opinion on pond floor substrate

[AJ1500]

I'm curious what do you use on the floor of your pond and why

 

[addy1]

I'm curious what do you use on the floor of your pond and why

Nothing, it looks fine without any thing and over time looks totally natural. Easier to clean when you are not working around rocks etc.

This is what the bottom looks like

 

[C-Note]

Same here. Nothing... just pond liner. Easy to clean, and less opportunity for nasties to build up.

 

[Mmathis]

Nothing. Same reasons as stated.

 

[Big Lou]

Nothing.

 

[Meyer Jordan]

Gravel. (Well, someone has to be different!)

 

[Big Lou]

How do you keep your gravel from getting buried in muck Meyer?

 

[Lisak1]

Gravel bottomed girl here!

 

[Big Lou]

Same question for you Lisa.

 

[Meyer Jordan]

How do you keep your gravel from getting buried in muck Meyer?

Adequate flow rate and filtration, both mechanical and bio. AND a herd of ever-rooting Koi to keep things stirred up.

 

[Tula]

Nothing. I used to have gravel, but it slid into the deepest part of my pond, reducing depth and my water lilies had gone crazy in it.....so removed it. I miss the light color that gravel provides, but the bare liner is easier to clean.

 

[Lisak1]

I scoop it in the spring. And... that's it. No mechanical filtration - just a bog. No skimmer. I get in every couple of weeks and swish my feet around in the gravel but not much gets stirred up. Koi, shubunkins and goldfish, but nobody is a bottom stirrer-upper. They're all algae grazers.

Here's a shot looking straight down. This is the deepest point - just under 3.5 feet deep:

There's me! And my gravel bottom! (Ignore my air hose - that thing loves to float!)

 

[Big Lou]

Really nice.

 

[Meyer Jordan]

I scoop it in the spring. And... that's it. No mechanical filtration - just a bog. No skimmer. I get in every couple of weeks and swish my feet around in the gravel but not much gets stirred up. Koi, shubunkins and goldfish, but nobody is a bottom stirrer-upper. They're all algae grazers.

Here's a shot looking straight down. This is the deepest point - just under 3.5 feet deep:

View attachment 84201

There's me! And my gravel bottom! (Ignore my air hose - that thing loves to float!)

Yep, that is how the bottom of most any pond can look.

 

[addy1]

The bottom of mine in the deep area is light, I tried floating some lilies in pots one year a few tipped over and dumped a whole bunch of kitty litter on the bottom. You can still see it. The fish keep it picked clean.

Not the best picture, all the light area is kitty litter and a bit of pea gravel, There are lily pots sitting on a bunch of it. In the darker shaded areas there is more too. A stray rock or two has fallen in over time, I either fish them out or ignore them .