Your
pond pump is one of the most important aspects of your pond
Your pond is alive
with fish and pants and algae and insects and all of them are trying
to find a balance. Think of your pond as a human body with blood and
bones and skin and hair and you see how we can draw parallels between
a pond and a living person.
What is the one thing that every one of us needs to keep healthy in
order to guarantee our survival?
The Heart! Yes
the heart pumps our oxygenated blood through our veins and into our
brains and lungs and keeps our vital organs strong and alive...it
is much the same for a pond and the pump is like our heart; you need
a reliable pond pump to ensure that everything is moving and the nutrients,
lungs and organics in your pond are all well kept!
Just like our
own nutrition is important so is the nutrition of a pond and again,
the pump plays a primary role in ensuring that the water doesn't
stagnate and keeps moving through the thermocline and into the upper
levels of the pond and to the surface where the oxygen transfer
can occur.
Yes...the pond pump is one of the pieces of the puzzle that should
be researched before buying. Check the favorable reviews for your
pump before you buy it...there are many variations available from
amazon.com and ebay.com but not all motors are created equal.
Many of my clients
ask me how to build a pond pump or how to build a pond aerator and
the answer is always pretty much the same: you can't really! Well
of course if you are like the Professor from Gilligan's Island you
might be able to build a pond aerator system out of palm tree leaves
and coconut husks wrapped around old stainless steel dishwasher
muffler parts but not everyone has been to NASA science school...some
of us...myself included couldn't build a homemade windmill aerator
if my life depended on it!
You may have electricity near the pond are considering a 110 volt
or 120 volt submersible or shore mounted linear pump. These work
very well even for driving a waterfall. Some of my clients consider
solar pumps, solar aerators or solar powered lawn mowers!
OK...I may be exaggerating with the solar powered lawn tractor as
usually it is too expensive to make a fountain or pump work with
cheap do it yourself solar power systems.
"Listen up" my wife said! Instead of trying to build a
cheap aerator or fashion a homemade pump system from the old tennis
rackets and fireplace bellows you have in the garage just make the
leap and buy a good quality pump for a few hundred dollars. I know
it isn't in some of your genetic code to spend more that $19.99
on a pump but if you value the investment you have put into building
a pond and stocking it with fish then you should perhaps use professional
equipment to aerate and make your waterfall instead of trying the
DIY route!
I'm not against trying to whittle a beer-opener out of a tree branch,
heck, I've done that many a time but when it comes to my pond I
want to just buy a cheap pump that lasts for years and has good
reviews and then I'm all set! My time is becoming more valuable
as I get older and I don't want to spend 12 hours in the garage
building my own aeration pump if I can order one for a few hundred
bucks!
Submersible
Pond Pumps
Stage 1 -
Placement
of pump Secure flexible tubing to the outlet of pump using a stainless
steel hose clamp. Submerse at the furthest point from the waterfall.
Route the tubing over side of pond (can be hidden under perimeter
stones). Make sure the stone does not pinch the tubing, and avoid
sharp bends in the tubing so it does not kink and reduce flow.
Stage 2 - Tubing Route the tubing to the waterfall. Bury
under soil.
Stage 3 - Building waterfall pond Use displaced soil from
pond to build an elevated area for waterfall. Consider making a
small auxiliary pond in this mound. Position the spillway to flow
into main pond. Build the small pond using the same techniques and
liner as the main pond. Two layers of liner are recommended for
this pond. The first one contains the water. The second liner channels
the water towards the fall. Important! Be sure the liner drapes
underneath the waterfall spillway stones - otherwise you will experience
water loss when the waterfall is in operation. You may need to use
liner seam tape in this stage.
Stage 4
- Building spillway Once the spillway liner is in place - you will
want to pump water up to the auxiliary pond and watch it flow down
the liner spillway. (At this stage - your pond should be full of
water). Carefully select stones and position them - while the water
is flowing over them. With the water flowing over the rock, you
may replace, shift and add stones so you achieve the desired water
spills you desire. Place plant moss and small plants between the
stones around the waterfall to achieve a natural look.
Pond
Building Books and Guides
| Waterfall
Building Books and Guides
| Pond Pumps Canada
For
waterfalls it is recommended to have between 50 Gallons per Hour and
150 Gallons Per Hour for every inch of width of your waterfall. i.e.:
If you want an 18" wide waterfall you should have a pump giving
between 900 and 2700 Gallons per Hour. To determine the size pump
you need for your pond, take the total volume of water of your pond
(in gallons) and select a submersible pump that will pump at least
that much water per hour. So, if you have a 1000 gallon pond, you
will need a pump with a flow rate of at least 1000 gallons per hour.
