Rock bottom a no no?

[gigigreen]

I have a 21/2 ft.deep pond with a waterfall and have rocks all along the bottom. It has been hard to keep the bottom clean. I'm currently looking into a bog or box filter to replace the pressurized one. I was told I needed to get rid of the rocks, but I really like the way they look. I was wondering if I change filters if the mucky gunk that accumulates under the rocks won't happen if I have a different filtration system?

 

[Meyer Jordan]

I have a 21/2 ft.deep pond with a waterfall and have rocks all along the bottom. It has been hard to keep the bottom clean. I'm currently looking into a bog or box filter to replace the pressurized one. I was told I needed to get rid of the rocks, but I really like the way they look. I was wondering if I change filters if the mucky gunk that accumulates under the rocks won't happen if I have a different filtration system?

A few questions:
What is the capacity (gallons) of your pond?
What size pump?
What type (and size) rock is presently on the bottom? How thick?

 

[Tula]

This is one of those issues that no one agrees on. I think it comes down to what you like and if you can keep the rocks clean. I've had my pond both ways, with gravel and without. I liked the way it looked with the gravel and it appeared to keep the water cleaner...but I had no idea what was lurking underneath it - ugh

If I was younger ( I'm 57), I'd consider light layer of gravel for appearance and clean it each year. Alas, at my advanced age, ha ha, I'll keep it without gravel, as it's less maintenance for me.

 

[gigigreen]

A few questions:
What is the capacity (gallons) of your pond?
What size pump?
What type (and size) rock is presently on the bottom? How thick?

1600 gph OASE Aquamax SF pump
600 gallons
creek rock, one layer, ea. about 3-4" long

 

[gigigreen]

This is one of those issues that no one agrees on. I think it comes down to what you like and if you can keep the rocks clean. I've had my pond both ways, with gravel and without. I liked the way it looked with the gravel and it appeared to keep the water cleaner...but I had no idea what was lurking underneath it - ugh

If I was younger ( I'm 57), I'd consider light layer of gravel for appearance and clean it each year. Alas, at my advanced age, ha ha, I'll keep it without gravel, as it's less maintenance for me.

Every spring, I have to drain the pond and move all the rocks to one side to get the gunk underneath them and i have a lot of pine straw that falls into the pond, very hard to get out sitting on top of the rocks. I like the way it looks better as well, though.
I hear ya, I'm 56 this month and can't believe i'm that number. I don't feel it, but I have to admit I don't have the stamina I used to have. It's getting harder to keep it up along with all the gardening. I'm looking to make it easier somehow. I'd love to get rid of all the pine-straw surrounding the pond & waterfall.

 

[Meyer Jordan]

1600 gph OASE Aquamax SF pump
600 gallons
creek rock, one layer, ea. about 3-4" long

I am assuming that you do not have a skimmer. Although you have a great flow rate for your size pond and small cobbles instead of pea gravel, without a skimmer keeping the bottom clutter and sediment free is going to require that little extra maintenance,

 

[Tula]

Every spring, I have to drain the pond and move all the rocks to one side to get the gunk underneath them and i have a lot of pine straw that falls into the pond, very hard to get out sitting on top of the rocks. I like the way it looks better as well, though.
I hear ya, I'm 56 this month and can't believe i'm that number. I don't feel it, but I have to admit I don't have the stamina I used to have. It's getting harder to keep it up along with all the gardening. I'm looking to make it easier somehow. I'd love to get rid of all the pine-straw surrounding the pond & waterfall.

Ten years into my pond, I'm looking at ways to make it easier to maintain, so I can continue to enjoy it. I've planted lilies ( with deer fencing zip tied over them ) for a natural appearance, as well as many floating baskets with plants cascading into the water. I also created a container bog, no running water...but a natural looking resin barrel , filled with gravel , keeping water line just below the gravel to keep mosquitos from breeding. This, plus other plantings and elephant ears....make it pretty, without me being in the pond so much, trying to clean the gravel.

 

[gigigreen]

Nope, don't have a skimmer. I don't have a large surface area. I guess I should take the rocks out, even though I do like how they look.

 

[sissy]

Advance age geeze Tula I am 61 and roofed a carport and I am afraid of heights .I had a small spot with rocks in the bottom of my pond 10 years ago and once covered in muck you could not tell the difference between the river rock side and the liner side.Not worth the hassle to me .To me the easier the pond is to maintain means the less worries you have with something going wrong with water quality .I am in for easier way out ,NO ROCKS .And I am not old I am just better .Like a fine wine with age it mellows and tastes better I also don't have a skimmer and never have had one ,a pool net works

 

[Tula]

@sissy , maybe I'm just feeling extra old after this winter!!!

 

[sissy]

It must be that ,you need to feel young again .THINK SPRING

 

[Shdwdrgn]

Guess I'll throw in my opinion again... Rocks in the bottom: no! Rocks in a river: yes!

And here's why: As mentioned above, the rocks in the bottom of a pond collect gunk, and it's near impossible to get it cleaned out without moving all the rocks. On the other hand, in a shallow, fast-moving stream the water is continually stirred, even down between the rocks, so very little gunk has a chance to accumulate. I have pea gravel in my stream, but I think a little larger rock would have been better. The pea gravel is small enough to trap pockets of gunk, so I make a point of stirring it up at least every Spring. At least with the shallow water, the rock is easy to get to, but I might try switching it out for some 1" river rock at some point -- both because it will trap less waste, and because it will probably stay in place better and not try to wash downstream.

 

[RobAmy]

Like Shdwdrgn I chose not to rock my bottom of the pond, the stream is fully rocked with 3/4 inch stone and larger rocks. The stream builds up very little but I also stir it up a bit. My pond sides do have rock but not all the way to the bottom. I have a few large rock in my pond that the frogs and ducks sit on. My caves also have some rock on the top of them. I put a few gravel piles in the bottom of the pond for the fish to use and boy do they, I see them all the time picking them up and spitting them out. I really like the look of the rocked bottom but I did not want to completely have to drain out my pond every year just to clean the rock due to its size so I chose not to. Makes cleaning the pond with a vacuum easier also.

 

[Sunshine]

I use to have a deep bed of rocks on the bottom, cleaned it out every spring. Now that I'm older, I have a very thin layer of egg rocks. I don't clean it out because it is a thin layer. Most say you can't see the rocks because of dirt and muck, but I can still see the rocks and the colors of the rocks in my pond. I net out any leaves that get in there which only gets leaves on a very windy day. And I have a lot of lilies that shade the pond. This has been an ongoing battle since the first pond was built. Even when I had a deep bed of rocks, my water quality was never an issue. It took one sunny afternoon to clean it out. Like everything in life, it's a personal preference. Just because some don't like it, they shouldn't discourage others from it.

 

[RobAmy]

Just because some don't like it, they shouldn't discourage others from it

So very true