The Best Pond Kit With Waterfalls, Pumps & Skimmers 2023 (updated)
Pond kits are a convenient choice for building a “complete” garden pond without the headache of having to source every individual component. As well as this, pond kits often come with huge saving potential in comparison to buying parts separately, so they’re an incredibly attractive option for new pond builders In this article, we take a look at some of the best value pond kits for small, medium, and larger pond builds!
Why Choose A Pond Kit? (Benefits Explained)
Pond kits are a great option for new hobbyists or home owners looking for a simple and “complete” pond build solution without all the hassle of individually selecting every piece of equipment. Kits not only remove the time-consuming research process that can be daunting to new hobbyists, but often they come coupled with massive savings compared to purchasing every piece of equipment separately. Purchasing a full bundle from a manufacturer is usually accompanied by significant discount, and also gives you warranty cover over all items from the same seller – making the process of future returns and customer service much easier.
As well as this, there is also a fairly high barrier to entry when to comes to pond building, especially if you want to do things right the first time. If you are new to the hobby you would need to research every component going into your pond design, and make sure that each part fits and works in parallel with one another. Choosing the incorrect equipment can have major problems further down the road, so opting for a complete package with all essential equipment can potentially save you time, money, and maybe even some grey hairs if things happened to go wrong!
Benefits summary:
What’s Included in Pond Kits? (Equipment Check List – What to Expect)
1) Pond Liner (PVC/LDPE/Rubber)
In terms of pond liner materials, the most common to see included in kits are PVC, LDPE, and EPDM rubber. PVC is highly flexible, cheap, but more prone to tearing. LDPE is a middle-ground material, providing more durability to PVC but with a little less flexibility. Rubber is the heavy-duty material, providing maximum durability but at the cost of being very difficult to manage and install. For more information on liner materials, check our main article here, or refer to our calculation below for working out just how much liner you’ll need in your kit:-
*The extra 2 foot (1 meter) is for overlap to ensure you have enough spare liner to safely fix the sides of your pond in place.
2) Pond Pump & Filtration
The filtration provided depends on the kit, and sometimes it can very confusing to see no classic filter boxes included, especially in pond kits with waterfalls. The reason for this is usually because the waterfall/skimmer equipment includes it’s own filtration systems; essentially doubling as a water feature and filtration unit. Although this can seem like a negative, most modern high-end skimmers and spillways now include very efficient filtration, and can basically replace a dedicated filter box in all but the heaviest stocked pond environments.
3) Skimmers & Waterfalls
As well as waterfall spillways, some pond kits will also include a skimmer box which works to clear floating debris from the waters surface. If you’re wanting to keep fish in your pond, we feel a skimmer is one of the best long-term investments you can make in terms of cleaning and maintenance. Fallen debris, such as leaves, are one of the main contributors to pond muck, and a skimmer is the best solution to prevent this and keep water quality and water clarity in good order.
4) UV Clarifiers & Pond Lights
Alongside lights, some kits may also feature a UV clarifier which works to remove algae particles that cause green pond water. You likely won’t find UV clarifiers included in all pond packages, but we still consider them an essential part of a healthy eco-system. The UV light emitted is not only super effective against algae, but it will also kill free-swimming pathogens, viruses, and bacteria that can cause fish to become sick. If your pond kit doesn’t have a UV clarifier, we recommend picking one up separately to ensure you don’t run into algae problems further down the road.
5) Beneficial Bacteria, Water Conditioners, & Supplements
Finally, to complete most pond bundles, manufacturers often try to include water treatments to help kick start the ponds eco-system. The two most common are beneficial bacteria supplements and de-chlorination treatments. Beneficial bacteria products contain millions of active aerobic bacteria strains (the good bacteria), which work within biological filter media to break down harmful waste substances, such as ammonia and nitrites. When it comes to new ponds, it can take weeks for the natural bacteria population to start developing, so adding concentrated bacteria helps kick-start the process and reduces the waiting time. However, even with beneficial bacteria supplements, you should still make sure to cycle a pond before adding fish. “Cycling” is basically the process of letting everything run while your biological filtration becomes established. For more info, check here for our full guide on pond cycling, which includes natural cycling and cycling with beneficial bacteria products.
