Inherited an existing pond...and I know NOTHING!

[ant says no]

Hi there!!

I recently bought a home with an existing pond. I was ready to remove the waterfall & pond, figuring I'd end up with lots of mosquitoes and bugs, etc. from the water. The builder of the pond came to visit and asked "What will you do with all the fish in the pond??" I had no clue there were even fish in there!! I got the waterfall running, but to be honest I know zip...nada...nothing about what to do with the pond.

Here is the pond before spring:

Here's a more recent one:

And some of the fish, some old, some new:

 

[CometKeith]

Wow, What a neat pond and fish. You can learn a lot about ponds by reading old threads in the forum and asking questions on the newbie thread. By the way don't do any cleaning until you do a lot of reading first. Most of the natural stuff going on is good for your fish. Welcome to GPF!

 

[addy1]

Welcome to our group!

Wow very nice pond you inherited!

Did you get the builders phone number? you need to find out all you can about it, do you have a skimmer, what kind of pump, what kind of filter, how to take care of that filter etc.

 

[Butterfly]

Hi There

What a fab pon., There are people who would give anything to have a pond like that. Get on line and learn all you can, a little at a time it could become a wonderful hobby and bring you great joy and peace.
Butterfly

 

[DrCase]

Welcome to the Forum !!

 

[taherrmann4]

Welcome to the forum.

 

[DrDave]

Welcome to the Forum!

 

[ant says no]

There's a pump on it and a basic filter, but there's no REAL filtration going on, just kind of a pool skimmer type pump. I found the suction and try to keep it clear.

There's one type of plant that seems to grow A LOT in there, so much that it almost chokes off the pond. I've removed a bucket or two of it, but there is still plenty in there. Not sure what it is, but it sure does grow fast!!

I've been reading here for a while, learning a bunch, I've definitely found the "search" function! I'm contemplating building a biofilter first, and pumping it into the existing waterfall. The fish sure do LOVE the algae that grows on the waterfall, it's like a bunch of fat kids at the ice cream bar at the buffet!! I think they hang out there because it's cooler there too. That was why I cleared out that area some, so they would have some room to play & swim. I'm also looking into trying to clean up some of the muck on the bottom of the pond, especially in the low flow end of the pond by the bridge. I might do the shop vac thing too, not sure yet. It's a big pond.

Thanks for all the info here.

 

[ant says no]

Oh...and I think this guy might be responsible for a few of my fish "leaving" the pond!!

Or this guy:

They ignore the fishing line over the pond. I'm hoping they more like the loud frogs than the fish!!

 

[taherrmann4]

That plant you pulled out of the pond looks like anacharis it is an oxygenator that people will buy and put in the bottom. Here is a snipit I found on the internet about it.




More about Anacharis:

It is a fast grower, and will commonly double its size in two to three weeks. The plant anchors itself in the substrate by its roots, but will also grow when floating freely.

Anacharis can be bought in bunches of 6-8 stems and anchored, or pre-potted in a gravel mix. (The plant does not need to be “planted” per se, but putting it in gravel keeps it from floating all over the pond.) The pot or basket should be situated in the center of the pond. Recommended amounts vary from one bunch for every 10-20 gallons of pond water to one bunch per square foot of surface area for breakdown of fish waste and algae elimination. If pre-potted, simply sink the pot to the pond floor. It won’t take long for the Anacharis to grow to the top of the pond and spread out. Anacharis winters well here, and is recommended for zones 5-11. There is no need to fertilize the plant; you want it to take advantage of the excess nutrients (nitrates) already present in your pond.

 

[sissy]

welcome and at least you got a nice looking pond and waterfall .I guess you have some shoppers looking for dinner and your there food source .I love that bridge

 

[j.w]

Man I wish the Anacharis that I put in my pond would grown like that. I may have one or two tiny pieces of it left. I think one needs to have tons of it to start with so the fish can't keep up w/ eating it all!

 

[j.w]

Gosh I got so excited seeing all that nice pond plant that I forgot to welcome you, lol!

ant says no

 

[taherrmann4]

Man I wish the Anacharis that I put in my pond would grown like that. I may have one or two tiny pieces of it left. I think one needs to have tons of it to start with so the fish can't keep up w/ eating it all!

That's why I quit buying it, my fish kept eating eat it till it was completely gone.

 

[sissy]

Gosh I got so excited seeing all that nice pond plant that I forgot to welcome you, lol!

ant says no

is that not normal for you jw senior moment please a little silence while jw thinks LMAO