It is better to use a larger pump that required and add a flow restricter
valve, this allows you to adjust the flow as required. If you have
any questions please email
us
Your
Pump Is The Heart of Your Pond
As I sit around the backyard with my family and friends
watching the fireflies dip and dance in the reflections and ripples
of my pond I often breathe a deep sigh as I sip my cranberry juice
and say a silent thank-you for giving me the chance to enjoy the
moment. I'm sure many of you pond owners know the times you spend
in the tranquility of the backyard pond is priceless! Of course
I also enjoy fishing for bass on the large earth pond I have on
another property a few miles away; nothing like pitching the tent
by your a 2 acre pond surrounded by birch and pine trees at sunset
as the fish hop and jump for their insect supper or the occasional
fish hook of Uncle Bob, the champion fisherman of our family!
But since I live in the city with a fairly small 15,250 square foot
property I have spent much of my time at home concentrating on my
backyard water garden, or the "money pit" as my wife likes
to call it! When I first broke the soil with the shovel, first started
digging the pond, I was a bit of a beginner and wasn't really prepared
for what was in store for me. We'd lived in homes that had outdoor
pools, both inground and above ground pools, and we had said to
each other that these pools were too much work and maintenance with
the additional of chlorine and pucks and scrubbing the algae off
the cement walls of the pool we had realized that a swimming pool
was 80% work and 20% enjoyment...well...since it was me who did
all the work I'd say that my wife got 100% enjoyment and I did all
the work...but that's another story!!
Before I get
to the pump reviews where I review pond pumps let's start with the
basics that most of my clients ask me when I visit there property
as a pond consultant and they ask me what to do to build a healthy
and self-sufficient pond. Digging the pond and laying the EPDM liner
is easy; I mean I do break a sweat when I do it but it is not a
special skill to build a pond...the key is to make sure all elements
are in place to allow the small water garden to not be green and
stinky...that just takes some basic knowledge of what sort of pond
chemicals or additives like beneficial bacteria need to be added.
We have often heard people pontificating about the importance of
aeration and everyone inevitably asks me why do I need to aerate
my pond and the reason is simple...in fact it comes straight from
the heart!
Why
should I have a pump?
You do not absolutely have to have a pump for a pond you may want
it to look "natural" without any ripples or movement but
sometimes stagnant or still waters can be breeding grounds for mosquitoes
and algae and green water can become a problem...not all the time
but often a pond without a good circulation/aeration system will
develop problems so if you do want a pump there are many benefits
as we've discussed in our aeration pages. As we've said the
pump is the "heart" of any pond and is good at supplying
a small fountain, a waterfall or even pumping through your skimmer
and biological filter.
The size of
the pump you choose depends on what you want it to do. If it is
just for a fountain then most pumps come with suitable attachments.
If it is to run a filter and fountain then it needs to be slightly
bigger. There are multipurpose systems that have multiple outlets
that allow tubing to run to your spitter or waterfall as well as
add-on fountain nozzles that can be changed to create cheap fountains
anywhere from 12 inches to 6 feet of spray above the pond!
The quantity of water in the pond dictates this. If you have a "average
pond" then the water should be turned over every 3-4 hours,
but it should be every 1-2 hours for a koi pond. Your choice of
pump should be one that is big enough to turn the water over often
enough and run a fountain (if required) It is better to have a bigger
than required pump as you can reduce the flow easier than trying
to increase the flow of an undersized pump!
Now...choose
the best pump for your surroundings
There are two types of waterfall pumps we use. The External Pump
and the Submersible Pump. The external pump sits outside of the
pond much like a swimming pool pump would. It has an intake hose
in the pond, preferably at the deepest point of the main pond and
far from the waterfall to provide the best circulation efficiency
for the system. The Submersible pump is actually in the water and
sucks water directly through the pump into the outlet hose to the
waterfall or retention basin. Both work, but all pumps are not equal.
So what is the
best pump available? The choice of pump is up to you, but you should
take a few things into consideration once you have made up your mind
on using a submersible sump pump type of pond pump or fountain pump
or the ground mounted external system.
