WETLAND FILTER LAYOUT AND INSTALLATION Part 1 | Water Feature Design Series 8

In Part 8 of the Water Feature Design Series, John begins taking you from the conception of this wetland filter, to the completion. He covers step-by-step how the team lays the filter out and gets it put into the ground. This video is Part 1 of Wetland Filter Layout and Installation, sit back, take notes, and enjoy!
Modern Design Aquascaping has been building custom water features since 2000 and has been a Certified Aquascape Contractor since 2002. They have built in 6 countries, and over a dozen states in the U.S. They specialize in custom projects that change the way people spend time together outdoors. You may reach John in East Tennessee at:
PHONE-[phone]
WEB-www.MDAquascaping.com
FaceBook: Modern Design Aquascaping
KZbin: / moderndesignaquascapin...
The KZbin channel is geared towards education on proper construction methods for water features and highlights many cool projects that the Modern Design Aquascaping team gets to be a part of!
Happy Pondering ;)

[@cliffarend7008]

This is the best instructional video i have seen and i have spent A TON of time looking around since i recently bought my retirement home. I am so excited to get started. Thanks for the amazing video!

[@KoiAddiction]

I hope this helps. If my last answer didnt help, call the office and we can chat for 15 mins to get you squared away!

[@sebastianjo752]

This video is awesome, i have been looking for instructions for a wetland for a year. I had a ruff idea, but this video is the cherry on top, so helpful. Thank you.

[@KoiAddiction]

Yer welcome✌️

[@sasaeteurn]

One like for the guy in the snorkel. That was hilarious

[@KoiAddiction]

Tristan Adams is a beast🤩

[@aquagardening5803]

most detail wetland filtration system explanation i ever seen.....hats off to modern design aquscaping

[@KoiAddiction]

Thank you so much we appreciate you hanging out with us and we will continue to share everything we know :-)

[@bradparker649]

Great video! The drawing really helped bridge the process...

[@KoiAddiction]

Thanks man. I am so tired between work and making these educational vids I wonder if I have lost my mind sometimes??

[@chrisescobar3979]

Awesome video! Best part was the guy in the tube looking like he really enjoying his job.

[@KoiAddiction]

Yeah I know :-) appreciate you following our channel👍🏻

[@PondKingWaterGardensMN]

Great video fellas 👍 This is going to be very helpful for those trying to learn the trade! Wetland filters kick butt!

[@KoiAddiction]

Nick you are a Pond God !

[@lorettamaeder7219]

If I had a brand new CAT digger like that I would be just as "dig in, Squirrel!" excited too.

[@KoiAddiction]

Yes but now we just want a bigger digger :-)

[@TheBarefootedGardener]

Great video, and Tristan is a funny dude. Can you leave the captions on for longer? Also where the flex PVC gets inserted, is that a bulkhead? The end cap looks solid?

[@KoiAddiction]

Sorry about the captions, work that pause button ;) The flex pipe just slides into the centipede and the gravel / gravity holds it in there. We always use a bulk-head fitting if we perforate liner below water level though!

[@lorettamaeder7219]

Very informative, thank you so much.

[@KoiAddiction]

For sure, glad you liked it ;)

[@sebastienloriol3192]

The best tuto ! Cannot wait to see further content

[@KoiAddiction]

We are shooting all the time! There will be more and more as time passes ;)

[@gianfrancocattina1014]

Great job guys

[@KoiAddiction]

Thanks, glad you enjoyed the vid!

[@georgesoulier3463]

Dry ground to work with! I have a spring-fed pond that poses a whole new set of problems. It maintains a static water level though. Really enjoy your videos.

[@KoiAddiction]

Reach out to our office if you want to chat ;)

[@brianhoagland1154]

Well explained and very helpful!

[@KoiAddiction]

You da man😎

[@annienox3348]

This is so awesome, thank you for sharing! Very excited for part 2.

[@KoiAddiction]

I am working on the edit right now. Look for it on Saturday ;)

[@KoiAddiction]

I am working on edit right now, look for it on Saturday Morning 8:30 Eastern Time ;)

[@stacyadams357]

I think this is a great video! And I can’t wait to see the next one…🐸

[@KoiAddiction]

Yea baby🤟

[@brycelucyn]

awesome content man, valuable information that'll last a lifetime!

[@KoiAddiction]

Hope it helps ya build awesomeness😎

[@andrew7458]

Loving the info! You da man!

