Blue Thumb PB1250 User manual

For use with
14”, 22” and 30” Elite Waterfall Kits
#PB1250, #PB1267, #PB1276,
#PBE1621K, #PBE2126K
Water Garden
Elite Pond Kits
Installation Manual

2
Included in Your
Elite Pond Kit:
• Fish-friendlyRubberLiner
• ProtectiveUnderliner
• EliteMechanicalSkimmer
• EliteBiologicalWaterfall
• SolidsHandlingPump
• CheckValveAssembly
• BlackPVCFlexPipe
• LED3-LightKitwith
Transformer
• InstallationkitwithBlack
Foamandadhesives
• PondMaintenanceKit—
Enoughtotreatthepond
fortheentirerstseason!
Biological Waterfall Boxes
Filters harmful waste and toxins from water,
keeping your pond clean and clear. Provides
excellent surface area for benecial
bacteria growth while making a simple and
artistic way of creating a waterfall. Easy
to camouage-especially when using the
Landscape Lid.
Black PVC Flex Hose
Carries water from skimmer box up to the
biological waterfall box. Much easier to
install than rigid PVC.
Aquatic Plants
Add beauty to any pond! Plants can be
placed throughout the pond or along the
pond’s edge. There are many varieties:
oating, marginal, sinking, oxygenators and
lilies. Water garden kits are great when your
desire is to keep many colorful and beautiful
aquatic plants.
Rocks & Gravel
Provides additional surface area for
benecial bacteria to colonize. Protects liner
from harmful UV rays and damage from
animals. Creates a very natural look.
Fish
Adding colorful Koi and Goldsh creates an
even more dramatic display. Water gardens
are great for Goldsh and Koi.
Protective Underliner
A non-woven, protective underliner fabric
forms a soft padding for the liner. Installs
much quicker than newspaper and covers
the vertical walls unlike a sand base. Unlike
carpeting, it allows gases to escape out the
sides from the earth’s soil.
Fish-Friendly Rubber Liner
Super-strong 45-mil EPDM liner is the best
choice when building a pond. Very exible -
conforms to pond’s curves and slopes.
High-Efciency Pump
Pump sits in back pump chamber protected
from clogging by nets and lter mats. Blue
Thumb pumps are recommended as they
will use far less electricity and are meant to
operate continuously.
Mechanical Skimmer Box
Simplies routine maintenance by removing
oating debris before it sinks to the bottom
of the pond. Protects the pump and hides
unsightly plumbing.
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About Our Complete Elite Pond Eco-System
Blue Thumb Eco-Systems

Determine Pond Shape & Spray Outline
Therststeptoinstallingyournewwatergardenisto
layoutagardenhoseonthegroundtohelpcreatethe
sizeandshapeofyournewpond.Locatethepond
nearthehouse,patio,deckorotherlivingareasforthe
bestviewsandinteractionwiththeshandwaterfalls.
Determinetheshapeofyourpondthenoutlineusinga
canofspraypaint.Onceyou’vesprayedtheoutlineyou
canremovethegardenhosebutkeepithandy—you’re
goingtoneeditlater!
3
STEP 1
STEP 2
Position Filtration Boxes & Flexible Hose
Afterremovingallproductsfromthekit,placeyour
WaterfallandSkimmerBoxesinthedesiredlocations.
Keepinmindthatwheneverpossibletheskimmerand
waterfallshouldbeplacedatoppositeendsofthepond.
Next,laythePVCFlexHoseintoposition.

