Can I only run my pump during the day?

[j.w]

Well my filter is just a big black plastic pot with holes drilled in it with the plastic rolls of filter matts
curved around inside and the pump in the center and it has ropes attached to it so I can pull it out.
It's pretty heavy but I manage. But I sure wouldn't want to have to do that during the winter.

 

[undrtkr_00]

It would take a lot of goldfish to overwhelm a 1000 gallon pond. You could easily have a hundred or more small goldfish at first. My experience with ones bought at the pet store as feeders is about half usually die in the first few weeks. They don't feed them and when you get them, they are starving.

Cool, well I'll buy a few when the temps rise a little higher. 100 is way more than I was planning on. Probably a dozen or so is more like it.

 

[koiguy1969]

put in a dozen and next year you may have 100 like it or not!! my goldies went thru 3 spawn cycles last year...gave away 1000+ and still have around 40.. not to mention the koi i gave away too! the ones i have now are from the last cycle. i was giving away freezer bags full before any even had any color. didnt even know which were koi or goldies. put them on craigslist and people will line up at your door.

 

[undrtkr_00]

put in a dozen and next year you may have 100 like it or not!! my goldies went thru 3 spawn cycles last year...gave away 1000+ and still have around 40.. not to mention the koi i gave away too! the ones i have now are from the last cycle. i was giving away freezer bags full before any even had any color. didnt even know which were koi or goldies. put them on craigslist and people will line up at your door.

Well that would be OK, but I don't plan on providing enough food for 100! I'll probably end up netting a bunch and giving them away or selling them real cheap. Maybe my local fish store will set me up on a trade program for some food or other pond supplies.
:fish:

Oh, and sorry for the thread hijack.

 

[j.w]

I found that if you are just going to have goldfish and you don't want them to over populate just don't feed them and they find enough food on their own and they will eat the eggs that are laid..........a few babies always manage to survive or just feed them small amounts so they will still keep the fish count lower. At first I didn't feed them at all, now I feed small amounts and also feed them good before winter and in spring w/ a good wheat germ based food. Then switch over in summer to the regular food. They are doing very well and their counts stay reasonable.:fish:

 

[oldmarine]

Hi,

I was wondering if it would be possible to only run my pump during the day when I can see the pond/waterfall, etc.? My pump is way over what is necessary for the size of pond and population of fish. I don't remember what it's specs are right now, but I am trying to cut energy costs and wanted to know if it would hurt the fish/pond to only run the pump during the day.

Thank you in advance for your help.

Steven

Hi Steve,

I may be way too simple minded, but when I look at a lake, pond, or stream that may have fish in it, I think to myself, does someone turn that water off at night, or even during the winter? That's why I opted to keep my pond running all year round and 24/7. Now I may adjust the type of filttration that I use during different times of the year, but I at least I maintain some kind of circulation. Even at aminumal level of flow. I have found that my shubunkins have adapted quite well, and your fish will adapt regardless of what you do until the system fails and things gets critical enough for them to die.

Happy ponding,

Rich