If you want a fountain and filter will the pump be strong enough to
run both? I often suggest that you have two separate pumps but the
110V submersible pumps are often the best choice for the average small
pond or water garden. Do not forget at night the general ambient noise
level is quieter than during the day so what may be a pleasant "lapping"
or "tinkling" sound when the fountain is splashing during
the day can become an extreme "crashing" or "gushing"
noise at night which may upset you and your your neighbors more than
the teenager with the new car down the street with his new sound system
in his totally tuned Honda! If you have two pumps you can turn the
fountain pump off when it gets late, or better still fit a timer on
to your pond system and have the noisy pond bits running only when
it is appropriate!.
Another thing to be considered is how much will it cost to run? The
cheap pump from the hardware store or the one you bought on Ebay may
be cheaper to purchase but what about its running costs and the warranty?
A "sump" pump is fine and you can buy one from the local
hardware store for less than $100 but those sorts of pumps are mainly
for sucking the flood waters from your basement and not designed for
continuous duty in a pond! A system that must run 7 days a week and
24 hours per day must be reliable and when it is running most of the
summer, with the cost of electricity, you need to avoid the cheap
"power hungry" models and get something that is efficient...the
initial cost may be high but just because you get a deal from Jimmy
in South Dakota selling his aquarium filtering pump on Ebay doesn't
mean it's the right thing to do!
External
Pond Pumps
External pond pumps are usually mounted on the shore
and are great because they are easier to service because you don't
need to go up to your elbows in stinky, smelly pond water to retrieve
them!
Place the pump in some sort of insulated cabinet, shed or pool house
to make sure the system is not exposed to rain, snow or other such
hazards like the gnashing teeth of muskrats, beavers and squirrels!
The diagram below shows one popular way how to install your pond
pump. The units we use are all 220V so if you only have 110/115V
then check out the pumps with fountain heads included below this
section.
The Pond Report
has tested dozens of external pond pumps including the Dynamo Pumps,
WunderFlo Pumps, Aqua Flow, Artesian Pumps, Cascade Pumps, Swing Check
Valve Sequence Pumps, Little Giant etc. etc until we were sick of
trying every little cheap pump that said "Made in China"
on the sticker!!. Of course we all prefer something that is "Made
in USA" or we have found Japan, Taiwan, and Germany also make
very good aquatic systems!
Our overall best-performing winner of all reviews of external pond
pumps is the SF-SeaFlo series of pumps. They are a high performance
pump that require a 208/230V electrical service. Designed for larger
ponds and systems that require an extra and powerful flow these are
self-priming with a high efficiency impeller and life extending diffuser
wear ring. They all have a fiberglass reinforced. 2” suction and discharge
ports. Single piece corrosion resistant over sized strainer pot and
volute.
Unique diffuser and impeller provide excellent pressure performance
across wide range of desired gallon per minute flow rates. User friendly
drain plugs. All stainless steel hardware. These pumps are our favorites
as they offer an unprecedented 3 year limited warranty.
The Pond Report has given Pentair Sea Flow High Performance Self-Priming
Pumps feature sophisticated design translated into unprecedented power
that offers the ultimate in efficiency our highest PK 7 rating as
they are simply the best pumps money can buy. . These unique external
pond pumps are designed to handle the larger capacity jobs of ponds
or larger aquariums to deliver excellent flow with less friction and
less noise while using smaller horse power motors.
For best pump performance, install this pump out
of direct sunlight within 3' of the water surface level.
Perfect for use in pool, water garden, and koi pond applications,
these aboveground pumps keep maintenance convenient. The large strainer
basket and see-through lid permits fewer services and easy inspection.
Their unique diffuser and impeller provide excellent pressure performance
at a wide range of gallon-per-hour flow rates. Easy to remove drain
plugs on the strainer basket and pump chamber make end of season maintenance
a breeze.
Solar
Pumps
 
If there
is no electricity supply available you can use a solar pump. They
mostly come in two varieties. The floating "island" type
and the "separate submersible" type that has a solar panel
or a few solar panels to operate the pump. While these pumps may be
efficient if they have a night and day back-up battery system they
are not very effective if they are run "solar direct" or
just when the sun is shining. I've also seen many solar pond pumps
become practically useless as soon as a bird poop lands on the solar
panel! You'd be surprised how much a solar power system can degrade
in efficiency as soon as shadows or debris cover one of the cells
of the panel. Again...don't buy cheap solar panels!