[@KoiAddiction]

Glad yer lovin it🤘🏻

[@quietprolink5322]

John, thank you for sharing. great mind, great vdo, very instructional the way you put them together. Goo designed, and practical in the process. One other important piece of puzzle you should cover, that is energy/power to drive this system. Your system is great but electric bill is skyrocketing. To complete or or top off your great work and design you should consider implementing solar or power source to make it a piece of mind. Just the thought. Love you guys, keep up the good work.

[@KoiAddiction]

You are correct. In some areas (like ours) electrical is not so expensive. In other areas external pumps may be a good idea and then there is the whole solar panels to offset the consumption idea. I have never seen solar pumps that were too impressive (but that doesn’t mean they are not out there. Thanks for watching!!

[@khakicam5400]

Thanks John, another great post. It seems like the filter sizing is still a bit of a dark art at this point. It's a very big jump from the biofilter being sufficient to 360 cubic feet of gravel volume. To reduce costs for clients, do you ever go for a biofilter for the solids and then a shallower and smaller gravel bed with plants to enhance filtration? Be a big cost saver if the aquablocks and centipede were taken out.

[@KoiAddiction]

We have built small wetland filters (4 blocks with a pondless vault instead of a centipede). You can do this video’s filter at 1/2 the size. You can use a large bio filter with matala style mats, bio-balls, and a bottom (back-flush) drain... You can buy a Fiesta - you can buy a Lexus- something for everyone eh😎 No dark arts involved, just options. Koi can be $2.00 or $200,000.00

[@georgesoulier3463]

When we moved here, there was an OLD spring behind what became our house that had filled in with cattails and such prior to our purchase and over time I'm sure. On one end, there were old vertical timbers that tapped into a spring down below. Since then, it was pumped out and excavated, but nothing since that time. I freezes nearly every winter, thought the incoming water temperature, if distributed, would probably prevent that. I'm trying to figure out what I could do (or have done) to make it an attractive water feature. I love seeingthe transformations you have done.

[@KoiAddiction]

Springs are tough, I have dealt with a few. Test water first to make sure it’s good for ponds! I can help you make an area to enjoy!!

[@GregWittstockThePondGuy]

👏🏻

[@KoiAddiction]

Do you watch these movies and let them play all the way through so it helps my analytics? I know the content is kind of redundant for you😂😂

[@KoiAddiction]

Will chat with you tomorrow

[@johnhildebrand8740]

@@KoiAddiction sorry never answered this. I do and repeatedly on some. Trying to really understand before the build. Thank you for all these

[@caseyturner8773]

Subbed and saved! Thanks bro

[@KoiAddiction]

Glad youre loving the content!

[@richardbaker5151]

Perfect timing, I'm currently planning my water feature here in the UK so I can price up materials, was wondering what size wetland filter to go for, my garden is basically flat. wetland filter at the far end of the garden into a stream with cascades and a final waterfall into the main pond which will be around 15' x 25' x 5' with intake bay, around 50' overall length down the right hand side of my garden. will be using Aquascape products but doing the work by myself because of finances. look forward to more instructional videos.

[@KoiAddiction]

The filter we are building in this video would be ideal for your pond. You could go smaller but if finances allow, I would do this exact design. Obviously stone around the edges could be smaller than what we plan to install. Stay tuned for the finish ;)

[@richardbaker5151]

@@KoiAddiction Thanks John, appreciate the reply.

[@djswaterscapesandlandscaping]

Fair bud looks great so far get the conervous plants in lol

[@KoiAddiction]

Didn’t go there this time🙄

[@rati3e350]

Can you provide diagram with elevation for this design? I still cant understand the pump placement to the wetland filter and where to tee off for the bleed valve

[@KoiAddiction]

There are diagrams in the videos in this series showing all elevations. The bleeder valve should be above the water level in the wetland and its a simple insertion of a tee and then reduce to 1” pipe and let it spill in right at water level in the wetland so when the pump turns off it gets air. Pump placement can be anywhere in the feature ;) Skimmer-intake etc.

[@johnhildebrand8740]

Question on aqua bloc - I was planning on going 8’ wide with one centipede- is there a max effective width for one centipede?

[@KoiAddiction]

You should be fine @8’ wide (4@ aquablocks 27” long-centipede down center) PERFECTO😎

[@jamesmilazzo8240]

John , the info videos are great. Thanks Quick question. I have a 13x25x3 pond and a wetland filter 8x16x4 . Can I run 6000 gallon pump into the centipede or is that too much flow for a wetland filter Thanks. Keep up the great work Jim Milazzo

[@KoiAddiction]

I need more info on the wetland design to answer the question really. We go 2000 GPH per centipede but we also have rules for how many aquablocks per centipede. Can you shoot me a layout or pic of the construction? The other way is to get a dissolved oxygen meter to make sure that is good and then ask yourself “is the filter removing the fines like it should? You can always adjust by letting some of the flow out on top and not pushing it through.

