River Rock vs Pea Gravel

[GreatDanesDad]

Hello guys.

I need help. I have my pumps, plumbing, skimmer, and my liner ready to go in the pond. Once all is installed, I will need to prepare the bottom of the pool. Is there a benifit to softball size river rock vs just using 6in deep of Pea Gravel? Do the fish care? I think I read that the extra surface area of the pea gravel helps with filtering? What about cleaning the pond later? I plan on having a few goldfish and other small fish. Only a 2000 gallon pond. Any suggestions?

Thanks

 

[Mucky_Waters]

If you decide to put rocks on the bottom on your pond keep in mind they can be a real pain to clean. Some like the looks of the rocks though, and for short time there may be some surface area that may support beneficial bacteria, but very quickly after that they will get covered in muck and will no longer be able to support that same bacteria.
If you leave the liner bare it will quickly grow a layer of algae and will look like a natural pond or lake bottom. That and easier clean is why many people don't put rocks in the bottom of their pond.
If you are dead set on the rocks you should read this thread.

 

[GreatDanesDad]

Bare liner sounds great to me. I was only planning on rocks based on filter recomendations, but like the way I think it will look with just the liner. I appreciate the input. Any other recomendations would be great.

 

[taherrmann4]

Bare liner pond IMO. As Mucky said the black liner will be covered in a layer of algae and you won't even be able to tell it's a liner vs a real pond bottom. When you are putting int he liner try to be very particular with your folds so you can't see them, the algae will help hide them. I think the folds just look like an uneven surface in the bottom of the pond still very natural looking.

 

[DrCase]

Ditto what every one is saying its easy to clean a bare pond floor

 

[Mucky_Waters]

Bare liner sounds great to me. I was only planning on rocks based on filter recomendations, but like the way I think it will look with just the liner. I appreciate the input. Any other recomendations would be great.

One thing I would recommend is when digging out the pond, you dig a small trench along the shoreline around 4-6" below the intended water level and about the same 4-6" wide. When you lay your liner out you'll have a nice little shelf below the water level to lay your first course of rocks on, then you can stack another layer of rocks on top of those ones stepping towards the shoreline. You can tuck the excess liner in between the rocks or hide the liner in the ground. By doing this the liner will not be visible above the water line. It just makes the pond look more natural when you don't see the liner all around the shoreline.
Something like this.

 

[taherrmann4]

Mucky good point, but depending on the type of rock you are using, the shelf may need to be about 12" wide. You can't see my liner at all unless the water drops about 3" due to lack of rain then there are a few sections where the liner begins to show, so if I was doing it again I would make it so that my rocks would be about 6" under water.

I would attach a pic but for some reason having trouble uploading.

 

[Waterbug]

I like mortared rock. The look I like and easy cleaning of bare liner. And keeping it clean was a joy because the result was better looking. I didn't clean my bare liner ponds nearly as often, which hurt water quality but yeah, harder to see the liner. So I think part of the choice is your goals for the result. Water garden with lots of plants I might go bare liner. Fish and lots of open water I'd go mortared rock.

 

[Mucky_Waters]

Mucky good point, but depending on the type of rock you are using, the shelf may need to be about 12" wide. You can't see my liner at all unless the water drops about 3" due to lack of rain then there are a few sections where the liner begins to show, so if I was doing it again I would make it so that my rocks would be about 6" under water.

I would attach a pic but for some reason having trouble uploading.

Yes. bigger is better if you are using larger rocks. I actually have two steps shelves on mine, so the rocks go into the pond quite deep. But even a small shelf is such an easy thing to do when building the pond, but so many people don't bother, or don't think about it, and they end up with that ring of exposed liner all around the pond.

 

[waynefrcan]

I like mortared rock. The look I like and easy cleaning of bare liner. And keeping it clean was a joy because the result was better looking. I didn't clean my bare liner ponds nearly as often, which hurt water quality but yeah, harder to see the liner. So I think part of the choice is your goals for the result. Water garden with lots of plants I might go bare liner. Fish and lots of open water I'd go mortared rock.

The drained pond with mortared rock looks really scary for some reason, alien in fact lol.

 

[waynefrcan]

If you decide to put rocks on the bottom on your pond keep in mind they can be a real pain to clean. Some like the looks of the rocks though, and for short time there may be some surface area that may support beneficial bacteria, but very quickly after that they will get covered in muck and will no longer be able to support that same bacteria.
If you leave the liner bare it will quickly grow a layer of algae and will look like a natural pond or lake bottom. That and easier clean is why many people don't put rocks in the bottom of their pond.
If you are dead set on the rocks you should read this thread.

Thanks muck. I would just add to this topic that it depends on your location in the world lol and how good your skimmer and pump are. I just can't get enough algae to cover my liner as to why I hate the black look. And it's not just bare bottom, it's bare sidewalls.

 

[fishin4cars]

Thanks muck. I would just add to this topic that it depends on your location in the world lol and how good your skimmer and pump are. I just can't get enough algae to cover my liner as to why I hate the black look. And it's not just bare bottom, it's bare sidewalls.

IMO it makes no difference where your location is. It's more about the maintenance your willing to perform over time on the pond. I'm sorry but a skimmer and pump can only do so much, many more things need to be considered before going to a rock bottom pond. There are many ways one can be done and be successful, But they really need to be looked at carefully and all the Pro's and Con's studied carefully before making a choice of which way you want to go with your own pond. My self, I got away from rock bottom, The added look just wasn't worth the extra work.

 

[koiguy1969]

i hear ya fishin'...i had rocks in my first pond. for about 6 weeks or so. took 'em out and would not go back!... lots more work for little added look. especially once they get covered in alge!

 

[waynefrcan]

YEs many things to consider to have a successful rocked pond I agree. I have one of those, and my liner DOES not get covered with algae. I can still read the manufacture lettering after 2 years in operation.

When people say "the black liner will look natural when covered by algae" just isn't true in all cases.

IMO the folds in the liner don't look natural. And it's not just the folds, when water pressure sucks the liner down it leaves rib lines that stick out as well.

To answer the topic start question, forget the 6 inch of pea gravel. Just a thin layer of small gravel will work. Like rounded Montana rainbow river rock. But if the sidewalls will be bare below the water line, keep the bottom bare as well.

 

[Mucky_Waters]

YEs many things to consider to have a successful rocked pond I agree. I have one of those, and my liner DOES not get covered with algae. I can still read the manufacture lettering after 2 years in operation.

When people say "the black liner will look natural when covered by algae" just isn't true in all cases.

IMO the folds in the liner don't look natural. And it's not just the folds, when water pressure sucks the liner down it leaves rib lines that stick out as well.

To answer the topic start question, forget the 6 inch of pea gravel. Just a thin layer of small gravel will work. Like rounded Montana rainbow river rock. But if the sidewalls will be bare below the water line, keep the bottom bare as well.

Wayne I wonder if your liner was impregnated with a heavy dose of algaecide when it was manufactured?