I love that you willingly teach people for no more cost than the time it takes to watch your videos, how to do how to build the pond themselves, to the point that you might be cutting yourself and Modern Design out of the process. That shows a lot of faith in your potential customers that, should they run into problems, you're the folks they can go to without fear of being hammered. That's a rare quality in today's cutthroat, money makes the world go 'round, world. Then, to add more Thanksgiving gravy over the entire thing, you and your team are proven, award winning artists who don't just talk the talk. You can walk the walk. I mean, as I personally watch this stuff, I'm basically the Minion standing there asking, "Whaaaaaat?" because "I am not a smart man, but I know what talent is." I also know I can't math and I know I can't lift the large rock. 😆
You’re hilarious Whip! We may be working ourselves out of a job. Maybe I should just start selling products and designing? But what would my boys do? We are making boulder fountains now (as of a few weeks ago) that’s a start…
Nothing is without some level of self iterest. Videos like these will spawn thousands of people who think "I can do that", Until they discover that they don’t have the patience, experience, time or motivation to complete the project. Now they are in a situation of need, where they were not before and now here comes the professional FTW. Sharing knowledge increases the base population, it is why concepts like open source work. I greatly appreciate the incredible content, because I am one of the people who thinks, I can do that.😅
John G is the master teacher! Lol No seriously I love how you instill knowledge about ponds. Its important for people to understand that yes when you have that completed beautiful pond you also eventually will have to clean it. I can totally see how the Aquascape setup makes that task wayyyyyy easier in the long run. Don't even get me started on the things I did in the past to cut corners and it bit me royally in the ass! Lol Its better to spend the money and do it right the first time. If you cut corners somewhere along the line you will eat that savings at the beginning by having to go back and fix that cost cutting you did. Thats when it hits you...dam! Why did I not just use the right parts, pieces and products to begin with. God bless John G....
You speak the truth- we all have “perfect hind-sight” don’t we! I did it in my house with the drywall guys. Hired the super cheap guys and got a super cheap job…
@@KoiAddiction don't even get me started on construction jobs. Being part owner of a construction business with my ex I could tell you things that would piss you off that they all do that is so business unethical. I am a straight up honest person and it was killing me seeing how corners are cut to pocket extra money for the builder. (One of the many reasons why I divorced my ex) God bless hope the Oasis becomes your family's oasis.
Ive only built one pond, but after ~4 years, i can say that milk crates in place of aqua blocks have given 0 issues and the wetland works as well as you could hope for
THAT’S amazing! Glad to hear you improvised and got-it-dun ;) There is more than one way to skin a cat as they say…Not sure why they say that, it’s kind of gross…but it is correct to the point at hand…Have a great day ;)
Thanks, John. I have learned so much from you and your channel. I'm getting to the end of my DIY swim pond build, and I engineered my own wetland filter components to mimic the aquascape system out of 12" smooth wall culvert for the centipede, 18" pipe for the snorkel and reinforced milk crates for the aquablocks. I did all the calcs to make sure my "centipede" had the same volume and open area as the real thing. Tested and loaded the milk crates to make sure they would be sufficiently strong and used the right number of them to get the same settling space as aquablocks. And 100 other little details. This was a labor of love for myself and the sheer desire to learn the engineering behind it by creating my own solutions. I'm certain that if I were to do it again, I could do it all much faster and with more confidence. But I am also certain that the only way it saved any money is because I can value my time at $0. If you're a professional trying to make a living building ponds, I think you would be such a fool to do it my way. Listen to John, buy the pre-engineered products, and get better at selling them than trying to figure out how to save a few $ on materials while adding tons of extra labor to your projects.
Oh boy, I'm excited for this series! Took a break from installing my second CWF to go to Aquascape Academy. My journey down this path began earlier this year when I watched your intake bay and CWF install on a mud pond. Sincere thanks for continuing to inspire and educate me! I think I owe you at least two beers by now! I hope the Oasis project has had fewer hiccups than at first.
@@KoiAddiction I'm super intrigued with how gravel depth effects design/function. If you are limited to a smaller footprint is it possible to increase the the depth of the CWF and thickness of the gravel layers. A few warnings in your first series made it crystal clear (hehe) that there are some mistakes (underlayment on the cubes before gravel) that will guarantee failure, and create a difficult fix, so I have not been inclined to deviate much from the standard. I did, however, go with 12 blox and a full centipede due to space limitations, and the customers' desire for as much filter as possible in the space (8x6). Honestly, you mentioned a ton of things you planned on discussing, and tests you want to run on yours, all of which I can't wait to learn about. Your how-to got me enough info to successfully install my first one, and after seeing it in action I think CWFs are downright amazing. I foresee installing many more of these, and I just really want to know anything and everything about them. #pondnerd
@@KoiAddiction Why must you do a back wash of the wetland filtration system if inserting a sum pump in the snorkel will remove solid waste? Also when you do a back wash must you replace all the water?
Im working one my wetland now. 12x18'x5', 2 centipedes and one snorkel. Plumbed with 3'' flexible pic with a 1'' breather, based on your videos. Just unloaded my second load of 8" cobble, and getting it spread over the aquablocks. starting the backfilling process as well. Hope to get it done before the snow flies!!!! Thanks for the inspiration and for sharing your knowledge!!!
Love the video and y’all’s designs. Don’t stop informing and inspiring people around the world John. You’ll see some pics from a little Texas fan 💪🏼👊🏼 soon
Modern Design Aquascaping Inc. I’ll be revising the front fishing pond. It’s just kinda happened at first lol but it’ll will have a liner and true design. The one in back will be patio rain storage with recreation pond. Wetland to swim zone to catfish/bass area to koi viewing area that cascades into a sunken fire pit with a pond less waterfall on opposite side flowing from house. I tell ya I need a job as a designer lol. For now the back is pretty big with cattails in it. I excavated then when I had a backhoe for fun and our South Texas black clay held the water and Herons brought green sunfish over past two years lol
You’re too kind ;) I am just doing my part to give back some of the knowledge I have “borrowed” from others over the years. Thanks for hanging out with us on our channel!
