Happy Ponds- the upside of ponding

Since we've had this little pond, I've seen lots of other ponds with murky water problems. MerryMary, I think your natural solution is wonderful.

I think the most important factor for clear water is to have enough filter plants to balance with the number of fish in the pond, they feed on the fish waste and keep the water very clean if you have enough. But you might need more plants if you let the ducks hang out in there!

I do think you need to pay attention to other factors such as runoff from the garden and lawn when it rains, as well. Covering some of the water surface with lily pads in summer helps a lot to filter, and prevent algae, too. (algae needs sunlight) Plus it keeps the water cooler, lessens evaporation, and gives the fish a place to hide from marauding birds. What a shame that water lilies are so beautiful as well, huh??

TA, you sure wouldn't have any algae with 24 koi in your pond! If you reduce the population to only 8, you may never have to feed them at all. (that would help with water clarity, too, of course)

Doesn't it strike you that the pump is a little undersized. My pond is only 3000 gallons and we have one pump rated @ 5000gph pumping to the biofalls, a 2500 gph pumping from the 4' depth to the pressure filter. I surely wish I had some way to introduce a bog garden. I am having some rework next summer but it won't increase the size of the pond and I can't give up any of the little I have. My water is clear though tinted a bit with green. Long sunny days, no shade. We have both a 25W UV in the filter and a 55W stand alone. I have water celery also around the edges but it all but dies off each winter. I was amazed that any of it came back. Parrot feather is a nice plant along with the lilies.

I agree with MS. I thought the pump was on the smallish side as well. With fish - especially koi, it is better to go larger than what the pond 'should' have. At a minimum, you want to have the number of gallons turned over in the pond at least 1/2 the number of total gallons in an hours' time. Overkill on the pumps and uv wattage are better.

Additionally, TA - I am assuming the reason you have so many fish is because they do breed. There are ways to take care of that as well. Please remember, koi create a lot of waste and fish waste will also increase ammonia and decrease oxygen levels in the water. Where have your water parameters tested out to recently?

The pond is now 3,750 gal's. So the 4500 gal per houre pump I have now should work right? Way less fish and big 10 X 20 X 1 Bog Garden should help.
The ducks you see are Decoys. No poop LOL

This message was edited Oct 26, 2011 11:25 AM

decoy duck, LOL as I too thought it was real....

Incredible ponds yall.

Jan

TA - Depends on your head pressure. How far does the water have to travel to get from the pump to the waterfall? This will greatly impact how much water is turned over in an hour.

Typically a pump will give the rating as the maximum gph and this does not include how far the water will have to be pushed. This will affect the output of your pump and diminish the gallons per hour that are ultimately put out. One thing you can do, is to cut the top off a gallon milk jug, but keep the handle on the jug. Clean it out well and have another person with a stop watch and measure the time it takes to fill the gallon container full of water with the stopwatch and then you can multiply how many of these gallons it would take in an hour. This will give you an accurate reading as to how much water is actually turned over in your pond in an hour.

Carolyn22

that is a great tip. I'm math and electronically deficient.....LOL

Jan

Carolyn, you are SO clever. That is just what my engineer husband did, only used a 3 gallon bucket. I forgot about the head loss.

The pond is frozen so I am going out to tap the ice. I don't think it is so thick as to bother the fish but I have got to get the deicers in. tomorrow we will pull the pressure filter and put the pump in the pond floor to circulate the water at the bottom.

Just came back in. I got one deicer in the skimmer and one on top of the ice in the shallow end. It will melt through in a bit. My baby gold fish is out sort of laying on the bottom, or very slowly swimming around. Not sure why. He made it through last winter, so hope he is okay now.

This message was edited Oct 29, 2011 2:29 PM

Thank you, however, I cannot take credit for this idea - this was DH's idea and truthfully, I am not very good in the area of Mathematics. DH is better with math than I am, but my Dad is really better than all of us with math.

TA, your arrangement is beautiful and when you are through you can stand back and say I DID THAT and to me that means a lot.


MM,
So far all the fish you brought over and living. I even got to see 4 of the butterfly you added to oldest pond today. They are grreat hiders. The small ones in smallest pond came up to eat yesterday. One of the largest black & orange ones died after his ordeal of jumping out of sick tub I quaranteened it in and landing in small pond where I let him stay. He had started rollilng over onto his side. His ballast was off. Store said to feed him green peas but I couldn't get them into him.
First one lost since I started ponding. Sad. Hope the trend doesn't continue.
BTW water is very green in new ponds--any thoughts for cure. Has bacteria & pondzyme in it. Just dawned on me maybe UV isn't working right. I'll check that in AM.

Have a great week all. Bonnie

sorry to hear of your pond lost, Bonnie.

I can't wait till we find a place that I can start ponding.

Jan

Jan,
I will be very happy for you when you get your own place. I love my home place.
Thanks to Merry Mary I have many more baby koi fry coming along. When we loose a cow now thats a loss but it has happened. Just part of life.
If you ever get up this way you must stop in. Bonnie

Definitely check the UV, if you have it on the small ponds, and it's working correctly, the water should be clear within a week. The bulbs only last about a year, even if you still see them glowing.
I'm sorry to hear about your fish baby. Luckily you have others, and I'm bringing you one more *you'll be happy about this one... :)

Wonderful information and encourgiment on this project. Sorry about the loss of your fish. Got to lthe point today of being able to fill the pond and tgest the water system.

Back side

What a system you have there TARogers5

Jan

MM,
Went to Acquatic Eco. this PM and bought a new larger UV clarifier. Hope Charlie will get it in tomorrow. Got lots of dr. apmts. on and off next week. Got to find out whats making my legs go humb and pain so much.
Now you have me excited about a new fish. Please call. If you lost my no. 352-394-4883 or cell 352-223-1611. I know I have to be home Tuesday as sewing mach. repair man is coming and I've got large job on table.
Looking forward to seeing you again and please take more tangerines as nobody here eats them but cows.

