Robin’s Backyard Pond Build – Sunshine Coast, QLD

G’day Kev,
Just thought I’d share my build for the pond community.

The Location

Sunshine Coast, Queensland — warm, humid, and perfect for tropical plants and active wildlife.

The Build

This was a solo build — no machines involved!
Everything was done by hand, from digging and shaping the pond to placing the rocks and building the bog filter.

Filtration System

The pond is filtered using a bog filter, keeping the water clean and clear naturally.

Materials Used

• Liner: 45 mil EPDM (Vevor)
• Geofabric: Vevor and Aquascape
• Boulder fabric: Aquascape
• Hose: 50 mm Aquascape flexible PVC
• Pump: Jecod DCP-15000
• Extras: Tree stumps and plants from the garden
• Waterfall foam and gun: Aquascape

Reservoir

• 30 × 1000 mm plastic pallets
• 2 × olive barrels
• Milk crates and Atlantis plastic blocks for the rockery
• 2 × 90 mm flange couplings for stormwater inlet and overflow

Bog Filter

• Everhard small trench liner
• 1 × olive barrel for clean-out
• 1 × 1165 mm plastic pallet
• 4 layers of river stone in reducing sizes
• 1 covering layer of 20 mm sandstone pebble
• Barrel plastic collar to increase the height of the olive barrel

Pond Basin

• Everhard large trench liner for the fish cave

Rocks and Stonework

Most of the rocks were gathered, free, or found cheap on Marketplace.
For the big ones, Robin used a ramp and a hire trailer to move them.

Purchased materials included:

• 2 m³ sandstone boulders
• 1 m³ sandstone pebbles
• 2 m³ 10 mm river stone for pathways and backfill

Plants and Wildlife

Plants came from Aquascape, local nurseries, and Marketplace.
The pond now attracts water dragons, brush turkeys, and a variety of birds that visit daily.

Helpful Resources

“Ozponds of course! I also like the Tussey videos for waterfall construction and edge work tutorials. Aquascape Yandina were nearby and helpful with plumbing, plants, and general advice.”

You can watch Robin’s pond video here:
🎥 YouTube Short – Robin’s Pond Build

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🌿 Inspired by Robin’s Pond?

If you’d like to design your own crystal-clear pond using the same natural filtration system, grab the Pond Formulas Blueprint. It walks you through how to size your pump and bog filter correctly — step by step.

Or if you’ve built your own pond and want to inspire others, share your story and photos via the Contact Page. I’d love to feature your build next!

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