@@KoiAddiction it was to me, I love learning as much as possible specially when it comes from someone that truly know his craft. Keep sharing your knowledge man
Hello John, i realy enjoy your videos. They help me a lot in planning my future Koi Pond. I defenitly would hire you, but i live in Germany, so no option 🤣 I grab all of the information i get from you to plan my Pond. I got so many questions, but one of the most interesting one is: how many times per hour would you circulating the pond through the wetland filter? The pond will be aproximitly 1800 square feet of surface area and mostly for keeping Koi. No realy run offs like leaves in this area. I know, that there is not the "one and only" true answer to this question. But in my eyes, it is one of the most importent ones! Greetings from Germany 🤗
I wanna build in Germany! I am going to Aquatic Art Live event in England end of the month, look us up! Wetland flow is based on size of wetland, not size of pond! 1500-2000 gallons per hour / per centipede unit! Size wetland properly for the pond and then flow rate to wetland!
Dope video! Thanks for all that information. When it comes to doing your research on wetland systems, if you haven’t already, may I suggest looking into the work of Dr. Kevin Novak… Specifically on biocenesis clarification baskets. Some think he’s a cook, others a genius. I guess it depends on whether or not you believe he loves keeping fish. And whether or not one of his jobs at University was looking into cleaning up wetlands for various municipalities and governments. When you understand what happens to the NH 4+ ion… Otherwise known as the excrement of fish life… When you understand what happens to ammonia when it comes into contact with a natural thing with high porosity call zeolites, I think you’ll be adding these to the edges of your wetland systems. Two words: High surface area, Low flow area, Favorable cation exchange, ‘ anoxic zones‘
Also, There was a point in your explanation that stood out to me. You indicated that one constant regardless of all else would be that we would desire pulling water from the most highly oxygenated zone of our pond to feed the upflow wetland. Somehow this doesn’t sit right with me. If that were the case, taken to the extreme, what we have is me gathering water at the bottom of my inlet waterfall… Where the water is the most oxygenated.… As if what I were attempting to do is keep a wetland in excellent condition as my primary focus. Which begs the question: And what should I do with this stagnant crummy oxygen depleted water full of ammonia nitrate nitrite and phosphates? Shouldn’t my filtration design account for the crummiest water in the environment? Perhaps I misunderstood something? Please educate me
It was more of a “don’t pull water from the areas of low oxygenation areas” thought process. I’m sure there are plenty of people out there that know more about it than I do. My goal is to educate the new pond people out there, not to complete someone’s PHD. Once you understand the basics, there is always a deeper level of understanding in every capacity of the ecosystem. A person could spend a lifetime becoming “the authority” in any one of a multitude of areas such as aquatic plants, fresh water ecosystems, fish biology, biological filtration, plumbing systems, electrical systems, Japanese style, European style, koi, etc., etc. I have many friends who know more about each of these areas than I do, and to be honest I operate on my “general understanding based on experience” most of the time just fine. When I need help I reach out to the geniuses in my circle. I am always learning, always watching, always studying! I have to look up about 5 of the words in your comment now LOL! Have a great day ;)
Thanks for the reply. I appreciate you responding. I want to say this as respectfully as possible… I believe we actually do want to pull from low oxygenated areas. And then our process in water handling prior to its recirculation back into the pond inlet is what revitalizes that water. - Previously I mentioned Dr. Kevin Novak and his anoxic zones. He also talked about an air lift system in a fish tank with a Plenum. Much like what you create in the bottom of your wetland bogs with the aqua scape boxes. Coincidently, I ran across a project by another man by the name of Dr. John Todd. This project was at the four seasons Hotel in Honolulu Hawaii. It is their fish production pond and visible water feature to the guests. The hand drawing of the floating island design looks almost identical to the idea of a bottom of the pond/tank gravel bed Plenum with an air lift system to circulate water… Specifically from low oxygenated areas… I.e. anoxic zones. That pond went from $10,000 a month in maintenance cost to $400 per month. - Make no mistake, you are the expert in this conversation… I am only parroting stuff I’ve read online. I’m just trying to share the ideas. Please take no offense. - One more waterman of note… John Wilkes. His book is called flowforms the rhythmic power of water. A detail looked into biodynamic flowforms and their uses to add highly oxygenated water to your pond and somewhat an audible and visually appealing way. Check it out if you so desire. Peace brother
@@clevereeves1861 my two bits.....Kevin Novak is easily offended when it comes to answering questions ( unlike John Adams ) tat deviate from his set rules...tats what makes people think he's a cook...he gets a bit anal about his system of filtration...the greatness of a person is being humble in his achievements...he doesn't cone across as such....peace from India...
Super glad I found your family’s channel. I’ve learned a ton so far and will be building our ecosystem swim pond using aquascape products. I’ve contacted you online for consulting as I will have questions and am looking forward to hearing from you, thank you.
@@KoiAddiction A lot of it is recap, but you explained the process in a way that's easier to understand. Also about always experimenting to figure out the best solution for great water quality and understanding that sometimes things don't work out the way you wanted them too but by sharing the experience, others won't make the same mistakes!
You are just amazing ! Under this video, once again, I want to say thank you for these so valuable pieces of information. Back in France where I live, we have no Aquascape contractors available and I need to design all myself. What you give away is gold to me ! Now can I ask you a few questions ? 1. When designing a swim pond (no fish), how deep would you recommend it to be and with how many shelves (height, width) 2. For the wetland dimensioning, you don’t follow Aquascape guidance right ? For a pond of 500sqf they recommend a 8’x10’ which is 15%. But for a 500 sqf swim pond without fish, you would recommend 30%% according to your video ? (Can not having fishes allow to keep the 15%?). How then to calculate the length of centipede and the number of Aquablox? 3. when talking about turn-over flow, you mentioned once that you are looking at 1 to 2 times the volume of the pond per hour. Should all this volume go through the filter or you also count there that part of it goes to jets or additional waterfalls? Many thanks if you can answer this !