Floating
Island solar fountains are so called because they float on the
pool with their solar cells built in pointing upward, looking like
an island. As they are usually small they need a great deal of sunshine
to work and where does the water go? over the solar cells eventually
leaving mineral deposits on the cells obscuring them from much needed
light, so they need cleaning regularly. Also the water cools the
solar cell down making them even less efficient.
Separate
Submersible solar fountains are just that, they have a separate
solar cell or cells which can be positioned away from the pond pointing
towards the sun and the pump is sitting in the pond. As most* separate
solar fountains have big solar cells they can run much more powerful
pumps giving a better display, we have even seen some which have
a "battery pack" to run the pump at night. Also because
they have bigger solar cells they need much less light to start
working and as the solar cells are not under water they need cleaning
less often.
As with most
things in this industry you get what you pay for, Island solar fountains
are fairly inexpensive and if they get damaged you throw them away
but separates you can replace the broken part.

All
About Building Waterfalls, Ponds, and Streams

A practical, easy-to-understand guide to adding both still (ponds)
and moving (waterfalls and streams) water features to any garden.
Includes complete, easy-to-follow instructions on designing, establishing,
and caring for a variety of eye-pleasing water projects.
More than 220 vivid photographs and illustrations, plus detailed instructions,
make this guide a must-have for garden enthusiasts looking to plan
and build a water feature.
Expert advice on selecting the right fish and plants for embellishing
any backyard aquatic paradise. Solution-based format will inspire
you to confidently create water havens in your own yard.

Smart
Guide: Ponds, Fountains & Waterfalls (Landscaping)

Whether readers are deciding on the type of pond that best suits their
wants and needs or trying to decide whether a stream or a waterfall
fits better into their landscape, Smart Guide: Ponds, Waterfalls &
Fountains has it all.
Completely rewritten and packed with all-new full-color photographs
and illustrations, this guide will help homeowners plan, build, and
maintain their water feature with step-by-step do-it-yourself sequences
and easy-to-understand directions.
Chapters cover everything from plant and fish selection to tips on
choosing a spray or statuary fountain, how to install pond shells,
digging out a watercourse and waterfall, and even adding accents such
as bridges and steppingstones to the backyard.
For homeowners who can't wait to get started in the spring and want
to show off their creativity, Smart Guide: Ponds, Waterfalls &
Fountains will not only help their project take off; it will instill
the confidence to finish.

How
to Build Ponds and Waterfalls and Much More...: The Complete Guide

How to Build Ponds and Waterfalls and Much More. was written with
the consumer in mind: it's a show and tell presentation of everything
needed to build spectacular water gardens.
Jeffrey Reid proves that knowing the correct steps and using the right
product for the job practically guarantees success. The methods shown
in these chapters are proven, and have been taught to thousands of
do-it-yourselfers. In an easy-to-read and easy-to-understand format,
this book shows readers how to build ponds and waterfalls, as well
as providing information about Koi fish, submersible pumps, water
lilies, water features, water garden designs, UV lights, rock placement,
filter systems, pond fish, marginal plants, preformed ponds, excavating,
pond liners, plumbing, and landscaping.
Adding a pond or waterfall to your landscape can be very rewarding.
"How to Build Ponds and Waterfalls and Much More." ensures it will
also be successful.
Pond
Building Books and Guides
| Waterfall
Building Books and Guides
More
Pond Pump Websites
Here are some websites we recommend if you are looking to buy something
in Canada, The USA, Europe or anywhere in the world!
PondsOnlineCanada.com:
http://pondsonlinecanada.com/pumps.htm
. Pond & Waterfall Pumps 200 to 6,500 Gallons Per Hour . .up to. . Pond,
Filter & Waterfall Pumps 80 to 6,000 Gallons Per Hour .up to. . Marathon
Water Feature Pumps 350 to 800 Gallons Per Hour .up to. . FP Filter Pumps
1,000 to 2,000 Gallons Per Hour . Geyserflow Stainless Steel Pumps 2,320
to 6,290 Gallons Per Hour . ECO Pond, Filter & Waterfall Pumps 950 to
10,000 Gallons Per Hour . Pond Pumps 1,200 to 2,420 Gallons Per Hour .
