Aquascape DIY Backyard Waterfall Kit
Compact gardens and courtyards
Owner installation over a weekend, without hired plant
Households wanting moving water with nothing standing open
Aquascape · Pondless Waterfall Kits
The owner's insights on the DIY Backyard Waterfall Kit
This is the smallest and simplest way into a pondless waterfall. At 51 kg it is the only kit in the range one person can move without help. It is also the only one you could reasonably install over a weekend without hiring anything.
It is sized by reservoir, not by length. The 134 litre reservoir supports roughly 0.87 square metres of stream, which you can spend however suits your garden: about two metres long by 430 mm wide, or a shorter, wider run of 1.5 metres by 580 mm.
The trade-off against the larger kits is real. No lighting, a smaller EcoWave 8000 pump, and 12 square metres of underlay rather than 36. If you already know you want a stream you can hear from inside the house, start at the Small kit instead.
Where this one earns its place is as a first water feature. It is the cheapest way to find out whether you like living with moving water before committing to a bigger build.
How a pondless waterfall actually works
It is a closed loop, half of it buried. The same water goes round and round. None of it ever sits in an open pond. This is the half that photographs never show you.
In the kit You supply
The kit is the plumbing. The excavation and about 0.9 tonnes of rock and pebble are yours.
- 1The pump lifts itA pump sits inside the vault and pushes water up the buried pipe.
- 2The spillway releases itWater arrives at the head of the run and spills across the top stone.
- 3It runs down your rockIt falls over the stone you set on the liner. This is the part you design.
- 4It soaks back throughThe water drains through the gravel into the 134 L reservoir, then round again.
Why you'll love the DIY Backyard Waterfall Kit
One person can handle it
At 51 kg it is the only kit in the range you can move and install without a second pair of hands or hired plant.
Nothing stands open
Water disappears into gravel at the base. No pond to fence, no still surface, nothing to net or skim.
You choose the shape
Sized by reservoir rather than a fixed length, so you can run it long and narrow or short and wide to suit the spot.
The cheapest way in
The lowest-cost route to a genuine recirculating waterfall, using the same Vault and AquaBlox system as the larger kits.
Almost no maintenance
No fish to feed, no surface to skim, no seasonal die-off. Clear the leaves and rinse the pump intake occasionally.
Room to grow
Additional AquaBlox extend the reservoir later if you decide you want a longer stream than you first built.
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 deal with us, not the maker.
Talk it through before you order
Tell us the fall you have and the width you want. We will run the reservoir and rock numbers with you. We will sort the install if you would rather not build it yourself.
Call todaySee it built
What a DIY build actually involves
The training Aquascape run before a first backyard build, and an honest look at the work the kit does not do for you.
Building one at thirteen
A short look at a first pondless waterfall build, which is a fair guide to the skill level involved.
DIY Backyard Waterfall Kit specifications
| Type | Recirculating waterfall kit with a hidden reservoir, no open pond |
|---|---|
| Stream it will run | Approximately 0.87 m², from Aquascape's rule of 154 L of reservoir per square metre of stream |
| Reservoir capacity | 134 L: two Small AquaBlox |
| Pump | EcoWave 8000, 8,000 litres per hour |
| Liner | 3.05 m x 4 m EPDM |
| Underlay | 12 m² |
| Pipe | 40 mm kink-free |
| Lighting | Not included on this kit |
| Excavation depth | Minimum 650 mm at the basin, set by the reservoir height |
| Rock and pebble | Not included. Allow approximately 0.9 tonnes |
| Shipping weight | 51 kg |
| SKU | 83001 |
What is included and what you supply
This is the single thing buyers most often get wrong. The kit is the plumbing, not the landscaping.
In the box:
- Pondless Waterfall Vault and two Small AquaBlox (134 L reservoir)
- EcoWave 8000 pump, 8,000 litres per hour
- Waterfall Spillway
- EPDM liner, 3.05 m x 4 m
- Underlay, 12 m²
- 40 mm kink-free pipe
- Installation kit: silicone, waterfall foam and Christy's Red Hot Blue Glue
You supply:
- The excavation, at least 650 mm deep at the basin
- Approximately 0.9 tonnes of rock and boulder
- Pebble, roughly 30 per cent of the rock weight again
- A weatherproof outdoor power point within reach of the basin
- The fall, either a natural slope or one you build
Before you start
Making the water fall where you want it
Waterfall foam is what turns a pile of rock into a clean sheet of water. This is how it is used.
Frequently asked questions
What is a pondless waterfall, in plain terms?
A waterfall with no pond at the bottom. The water runs down a stream you build, soaks into gravel at the base, collects in a hidden tank underground, then gets pumped back to the top. You see and hear moving water with nothing standing open at ground level.
How long a stream can I build with it?
About 0.87 square metres of stream surface, which you can spend as you like: roughly two metres long by 430 mm wide, or 1.5 metres by 580 mm. The limit comes from Aquascape's own rule of 154 litres of reservoir per square metre of stream. This kit holds 134 litres.
How does it compare to the Small Pondless kit?
The Small kit holds 201 litres rather than 134, includes a larger AquaSurge pump, 36 square metres of underlay against 12, and a separate reservoir and stream liner. This kit is lighter, simpler and cheaper. Choose it if you want a compact feature, not a stream you can hear indoors.
How much rock will I need?
Rock and pebble are not included. Aquascape allows roughly 1.4 tonnes per three metres of stream, so a two metre run needs about 0.9 tonnes, with pebble on top at around 30 per cent of that weight again.
How deep do I need to dig?
At least 650 mm at the basin, which is the height of the Pondless Waterfall Vault. The stream bed above it is shallow by comparison, following whatever fall you have.
Does it need power?
Yes. The pump runs on mains power and needs a weatherproof outdoor power point within reach of the basin. Have a licensed electrician install one if you do not already have it.
Can I install it myself?
Most people can. It is excavation, liner, rock and one plumbing run. The manual covers every step. If you would rather not, we can organise a certified installer or work with your own landscaper.
Can I make it bigger later?
Yes. Additional AquaBlox extend the reservoir. More reservoir means more stream. It is easier to plan the larger basin from the start than to reopen the excavation afterwards.
Which size do I need?
The reservoir sets the stream area, not the length. Aquascape size these at 154 litres of reservoir for every square metre of stream, because a longer or wider run holds more water in transit than a small basin can give back. Spend that area however the garden suits: long and narrow, or short and wide.
That is why the Small kit at two metres runs a wider stream than the Medium at five. If you are caught between two sizes, take the larger reservoir. It is the one that copes with a hot, windy week without the basin running short.
Compare with similar
Aquascape DIY Backyard Waterfall Kit
The lightest and simplest kit at 51 kg, sized by stream area rather than a fixed length. No lighting.
Best for a first water feature, or a compact spot in a small garden
Aquascape Small Pondless Waterfall Kit - 2m Stream
A 201 litre reservoir running about 1.3 m² of stream, with separate reservoir and stream liners.
Best for suburban backyards and courtyards with a modest slope
Aquascape Medium Pondless Waterfall Kit - 5m Stream
335 litres running about 2.2 m² of stream, with LED lighting included and a choice of pumps.
Best for a larger backyard where the stream is the feature
Bring the DIY Backyard Waterfall home
Your price is beaten against any genuine like-for-like offer. We can organise a certified installer, work with your own landscaper, or set you up to build it yourself.
Speak to the team