I wouldn’t skip the fish for starters- they are a valuable piece of the ecosystem! Like making soup without one of the key ingredients- won’t be quite the same. Swim pond depth is up to you- no rules on size. Same with shelves. Depending on stone size- I cut shelves based on the boulders to make easier building. Smaller stones are more stable on shelves though vs. vertical walls just be sure to build for stability.The 30% is a guideline, once again you can do less but if room & budget allow do the 30. LIke I said before if you can only do 15% plan to add another filter in the future (in your design) and then if you are dissatisfied with quality you have a backup plan. Wetland will be laid out in multiples of 16 small blocks (or 8 if you add a 1/2 centipede). So just extend the length of the filter as needed until you get your design. Google Aquascape wetland design or call them at 1-866-USPONDS. They will email you a schematic for the filter! For turn-over just pump the water at the filter flow rate as instructed in the video. Depending on size I add jets (we also have a video on that) for circulation but the wetland will filter at 1500-2000 gallons per hour / per centipede. Additional flow id beneficial for circulation and eliminating dead zones in the pond but not necessary for filtration. Be sure you have waterfall in the system or additional aeration as well to keep oxygen levels high! Good luck ;)
@@KoiAddiction How can I say thank you enough to provide all this information, and on Sunday moreover ! Amazing people ! Would definitely contract you if you were around my place !! 👏👏
Great series! Thanks for taking the time to share your expertise with us. I'm in the planning/design stage for my DYI pond project this spring. Information like yours is critical to completing a successful project.
Thanks for taking the time out and making this video and sharing your wealth of knowledge and information keep up the good work we really do appreciate it thanks
I'm kinda glad I didn't finish my pond build. I was going with 8 small blocks. I don't have the room (or money 😆 ) for 16. Can I stack them in the wetland filter? Does negative edge filter at all? I'm doing a negative edge instead of intake bay. Also thanks for all your videos. You have great content and I can't wait to see the finished Oasis Of Tranquility!!!
No use to stack them in the wetland- the filter is based on surface area. If anything deeper gravel may be an option. Yes the negative edge will filter a bit- stone and gravel surface should have beneficial bacteria and high oxygen levels in that area.
@@KoiAddiction one of our fellow CAC s, near me, suggested I build this 50 square meter rec pond with two skimmers for the heavy leaf load, with two pipes per skimmer to an external dry pool pump. Then through a sand filter that is using glass media. Then to the wetlands. Too much? And can a pool pump suck straight from the bottom of the skimmer? Only small matter will get to the pump?
@@BaruchDavidGreenman I did that before, the skimmers & pads just can’t handle that much life matter. They end up leaving the filter pads out most of the time. Then the strainer baskets in the external pumps fill up with leaves pretty quickly. I would be cautious with all of that and do not max out the flow rates on your skimmer. In the sand filter I would throw that out the window absolutely no use for that when you have a Wetland
Hi John, thanks for all the videos, really learnt a lot from your channel. Do you have any guide for wetland filter in pond, reverse flow? From most of the guides, the wetland is up flow through the wetland, it's possible to make it down flow and what's changes is needed compared to up flow wetland? Pro and Cons? Thanks bunch!
No I don’t have a video on the reverse flow wetland. I have built one but of course it Hass to be inside the pond drawing water down through it which makes it impossible to clean without draining the pond. Also lacks the capacity to be pre-filtered by another portion of your filtration system like an intake bay or skimmer box. The reverse flow into the wetland forces it to clog up on the surface restricting flow and makes it more maintenance. It does still work it’s just not as good as the other way in my opinion anyways.
How much does depth of the wetland matter? If i I want to use a wetland as a vegetable/fruit garden, can I go wider but shallower than the 3-4 foot deep pits I sometimes see in your videos? like maybe only deep enough for the snorkel, one layer of blox, then the gravel? and does a higher vegetation load necessitate a bigger wetland? what would redoing the math for that configuration look like? Also, Can you tell us more about wetland filters at the bottom of ponds and how that works? I thought the plants were essential to using the nutrients in the water in order to clean it but you could only use underwater plants that you wouldn't see if it's under water, right? and how would you clean it, because if you backflush it, you've dirtied all your pond water and can only clean it by having the wetland suck it back down to where it was in the first place, right?
Please read a few of the answers to the questions right above yours- I just answered your questions above and they are “long-ish” answers! You don’t have rules-per say. Any configuration is possible and what you do differently may be exactly what is needed to get the results that you are looking for! If you experiment, please let me know what and how- I love to learn! Thanks John G
Thanks, John, for the info but I'm still worried about getting the bog filter sized right. The pond we are attempting to do a bog filter for is a strange shape. We are trying to help a disabled vet fix his pond and he is paying for the supplies. We are donating our time so we are trying to make sure we get it right the first time. The main area is 15 x 15 @ 4' deep, and 2 extra areas are 8x15 @4' deep and 8x15 @2' deep. How do you figure what size bog he would need and then the flow rates??? I retired from the fire department and do bonsai trees, not ponds but he needs help. I get the idea of how to do the physical work from watching your great videos but the math scares me and I don't want to create more of a problem for him. Any help you could give us would be greatly appreciated!
That’s 450 S.F. I would size wetland at 8’ x 10’. That is 1 snorkel 1 centipede and 16 small aquablox. You can just Google it on the Aquascape wetland design and they’ll just send you a sketch and layout (basic). Watch our series on wetland installation and you’ll get it going on! Not rocket science ;)
I have done down-flow. For me its about ease of cleaning . The one we installed was in a pond and it would draw the water in through the wetland. It works fine BUT I have to drain the pond to clean it. Could be designed differently and I would be OK. Potato-Po-tah-toe if you know what I am saying?
I have heard that you can flow through each small aquablox about 90-125 GPH. My question is can you flow through less GPH? like as low as 60-75 GPH through each small aquablox, or would that not create enough up flow pressure through the layers of gravel?
You can do less, but you should be wary of low oxygen levels. we want to maintain an aerobic environment so test it if you build it OR just build a smaller wetland to the flow??
How high above the aquablox must the rock and gravel be in inches. I am in south africa but I don't have those aquablox but I am thinking of doing modification of milk or beer crates
Why must you do a back wash of the wetland filtration system if inserting a sum pump in the snorkel will remove solid waste? Also, when you do a back wash, must you replace all the water?
