Help with the very basics.....

[bmartino]

My 60 gallon preformed pond is brand new, hubby installed it as a surprise to me 1 1/2 weeks ago. He added 2 water lilies, 1 pitcher plant and 10 goldfish. I had a small inexpensive solar fountain pump I had bought off Ebay with the idea of having a pond, and it does work well- when the wind is not blowing.
The water went from clear to cloudy to very green fairly quickly, with algae growing off the lilies (string algae, I looked it up). I pulled out and strained what I could of the algae, and the water is slowly clearing although the sides and bottom are covered with green. We have 5 of the original fish left.
I appreciate my husband doing all this for me, I really do! However, I was waiting until our lives settled a bit(big huge reception here last weekend, my mom and dad have been visiting from down south, kids and grandkids here a lot.) because I wanted the time to find a forum, research, figure out just what I needed, research, ask questions, etc.! But what's done is done, and so on to figuring everything out!
First of all, I am assuming that I need some type of filter, as the water intake on the pump clogs up fairly quickly. Considering the whole unit is just inches square, and the intake about the size of a quarter, I am not sure how to do this.
The water lilies are still in their planting containers that they came in. He just plopped them in the pond. Are they supposed to be in a planting container, or loose, or in a basket of some sort? I can't figure out how the roots would grow down in in a pot.
The fish that are left are thriving. They are eating well, and active most of the time. Today, they are fairly quiet, but the air temp. is just mid 50's, and we have had a ton of rain.
I am very excited about this, and have begun some landscaping, and am already planning to dig my bigger pond, and add a stream and waterfall over the summer, but figured I should get this little one figured out first!
Thanks!

 

[Mmathis]

Hello and welcome!

Did you mean to say "60" gallons?

 

[Lisak1]

Welcome welcome! And say goodbye to your old life and hello to the pond life!

same question here - did you mean 600 gallons?

 

[MitchM]

If you only set it up 1 1/2 weeks ago, then it has not had a chance to establish a bacterial population so it can process your fish waste. That process usually takes a few weeks.
If you could answer the questions in this thread it would help a lot.

https://www.gardenpondforum.com/thr...-water-quality-algae-fish-problems-etc.12393/

 

[bmartino]

It's just a little 60 gallons pond for now..... about 5 x 3.
I took the fish out for now, since I had fish bowls here, and I don't want to lose anymore. I did not want to start out with a fish pond.... I was going to wait until next year to add them, but Hubby thought I would like them now.
Water quality
* Ammonia Level (pond)
* Nitrite Level (pond)
* Ammonia Level (tap water)
* Nitrite Level (tap water)
* Ph Level, pond (If possible, KH, GH and chlorine)- about 8.5
* Ph Level, tap water (If possible, KH, GH and chlorine)
* Brand of test-kit used and whether strips or drops? Drops, just a basic ph test kit. Pondcare is the brand.

Other useful information:
* Water temperature? I have not yet bought a thermometer, but I live in upper NY state, and we have had normal day temps, and cool nights.
* Pond size and how long has it been running? 60 gallons, about 10 days
* What is the name and size of the filter(s)? Outdoor Garden 9V 1.8W Solar Powere Quick Start Water Pump Fountain Pond
* How often do you change the water and how much? Have not changed, except to about 1-2 inches per day.
* How many days ago was the last water change and how much did you change?
* How many fish in the pond and their type?
* What kind of water additives or conditioners have you used? 2 water lilies, 1 pitcher plant
* What do you feed your fish and how often?
* Any new fish added to the pond recently?
* Any medications added to the pond?
* List entire medication/treatment history for fish and pond
* Any unusual findings on the fish?
* Any unusual behaviour like staying at the bottom, not eating, etc.?

 

[CountryEscape]

Welcome to our Forum! We love new people, and you have sure found the right forum to get info and help from lots of people. Glad you are planning to build a new bigger pond, as that is what we all have probably done, too!
As far as your plants, the lilies DO need to come out of their "beginner" pot. Many of us have replanted them into some type of ROUNDED bottom pan. Some use oil pans, I have cut off the bottom 4-6" of a 3 gallon bucket (since I can get the buckets free at local grocery store bakery dept!). Use rounded sides as the tuber will grow to the edge, then grow in a circle. In a square or container with sharp corners, the roots will be more likely to go up and over the edge instead of staying in the container. You can use kitty litter, the old fashioned pure clay, no additives, no scent, just PURE CLAY. Wal-Mart has Special Kitty brand where I'm from. Do NOT use the clumping type. If you can't find pure clay, then use heavy dirt/clay from your yard. Don't use potting soil, as that won't stay put in the pot very long, and the fish will mess around in it, making a mess.
OK, so plant the tuber in the pot, put in some granular fertilizer, if you have some (osmocote is good slow release stuff), clay, then tuber, then cover pretty much with clay, but not too deep. Might want to put a rock or two on top of the tuber, if it tries to float, as they are buoyant.
The fish died as stated above, your water was not cycled yet. The reason you got algae was for the same reason. There are particles in any water that algae will grow on. Put water in a puddle, it will grow algae in the sun and heat. It's ok to have green water, it will clear up, and algae will clear up eventually, too. Keep pulling the string stuff for now.
Try to put your pump not on the bottom of the pond, if possible, that will help keep stuff from clogging the filter. More than likely, you have a filter that is meant for your small pond with no fish, no plants, just water. LOL Fish will make waste, which sinks to the bottom. Plants will use up some of that in the water column. Plants are great to have in a pond, they serve many benefits.
If your pond is 5'x3', even if it was only 1' deep, that would be more than 60 gallons. That's why everyone is questioning your amount of gallons. Go to this site http://www.pondvolumecalculator.com/ and put in the width/length/depth and you will get a better idea of actual gallons in your pond. 5x3x1' deep is 112 gallons.
Since you have fish that are thriving, my guess is you have beneficial bacteria already growing and helping to cycle your pond. That's a good thing. Don't overfeed your fish, let them help you clean up the sides and remove algae. They don't need much food if you have stuff growing in the water. Feed them only what they will eat in about 5 minutes just once a day at most. It's tempting to feed them every time you go see them, but don't. If you feed in the morning, ONLY feed in the morning. That will help the algae issue, too.

 

[sissy]

Welcome and keeping fish in over winter may not work .My uncle lived in Buffalo NY and always took his fish inside in the winter .You may need a liquid test kit like API

 

[bmartino]

Thanks for the help and advice. I posted over on the pond construction thread, since I thought it would be easier to have everything all together in one spot! I sure am learning a lot reading all the posts and love all the photos of everyone's ponds!