Use our Tool to Build a Custom Pond Kit!

Natural Pond: Unsure about your preference? Choose this one! This is the most popular type of pond our customers build. A natural pond aims to create a natural ecosystem, promoting self-sustaining and clear water. It uses mechanical and biological filters to filter the water without the use of chemicals that could harm fish or plants. Often featuring a waterfall to circulate water back into the pond from the filter, the overall goal is to create a picturesque water feature that seamlessly blends into its surroundings, creating a calm, peaceful vibe. Natural ponds are often constructed with our Premium Liner as a base.

Formal Pond: Formal ponds embody a distinct style characterized by a more "formal" appearance. Originating from Japan, they typically feature perfectly rectangular or circular shapes and are designed to have a structured, non-natural appearance. Instead of natural waterfalls, they often incorporate modern water features made with manufactured products or built into walls. Our formal ponds are commonly constructed using our 3D-shaped Rectangular Drop-in Liners..

Pond with No Skimmer: In some ponds, space for a skimmer can be limited. Without a skimmer, the submersible pump is placed directly inside the pond. Our kit includes a special filter pump designed for this purpose, ensuring efficient pond filtration without the need for a skimmer.

To calculate your pond's water volume, use our pond volume tool here

The first step to selecting equipment for your pond is determining its water volume, measured in gallons. The more water you have, the larger your equipment will have to be.

Typically, we aim to circulate the entire pond's contents through the filtration system every hour to maintain clean water. For example, for a 2500 gallon pond, we would ideally like to pump at least 2500 gallons per hour through the filter. In cases of heavy fish populations, additional circulation may be necessary up to twice or three times per hour.

For larger ponds and lakes surpassing 20,000 gallons, it may become impractical to circulate the entire volume every hour. In such instances, some opt for a longer interval, such as every two hours or more.

There are two types of pond pumps: submersible and external. Submersible pumps are generally considered easier to use and are simply placed underwater to begin pumping water. For more advanced installers or larger ponds, external pumps can offer benefits, including longer life, better energy efficiency, and easier maintenance since they are located outside the pond on dry land. With external pumps, you have to worry about priming the pump, which means filling it with water before turning it on. This is why a priming pot is generally included with every external pump kit. On the other hand, a submersible pump is self-priming and doesn't require a priming pot, making it simpler to start the pump.

Please note: In rare cases, external pumps may not need a priming pot if the pump is placed on dry land at an elevation lower than the surface of the pond, such as when the pump is installed downhill from the pond, allowing gravity to naturally fill the pump with water.

Waterfall Filter: An excellent choice if you’re incorporating a waterfall into your pond. Waterfall filters integrate seamlessly into your landscape, hiding inside your waterfall, with a built-in spillway. We like to have the water spill out onto a flat rock to create a natural look.

External Pressurized Filter: Ideal for ponds without waterfalls, offering easy cleaning without messy backwashing. Great for hiding near your pond if you have a shed or another location nearby.

We offer two grades of kits at Everything Ponds: Professional and Hobbyist. Are you new to pond building and just entering the hobby? Perhaps you intend to keep a few goldfish in your pond? Our hobbyist kits are an excellent starting point. If you're a serious fish enthusiast, housing expensive Koi fish with higher water quality requirements, our professional kits feature pro-level filters for the best water quality.

The larger your pond, the longer the distance you'll need to cover from one end to the other. At Everything Ponds, we always position the skimmer/water intake at one end of the pond and the waterfall/water return at the other, ensuring a natural current flows from end to end, eliminating dead spots. Moving water is healthier than stagnant water.

You'll also need enough pipe to connect your equipment. If using a submersible pump and a waterfall filter, you'll need one length of pipe from the skimmer over to your waterfall. However, if you're running an external filter in a nearby shed, you'll need to run pipes to the shed and back to the top of the waterfall. Keep in mind that longer the pipe, the head pressure will be placed on your pump. Head pressure is the pressure the pump must overcome to move water through the system. Higher head pressure reduces pump flow, potentially necessitating a larger pump for the same flow rate.

The height of your waterfall affects your pump's workload. The higher the waterfall, the harder your pump must work to move water to the top. This information will assist us in determining the appropriate pump size for your pond. For no waterfall, enter 0 in the field.