Yes. You will need to test oxygen levels to figure that one out. Measure dissolved oxygen from water going into the filter and then again coming out the top. As long as you are staying in range healthy for beneficial bacteria you are good!
I want to have a wetland filter on my pond and a mechanical filter.. do they have separate line going into the pond or mechanical first then going in the weltand before going into the pond?
@@KoiAddiction bioballs inside the aquablox (more surface area for bacteria), then a large chunky charcoal layer, then a porous rock layer (lava?). Will that work?
My favorite thing about a wetland filter is how easy it is to backflush. It does a great job of settling out fine particulates if you have your water flow dialed in. It makes it easy to drop a sump pump and pump out fine particulates, much like m a vortex filter captures Debris. The problem with adding bio balls into the aqua blocks and layering other materials is that you diminish the ease of flushing solids backwards through the system. I’m sure other things like you discuss will work 100% but I fear that overtime the ability to backflush becomes more and more impossible to do. I know many people who are dealing with early wetlands that were installed using various methods. Often people are forced to physically remove all of the aggregate in order to get the filters, clean and functioning again after 5 to 10 years. I would myself figure out a different way to add additional filtration, even though the wetlands work, so amazing. I guess my question is what makes you need additional filtration and is there a way to incorporate it into a separate area? This might allow you to do a main wetland and then a smaller one full of bio balls and charcoal, so that if there is an issue, you don’t have to tear apart and rebuild the entire thing. I am thinking that this secondary wetland may have only a thin layer of gravel on top of the aqua blocks so if you ever needed to remove the top panel from the blocks to allow access for cleaning and unclogging that you wouldn’t have to remove 24 inches of stone from the top. All these ideas are hypothetical of course but nothing sucks worse than shoveling 2 feet of gravel out of a wetland filter…
Rainwater definitely does have an affect on the pond. As long as it’s not acid rain, you are safe from the rain water. The problem is typically the sediment and Contaminants in your runoff. We often divert rainwater that carries large organic loads or create sediment capture. Meant areas. Totally depends on your situation. At my house we capture the rainwater from my roof and it runs into our reservoir. The gravel in the reservoir removes most of the large debris before it enters our feature.
Can we do a aquascaping like we do in aquariums at the bottom of the pond and yet get crystal clear water without any algal bloom with a wetland filter system?
Sometimes there is an algal bloom, totally depends on all of the environmental conditions imposed upon the ecosystem. In my experience with proper Water Feature management practices it passes and becomes manageable.
I love that you willingly teach people for no more cost than the time it takes to watch your videos, how to do how to build the pond themselves, to the point that you might be cutting yourself and Modern Design out of the process. That shows a lot of faith in your potential customers that, should they run into problems, you're the folks they can go to without fear of being hammered. That's a rare quality in today's cutthroat, money makes the world go 'round, world. Then, to add more Thanksgiving gravy over the entire thing, you and your team are proven, award winning artists who don't just talk the talk. You can walk the walk.
I mean, as I personally watch this stuff, I'm basically the Minion standing there asking, "Whaaaaaat?" because "I am not a smart man, but I know what talent is." I also know I can't math and I know I can't lift the large rock. 😆
You’re hilarious Whip! We may be working ourselves out of a job. Maybe I should just start selling products and designing? But what would my boys do? We are making boulder fountains now (as of a few weeks ago) that’s a start…
Nothing is without some level of self iterest. Videos like these will spawn thousands of people who think "I can do that", Until they discover that they don’t have the patience, experience, time or motivation to complete the project. Now they are in a situation of need, where they were not before and now here comes the professional FTW. Sharing knowledge increases the base population, it is why concepts like open source work. I greatly appreciate the incredible content, because I am one of the people who thinks, I can do that.😅
Great job John!!!
Thank you my friend - you had a big part in helping me to live my dreams :-) I hope you’re doing amazing!
You just answered a question I asked in a previse video. Thanks!
Well coolio! Sorry I missed it last time ;)
John G is the master teacher! Lol No seriously I love how you instill knowledge about ponds. Its important for people to understand that yes when you have that completed beautiful pond you also eventually will have to clean it. I can totally see how the Aquascape setup makes that task wayyyyyy easier in the long run. Don't even get me started on the things I did in the past to cut corners and it bit me royally in the ass! Lol Its better to spend the money and do it right the first time. If you cut corners somewhere along the line you will eat that savings at the beginning by having to go back and fix that cost cutting you did. Thats when it hits you...dam! Why did I not just use the right parts, pieces and products to begin with. God bless John G....
You speak the truth- we all have “perfect hind-sight” don’t we! I did it in my house with the drywall guys. Hired the super cheap guys and got a super cheap job…
@@KoiAddiction don't even get me started on construction jobs. Being part owner of a construction business with my ex I could tell you things that would piss you off that they all do that is so business unethical. I am a straight up honest person and it was killing me seeing how corners are cut to pocket extra money for the builder. (One of the many reasons why I divorced my ex) God bless hope the Oasis becomes your family's oasis.
Yes I agree with you about the bog filter being bigger, it is so much better
There is no finer filter to “polish” pond water. Combined with a negative edge and a skimmer you can get pristine to the max!
Professional Adams , this is fabulous! Full of great “nuggets”🌎🐸👩🏻🎓
Glad you enjoyed it! Tell Coppers I say HI!!
Ive only built one pond, but after ~4 years, i can say that milk crates in place of aqua blocks have given 0 issues and the wetland works as well as you could hope for
THAT’S amazing! Glad to hear you improvised and got-it-dun ;) There is more than one way to skin a cat as they say…Not sure why they say that, it’s kind of gross…but it is correct to the point at hand…Have a great day ;)
Thanks, John. I have learned so much from you and your channel.
I'm getting to the end of my DIY swim pond build, and I engineered my own wetland filter components to mimic the aquascape system out of 12" smooth wall culvert for the centipede, 18" pipe for the snorkel and reinforced milk crates for the aquablocks. I did all the calcs to make sure my "centipede" had the same volume and open area as the real thing. Tested and loaded the milk crates to make sure they would be sufficiently strong and used the right number of them to get the same settling space as aquablocks. And 100 other little details.