[@kylestethem]

Hey John! I've only installed one wetland in the past but I've got a few coming up this season. I've got a plumbing question for you: Previously, I just plumbed 3" flex pipe from the pump into the centipede using a Fernco (including the 3" elbow). How are you plumbing the 2" flex pipe into the centipede? I tried to pause the video but I couldn't quite see it all. I saw the elbow but I was wondering if you're using a 3" to 2" reducer, a Fernco or what? I want to have it dialed in this year so I can install the bleeder valve as well. Thanks!

[@KoiAddiction]

3” tee reduced to bleeder valve. If the flow requires 3 inch into the centipede then I use a fern co-and run the 3 inch into the centipede. Totally depends on required flow rates for the wetland.

[@kylestethem]

@@KoiAddiction Thanks! You guys are the best. All of your videos have been so helpful. I really value all the advice.

[@achoo4595]

Hey John, great videos man I'm learning a lot. Say I wanted to build a 300 gallon wetland filter at the top of a waterfall, where the filters water level will be 3' above ground level. Could I build it with a liner and support it with soil tapered a distance or would I need a container to keep the soil from collapsing?

[@KoiAddiction]

I always use soil but we also put rock to create structural stability!

[@philippefenain4405]

Hello John, another great video and another question from France 😉. Referring to the size of the stones in the filter, I see differences between your video and the Aquascape "official" documentation (Pond Bible). You are mentioning 1 layer of 3"-6" (Aquascape Bible says 4"-6", not far), then 1 layer 2"-3" (Pond Bible says: 1 1/2"-2", quite smaller) and finally 1 layer 3/4"-1 1/2" (Bible: 1/2"-3/4", again quite smaller). Is it that you have experimented better results with that size of stones or because it doesn't matter that much (provided you keep 3 layers of different sizes) and you do as per what is available for your projects ? Thank you.

[@KoiAddiction]

We have a better (easier) time cleaning the larger 3/4- 11 1/2” gravel. The main thing is that the stones are rounded so they can back flush easier. Grade from larger to smaller as you go up. If you use the small gravel you will be fine, for me it’s harder to clean is all. Larger stone at bottom not so important to me but at least 2-4” for a minimum size over the Aquablocks.

[@philippefenain4405]

@@KoiAddiction Thank you. Good reason !

[@cn4675]

Great video sir! I've learned a lot from your videos. I'm trying to mimic this design for my wetland build. You mentioned that you measured 6.5' in one direction and 7.5' in the other direction. How many aquablocks dose this require? It appears as though small blocks are 26.5"long x 16"wide x 9.5"high. I see you have 3 going length wise to get the 6.5' but it seems there are only 4 laid width wise. Isn't that only 64" wide or 5.3'? Not trying to bad mouth just want to learn because those aquablocks are pricey($51 each). The pond I'm filtering is only about 140 sq ft.

[@KoiAddiction]

We do over-dig the hole so the blocks fit nicely. That may have been the reason? Typically we will add a foot in each direction and back-fill with 2-3” stone after the blocks are in. This makes installation easier for us ;)

[@johnhildebrand8740]

I have a question on depth of gravel. Is 24” of gravel optimal or is 36” better? I was planning on 36, but don’t have your expertise. Looking forward to your advice. Thank you. JH

[@KoiAddiction]

Hit up the Aussies, the deeper gravel is their thing. I would just expect to increase your flow rate requirements because there will be 50% more oxygen hungry bacteria as the water passes through!

[@grator]

Like for the guy inside the tube

[@KoiAddiction]

Tristan is the man! I am way to fat to fit inside a snorkel these days…thinking about Willy Wonka,,,

[@peterpiper5300]

Pls do something that's above ground. Thanks.

[@TheOfficialSteelReign]

Hey John G! Solid info delivered in an easily digestible format... like pizza. Off topic. Mostly. My wife and I took 8 days off and went down to clear some of the trees on our Tennessee land last week. We wanted to be able to better visualize where our house (and pond) will someday sit. Of the five plus acres, roughly two are usable and then there's a drop off down the mountain. So, speaking of that "beautiful Tennessee stone", I have a couple thousand metric tons of it if you want it. You just gotta figure out how to get it out of there and where you're gonna store it all once/if you do. Hit me up on the old Facebook Machine if you're interested, brother.

