How to do a water change?

[Jon Nannen]

Hi all,

I've been learnin up on ponds, and can, with shame, say I've never done a MAJOR water change. I've changed maybe, 20-50 gallons before, but never anything major.

I was curious how you guys do this? is it just a matter of filling up buckets and containers with old water, then new water and dechlorinating the new water?

I was watching a video that said I could run a hose down my waterfall and that would get rid of most of the chlorine in the water by the time it hit the pond.

Any information/advice would help!

Jon

 

[dieselplower]

I use a pump to suck out the old and a hose to pump in the new. Hard to say if a trip down a stream would dechlorinate effectively enough or not. I'm on a well so I don't have to worry about it. That said, after you suck out the old water but before you put in the new water, add the dechlorinator in it's full dose, to the pond.

 

[Jon Nannen]

Ah ok, so empty old, dechlorinate then hose in the new? That sounds a lot easier.

 

[dieselplower]

Yep!

 

[Mmathis]

I have a Skippy filter (100 gal. stock tank) with an outlet on the bottom. When I need to let off some water, I open the valve and drain from that. To fill, I have a filter that you screw onto your water hose that eliminates chlorine & chloramines. I run the hose to the pond with a garden hose attachment and let it slowly spray in (I don't totally, 100% trust the filter, LOL). Letting the hose spray into the air will off-gas some of the bad chemicals like the chlorine. Two key words are SPRAY and SLOWLY.

 

[addy1]

Any time it rains I get a good water change over ow, none

 

[Tula]

I add decholrinater to my pond, then run the hose to my pond for a set period of time ( I set a timer!) and the water overflows from the pond at the lowest point, which waters a garden

 

[addy1]

We are on a well, I add water when needed, but never do a water change with the well.

 

[CometKeith]

I have two pumps one feeding my bio-filter and one feeding my waterfall. i use the hose that feeds my waterfall and divert the water to my shrubs next to the pond for about 5-10 minutes. Then I use a bunch of 5 gallon buckets I get from Home Depot to fill up the pond back up with water. First i always declorinate the water for close to a day in the sun before pouring the water from the buckets into the pond.. Depending on how many buckets I use i can change 30-60 gallons over a weekend. I don't mind doing it this way because it is good exercise lifting the buckets and I know the water I pour in is very safe but it's not for everyone!

 

[haver79]

Maybe I'm making more work for myself but I have a 50 gal plastic drum. I fill with water and declorinate. Then use a smallish pump in the barrel which pumps into the pond.

 

[southern_guy]

I just use a icb tote I purchased off cl
It holds 275 gallons. I dechlorinate add my koi clay or whatever mix and dump .

 

[slakker]

I have a overflow in the skimmer set at the top water level... so a good rain will do the trick or a slow trickle from a good water source (rain barrel, etc.) will take care of it. I find it so much easier than to pump water out then put back in...