This was a labor of love for myself and the sheer desire to learn the engineering behind it by creating my own solutions. I'm certain that if I were to do it again, I could do it all much faster and with more confidence. But I am also certain that the only way it saved any money is because I can value my time at $0.
If you're a professional trying to make a living building ponds, I think you would be such a fool to do it my way. Listen to John, buy the pre-engineered products, and get better at selling them than trying to figure out how to save a few $ on materials while adding tons of extra labor to your projects.
WOW- I did that EXACT same thing 10 years ago--and I came to the same conclusion. I am interested to learn more about your project!
@@KoiAddiction Sure thing. I'm (mostly) documenting it on this playlist: th-cam.com/play/PLrOwYsnaliWJp1PPbFNrt-nI0vjj8Btg-.html
Was literally searching this subject for hours yesterday. Then, I woke up to see this gem in my YT feed. Thx!
What were you searching for?
@@KoiAddiction GPH into my bog.
Thanks for the great instruction
NO problemo! DId you learn anything new??
Love!!! the technical information that's the next toy on my pond I built myself
You won’t regret what it will do for your water quality!
Oh boy, I'm excited for this series! Took a break from installing my second CWF to go to Aquascape Academy. My journey down this path began earlier this year when I watched your intake bay and CWF install on a mud pond. Sincere thanks for continuing to inspire and educate me! I think I owe you at least two beers by now! I hope the Oasis project has had fewer hiccups than at first.
It is a good video. I just thought I was missing some technical stuff from the "How to build". What else do you think we need to cover?
@@KoiAddiction I'm super intrigued with how gravel depth effects design/function. If you are limited to a smaller footprint is it possible to increase the the depth of the CWF and thickness of the gravel layers. A few warnings in your first series made it crystal clear (hehe) that there are some mistakes (underlayment on the cubes before gravel) that will guarantee failure, and create a difficult fix, so I have not been inclined to deviate much from the standard. I did, however, go with 12 blox and a full centipede due to space limitations, and the customers' desire for as much filter as possible in the space (8x6).
Honestly, you mentioned a ton of things you planned on discussing, and tests you want to run on yours, all of which I can't wait to learn about.
Your how-to got me enough info to successfully install my first one, and after seeing it in action I think CWFs are downright amazing. I foresee installing many more of these, and I just really want to know anything and everything about them. #pondnerd
@@mattbrown4895 The Aussies do deeper gravel systems with the Aquascape systems- you can probably gain some info from those guys!
@@KoiAddiction Why must you do a back wash of the wetland filtration system if inserting a sum pump in the snorkel will remove solid waste? Also when you do a back wash must you replace all the water?
Im working one my wetland now. 12x18'x5', 2 centipedes and one snorkel. Plumbed with 3'' flexible pic with a 1'' breather, based on your videos. Just unloaded my second load of 8" cobble, and getting it spread over the aquablocks. starting the backfilling process as well. Hope to get it done before the snow flies!!!! Thanks for the inspiration and for sharing your knowledge!!!
GOOD LUCK AND HAPPY PONDERING ;) I hope you get it finished (if that can ever be a thing)…
Love the video and y’all’s designs. Don’t stop informing and inspiring people around the world John. You’ll see some pics from a little Texas fan 💪🏼👊🏼 soon
Looking forward to it, what are you building?
Modern Design Aquascaping Inc. I’ll be revising the front fishing pond. It’s just kinda happened at first lol but it’ll will have a liner and true design. The one in back will be patio rain storage with recreation pond. Wetland to swim zone to catfish/bass area to koi viewing area that cascades into a sunken fire pit with a pond less waterfall on opposite side flowing from house. I tell ya I need a job as a designer lol. For now the back is pretty big with cattails in it. I excavated then when I had a backhoe for fun and our South Texas black clay held the water and Herons brought green sunfish over past two years lol
Super informative, you are giving away knowledge for free. You are a great man.
You’re too kind ;) I am just doing my part to give back some of the knowledge I have “borrowed” from others over the years. Thanks for hanging out with us on our channel!
Fantastic info John. Hope you and the family are well. ✌️❤️
Thanks Ray- good to hear from you!!
This is going to be a great series. Thanks John for your efforts in creating this for us.
No worries- we will keep working on 1 educational per month! What do you want more of?
Very informative John
Was it worth the watch? We are really trying to share what we know!s
@@KoiAddiction it was to me, I love learning as much as possible specially when it comes from someone that truly know his craft.
Keep sharing your knowledge man
Thank you John! Your instructional videos are the best. I appreciate the time you spend on these - I am always excited when a new one comes out!
Glad you like them, we try to put em out- balance is so challenging :)
Hello John, i realy enjoy your videos. They help me a lot in planning my future Koi Pond. I defenitly would hire you, but i live in Germany, so no option 🤣 I grab all of the information i get from you to plan my Pond. I got so many questions, but one of the most interesting one is: how many times per hour would you circulating the pond through the wetland filter? The pond will be aproximitly 1800 square feet of surface area and mostly for keeping Koi. No realy run offs like leaves in this area. I know, that there is not the "one and only" true answer to this question. But in my eyes, it is one of the most importent ones! Greetings from Germany 🤗
I wanna build in Germany! I am going to Aquatic Art Live event in England end of the month, look us up! Wetland flow is based on size of wetland, not size of pond! 1500-2000 gallons per hour / per centipede unit! Size wetland properly for the pond and then flow rate to wetland!
Great content thanks. Answers all the questions I had
Glad it was helpful!
Great video, excellent information
Great teaching tool, thanks John.
LOve Ya CM!
Dope video!
Thanks for all that information.
When it comes to doing your research on wetland systems, if you haven’t already, may I suggest looking into the work of Dr. Kevin Novak… Specifically on biocenesis clarification baskets.
Some think he’s a cook, others a genius.
I guess it depends on whether or not you believe he loves keeping fish.
And whether or not one of his jobs at University was looking into cleaning up wetlands for various municipalities and governments.
