Gravel, What Size?

[William Oertell]

The gravel installed in my pond is a bit on the large size, ranging in size
from about 1/4 inch to maybe two inches. Is this okay or should it be finer
than that? Most of the gravel (if you can call it that) is much larger than
an inch.

[stricks760]

You're opening a can of worms - be prepared for the 'gravel doesn't belong
in your pond' crowd! I think you said in another post that you have an
Aquascape Designs system, and they tell you to put in gravel.

Anyway, mine is mixed - the first kind is 3/8 to 1/2", and the second is 1
to 2". Sounds about the same as yours. It should be fine.

"William Oertell" > wrote in message
...
> The gravel installed in my pond is a bit on the large size, ranging in
size
> from about 1/4 inch to maybe two inches. Is this okay or should it be
finer
> than that? Most of the gravel (if you can call it that) is much larger
than
> an inch.
>
>

[TerB]

Personally I wouldn't put small gravel in my pond.....but hey that is the
can of worms mentioned. So if I had to add gravel, I would probably use
something larger like river rock - stones about 2 inches or so.....so that I
could hose the muck down the pond drain every other season or so. Enjoy
your new pond.

Terry Barber
www.pondsimple.com

"William Oertell" > wrote in message
...
> The gravel installed in my pond is a bit on the large size, ranging in
size
> from about 1/4 inch to maybe two inches. Is this okay or should it be
finer
> than that? Most of the gravel (if you can call it that) is much larger
than
> an inch.
>
>

[Sam Hopkins]

Gravel should be as small as possible. The bigger the gravel the bigger the
gaps between. The gaps between will capture waste and hold it. In some
instances it'll go anaerobic on you. The best would be the smallest aquarium
gravel you can find (not sand). That'd probably cost you a fortune so I'd
just pick up some pea gravel from Home Depot.

Sam

"William Oertell" > wrote in message
...
> The gravel installed in my pond is a bit on the large size, ranging in
size
> from about 1/4 inch to maybe two inches. Is this okay or should it be
finer
> than that? Most of the gravel (if you can call it that) is much larger
than
> an inch.
>
>

[Ka30P]

If I were to do rocks I would use the
larger ones and use pea gravel for
planting pockets. And I would have
a skimmer, a more stream like design
and plans for yearly cleaning.
Rocks are pretty but not if you can't
see them ;-)



ka30p
http://www.geocities.com/watergardeninglabradors/home.html

[~ jan JJsPond.us]

*Keeping with the can of worms theme*

I'd say, go with small gravel, so that when it gets full of muck, anaerobic
bacteria and aeromonas.... It is easier to suck out with a shop vac. ;o)

One thing locally we found regarding the AS system. When you remove all the
rock (that the prof. builders here put in) you don't have to build bigger,
all of a sudden the room for the fish doubles in size. One man removed his
rock (all of which he had to pay for by the pound) to find his (AS
reccommended) depth of 18" to 24" was 4 feet deep! ~ jan

See my ponds thru the seasons and/or my filter design:
http://users.owt.com/jjspond/

~Keep 'em Defrosted~
Tri-Cities, WA Zone 7a
To e-mail see website

[William Oertell]

Thanks, all, for the input. I think I'll add some smaller sized gravel but
not too small. Just seems like the stuff in there right now is too course.
Then we can use some smaller gravel for plants.

"Sam Hopkins" > wrote in message
.. .
> Gravel should be as small as possible. The bigger the gravel the bigger
the
> gaps between. The gaps between will capture waste and hold it. In some
> instances it'll go anaerobic on you. The best would be the smallest
aquarium
> gravel you can find (not sand). That'd probably cost you a fortune so I'd
> just pick up some pea gravel from Home Depot.
>
> Sam
>
> "William Oertell" > wrote in message
> ...
> > The gravel installed in my pond is a bit on the large size, ranging in
> size
> > from about 1/4 inch to maybe two inches. Is this okay or should it be
> finer
> > than that? Most of the gravel (if you can call it that) is much larger
> than
> > an inch.
> >
> >
>
>

[[email protected]]

put the plants in containers .. dont plant on the bottom.

"William Oertell" > wrote:
>Thanks, all, for the input. I think I'll add some smaller sized gravel but
>not too small. Just seems like the stuff in there right now is too course.
>Then we can use some smaller gravel for plants.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List
http://puregold.aquaria.net/
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other
compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the
endorsements or recommendations I make.

