Before starting with my step-by-step plan, here is a tip to make setting up the pond easier. Make sure the pond doesn't contain any water when you start you are going to set up a new pond. When there is, for example, one meter of water it makes decorating the pond more difficult. When the pond is filled with water this filling with substrate and planting the water is cloudy, so You can no longer see what you are doing. 

Step 1.

Water lilies and oxygen plants

Set up the water lilies and oxygen plants in a basket or crate in the deepest part at the bottom of the pond. 

You should count on a maximum of 4 oxygen plants in baskets (19x19x10cm) or 1 crate(60x40x20cm)  filled with oxygen plants per 1 m2 of water lilies, maximum 2 baskets or 1 crate per 2 m2

Step 2.

Pond substrate.

Fill the bottom with a layer of pond substrate so that the baskets or crates are almost completely hidden by the substrate. A layer of 8 to 10 centimeters is enough. is sufficient. The big advantage is that the oxygen plants on the substrate The great advantage is that the oxygen plants can grow over the substrate and cover the bottom.  Another advantage is that in winter Another advantage is that in winter the baskets and crates are hardly visible.  After all, the leaves of the plants will have disappeared.

You should count on up to 2 bags of 20 liters per 1 m2.

My advice is to buy enough substrate.  Not opened bags You can always return the purchase amount will be refunded.

Marsh plants and oxygen plants

Fill the swamp areas with swamp plants and oxygen plants in baskets or in crates.  If you have a large pond to plant, the easiest way is to work from the center If you have a large pond to plant, it is easiest to work from the middle of the pond outwards and finish zone by zone; On our packaging it says for which zone and depth the plants are intended and how high the plants will be.

You can plant to the maximum by placing the baskets and crates against each other. You can therefore determine how full you want the pond to be with plants.

You can count on up to 4 baskets (19 x 19 x 10 cm or 1 crate) per 1 m2.

Step 4.

Filling the pond and adding loose oxygen plants.

It is now time to fill the pond with water.  Once the pond is approx. 50 % is filled you can start to throw the loose oxygen plants into the water. 

To prevent algae growth, it is best to use 10 loose oxygen plants per M3 take.      Early in the season, the top layer of the water will the top layer of the water will warm up quickly. The oxygen plants present in the pond oxygen plants are located in the colder part of the pond. The oxygen plants grow too slowly to be able to keep out the sun.  Only when these oxygen plants have gotten numbers and thus volume, they can keep out the sun and prevent the water Only when these oxygen plants have gained numbers and thus volume can they stop the sun and prevent the water from heating up too much and causing algae growth. 

My advice is to always keep the loose oxygen plants in a cool room (out of the sun). the sun) to store.

Step 5.

Bacteria.

To get the pond started, bacteria need to be added to the water.

Per 1000 liters of water I use  " Clearzyme " cubes in blister.

For larger ponds and rapid start-up we have " Bacta Clear ".   This liter bottle is good for ponds up to 20,000 liters of water.

Step 6.

Freshwater mussels.

You can also put freshwater mussels in the pond at a later stage.  5 mussels filter about 100 liters of water per hour!  They call these mussels also the vacuum cleaners of the pond because they feed on the silt from the bottom.

Step 7.

Floating plants.

When the cold is gone and the sun is shining more, it's time to make floating plants floating on the water. These also ensure that the sun can't heat up the water too much. the water too much to warm up. When the water gets too warm,  is will the algae will grow faster.

If despite this step-by-step plan there are still further questions you can ask via the above link 'Submit an application'. There is also the possibility to visit our nursery in Bleiswijk by appointment. Bleiswijk by appointment. If it concerns an exceptionally large water feature or a complex project then I can also come and take a look on location in order to give the best give.

Would you like to calculate yourself what you need and what the costs will be?

Click below to download the price list in Excel