When you understand what happens to the NH 4+ ion… Otherwise known as the excrement of fish life… When you understand what happens to ammonia when it comes into contact with a natural thing with high porosity call zeolites, I think you’ll be adding these to the edges of your wetland systems.
Two words:
High surface area,
Low flow area,
Favorable cation exchange,
‘ anoxic zones‘
Also,
There was a point in your explanation that stood out to me.
You indicated that one constant regardless of all else would be that we would desire pulling water from the most highly oxygenated zone of our pond to feed the upflow wetland.
Somehow this doesn’t sit right with me.
If that were the case, taken to the extreme, what we have is me gathering water at the bottom of my inlet waterfall… Where the water is the most oxygenated.… As if what I were attempting to do is keep a wetland in excellent condition as my primary focus.
Which begs the question:
And what should I do with this stagnant crummy oxygen depleted water full of ammonia nitrate nitrite and phosphates?
Shouldn’t my filtration design account for the crummiest water in the environment?
Perhaps I misunderstood something?
Please educate me
It was more of a “don’t pull water from the areas of low oxygenation areas” thought process. I’m sure there are plenty of people out there that know more about it than I do. My goal is to educate the new pond people out there, not to complete someone’s PHD. Once you understand the basics, there is always a deeper level of understanding in every capacity of the ecosystem. A person could spend a lifetime becoming “the authority” in any one of a multitude of areas such as aquatic plants, fresh water ecosystems, fish biology, biological filtration, plumbing systems, electrical systems, Japanese style, European style, koi, etc., etc. I have many friends who know more about each of these areas than I do, and to be honest I operate on my “general understanding based on experience” most of the time just fine. When I need help I reach out to the geniuses in my circle. I am always learning, always watching, always studying! I have to look up about 5 of the words in your comment now LOL! Have a great day ;)
Thanks for the reply. I appreciate you responding.
I want to say this as respectfully as possible… I believe we actually do want to pull from low oxygenated areas.
And then our process in water handling prior to its recirculation back into the pond inlet is what revitalizes that water.
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Previously I mentioned Dr. Kevin Novak and his anoxic zones.
He also talked about an air lift system in a fish tank with a Plenum. Much like what you create in the bottom of your wetland bogs with the aqua scape boxes.
Coincidently, I ran across a project by another man by the name of Dr. John Todd.
This project was at the four seasons Hotel in Honolulu Hawaii.
It is their fish production pond and visible water feature to the guests.
The hand drawing of the floating island design looks almost identical to the idea of a bottom of the pond/tank gravel bed Plenum with an air lift system to circulate water… Specifically from low oxygenated areas… I.e. anoxic zones.
That pond went from $10,000 a month in maintenance cost to $400 per month.
-
Make no mistake, you are the expert in this conversation… I am only parroting stuff I’ve read online. I’m just trying to share the ideas. Please take no offense.
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One more waterman of note… John Wilkes. His book is called flowforms the rhythmic power of water. A detail looked into biodynamic flowforms and their uses to add highly oxygenated water to your pond and somewhat an audible and visually appealing way. Check it out if you so desire.
Peace brother
@@clevereeves1861 my two bits.....Kevin Novak is easily offended when it comes to answering questions ( unlike John Adams ) tat deviate from his set rules...tats what makes people think he's a cook...he gets a bit anal about his system of filtration...the greatness of a person is being humble in his achievements...he doesn't cone across as such....peace from India...
Spectacular and informative, always love your technical series. I played many of the videos multiple times.
Thanks- what do you want to see more of?
Well done.
Thanks Derek ;)
Super glad I found your family’s channel. I’ve learned a ton so far and will be building our ecosystem swim pond using aquascape products. I’ve contacted you online for consulting as I will have questions and am looking forward to hearing from you, thank you.
Super glad to have you here! I will be communicating with you along the way I am sure!
Thank you for sharing! Cheers from Brazil
My pleasure, I wanna visit Brazil!
Great info looking forward to learning more and using your help
More to come!
Love your work and thanks for all the knowledge!!!!!!!
Thanks for hanging out with us here at Modern Design Aquascaping Inc. !
You ask what I think ? I wish you guys were here in Australia 👍🏿💖😎
There are some great builders out there though…
Another great video, can't wait for the next one. Keep up the great work.
I am aiming for an educational video every 6 weeks-ish. Stay tuned we are pushing for the Oasis POnd build coming back soon for 3 more episodes!
👊👊👊
🤟😎✌️
Amazing instructional pops😎🤙🏼
Thanks good sir!
GREAT INFO!
Was there anything new in there? Did you learn anything?
@@KoiAddiction A lot of it is recap, but you explained the process in a way that's easier to understand. Also about always experimenting to figure out the best solution for great water quality and understanding that sometimes things don't work out the way you wanted them too but by sharing the experience, others won't make the same mistakes!
You are just amazing ! Under this video, once again, I want to say thank you for these so valuable pieces of information. Back in France where I live, we have no Aquascape contractors available and I need to design all myself. What you give away is gold to me !
Now can I ask you a few questions ?
1. When designing a swim pond (no fish), how deep would you recommend it to be and with how many shelves (height, width)
2. For the wetland dimensioning, you don’t follow Aquascape guidance right ? For a pond of 500sqf they recommend a 8’x10’ which is 15%. But for a 500 sqf swim pond without fish, you would recommend 30%% according to your video ? (Can not having fishes allow to keep the 15%?). How then to calculate the length of centipede and the number of Aquablox?
3. when talking about turn-over flow, you mentioned once that you are looking at 1 to 2 times the volume of the pond per hour. Should all this volume go through the filter or you also count there that part of it goes to jets or additional waterfalls?
Many thanks if you can answer this !
