

Plastic ponds are readily available in just about every garden centre. You get to make a choice here - you can have fish, plants or pumps but not all three in a small plastic pond. And note that the largest of plastic ponds is still a very small pond to balance in an ecological way.

And if you're going to have biofilters working, you need to understand the basics of beneficial bacteria.

Speaking of biofilters, here's a page on some of the issues with water garden filters and the two kinds you need in your pond. If there's other questions you need answered about filters, let me know.

Pond skimmers are the first line in the fight against decaying organic matter on the bottom of the pond. Here's the most important thing to consider when purchasing pond skimmers.

The heart of the pond and waterfalls is the pond pump You will make or break your pond's performance based on the choice you make here. Some of you might want to skip directly to the solar pond pump page

Water Garden Containers can be made yourself from decorative pots or inexpensively obtained from big box stores. Here's how to make the former and what to look for in the latter.

Let me save you some money when it comes to pond vacuums. Here's an article on the simplest pond vacuum of them all and you likely already own it.

Do not try to save money on pond lights as this is false economy. Here's the basics of transformers for pond lights and a great hint on wiring those lights.

Some folks like the idea of keeping ice off the pond. Here are a few considerations if you're thinking of running a pond heater.

And here's what you may want to consider about wall fountains before you go installing one on the back wall of your house.

Need some good water garden construction pictures?

Pond aerators are useful in some ponds especially if you have very high fish loads. Otherwise, as this article points out, they are mostly decorative. Here's the basic things you need to consider.

Pond kits are one way to easily construct a pond and save approximately 20% over buying the components individually. Here's what you should get in your kit and what to look for in the components.

Having mentioned kits above, it may be worth looking at this page on preformed pond liners to judge whether this is how you want to create a pond.

Questions and Answers