Other recommended
installation aids:
• Spraypaint
• Gardenhose
• Shovels,rake,&level
• Laserlevelorstring
• Utilityknife&screwdriver
• Afewlargebouldersfor
thewaterfall,several
mediumbouldersfor
designandplentyofriver
rockorgravelforll
• Landscapingaccents
• FishandAquaticPlantsat
yourpreference
STEP 3
Attach Flex Hose to Waterfall Box
3aInstalltheplumbingttingsintothespinwelds
locatedoneachsideoftheWaterfallBox.Teontape
themaleadapter,andthreaditintothesideofthebox
thatyouwillbebringingtheblackPVCFlexHoseinto.
Youcanaddabeadofsiliconetothethreadsforadded
insurance.Next,TeontapetheThreadedPlugand
installintothespinweldontheothersideofthebox.
3b SettheWaterfallBoxintopositionandwipeoany
dirtbeforeinstallingtheFlexHoseintothemaleadapter
usingthePVCCementsupplied.Holditinpositionfor
60secondstoallowthecementtoset.
1
2
3a
Inverted Waterfall Box
Flex hose
connection
Threaded
Plug
3b
NOTE: Refer to the Elite
Waterfall and Skimmer
Installation Guides for
detailed instructions.
Remember to call your local utility company
prior to digging to ensure there are no pipes
& cables in the area.

4
Excavation of Pond Area
4a OutlinetheareatobeexcavatedfortheSkimmer
Boxplacement,thensetitasideduringexcavation.
4b ChecktomakesuretheWaterfallBoxremains
levelduringexcavation.Ifitisinstalledo-level,the
waterwillnotowevenlyovertheweir.Tampingthe
areabeneaththeWaterfallBoxwillhelpminimize
settling,whichmaycreateanunevenwaterfall.
ExcavatedsoilcanbeusedtocovertheFlexHose,
tobuildupyourwaterfallandstream,andtocreatea
bermaroundandbehindtheWaterfallBox.
4c Youshouldexcavateyourpondwithatleasttwo
levels.Excavatetheponddownasdeepasyou’dlike
yourrstleveltobe.Oncetherstlevelisdugout
completely,sprayoutlinetheareathatwillbecome
thedeeperportionofthepond.Thesizeandshape
ofthisareaiscompletelyuptoyoubutkeepinmind
thatwe’llbellingthisarealaterwithbouldersthat
willtakeupsomeofthespace.Theuseofalaser
levelisveryhelpfulindeterminingwhetherthesides
ofyourpondarelevel,astringlevelworkstoo.
4d ExcavatetheareabeneaththeSkimmerBoxuntil
thedesiredheightisachieved,checkingtoensure
thattheSkimmerBoxislevel.Oncetheskimmerhas
beeninstalled,youcanbringyourexiblehoseinto
theSkimmerBoxbypushingitthroughtherubber
tting.Pushitinasfarasnecessary,youcancuto
anyexcesswhenweinstallthepump.
4e Nowisagoodtimetoinstalltheoverowhose
ifyouareinstallinganEliteSkimmer.Useany
extraexiblehosefromthekittotaketheoverow
waterfromtheskimmertoaFrenchstyledrain
ortowhereverdrainageisavailableinyouryard.
Trenchoutanareaforthehosetolay.Connectthe
hosetothemaleadapterontheskimmerusingthe
PVCCement.Back-llaroundthesidesusingthe
excavatedsoil,tampinglightlytopreventsettling.It’s
besttostandinsidetheskimmertopreventitfrom
shiftingaroundwhileaddingthesoil.
Finishothepondexcavationbyremovingany
rootsand/orsharpedgessotheywon’tpuncturethe
rubberliner.Rakeouttheatareasinpreparationfor
theunderlinerandliner.
STEP 4
Waterfall Box
Skimmer Box
4a
4b
4c
4d
4e

Install Pump in Skimmer
Usingaclockwisemotionthreadthecheckvalve
assemblyontothepump.Next,you’llwanttoset
thepumpinsidetheskimmerboxandcutawayany
excesspipe.Connecttheblackexiblehosetothe
pumpdischargeusingascrewornutdrivertotighten
downthehoseclamps.Notethenotchatthetop
oftheskimmeralongtheback—thisiswhereyou’ll
bringthepumppowercordthrough.
Install Underliner & Fish-Friendly Liner
6a Unfoldtheprotectiveunderlinerandlayitinthe
pondsquarely.Workyourwayfromthebottomout
toensuretheunderlinerisinstalledproperly.Hold
underlinerinplacewithacouplebouldersuntilthe
linerisinstalled.