50 ft. power cord available Split Tube Technology Waterfall Pumps 1,980
to 8,720 Gallons Per Hour . Triangle & BVP Solids-Handling Pumps 1,380
to 5,280 Gallons Per Hour Lifegard QUIET ONE Pond Pump Kits 220 to 1,500
Gallons Per Hour . Water Master Solids-Handling Pumps 1,450 to 6,500 Gallons
Per Hour Pond & Waterfall Pumps 200 to 5,300 Gallons Per Hour PRO-Line
Pumps 1,650 to 10,600 Gallons Per Hour Pond & Waterfall Pumps 250 to 5,000
Gallons Per Hour .up to. OFX Filter Pumps 2,000 to 3,870 gal. . Titan
Filtration Pumps 550 to 4,400 Gallons Per Hour . Waterfall Pumps 1,200
to 5,200 Gallons Per Hour External Waterfall Pumps 3,400 to 11,000 Gallons
Per Hour Statuary Pumps 52.8 to 650 Gallons Per Hour Floating Fountains
.up to. Air Pumps .up to. Solar Pond & Fountain Equipment. Why Buy Your
Pond Pump from PondsOnline
GardenSuperMart.com:
http://www.gardenandhearth.com
Prices of the SuperFlo 3000*: Home Depot: $140.00 Canadian Tire: $139.99
Our price: $104.99! *Prices found on Home Depot and Canadian Tire websites
on May 23, 2008. Statuary Fountain Pump Compare to $24.99Starting at $18.99
SuperFlo 2000 Pond Pump Compare to $153.95$89.99 Maxflo Waterfall Pump
Compare to $159.00 Starting at $139.99 Algreen CrystalFlo Pond Pump and
All-in-One Filter Compare to $249.99Our Price: $229.99 Algreen Ultra Flo
All-in-One Aeration Pump Kits Compare to $106.98Starting at $95.10 Deluxe
Super Flo 3000/4000/5000/6000/ Pond Pump Kits Compare to $140.00Starting
at $89.99 Stainless Steel High Capacity Series Pumps Compare to $579.98Starting
at $554.99 SICCE Master DW Cascades and Filter Pond Pump Compare to $249.99Our
Price: $200.00 Super Flo 800/1300 all-in-one Pond Pump Kit Compare to
$123.96Starting at $69.99 I have the SuperFlo 3000 pump at present and
have had no problems so far . This will be it's 3rd year running, winter
and summer. Brenda, Winnipeg Pond pumps are an extremely important part
of any water feature. Regardless of what you want your water feature to
be, the water can not be stagnant. If the water remains dormant, it will
become a breeding ground for mosquitoes, and it will make standing around
your pond uncomfortable. Choosing between pond pumps is simple When you
choose a pond pump, the Gallons Per Hour rating (Gallons per hour) should
be about half of your pond’s size. This is enough to circulate the water
once every 2 hours, which is JUST enough to keep the water circulating
enough to prevent mosquitoes from settling in. If you’re planning on having
a waterfall, you will need a stronger pump. The pond pump type you purchase
is also important. It’s good to choose a pump that’s magnetic-driven,
as this is quieter and more energy efficient than a direct drive pump.
Fortunately, GardenSuperMart only carries Magnetic Driven pumps! If you
should any further questions regarding the pond pumps we carry then please
don't hesitate to contact us. We can provide you with recommendations
specific to your needs and wants and will assist you in any way possible.
Purchasing a pond pump When buying a pond pump for your water garden,
there are several trade-offs that you need to take into consideration...Read
entire article Pond pump testimonial I purchased pumps from several retailers,
and they never made it to their second year. But then I tried the Algreen
Superflo...
Canadian Ponds: http://pondpumpscanada.ca/
High Capacity Stainless Steel Pumps These solid submersible pond pumps
are used when maximum flow is required like for creating large cascading
water features or creating tall fountain displays. The handles are stainless
steel, the motor head cover is cast iron, the hose couplings are cast
iron and strong plastic, the impeller is cast iron and bronze, the motor
casing is stainless steel and the filter strainer is plastic and stai
There are no products to list in this category.
Selected Products From ThePondReport.com

The Pond Report
Pond Supplies for private pond owners and commercial pond managers.
Pond & lake products and treatments for natural pond care and aquatic management
Fast and free shipping from our Florida, California & Oklahoma Distribution
Centers.
ThePondReport.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Read our disclosure policy regarding the affiliations and commercial incentivizations of The Pond Report web site.
© 2006 - 2023
|