I wouldn’t skip the fish for starters- they are a valuable piece of the ecosystem! Like making soup without one of the key ingredients- won’t be quite the same. Swim pond depth is up to you- no rules on size. Same with shelves. Depending on stone size- I cut shelves based on the boulders to make easier building. Smaller stones are more stable on shelves though vs. vertical walls just be sure to build for stability.The 30% is a guideline, once again you can do less but if room & budget allow do the 30. LIke I said before if you can only do 15% plan to add another filter in the future (in your design) and then if you are dissatisfied with quality you have a backup plan. Wetland will be laid out in multiples of 16 small blocks (or 8 if you add a 1/2 centipede). So just extend the length of the filter as needed until you get your design. Google Aquascape wetland design or call them at 1-866-USPONDS. They will email you a schematic for the filter! For turn-over just pump the water at the filter flow rate as instructed in the video. Depending on size I add jets (we also have a video on that) for circulation but the wetland will filter at 1500-2000 gallons per hour / per centipede. Additional flow id beneficial for circulation and eliminating dead zones in the pond but not necessary for filtration. Be sure you have waterfall in the system or additional aeration as well to keep oxygen levels high! Good luck ;)
@@KoiAddiction How can I say thank you enough to provide all this information, and on Sunday moreover ! Amazing people ! Would definitely contract you if you were around my place !! 👏👏
Great series! Thanks for taking the time to share your expertise with us. I'm in the planning/design stage for my DYI pond project this spring. Information like yours is critical to completing a successful project.
Thats awesome! WHat would you like to see more of?
Thanks for taking the time out and making this video and sharing your wealth of knowledge and information keep up the good work we really do appreciate it thanks
My pleasure- tyvm for supporting our channel!
I'm kinda glad I didn't finish my pond build. I was going with 8 small blocks. I don't have the room (or money 😆 ) for 16. Can I stack them in the wetland filter? Does negative edge filter at all? I'm doing a negative edge instead of intake bay. Also thanks for all your videos. You have great content and I can't wait to see the finished Oasis Of Tranquility!!!
No use to stack them in the wetland- the filter is based on surface area. If anything deeper gravel may be an option. Yes the negative edge will filter a bit- stone and gravel surface should have beneficial bacteria and high oxygen levels in that area.
@@KoiAddiction thx!!! I can definitely go deeper. I will do 3, 12-16" layers of gravel instead of 8" and just get a snorkel extension.
Great content! Thanks for putting this together John!
Hope it helps y’all out with your work!!
This is just such a good video and I am watching it 3rd time
Hope it helps!!
I appreciate all your content!
TYVM- we appreciate you guys supporting our channel!
Yes yes more info thanks
Sounds good will keep cranking out the content :-)
I needed this 3 months ago
Well I am a day late and a dollar short…Can we go with “Better late than never”?
great video, thank you for the amazing info you share
Glad it was helpful! What do you want to know more about?
Awsome video and series. Best instructor on these water feature. I'm still learning and taking notes. Hope to build next year.
Well we will keep teaching- you keep watching and build something amazing!!!
Hey John,
Tried to give you a call today. I will try to reach you at an other time. Thanks for what you do!
Don’t give up-Nina will get you taken care of in our office!!
Love it. Great lesson 👍🏻👍🏻
Its been a while since we did a good teaching video-it was over due!
Great, solid, teaching video
Well done, master
Great video John G! I’ve been a fan for a while. How would you adjust the flow rate per centipede If you have 36” of river stone in your wetland?
Another informative video. Timely as I am bidding a few right now.
Hope you got some nuggets! Cheers!
@@KoiAddiction one of our fellow CAC s, near me, suggested I build this 50 square meter rec pond with two skimmers for the heavy leaf load, with two pipes per skimmer to an external dry pool pump. Then through a sand filter that is using glass media. Then to the wetlands. Too much? And can a pool pump suck straight from the bottom of the skimmer? Only small matter will get to the pump?
@@BaruchDavidGreenman I did that before, the skimmers & pads just can’t handle that much life matter. They end up leaving the filter pads out most of the time. Then the strainer baskets in the external pumps fill up with leaves pretty quickly. I would be cautious with all of that and do not max out the flow rates on your skimmer. In the sand filter I would throw that out the window absolutely no use for that when you have a Wetland
@@KoiAddiction I thought to use an intake bay for most of the water and a skimmer or two for surface debris. That's more your style?
Very informative! ❤️
Did you learn anything that you can use in the future?
@@KoiAddiction I learnt that Flow rates are very important. I need to learn alot..😊
Great video, do you have video that shows step by step.
Yep- th-cam.com/video/Cbqp_Osrd4o/w-d-xo.htmlsi=4V_I6X4dAsqcAspS
Excellent video thanks
This is good information and need to be shared. Thanks for a good video. What type of rocks are you standing by?
We use all Tennessee mountain stones (except for some limestones on occasion ;)
Hi John, thanks for all the videos, really learnt a lot from your channel. Do you have any guide for wetland filter in pond, reverse flow? From most of the guides, the wetland is up flow through the wetland, it's possible to make it down flow and what's changes is needed compared to up flow wetland? Pro and Cons? Thanks bunch!
No I don’t have a video on the reverse flow wetland. I have built one but of course it Hass to be inside the pond drawing water down through it which makes it impossible to clean without draining the pond. Also lacks the capacity to be pre-filtered by another portion of your filtration system like an intake bay or skimmer box. The reverse flow into the wetland forces it to clog up on the surface restricting flow and makes it more maintenance. It does still work it’s just not as good as the other way in my opinion anyways.
@@KoiAddiction got it, thanks!
How much does depth of the wetland matter? If i I want to use a wetland as a vegetable/fruit garden, can I go wider but shallower than the 3-4 foot deep pits I sometimes see in your videos? like maybe only deep enough for the snorkel, one layer of blox, then the gravel? and does a higher vegetation load necessitate a bigger wetland? what would redoing the math for that configuration look like?
Also, Can you tell us more about wetland filters at the bottom of ponds and how that works? I thought the plants were essential to using the nutrients in the water in order to clean it but you could only use underwater plants that you wouldn't see if it's under water, right? and how would you clean it, because if you backflush it, you've dirtied all your pond water and can only clean it by having the wetland suck it back down to where it was in the first place, right?