[@KoiAddiction]

Honestly I have tried this in the past and it cost me just as much money as purchasing the stone and a whole lot more time. On the other hand if you’re renting a machine to harvest stone for your own project, that sounds like a magical way for you to be more involved in your Water Feature :-)

[@britponds]

hey John quick question, did I count 12 small Aqua blox's used for this size wetland, I have a 6x8 mtr pond .9mtrs deep and was thinking of using the same size wetland, many thanks daniel

[@KoiAddiction]

It would work BUT if you go to a higher % of pond area you will be ideal. I think that would be 36 small blocks for your example, SO - in theory the 12 small blox is WAAAY better than a bio-falls, and will give you a great filter BUT if I were designing it, I would offer the 12 as “minimum” and the 36 as a “better” option. After doing some conversions…@ 520 SF in your example, the 12 small blocks is about 7% of pond surface area. 36 small blocks is about 21% of pond surface area. The filter will do it’s job either way SO you offer the choice to the client. According to design, 2@ 6000 biofalls could filter that pond…either way the wetland is a HUGE upgrade to that eh? Have a great one ✌️😎

[@BC_I_LETU]

Cool video. How often should the full volume of water be turned over?

[@KoiAddiction]

Depends on pond size. I go 1-2 times per hour on small features. As the future gets bigger the turnover number gets lower👍🏻

[@BC_I_LETU]

Totally understandable on a small pond. What about something bigger, like anything over 1 million gallons?

[@mysb13]

Hi, do we really need the false bottom?

[@KoiAddiction]

False Bottom??

[@richardhefty]

@@KoiAddiction I think he means the aquablocks. I'm also wondering what they do. I can see they increase the depth / volume of the wetland area and perhaps give greater surface area for bacteria to grow on, but since they're mostly empty I don't understand the benefit compared to more stones. Great videos by the way.

[@jhickox]

Rock like that is 60 cents a lb here in Gainesville, I can't imagine what that would cost for rock, I'm like 1 rock weighs 3 lbs!

[@KoiAddiction]

Not so expensive here but I built with your rock when I was at Kenan’s and it turned out beautiful! What was it? Like a limestone coral rock? It was nice. Kinda sharpish at first but nice.

[@jhickox]

@@KoiAddiction buddy I'm talking about river rock, 60 cents. And there is a ton of limestone coral here. Developments have to dig up entire reefs to build a house here. But I've never priced any of the limestone. It is nice, some of it has crystals in it.

[@MrDraper38]

I'm building a small swim pond. Approx 11 thousand gallons. What size wetlands would you suggest. Aquabloxs how many, 2 cenepeides or 3. In the intake I think I'll need 2 vaults and 6 large aqaubloxs. Your thoughts. Or can I go with a 6000 biofalls. Then add 2 cenepeides to thr bottom of thr pond to percolate up and bring cool air up? Thoughts. Thank you in advance.

[@KoiAddiction]

Yes you can use biofalls but wetland is always better. Go at least 30% of the pond surface area for a small rec pond to determine size of wetland. Wetland size will give you a sq. Ft. Area and then use the aquascapes guys from there. They will send you a CAD drawing of the size filter you need and the parts required. Flow will be 2000GPH per centipede!

[@kaliebgriffiths9800]

Mr Adams i had bought 2 pond vaults,can i use one for the wetland filter

[@KoiAddiction]

I have done that in the past, it worked OK but not great. The fact is the centipede unit spreads the water out and slows it down about 90%. The Pond-less vault will not do that and the water will end up taking the path of least resistance up through the vault and not through the gravel...😅

[@kaliebgriffiths9800]

Makes sense Snorkel and centipede it is Thx u Awesome job in the sand box studio by the way

[@VPershing]

Thanks for the drawings. Where do I send the check?

[@KoiAddiction]

Lol, just pay it forward 😎

[@LampWaters]

They snorkel fits a man I'm guessing not safe for children to swim 😳

[@KoiAddiction]

There is a lid that goes on it at the end, no worries ;)

[@derekdrezek-kg4vx]

When putting a layer of underlayment on the inside of the wetland filter, do you lay it out just on the bottom, or do you go up the sides as well?

[@marshhen]

Your methods seem very professional. I clicked on this excited about a water feature. But I gotta admit, there is nothing natural about the water feature that will result. That much gas, plastic, rocks all to make some fake nature effect? It makes me sorry to see how horrible for the environment a basic backyard pond is. I will just plant some plants instead.

[@KoiAddiction]

BUT it also creates a natural habitat in an otherwise useless space. Happy people-happy animals-more wildlife than before…I understand & respect your pov, but you have to experience it to understand?