6b Next,unfoldtherubberlinerandlayitinthepond
ontopoftheunderlineragainworkingyourway
fromthebottomout.Youwantthelinertobeable
tolayalongtoptheunderlinerwithoutanytautness.
Note:Besureyouareusingash-friendlyliner.We
recommenda45mil,rubber,EPDMliner.
Attach Liner to Skimmer Box
It’snowtimetoattachthepondlinertotheSkimmer
Box.Refer to the instructions included with the
skimmer box for exact instruction.
5
STEP 5
STEP 6
STEP 7
Add Extra Waterfall & Stream Liner (optional)
Oneoptionforcreatingyourwaterfallistohavethewaterfallboxrightattheedge
sothatthewaterfallsdirectlyintothepond.However,wendthatmostpond
ownersliketohavetheirwaterfallboxsetbackabitsothattheycancreatea
streambed.Ifyoudecidetodothisyouwillneedasecondpieceoflinertocreate
yourstream.Laythestreamlinersothatthere’senoughtooverlapthepondlinerby
atleast6”andalsosothatthere’senoughlineratthetopofthewaterfalltoattach
totheWaterfallBox.Trimanyexcesswaterfalllinerawaybutleaveenoughtotuck
downoverthepondliner.Laythepondlinerupthestreambedasfaraspossible
andthenlaythewaterfalllinerovertopthepondliner.Thiswillensurewaterwon’t
leakwhenowingfromthewaterfallintothepond.Oncethestreamlinerisinstalled
ontopofthepondlinerandinpositionyoucancompleterockinginthisarea.
5
6a
6b
7

6
Add Boulders & Rockwork
Youtypicallywanttobeginrockingthepondfrom
thedeepestareaout.Completerockingintheentire
pondbutdon’tcompletetheareawhereyourstream
orwaterfallwillenterthepond.Aroundthebackside
ofyourwaterfallbox,usesomeboulderstohelp
createyourberm.
Attach Liner to Waterfall Box
Refer to the instructions provided with the
waterfall box for assistance.Oncethelinerhas
beeninstalledonthewaterfallboxyoucancomplete
rockinginyourwaterfallandstreambed.
Add Gravel
Usegraveltollintheareasbetweentheboulders.
Thiswillhelpkeepthebouldersinplaceaswellas
hidetheblacklinercompletely.
Underwater Lights
Underwaterlightscancreatestunning,romantic
imagesinpondsandmakethepondsaferforvisitors
atnight.Theyalsoextendtheenjoymentofyour
newpondintotheeveninghours.TheElitePond
kitscomewitha3-packlightkit.Ifyouwanttoadd
additionallights,consultyourlocalBlueThumb
Dealerforassistance.Besuretoinstallthelights
withenoughcordslacksothatyoucanbringthe
xtureoutofthewaterwhenchangingoutaburned
outbulb.Runthecordaroundandbetweenthe
rockworksothatitishiddenfromview.
Add Aquatic Plants
Addingaquaticplantswillreallyhelptobringyour
newwaterfeaturetolife.Sometimesyoucanremove
aboulderorrockandputaplantinitsplace.This
willhelpgiveyourdisplayasofterandnishedlook.
Youcaneitherdirectrootyourplantsintothepondor
simplysettheplantandpotintothepond.
STEP 8
STEP 9
STEP 10
STEP 11
STEP 12
8
9
10
11
12