[PondScape1]

We are installers for the AS system. We generally use a mixture of "Canadian
Blue" gravel. This is a granite gravel that ranges in size from 3/4" up to 2".
Our experience with other gravels has led to using this size as a standard. The
mixture will help "lock" everything together. Many people complain that each
spring the pond awakens to an avalanche of gravel that has all accumulated at
the bottom. We plant all of our plants directly in the gravel. We have never
had a problem using this system in 7 years of business. As for the "muck"... If
you have a well balanced system with added beneficial bacteria, true biological
and mechanical filtration and the right amounts of fish and plants- the muck
will not be an issue. We drain and clean most of our ponds each spring. The
gravel ponds have very little muck in them. We simply pump them dry, rinse or
pressure wash, then pump out again and refill. The bare liner ponds we service
are full of muck every spring! The gravel will act as a bed for the bacteria to
colonize on therefore consuming most of the "muck". We have used smaller 1/4"
to 1/2" gravel in past with no luck. It seems that the larger mix of sizes
allows for more oxygen to get into the cracks and help the bacteria work. The
smaller gravel acted as saran wrap and therefore provided ideal situations for
anaerobic bacteria (not good). Keep in mind that these facts are only from OUR
EXPERIENCE, not from book methods or scientific studies. My advice is to value
everyone's opinions in here as they will all have valid points to learn from. I
hope it helps. Also, remember that the gravel pond is for the POND hobbyist.
Many KOI hobbyists may argue the gravel "can of worms." Read into it and use
your best judgement.

PS... That "prof installer" that made a 4 foot pond and filled it with 2 feet
of gravel should not be called a professional. The AS system requires a very
thin layer of gravel and would never instruct them to add 2 feet of it. They
should not be called a professional for that job.

www.pondscapedesigns.com

[William Oertell]

I guess this leads to the next obvious question, what plants can or cannot
be planted directly in the pond gravel? I know invasive plants should be
kept in their containers. We have a papaya that's kept in its container.
We're told that it would quickly overtake the pond if left to grow outside
its container. Water hyacinth, too. Someone here (sorry, don't remember
who) said water lilies can be grown directly in the gravel, and I don't
think they're invasive. Anything else?

"PondScape1" > wrote in message
...
> We are installers for the AS system. We generally use a mixture of
"Canadian
> Blue" gravel. This is a granite gravel that ranges in size from 3/4" up to
2".
> Our experience with other gravels has led to using this size as a
standard. The
> mixture will help "lock" everything together. Many people complain that
each
> spring the pond awakens to an avalanche of gravel that has all accumulated
at
> the bottom. We plant all of our plants directly in the gravel. We have
never
> had a problem using this system in 7 years of business. As for the
"muck"... If
> you have a well balanced system with added beneficial bacteria, true
biological
> and mechanical filtration and the right amounts of fish and plants- the
muck
> will not be an issue. We drain and clean most of our ponds each spring.
The
> gravel ponds have very little muck in them. We simply pump them dry, rinse
or
> pressure wash, then pump out again and refill. The bare liner ponds we
service
> are full of muck every spring! The gravel will act as a bed for the
bacteria to
> colonize on therefore consuming most of the "muck". We have used smaller
1/4"
> to 1/2" gravel in past with no luck. It seems that the larger mix of sizes
> allows for more oxygen to get into the cracks and help the bacteria work.
The
> smaller gravel acted as saran wrap and therefore provided ideal situations
for
> anaerobic bacteria (not good). Keep in mind that these facts are only from
OUR
> EXPERIENCE, not from book methods or scientific studies. My advice is to
value
> everyone's opinions in here as they will all have valid points to learn
from. I
> hope it helps. Also, remember that the gravel pond is for the POND
hobbyist.
> Many KOI hobbyists may argue the gravel "can of worms." Read into it and
use
> your best judgement.
>
> PS... That "prof installer" that made a 4 foot pond and filled it with 2
feet
> of gravel should not be called a professional. The AS system requires a
very
> thin layer of gravel and would never instruct them to add 2 feet of it.
They
> should not be called a professional for that job.
>
> www.pondscapedesigns.com

[Ka30P]

I have a bog (10 inches deep) that is rock covered and I've planted all my
plants right in the rock.
In the space of four summers the plants completely took over the bog. This fall
I had my two teenage boys in there ripping out plants right and left!
Penneywort and parrot's feather was the worst.
Lizard's tail, cattails and water celery were hot on their tails. Pickerel weed
and hardy lily were close behind. The only slow pokes were mini horsetail rush
and varigated rush.


ka30p
http://www.geocities.com/watergardeninglabradors/home.html

[~ jan JJsPond.us]

Their first business is selling bark & rock, so building the AS type ponds
their way, looked good to them. ;o)

In our area, desert, where every wind storm over15-20 mph can settle
dirt/dust/sand on a white deck thick enough to turn it brown. Well we just
highly recommend bare liner with bottom drains and skimmers.

Basically know your area's weather conditions. ~ jan

>On 11 Dec 2003 20:26:34 GMT, (PondScape1) wrote:

>PS... That "prof installer" that made a 4 foot pond and filled it with 2 feet
>of gravel should not be called a professional. The AS system requires a very
>thin layer of gravel and would never instruct them to add 2 feet of it. They
>should not be called a professional for that job.
>
>www.pondscapedesigns.com

See my ponds thru the seasons and/or my filter design:
http://users.owt.com/jjspond/

~Keep 'em Defrosted~
Tri-Cities, WA Zone 7a
To e-mail see website