What’s Missing From Most Pond Kits? (Further Considerations)
1) Air Pumps & Direct Oxygenation
All ponds require some form of aeration, and if you plan to have fish, the more the better! Aeration is essentially the process of providing flow and oxygen to the eco-system, which helps prevent stagnation and keeps dissolved oxygen content within healthy parameters. Fish, wildlife, and even beneficial bacteria all require dissolved oxygen in the water to survive, and so it’s always better to provide a little too much, than too little. In low oxygen conditions, fish will begin to suffocate, wildlife (frogs, newts, insects) will suffer, and the beneficial bacteria which is at the heart of your filtration will become less efficient – which means more harmful waste substances will remain!
In pond kits, aeration will be provided through a combination of the water movement created through your pump and the surface disturbance from the waterfall or spillway. If you don’t plan to have fish, or just very light stocks (1-2 fish), this combination should be more than enough to keep things ticking over healthy. However, if you want to keep more fish in your pond, adding a dedicated aerator is recommended to help keep fish healthy, water quality good, and filtration efficient. The easiest and best way to do this is with an electric air pump which uses a compressor to pump air directly under the pond water. Air pumps can provide huge amounts of oxygen to ponds, and work especially great in both summer and winter where oxygen tends to drop to lower levels (surface ice/heat). For a list of air pumps we recommend, check our air pump guide here.
2) Bottom Drainage (“Koi Toilets”)
Another aspect of pond design which is very often overlooked, is the installation of a bottom drainage system. A bottom drain is something installed at the very bottom of the pond which works using gravity to transfer waste from the pond liner into a settlement environment. Bottom drains basically work as underwater skimmers, automatically cleaning all sludge and debris from the pond floor which helps reduce manual cleaning requirements and improve overall water quality. Bottom drains can function efficiently in any type of pond, but you’ll get the best results in a heavy fish stocked pond where waste is a constant issue.
A downside of bottom drainage systems, which may be a big turn-off if you like the convenience a pond kit provides, is that they’ll require some extra work and costs to install correctly. They may also be a bit overkill for smaller ponds or ponds with light fish stocks, where simply cleaning with a net, rake or vacuum would be both cheaper and easier. In any case, bottom drains certainly have their place in the hobby, and we’d still consider one if you’re building a large pond and want to keep a lot of bigger fish. For more information on bottom drain installation and what you may be getting yourself into, check our article on the top bottom drains here.
3) On-going Cleaning & Maintenance
A final point to consider, which may be the most important point here, is the on-going maintenance and care needed to keep your new pond healthy and thriving. Unless you intend to have a natural wildlife pond (and even then, some maintenance is required), you’re going to need a solid maintenance routine which involves removing waste, cleaning equipment, testing water quality, and performing water changes. If you intend to keep fish in your pond, keeping up with cleaning and maintenance is even more important, as fish produce a huge amount of waste and have specific requirements for optimal health. In other words, correctly maintaining your pond is JUST as important as correctly building it!
For more information on this, please refer to our in-depth articles below which should help with all areas of cleaning and maintenance:-
- Cleaning Filter Media (The Right Way)
- Spring Maintenance Guide
- Winter Maintenance Guide
- Guide to Water Vacuums (Cleaning the Easy Way)
- Guide to Water Quality Testing
The Best Pond Kit Reviews 2023 (Top All-in-one Packages)
1) Algreen 600 Gallon Kit Review
- Includes 10-feet by 12 feet non toxic pond liner
- 500 GPH pond pump with flow control
- 2 fountain heads and 12" DIVERTER and telescopic riser
A budget-friendly pond kit that contains everything you need for a small pond without fish, with some additional extras. The 600 gallon pond kit from Algreen is a nice entry-level bundle, containing a PVC liner, submersible pump (with fountain attachments), and LED lights.
The pump is a small submersible model rated at 500 GPH, and comes with a range of fountain attachments for an out-of-the-box water display. It’s not the most powerful pump in the world, and as it’s designed primarily as a fountain pump, we’d only use it for a small pond up to a maximum of 600 gallons without fish. If you intend to have fish, we would half this to approximately 200-300 gallons to ensure you get sufficient water flow. If you’re only looking to create a small water garden, it’s a decent pump as it’s quiet, easy to install and quite efficient to run.