Fill’er Up
Atthispointyoucanbeginllingthepondwith
waterwhileyoucompletetherestofthesteps.
Alongthewayit’sagoodideatowashoanydust
fromyourrockwork.Ifdesired,youcanthenpump
outthedirtywaterafewtimesbeforeanallling.
Pond Build’n Black Waterfall Foam
IncludedinourElitePondKitsisacanofPond
Build‘nFoam.Itisusedtosealinandaroundthe
rockworkofthewaterfall.Thisforcesthewaterover
thetopoftherocksinsteadofaroundandbeneath
them.Itgreatlyenhancesthewaterfalleectand
willhelptosealeverythingtogether.It’sblackin
colorandcanbecutawayoncecuredifitexpands
toomuch.Beforecuringcompletelyyoucan
sprinklesomerockdustonthefoamtodisguiseit.
Add Biological Media
Eventhebestwaterfallboxesarenotltersunless
biologicalmediaisaddedtothemtogrowandhold
thebenecialbacteriathatkeepswaterhealthyand
clear.
15aTheEliteWaterfallKitincludestwogreen
Matalalteringmatsandameshmediabag.
Positiontheltermatshorizontallyinthebottomof
thewaterfallbox.
Fillthemediabagwithbiologicalmediaofyour
choosing(notincluded)andplacedontopofthe
ltermats.

15b WerecommendusingBacti-TwistBiological
Media.Thismediaislightweight,easytot,
andprovidesthesurfaceareatogrowbenecial
bacterianecessarytokeepwaterclearandhealthy.
15c Keepinmindthatyoucanalwaysupgrade
thisltrationmediaasyourpondmatures,suchas
verticallyplacedMatalamatsforsuperiorltration.
7
STEP 13
STEP 14
STEP 15
13
14
15b
15c
15a

Now, snap a picture of your completed waterfall and post
it to our Facebook page at facebook.com/bluethumbinc!
www.shopbluethumb.com
062022
Creating a Natural Falls Look
TheBlueThumbEliteWaterfallBoxistheonlysystem
onthemarketthatcomescompletewiththeLandscape
Lid!Onceyou’veaddedthebiologicalmedia,disguise
theWaterfallBoxfromviewbyusingsomemulch,
gravel,slate,driftwoodandaselectionofcreeping
aquaticplants.BecausetheEliteLandscapeLidis
designedwithholesinthebottom,therootsystemof
theplantswillalwayshaveowingwateraroundthem.
Finishing Touches
Afterthepondisfullandyoucanseethatthereareno
lowareasorleaks,youcantrimtheexcesslinerbutwe
recommendleavingatleast12”alongeachedgeand
foldingitbackintothelandscape.17a Hidetheextra
linerbyfoldingitbehindorundertherocksandmulch
alongtheedge.Anotheroptionistodigawaythesoil
beneaththeliner,creatinganareaforthelinertolaywith
topsoiladdedbackovertop.Thiswillallowyoutobring
yourlandscapingthatmuchclosertothepondedge.
Leaveasmuchexcesslineraspossibletoallowfor
settlingandfuturerepair.Onceyou’vetakencareofthe
pondsedges,mulchcanbeaddedtogiveyourfeature
anishedlook.17b Addinsomelandscapeplants
aroundyournewpondtoreallysetito!
Add Start-up Water Treatments
Ifyouarellingyourpondwithchlorinatedwateryouwill
wanttoaddade-chlorinator.Chlorineisnotgoodfor
shandaquaticplants.Next,addbenecialbacteriato
thepond.Itwillseedthroughoutthebiomedialocated
insidetheWaterfallBoxaswellasspreadthroughout
therestofthepond.Thisbacteriawillhelpconsume
excessnutrientsinthepondaswellasprocessany
wastefromthesh.
Cleanupanyscrapsandremainingmaterialsthenplug
inpumpandenjoy!Movesomerocksaroundtoget
thewaterfalltolookexactlythewayyouwantit.And
remember,it’syourwaterfall,makeitthewayyoulikeit!
STEP 16
STEP 17
STEP 18
Turn It On!
16
17a
17b
18