Fish tanks for over 20 years. Want to get to ponds.

[MrTony1920]

Hi. I bean ding fish tanks for well over 20 years. I would like to get in to ponds. I dont know what type of pond I would like to do. I would like a mix of stuff. I live in Montana. Thank You.

 

[j.w]

and welcome @MrTony1920
I love the Shubunkin type of goldfish myself! Very pretty ones.

 

[Mmathis]

Hello and welcome! You’ll get a lot of ideas here.

 

[poconojoe]

Your experience with aquariums will help in some respects, but hinder in other ways.

Knowing about how the nitrogen cycle works is a plus, but too many aquarium keepers make the mistake of trying to keep a pond hospital clean.
I'm not saying you will be doing that, I just mention it because it's quite common.

It's totally up to you how you build and maintain your pond. I do suggest doing a lot of reading on this site before you create your plan for building.

Most of us here strive for a pond that is as natural as possible. Thus, creating something that's fun, eye pleasing and little to no work as far as maintenance is concerned.
It's no fun having to rinse out filter pads every few days. That can take the pleasure out of it real quick.

Balance is imperative. The right amount of water, plants, fish, filtration, aeration are important.

I don't do much as far as maintenance. I filter with an upflow bog where lots of plants are grown. There are no filter pads to clean. I'll flush the manifold pipes once in a while, but that's it.

 

[WaterGardener]

I would recommend that you read all other pond sites that you can find as well as this one. Watch YouTube videos, too. There are plenty of ways to do this and you have to decide what is right for you and what type of pond and fish that you want to keep.

Your experience is definitely an advantage and I suppose that if you want a hospital clean pond, it can be done if you put in the effort. Most of us don't want to have that much work involved. There is plenty to keep me busy with the way mine is.

I have a pressurized filter system with a bead type filter containing K1 media that feeds a shower filter at the top of the waterfall, as well as a aerated bottom drain and an air disc in another section of the pond. There is also a skimmer at the opposite end from the waterfall. The filter is backflushed once a week and the filter pad and basket in the skimmer are rinsed off and the leaf basket at the front of the pump is cleaned on the same day. The shower filter hasn't yet needed to be cleaned, but it is fed with already filtered water.

There is no right or wrong way, just decide what you want and prefer and go that direction.

 

[addy1]

Welcome to the forum!

Read and watch then dig!

 

[secuono]

No matter what anyone says, a pond IS the same as an aquarium.
It's just on a much larger & intense scale.

Too much light and/or nutrients in the tank results in algae. Same in a pond, need that good shade and control the food & poop.

Filter is the same, only costs, types and looks are different.

You don't need plants, but they will help control nutrients, provide shade & shelter, as well as grazing for your fish. But they cause their own debris.

 

[poconojoe]

No matter what anyone says, a pond IS the same as an aquarium.
It's just on a much larger & intense scale.

Too much light and/or nutrients in the tank results in algae. Same in a pond, need that good shade and control the food & poop.

Filter is the same, only costs, types and looks are different.

You don't need plants, but they will help control nutrients, provide shade & shelter, as well as grazing for your fish. But they cause their own debris.

I respectfully disagree about not needing plants.
In my opinion, you need lots of plants.
Plants are an important part of your pond's ecology and filtration. They consume excess nutrients and compete with free floating algae.
I suppose if you had a seriously massive filtration system, you might get away without plants...might, but it would have to be highly efficient and massive. It would also require a lot of maintenance. Rinsing pads, backwashing, etc.
My pond would be a disaster without plants.

 

[Jhn]

@secuono had this debate on here before…..kept both for over 25 years (aquariums even longer) not the same.. other than they both hold water and fish

preventing nuisance algae ( differentiate for a pond cause in a pond alot of times algae is a good thing, in aquariums it never is) is all about controlling nutrients and nothing else. Too much sun ie all day long, doesn’t matter without nutrients to feed the algae you won’t have any. Too much nutrients and even a tiny bit of sun and you will have algae.

Do aquariums get crap blown or washed into them from nearby fields, can you get by in your aquarium without doing water changes, do you get woody debris falling in your aquarium. Do you have to worry about wildlife coming and eating your fish….Generally speaking a pond and an aquarium is an artificial environment that holds water and fish, nitrogen cycle is the same but that is about it.

I would call a pond a much less intense scale compared to an aquarium, for the very reason you stated it is larger, water parameters are much more stable in a pond than in all but the largest of aquariums.

 

[GBBUDD]

Most of us here strive for a pond that is as natural as possible.

And then some

Welcome to the forum!

Read and watch then dig!

If i may , read and watch , ask question propose to the group what your plan is in your build we can see potential issues or help cut some corners

I have a pressurized filter system with a bead type filter containing K1 media that feeds a shower filter

All the proven methods have the same goals just to different limits. Water gardener has a Mechanical filter the pressurized bead filter and the biological filter with the shower. a very effective high airobic bacteria filter. The bog in my honest opinion takes this one step further with the use of plants mother natures most effective absorbent filter material there is as it's alive and converts phosphates nitrates led etc etc etc into energy is way of flowers and leaf growth and removal is by cutting them down. THERES THE NEXUS ANOTHER VERY PROVEN filter but big bucks. on and on . but for every proven filter there's probably 30 that promise the world and deliver next to nothing.

 

[reefsr]

Ponding is a piece of cake... plants, plants, a bog, and some more plants. That's all it takes to create a healthy, algae-free ecosystem.

I have 3 goldfish and some leopard danios in my 500 gallon pond. I have not fed them since April and they are fatter and healthier than when they get fish food.

I've kept high tech planted tanks, low tech, and reef tanks for years. Ponding is by far the lowest maintenance of them all if you do it right.

 

[Stephen Noble]

I've kept high tech planted tanks, low tech, and reef tanks for years. Ponding is by far the lowest maintenance of them all if you do it right.

Yep.

 

[poconojoe]

@MrTony1920, you haven't returned for comment.
I hope you haven't been discouraged by our discussion.

When you decide what you want to do, post up your ideas for suggestions/comments.

Meanwhile, read through the many threads here on this forum for suggestions and learn from our experiences (good or bad).

 

[Mmathis]

@poconojoe OP is has created other threads, so may not be following this one. I think he was asking about other critters that would be compatible with koi…..

 

[Mayank]

I agree with a lot of opinions here and respectfully disagree with some.
I kinda see what point @secuono is trying to make but I disagree; I think ponds and aquariums are different animals.
I also disagree that a pond has to be natural because mine is a formal rectangle shape and enclosed in a patio as opposed to a natural form in the yard but I wouldn't have in any other way!