Alongside the pump, you also have a decently sized PVC pond liner measured up at 10 x 12 feet of length and width. Although this may sound like it will provide a 10 x 12 feet pond, you need to take into account the depth, as well as an extra 1-2 feet for overhang. So if you want a pond with 1.5 foot (0.5 meters) of depth, and taking into account 1 foot extra for overhang, you’d be looking at an actual pond size of 8 x 8 ft at 1.5 ft of depth. Since there is only a single size of liner provided, you won’t be creating huge ponds with his kit, but it’s still perfectly suitable for smaller water gardens or natural wildlife ponds.
Included also are a nice set of 3 LED pond lights with colored filter caps, and some synthetic floating lily-pads for shade and extra aesthetic.
Sadly, the pond kit has a couple of drawbacks, and may not be suitable depending on the type of pond you’re looking to create. Firstly, there is no dedicated water filtration included, as the advertised “filtration” is said to be carried out by the pump via its pre-filter. Due to this, we cannot recommend this kit if you want to keep fish unless you’re planning on adding a small filter box separately, as you’ll just run into water quality issues in the long run. Secondly, no tubing is provided and so this needs to be purchased separately. Not a huge problem, but still a negative as you’ll need to do some extra work to source the correct tubing, which would be 0.5-1″ ID flexible hose in this instance.
Overall, a very cheap pond kit with a decent fountain pump, quality liner, and some nice extras to create a very pretty water garden. It’s intended mostly small ponds (300-600 gallons), and as it lacks dedicated filtration, we wouldn’t advise it for keeping fish. However, a good choice if you’re on a budget or if you’re not interested in fish keeping and just want a nice looking wildlife pond!
What’s Included in this Pond Kit:-
- Liner: 10ft x 12ft PVC Liner
- Pump: 500 GPH Submersible Pump
- Waterfall: Not inlcuded
- Skimmer: Not included
- Filter: Not included
- UV Clarifier: Not included
- Lights: 3x LED Lights + transformer
- Extras: 3x synthetic lilypads, fountain attachments
Great for Medium Ponds (1000-3000 Gallons)
2) Aquascape 3000 Gallon Kit Review
- Aquascape Small Pond Kit comes complete with everything you need to build a beautiful 8-feet x 11-feet ecosystem pond in any space,...
- Includes energy-efficient and reliable pond pump
- Builds an 8-feet x 11-feet pond with a maximum depth of 2-feet
Our mid-range choice of pond kits for building larger, more complex ponds are the bundles provided by Aquascape. These kits are more pricey than the some entry-level bundles, but they come with more flexible options for different pond sizes and have far more equipment, including waterfalls and skimmers, for a more “complete” pond build.
Taking a closer look at these pond kits, you have a highly durable EPDM rubber liner material which is a much stronger choice for larger fish ponds in comparison with PVC plastic. Aquascape offers only a single size for the liner in each kit, as each bundle has been specifically tailored for a very specific pond build. Their 3000 pond kit (pictured) contains 8 x 11 feet of pond liner, their 4000 gallon kit contains 11 x 16 feet of liner, and their top-end 10000 gallon+ bundles contain 21 x 26 foot of liner.
In terms of the pump, all bundles come with an official AquaSurge submersible pump to match their specifications; with the 3000 kit having a 3000 GPH pump, the 4000 kit a 4000GPH pump, and so forth. The pump is a fairly standard submersible model, coming with a pre-filter to prevent clogging, and a lengthy a 20 feet power cord. The pumps are, however, very energy efficient, which could be a big plus if you’re looking for maximum future savings. Using the 3000 GPH pump in the 3000 gallon kit as an example, and assuming an electricity charge of $0.10 per kWh (national average), the cost to run this pump 24 hours a day for 30 days would be approximately $12 per month – which is pretty good efficiency for a submersible model!
The included skimmer box is a medium sized 6″ weir skimmer model, and comes with a generously sized debris basket and a self-adjusting door opening to protect smaller fish from entering the skimmer. The skimmer also has a bed of filter media which works alongside the spillway to provide the systems mechanical and biological filtration. In terms of the spillway, it’s a nice 15″ waterfall filter box and comes with 2 layers of mechanical media and a section in the base for bio-balls for beneficial bacteria to colonize. Coupled with the pump, you should get ample flow and a very nice water display with some decent filtration due to the heavy aeration inside the box. As for extras, Aquascape has included all the necessary tubing to get things connected, as well as beneficial bacteria supplements, non-toxic sealant for skimmer and spillway installation, connectors, valves, and even some fish food to get you started!
