Aquascape DIY Backyard Pond Kit
Owners who want fish, frogs and birdlife
Sloping blocks where a waterfall makes sense
Anyone replacing a failed DIY pond
Aquascape · Pond Kits
The owner's insights on the DIY Backyard Pond Kit
This is the cheapest honest way into a real ecosystem pond. Honest matters here, because the market is full of kits that are a liner and a pump with no biological filtration at all. Those go green within a season and put people off ponds permanently.
All three sizes carry the same four components: skimmer, BioFalls filter, EcoWave pump and liner. You are buying surface area, not a different system. That means the smallest one behaves like the largest one, just with less water in it.
Small ponds are less forgiving than large ones, not more. A small volume heats faster, swings in temperature further and dilutes waste less. If you are between two sizes, take the larger one; it is easier to look after.
The rock is not included and it is the cost people forget. Depending on how you finish the edges, expect it to be a meaningful fraction of the kit price. Budget it before you order.
Koi are the hardest test a pond can face. They grow large, they eat constantly, and they produce more waste than any other pond fish. A system that holds koi water clear will hold any pond clear, so that is the standard these kits are built to. It matters just as much if you never buy a fish. The same filtration is what stops a pond going green in February, what keeps the bottom visible, and what means you are not dosing chemicals every weekend to fix something the pond should handle itself. Koi owners simply notice it first.
How an ecosystem pond stays clear
Four components doing four jobs. Get one of them undersized and the pond goes green, which is why these ship as matched kits rather than as parts.
- 1A skimmer takes the surfaceIt pulls floating leaves and pollen off the top before they sink and start to rot. This is the single biggest reason one pond stays clear while another does not.
- 2A biological filter does the restWater passes through a BioFalls unit packed with media. Bacteria living in that media consume the nutrients algae would otherwise feed on.
- 3The pump ties it togetherIt draws from the skimmer and pushes up through the filter. The filter then returns the water as your waterfall. One loop, running continuously.
- 4The pond starts maintaining itselfOnce the bacteria colony establishes, usually four to six weeks, the system balances. You are feeding fish and topping up water, not scrubbing anything.
Why you'll love the DIY Backyard Pond Kit
Real biological filtration
A BioFalls unit, not just a pump and a liner. This is the difference between a pond and a green puddle.
Three sizes, one system
Same four components throughout. Choose on surface area rather than on specification.
Clear enough for koi
Built to the hardest standard, which is what keeps the water clear whether or not you keep fish.
Nothing to work out
Skimmer, filter, pump and liner arrive sized to each other. No calculations, no compatibility guesswork.
It becomes self-maintaining
Once the bacteria establish, the pond balances itself. You feed fish and top up water.
A genuine first project
Buildable over a few weekends with a helper. The manual covers every step.
Why you should consider an Aquascape water feature
Aquascape originated the pondless format and holds the Pondless® trademark. The Australian arm operates from Queensland with a certified installer network behind it. Order through My Acre and we will beat any genuine like-for-like price you find elsewhere. If a warranty question ever comes up, you are calling us directly, not an overseas call centre.
Tell us the space before you order
Send us the dimensions and a photo. We will size it properly, tell you what the rock and excavation will really cost, and say so if a different kit suits you better.
Call todaySee it built
How the filtration actually works
The skimmer, the BioFalls filter and the circulation loop that keep an ecosystem pond clear without chemicals.
Why the liner is the part that matters
What separates an EPDM liner that lasts decades from one that fails, and why the kit specifies what it does.
DIY Backyard Pond Kit specifications
| Type | Complete ecosystem pond kit |
|---|---|
| Sizes | 1.2m x 1.8m, 1.8m x 2.4m, 2.4m x 3.3m |
| Filtration | Pond skimmer plus BioFalls biological filter |
| Pump | EcoWave, energy efficient |
| Liner | EPDM, included |
| Underlay | Included |
| Fish | Suitable once cycled, four to six weeks |
| Power | Mains, runs continuously |
| Rock and pebble | Not included |
| Excavation | Yours, including a marginal plant shelf |
| SKU | 99763, 99764, 99765 |
What is included and what you supply
The kit is the working system. The excavation and the rock that finishes it are yours.
In the box:
- Pond skimmer
- BioFalls biological filter
- EcoWave pond pump
- EPDM liner sized to the kit
- Underlay
- Flexible pipe and fittings
- Installation kit and instructions
You supply:
- The excavation, including a shelf for marginal plants
- Rock and pebble to dress the edges and the waterfall
- A weatherproof outdoor power point within reach of the skimmer
- Plants, plus fish once the water has settled
- Water to fill it, and a dechlorinator if you are on town supply
Before you start
Running costs and the pump
Why the kits use a low-voltage adjustable pump, and what that means for what the feature costs to run.
Frequently asked questions
Which size should I choose?
Take the larger one if you are undecided. A bigger volume is more stable in temperature and more forgiving of a feeding mistake, so larger ponds are genuinely easier to look after than small ones.
How long before I can add fish?
Four to six weeks. The biological filter needs that long to build a bacteria colony large enough to process waste. Adding fish before it is established is the most common way a new pond fails.
Why do ponds go green?
Algae feeds on nutrients in the water. A skimmer removes the debris that becomes those nutrients. The biological filter then grows bacteria that compete for what is left. Undersize either one and algae wins.
Can I keep koi in it?
In the largest size, a small number. Koi grow to 60cm or more and want depth, so the Medium or Large Pond Kit is the better answer if koi are the goal from the start.
How much rock will I need?
It varies with how you finish the edges; it is also the cost people most often forget. Budget it before you order the kit, not after. We will run the numbers with you if you tell us the dimensions.
Does it need power?
Yes, running continuously. The pump needs a weatherproof outdoor power point within reach of the skimmer. Have a licensed electrician install one if you do not already have it.
What about winter?
In most of Australia a pond runs year round with no intervention. Fish slow down and eat less below about 10 degrees, so reduce feeding rather than stopping the pump.
Can I build it myself?
The smaller kits, yes, with a helper and a few weekends. The Large kit and the recreation ponds are excavation jobs that most people hand to a contractor. We can organise a certified pond builder either way.
Compare with similar
Aquascape DIY Backyard Pond Kit
The entry kit, in three sizes from 1.2m x 1.8m up to 2.4m x 3.3m.
Best for a first pond, where you want to find out if you enjoy it
From $2,607
Aquascape Small Pond Kit, 2.4m x 3.3m
Professional-grade filtration with an automatic dosing system, at 2.4m x 3.3m.
Best when you know you want fish and would rather not think about treatments
From $4,048
Aquascape Medium Pond Kit, 3.3m x 4.8m
16 square metres with LED lighting, in standard and deluxe specifications.
Best for koi, or for a pond that is the feature of the garden rather than a corner of it
From $5,929
Get the DIY Backyard Pond Kit right first time
Your price is beaten against any genuine like-for-like offer. We can organise a certified builder, work with your own landscaper, or set you up to do it yourself.
Speak to the team