Please read a few of the answers to the questions right above yours- I just answered your questions above and they are “long-ish” answers! You don’t have rules-per say. Any configuration is possible and what you do differently may be exactly what is needed to get the results that you are looking for! If you experiment, please let me know what and how- I love to learn! Thanks John G
Thanks, John, for the info but I'm still worried about getting the bog filter sized right. The pond we are attempting to do a bog filter for is a strange shape. We are trying to help a disabled vet fix his pond and he is paying for the supplies. We are donating our time so we are trying to make sure we get it right the first time. The main area is 15 x 15 @ 4' deep, and 2 extra areas are 8x15 @4' deep and 8x15 @2' deep. How do you figure what size bog he would need and then the flow rates??? I retired from the fire department and do bonsai trees, not ponds but he needs help. I get the idea of how to do the physical work from watching your great videos but the math scares me and I don't want to create more of a problem for him. Any help you could give us would be greatly appreciated!
That’s 450 S.F. I would size wetland at 8’ x 10’. That is 1 snorkel 1 centipede and 16 small aquablox. You can just Google it on the Aquascape wetland design and they’ll just send you a sketch and layout (basic). Watch our series on wetland installation and you’ll get it going on! Not rocket science ;)
Great video
Glad you are enjoying-did you learn anything?
@@KoiAddiction Yes sir, thank you
Great video, thank you! But why upflow? Is downflow worse, and if so, why? In Europe, swimming ponds often use downflow trough the wetland filter.
I have done down-flow. For me its about ease of cleaning . The one we installed was in a pond and it would draw the water in through the wetland. It works fine BUT I have to drain the pond to clean it. Could be designed differently and I would be OK. Potato-Po-tah-toe if you know what I am saying?
@@KoiAddiction Sorry, not really :) Any tip to how a downflow WF could be designed ease cleaning? Thank you!
@@petersvan7880 not sure- I had to drain the pond and rinse forever to get mine fairly clean. It was never able to get as clean as our current design.
I have heard that you can flow through each small aquablox about 90-125 GPH. My question is can you flow through less GPH? like as low as 60-75 GPH through each small aquablox, or would that not create enough up flow pressure through the layers of gravel?
You can do less, but you should be wary of low oxygen levels. we want to maintain an aerobic environment so test it if you build it OR just build a smaller wetland to the flow??
How high above the aquablox must the rock and gravel be in inches. I am in south africa but I don't have those aquablox but I am thinking of doing modification of milk or beer crates
We have used from 6” up to 3’! There is no rule, only that you want to be sure you can clean it effectively to make for easy maintenance.
Why must you do a back wash of the wetland filtration system if inserting a sum pump in the snorkel will remove solid waste? Also, when you do a back wash, must you replace all the water?
The back wash pushes the solids down to the pump for removal and yes, the water from the cleaning of the wetland is discharged from the system.
Am thinking about doing a swimming pond would I need a bigger filter r 2 filters because am doing waterfall and fish pond allso thanks
Just base the filter (or filters) on overall feature in its totality! You can definitely break it up into multiple parts👍🏻
So if I have a deeper gravel bed - say 36” instead of 24”. Can i have or do I need more flow?
Yes. You will need to test oxygen levels to figure that one out. Measure dissolved oxygen from water going into the filter and then again coming out the top. As long as you are staying in range healthy for beneficial bacteria you are good!
I want to have a wetland filter on my pond and a mechanical filter.. do they have separate line going into the pond or mechanical first then going in the weltand before going into the pond?
Use the mechanical filter first- then into the wetland👍🏻
@@KoiAddiction awesome thank you! I really like your videos. So informative when it comes to pond building.
Can you turn a wetlands into a giant reverse osmosis filter? With charcoal etc
LOL that is an interesting (and new) question!! I have had a RO filter before, have never thought about trying to make a wetland into one…
@@KoiAddiction bioballs inside the aquablox (more surface area for bacteria), then a large chunky charcoal layer, then a porous rock layer (lava?). Will that work?
My favorite thing about a wetland filter is how easy it is to backflush. It does a great job of settling out fine particulates if you have your water flow dialed in. It makes it easy to drop a sump pump and pump out fine particulates, much like m a vortex filter captures Debris. The problem with adding bio balls into the aqua blocks and layering other materials is that you diminish the ease of flushing solids backwards through the system. I’m sure other things like you discuss will work 100% but I fear that overtime the ability to backflush becomes more and more impossible to do. I know many people who are dealing with early wetlands that were installed using various methods. Often people are forced to physically remove all of the aggregate in order to get the filters, clean and functioning again after 5 to 10 years. I would myself figure out a different way to add additional filtration, even though the wetlands work, so amazing. I guess my question is what makes you need additional filtration and is there a way to incorporate it into a separate area? This might allow you to do a main wetland and then a smaller one full of bio balls and charcoal, so that if there is an issue, you don’t have to tear apart and rebuild the entire thing. I am thinking that this secondary wetland may have only a thin layer of gravel on top of the aqua blocks so if you ever needed to remove the top panel from the blocks to allow access for cleaning and unclogging that you wouldn’t have to remove 24 inches of stone from the top. All these ideas are hypothetical of course but nothing sucks worse than shoveling 2 feet of gravel out of a wetland filter…
👍👍👍👍👍👍
Glad you enjoyed it!
Can a wetland be too big? What if I made my wetland 100% the size of my pond or larger?
Rain water flooding:-
Will rain water flooding the pound and its run off
Will it be contemenated ?
Rainwater definitely does have an affect on the pond. As long as it’s not acid rain, you are safe from the rain water. The problem is typically the sediment and Contaminants in your runoff. We often divert rainwater that carries large organic loads or create sediment capture. Meant areas. Totally depends on your situation. At my house we capture the rainwater from my roof and it runs into our reservoir. The gravel in the reservoir removes most of the large debris before it enters our feature.
👍🏻7.1000
What does that mean Tony??
@@KoiAddiction ???
👍🏻good job
7.1 is part of your title description
Did you delete my question in comment?? 🤔🤔
Can we do a aquascaping like we do in aquariums at the bottom of the pond and yet get crystal clear water without any algal bloom with a wetland filter system?
Sometimes there is an algal bloom, totally depends on all of the environmental conditions imposed upon the ecosystem. In my experience with proper Water Feature management practices it passes and becomes manageable.
@@KoiAddiction thanks, that helps 😊