The downside of these pond kits is the price; coming in much higher than mixed brand bundles. However, to compensate for the higher prices, you get far greater convenience and peace of mind, as all equipment is under warranty from just one company. If something goes wrong with any part of the kit, you can simply phone them up and they’ll almost certainly be able to assist with whatever problem you have as they’ll have a much deeper knowledge of all the products.
Overall, a very good choice of kit for goldfish ponds, koi ponds, or large natural water gardens. The kit comes with everything you need for a fantastic looking pond, including an efficient pump, skimmer, and waterfall display. The price may be a little high, but what you get in return is lasting quality and peace of mind with a warranty under one roof!
What’s Included in this Pond Kit:-
- Liner: EPDM Rubber (Various sizes)
- Pump: 3000 GPH Submersible Pump (4000 or 9000)
- Waterfall: 15″ Spillway
- Skimmer: 6″ Skimmer
- Filter: Spillway & waterfall filter media (No dedicated box)
- UV Clarifier: Not included
- Lights: Not included
- Extras: Hose, attachments, beneficial bacteria, and sealant
3)American Pond 7000 Gallon Kit Review
- American Pond "Energy Saving Titan Professional Grade" Pond Kits Contain the Following Main Components
- Biological Waterfall - 38" Waterfall with Lifetime Warranty on body
- Pond Skimmer - 8" Weir 7000 gph with Lifetime Warranty on body
Our final pond kit choice is one designed for much larger water gardens or heavy stocked ponds, allowing the construction of ponds between 3000 gallons and 7000 gallons. The kits are offered by the company American Pond, who specialize in offering a huge range of different pond equipment for complete pond builds at very reasonable prices. Their high-end kits, such as the one reviewed here, are designed for heavy stocked fish ponds and come with everything you need to create a healthy eco-system for goldfish, koi or other pond fish without breaking the bank.
In terms of the pond liner, a highly durable FireStone (one of the best brands!) EPDM rubber liner is included in a set size of 21 x 26 feet. They also have a mid-range kit with a 16 x 21 foot liner, and an entry kit with 11 x 16 foot of liner. to Since the material for the liner is rubber, you can expect much higher durability in comparison to PVC, but it will also be far heavier and more difficult to manage, so be sure to take this into account if you’re working solo! Rubber is our personal material of choice for large koi ponds as it provides extra peace of mind against leaks, damage, and future problems.
As for the pump, in the 7000 kit there is submersible model rated at 6100 GPH with a 27′ maximum head height, which makes it ideal for powering water features. It’s oil-free, has an anti-clog cage design, and has an option for variable speed control with the purchase of a separate panel (not included). Since it’s a fairly powerful pump, it’s sadly not the cheapest to run at 354w, but that’s generally to be expected with high-end submersible models. In terms of monthly electricity costs, and assuming you’re running the pump 24 hours a day, for 30 days a month, you’ll be looking at paying around $26 per month on average. This is calculated using the national average of $0.10 per kWh, so your actual bill may differ depending on your electricity costs.
Similar to other kits, no classic filter box is provided, but this kit makes up for that with very high quality filtration inside both the waterfall AND skimmer box. The very wide 26″ spillway contains two layers of mechanical media and 2 layers of bio-balls for beneficial bacteria to colonize. On top of that, the 8″ weir door skimmer contains a large sheet of mechanical media for additional debris collection. Combined together, they can provide a similar level of filtration to a high-end filter box, so you should have very little issues with water quality. When it comes to extras, the kits contain all essential tubing, valves, and connectors, as well as a dechlorinator, bacteria, liquid barley straw & pond scrub.
The only real downside of this kit is the cost of running high-end submersible pumps, but unless you switch to an external model (more hassle), you won’t get much better performance at such as high flow rate. Otherwise, this is a very good choice of pond kit for large koi ponds, heavy stocked ponds, or bigger water gardens. The large waterfall will create a very striking display, and the efficient filtration and high-flows rate will provide a healthy environment for fish!
What’s Included in this Pond Kit:-