Water Features USA- Nationwide Pond Supply is a full service water feature, pond, water garden and fountain supply company offering design, supplies and accessories. With 6 retail locations in Washington, Nevada, Oregon and Idaho, we are one of the largest pond specialists in the nation.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11		What pond liner size should I buy?  How many fish can my pond support?  How many gallons of water will there be in my pond?  What size pump do I need?  What sized tubing is best to use?  What kind of filtration should I have?  Is a lot of maintenance required?  What needs to be done before winter?  How often do you change a UV bulb?  When do I need to clean the filter?  Where should I locate my pond?	For additional information on any topic of interest, click on this icon. Our expert  Knowledge Base has a wide array of articles on important pond topics.

The length of pond liner material required = the maximum length of the pond -plus- twice the maximum depth -plus- a minimum of 1' overlapping the edges. The width of liner required = the maximum width of the pond -plus- twice the maximum depth -plus- a minimum of 1' overlapping the edges. A simple example is: 10' x 10' x 2' pond = 15' x 15' pond liner.

It is highly recommended that you excavate your pond before purchasing a liner. We recommend using the pond calculator found on the left side of every page of this web site, consulting the Online Knowledge Base, or both.

The typical suggestion is 1" of fish per 10 gallons of water. This is really only a guideline because the surface area, size, flow rate, and filtration type should all be considered when determining a good number of fish for your pond. The lower the fish count, the easier the maintenance.

How many gallons are in my pond?

If you take the average length of the pond and multiply it by the average width and also by the average depth and you will have the total cubic feet of water for that particular pond. Given that there are 7.5 gallons in a cubic foot, you can multiply your total cubic feet by 7.5 and arrive at the total gallons in your pond.

As a simple example, a 4' by 6' pond that is 18" deep will be: 4 x 6 x 1.5 which equals 36 cubic feet. Then you can multiply 36 feet by 7.5 to arrive at the volume of 270 gallons.

We recommend using the pond calculator found on the left side of every page of this web site.

What size of pond pump should I use?

With several variables to consider we recommend that at a minimum, you should circulate the volume of water once every 2 hours. This indicates that a pond containing 1000 gallons of water should have a 500 gph pump at the very least. Circulating the water once an hour is highly recommended if possible.

What sized tubing is best to use?

• Most of the pumps that we sell are noted with the discharge size. This will be noted as outside diameter (O/D). You should choose tubing with an inside diameter (I/D) that matches the outside diameter of the discharge.

• Typically, 1/2" tubing is used for smaller pumps except a few which use a 3/8" I/D and some that have a 5/16" I/D.

• 3/4" tubing is most typically used for medium-sized pumps.

• Larger pumps use 1" tubing and it is best to use a tubing that is larger than 1" for most pond applications as it provides better flow of water and less friction. The following chart may help.

What kind of filter should I use?

 How much maintenance is required?

All that is really required are equipment checks on a regular basis and an  occasional thorough cleaning. You do not need to drain the pond on a regular basis. You can use a net or pond skimmer to remove leaves and other plant materials. Any plant materials that build up on the bottom should be removed to prevent them from polluting the water.

Keep in mind that fewer fish and less feeding means less maintenance.

What needs to be done before winter?

• You can reduce leaved and debris that can enter the pond during fall & winter by covering it with netting.
• When temperatures start to drop you can give your fish foods that are  designed for cooler water temperatures. You should stop feeding your fish when the water temperature drops to into the 40°s.
• There are bacterial treatments that are designed for application in the fall that can help to maintain pond health through the winter months and help start a healthy pond in the spring.
• If you have fish in the pond it is quite important to have an opening in the ice on the surface. Such an opening will allow poisonous gases to escape and and will also allow exchange of oxygen. You can obtain a floating de-icer or place air stones near the surface of the pond.

How often do you change a UV bulb?

External filters should be cleaned when the flow of water back into the pond has been reduced.

Where should I locate my pond?

Here are some important things for you to consider:

• Place your pond in a place that will maximize your enjoyment. Consider putting it in a place where you can easily view it from rooms where you spend a lot of your time, such as kitchen or family room. Ponds and waterfalls make wonderful additions to the outdoor areas where you relax and entertain such as decks and patios.
   

• Some sunlight is good - too much can cause problems. About 1/2 day of sun is usually sufficient to ensure healthy plant growth. Excess sunlight can cause green algae growth, however this unwanted growth can be countered using a number of methods, which are explained in the section on filtration.
   

• Ponds can be put under trees, but you may encounter trouble working around tree roots, and you may have problems with falling flower blossoms and leaves falling into the pond.

For additional information on any topic of interest, click on this icon. Our Knowledge Base has a wide selection of articles on important pond topics.

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