Wouldn't it be a good idea to pump out 1/2 of the water and refill with clean?

Bonnie

Bonnie...No worries, I have family here from Ohio for the weekend, so later this week is better for me too. I'd leave whatever water is in there, there. Start running the new UV, You'll know within a few days if that's the issue, but with the main problem being green water, it should clear it right up. Once the water is clear, you;ll be able to see if there's anything that needs to be taken care of (heavy acorns on the bottom that are decomposing, leaves, sand or mulch from the water fall, etc) At that point you will also know if you need to do a partial water change.
:)

Hi Marry,
Glad your enjoying family. UV turned on yesterday. Butterfly koi in pond with waterfall finally mingling with bigger ones.
Geez what snobs. Maybe they were afraid they would eat them.
See you later this week.
Bonnie

Guess what new UV is not working. Ecectrician son brought tools over to check it that his dad doesn't have. Got to return it. Another hour ride to Apopka . Oh well thats life.
Bonnie

Bonnie, did you manage to find any water iris yet? I'm sure they will help the situation.

Also barley straw works very well. I bought a 'barley ball' and after I stir my pond up in the spring, cleaning it and planting stuff, I put it in and within a week, between the barley straw and the irises, the water's clear as a bell again.

Other friends I've talked to have had the same experience. It seems to gather the particles in the water like a magnet.
Elaine

Bonnie

we have had that happen several times with uv light bulbs. Don't qiute understand why, but the vendors have always been very good about taking them back.

Oh sheesh Bonnie.....sorry to hear that....

After this weekend, I'll have a little bit of open time, so if you need help with your pond, I can buzz over and we can take a look at what's going on. I really think the UV will help immensely. What size bulb are you getting?

MM

Dyzzy, Haven't had time to look up water iris yet. I used to use barley bales guess I'd better order some more.
Carolyn, This time I mdae them plug it in before we brought it home and new one is working now.
Mary, This one is a 30watt bulb. Also, bought an extra bulb just in case. Son said filaments could break easily in that type of bulb just from rough handling.
Don't have doc. apmt. today so I'm going out and wash all filtration materials on all ponds. BTW Mary all fish you put in first pond with large koi are now very visible and acclimating to their new home. Babies in small pond come up to eat and none are floating bellyup so thats great. Got 8:45 apmt. with local doc tomorrow after that will be home weeding vegie garden out back. Mary tangerines are sweetening up so anytime you can come over we'll pick you some. Just remembered Sat. have to go to Okeechobee to funeral. Call me when you can.
Bonnie

Good news the 2 newer ponds are clearing up. UV is doing its job. Saw one baby that looked white with big black spots, very pretty. Thanks to Merry Mary I think we have reached our capacity for fish amount. Don't want to overload the ponds.

Bonnie

Unless, I have just oooone more for you.....or 3.... ;)

Bonnie -

How many fish? I would love to see pictures....

Beautiful fish Carolyn

Thanks, Holly. I miss them already - they are slowing down as the water is definitely getting colder.....

Mary,
Mary,
1 more or 3 won't hurt a thing. I'm looking forward to THE surprise.
Carolyn,
In Old pond-3 mature butterfly- 1 oranda-7 or 8 baby butterfly.
New larger pond-4 or 5 goldfish-3 black & orange reg. koi
In new small pond (I call it the nursery) Mary said about 20 and some of them that I could see pretty clear are going to be beauties. I'll have to try and get some pics for you Carolyn. Not the smallest ones cause they dart around like their on speed.
The water temp yesterday was almost 70 so they are still happy to eat. I sit and watch them eat and its very relaxing to me.
Blood tests this AM and MRI this afternoon so for now I'll go out and watch my fish. The weather here is simply beautiful just right. I'm always glad to see the summer heat go.
Bonnie

Bonnie....Any you don't like can certainly go to your son's pond! ;) I know which one he has his eye on though! Give me a week or so, I have one more upcoming tournament this weekend, and I have to admit, I'm not as young as I used to be.

Hi Mary,
Jeff's not getting the red and white one----it has turned out to be the most social and leads the others around trhe pond.
I've wanted a red and white one for quite a while so its staying. A friend was here looking at them last week and said "my goodness that one already has leadership characteristics". Thought I'd flip. Fish do seem to cause some intersting comments.
I'm going over to Biosphere one day and get plants for all the ponds. They sell pickerel weed which I have a load of in our canal down back but getting them out is another story. Once I got stuck up to my knees in the mud and Charlie had to throw me a rope from his tractor and until I could get my feet out of my boots I could not get out. How our cows walk in and out of the canal I don't understand. Charlie says they know exactly where to step. I sure didn't.
Next two weeks no dr. or medical tests. Woo hoo.
Look forward to seeing you. Bonnie

If you need water plants, let me know....I have a few different ones I can share.... Poor Jeff, I know how he eyeballed the one fish, I'll look for another one ( although I have to admit that I loved watching him harrass you taking it from you)

Can always use plants. Some I bought for first pond fish have made look ragged cause they eat them. I'm always leary they will croak but guess they know what is good for them.
Hope to see you next week.
Bonnie

Tried to take some pics this morning but sun isn't out yet today but here's some.
Bonnie

One more

1 more

Beautiful pictures - beautiful fish.... love the fins on these guys.

Bonnie...Love them! Keep posting pictures, we love to see them! :)

they are so big with their long graceful fins. Are you still feeding. Thought I saw pellets. But I guess your temp in over 50 even now.