Aquascape PRO-Fit Endless Cascades (29631 & 29632) - Manual (Page 3)

6 3
Stream Bed Cross Section
6" - 1'
6" - 1'
2' - 4' (Typical) 6" - 1'
6" - 1'
great water loss
thick waterfall stone
foam
4" or greater
little water loss
foam
thick stone recessed into pocket
Leave 1/2" to 1"
exposed above liner
thin stone,1/2"-1" little water loss
foam
An often overlooked part of stream construction is the thickness of your waterfall stone.
Water will eventually seep through the foam joints if the pumps are off for prolonged
periods of time. The water will slowly seep around the thick stone, resulting in water loss
equal to the thickness of the stone.
If your only option is a thick waterfall stone, use the above method.
By using a thin stone, the situation can be easily remedied.
Building the Stream cont …
• Placing the BIOFALLS ® filter away
from the edge of the pond is al-
ways a good idea. This allows the
creation of a meandering stream
to add a touch of nature to your
water garden.
• We typically place the BIOFALLS ®
filter 6 - 10 feet from the edge of
the pond. Twisting and turning
the stream makes it look more
natural, and will require a mini-
mum 10' x 15' piece of liner.
Excavation of the Stream
• Lay out the stream from the
BIOFALLS ® filter to the pond. The
typical width of a stream should
be between 2 - 4 feet wide (Note:
the wider the stream, the less
movement of water you will have).
Vary the width of the stream
throughout to mimic what would
occur in nature.
• Excavate the stream to a depth
of 6 inches to 1 foot. Vary the
depth in the corners and in
smaller pools along the run of the
stream to allow water to pool in
those areas.
• If your stream is being built on a
slope, you will need to create a
few waterfalls in it. To hold the
water back when the pump is
shut off, you need to build a check
dam at each waterfall.
• To make the stream look much
more natural, you should place
some larger boulders into it. To
make this work properly, excavate
the area where the rock will be
placed a few inches deeper. This
will allow the rock to sit into the
bottom of the stream, not just on
the streambed.
• Once you have the stream
excavated, you can place the liner
into it.
Installation of Liner
and Rocks
• Connect the liner to the BIOFALLS ®
filter as described above.
• Where the liner overlaps the pond,
you will not need to seam the lin-
ers together as long as you have a
6-inch waterfall or higher. Simply
overlap the stream liner over the
top of the pond liner.
• Place rocks of varying sizes
around the perimeter of the
stream. During excavation of
the stream, you dug a few areas
where larger rocks will go. Put
some of the Black Waterfall Foam
into these divots and place the
rocks on top. The foam will allow
the water to be diverted around
and over the rocks instead of
underneath them.
Deep Streams
• A deep stream is simply an
extension of the pond itself. By
adding a deep stream to a pond,
you allow the fish from the pond
to swim to other areas that would
otherwise not be possible. One
important construction technique
you will need to master, is a
double-seam.
• Wait 10 - 15 minutes to let the glue
completely set before you begin to
bury the filter.
• Before you start to back fill around
the filter, install the support grate.
Otherwise, you may not be able to
get it in place.
• We also recommend having some-
one stand inside the filter to keep
it in place and level while it’s being
back filled.
• The excavated soil from the pond
can be back filled around the sides
and back of the Endless Cascade ™
filter, creating a berm. Tamp the
soil while back filling in order to
reduce settling. Any additional
soil can be spread around the far
side of the pond in order to create
a planting bed for perennials and
annuals.
• Double check to make sure the
Endless Cascade ™ is still level
after installing the plumbing.
Connecting Multiple Endless
Cascades ™ Vaults Together
A unique feature of the Endless
Cascades ™ is that it allows the
installer to connect multiple vaults
together. (See fig.4) By connect-
ing multiple units together, you can
create any style of waterfall you can
think of. You can create a really wide
waterfall, a curved waterfall, or even
a circular waterfall. With a little bit
of modification you too can create
these falls.
• Set the vaults that are to be con-
nected, side by side. (See fig.5) Cut
off the top horizontal lip along the
section where the two vaults over-
lap. Follow the solid line inscribed
into the top lip of each vault. These
steps are only required if you want
water flowing directly between 2 or
more attached vaults.
• Place the vaults on a flat level
surface. Make sure the vaults are
level in both directions to prevent
any spillage over the top of a low
vault. Attach the vaults temporar-
ily, with a couple of bolts. Cut out
the top wall section to let water
flow between the vaults or over a
wide waterfall stone. Make the cut
as wide as possible. Stay above the
horizontal line defined by the top
of the vertical ribs, so that there is
enough room for bolts and silicone
on all sides. (See Fig.6) While the
vaults are still attached, finish
drilling the bolt holes.
• Drill the holes approximately 1”
apart through both vaults along
the sides and bottom of the cut
area. Apply a ¼” diameter thick
layer of silicone along the sides
and bottom of the cut area. (See
fig.7) Be sure to include the drilled
holes within the silicone area.
• Bolt the vaults together using
stainless steel bolts, nuts and
washers (purchased separately).
(See fig.8) A section of the inner
vertical wall may need to be
removed for easier access for a
screwdriver.
• For additional protection against
leakage, apply a thick layer of
silicone along the seam where the
vaults meet. (See fig.9)
• Connect the incoming water supply
pipes to the vaults as described on
page 2. (See fig.10) One connec-
tion will overflow into multiple
vaults, but for increased filtration
and more manageable flow rates,
install the water supply pipes into
each vault at the bottom and use
ball valves to control the flow.
• Install the waterfall stones at the
same level for good flow out of
each unit. Failure to do so could re-
sult in uneven water flow from one
of the vaults. In order to make sure
the waterfall stones are the same
height a transit or level should be
used. (See fig.11)
Creating the Waterfall
• Decide where and how wide the
waterfall stone will be and then
cut the vault to match. (See fig.12)
A simple waterfall can be cut
anywhere on any side of the vault.
Just trace the width and determine
how low you want to set the stone.
Leave room on the vault face for
the vertical liner attachment strips
on each end.
• More than one side of the vault
can be cut for a single stone. Trace
the contour of the bottom of the
waterfall stone to match the stone,
but do not cut below the built in
dashed line so that the cut stops
above the plant ledge. (See fig.13)
The lower the cut, the lower the
water level in the vault covering
the plant ledge. The more you cut
off the edge of the vault to make
the weir, the more water you can
flow through the vault. It is best to
cut the spillway wider than needed.
This will ensure that the water will
have more than enough room to
flow out of the vault and not dam
up and flow over the back of the
vault.
• Apply a ¼” diameter thick bead
of silicone 1” away from the cut
sides of the cut out section. (See
fig.14) Be sure to fasten the liner
beyond the vertical cuts to prevent
any leaks and always leave enough
slack at the base of the filter to
avoid stretching the liner when
rocks are stacked to build the
waterfalls. A wider waterfall stone
like this offers a beautiful 180°
waterfall view.
• Use the supplied binder clips to
temporarily hold the liner to the
vault. (See fig.15) Use the short
liner attachment strips and self
tapping screws on each verti-
cal side of the waterfall stone
cutout. An adjustable torque power
screwdriver on the lowest setting is
required to easily install the self-
tapping screws and to reduce
Hook Up and Level Your Endless Cascade ™ cont … Fig. 4 Multiple vault configurations.
Unlimited Width Falls Circle Falls
Stagger the vaults. Use rocks and plants to hide them.
Fig. 8 Bolt vaults together using
stainless steel bolts, nuts
and washers.
Fig. 7 Apply a thick bead of silicone.
Fig. 6 Cut out top wall section.
Fig. 5 Set vaults side by side.