LOVE my new 7,500 gallon Koi pond

[shanezam203]

Don't forget the dechlorinater for those 7,500 gal and the goldfish. Unless it gets piped in from Lake Michigan, but water looks too clear and clean for that source lol!!!

How long could it take to naturally dechlorinate the 7500 gallons vs. buying water conditioner?

And does having the 4800gph pump running help? I'm curious if there is anything in the 1" stepper limestone I got that could make the water unsafe for the fish or could it actually help dechlorinate the water better???

 

[sissy]

time helps dechlor water also .I understand that oxygen and time help the water .Try to get a test kit and see if you get any readings .I would think with your waterfall running the water should be well oxygenated .I know you can buy regular water testing kits because i got one to test my well water when I replaced the pump .

 

[shanezam203]

Whenever I test my water at 3 different pet stores all 3 places say the levels are FINE. I just bought some of the green (15,000 gallon) water conditioner that is supposed to help make Tap Water fish safe. I know in my small 100 gallon Pond in the front I NEED to put a few splashes in it or the fish wont survive with strait hose water.

 

[waynefrcan]

There are a few people that believe chlorine does not kill the fish and that it's just a super big money maker for those companies. Anyone try running an aquarium without it? I'm pretty sure my dads pond had no water conditioner.

I haven't read any reports on chlorine dissolve rates. Seems to me it would take long long time to be harmless.

 

[waynefrcan]

Cement has lime and a bunch of other chemicals the fish won't like. I don't think enough on those blocks to do any harm as they solid and cured. Just do a partial water change if any worries.

 

[shanezam203]

Cement has lime and a bunch of other chemicals the fish won't like. I don't think enough on those blocks to do any harm as they solid and cured. Just do a partial water change if any worries.

Which blocks? The liner is between the Blocks and the water/ fish.

Or the lime stone in the waterfall? Does the limestone bring PH Up or Down does anyone know?

 

[waynefrcan]

OOps, I thought you meant the cement cap stones. Small amount of natural limestone in your waterfall I doubt has enough to do any harm to that size of water volume.

 

[CometKeith]

Hi Shanezam, Nice pond and waterfall. If you want some free floaters send me a pm and you can come pick them up from me. I'm just north of Chicago. I always add declor. In my opinion it's not worth taking a chance. Limestone brings up PH. PH is a measure of acidity versus alkaline. Lime is alkaline which is high ph. Plant will help lower your ph. For koi you want ph below 8.5. Goldfish can tolerate higher ph's. I agree. A small amount of limestone shouldn't harm anything.

 

[JCschild]

i had fish in my pond a few days after filling it..
i battled leaks for a long time (a yr) so i was always adding water with the hose.. but it went into the top pond and all the fish are in the bottom pond (3 ponds, 3 falls)
plus i added at best 10% (about 4-6") of the bottom pond. each pond is over 800 gal.

just had to do it again this morn. seems the top pond has a few block that settled (not hard clay in that area) so the water is right at the top of the block now.. takes about a week to drop 6"
going to be fun fixing that drop ughh. i think the declorinate fear is vastly overdone.. bear in mind this is coming from a guy who has never even tested his water.. has no clue what he is talking about
other than none of my fish have ever died and my water is now crystal clear. (purely luck not science or skill)

 

[CometKeith]

JC, every pond is slightly different and what works for one pond may not be the best answer for someone else. You may live in a region where there is not a lot of chlorine gas or Chloramine added to the water. There are some areas where there is a lot of chlorine etc. added to the water like large urban areas. Unfortunately chlorine and other toxic items such as ammonia, nitrite etc can not be seen with the naked eye. Your pond can look beautiful but can have very high concentrations of things that can poison your fish. The best way to check for ammonia, nitrite,nitrate, ph etc is to test your water. Many ponders that are experienced do not test that often because they know the warning signs, and at what times of the year there may be more of a concern. I only test in the spring when I am waiting for my pond to cycle. Shane, nice talking to you the other day. The offer is still open if you want to take a drive to get some plants.

 

[shanezam203]

I put some pond lettuce in & 2 goldfish.
Also I put in a few lilly pads, and water lily plants.
Nice to see the fish nipping at the bottoms of them.

 

[j.w]

I like how you have the Water Lettuce all nice and corralled up in there. Nice chairs to sit and gaze at the pond also! You need a shade umbrella now and a couple of nice drinkies and your all set

 

[Julia]

Hi Shane, Id like to borrow the idea of the lily pads. Aside from the coral, there's nothing at the bottom of the lilies, right?

 

[shanezam203]

Hi Shane, Id like to borrow the idea of the lily pads. Aside from the coral, there's nothing at the bottom of the lilies, right?

What you see in the pictures there is lettuce, I also planted some lilly pads and other pond plants in a floating basket that is hard to see because all the lettuce.

 

[sissy]

Right in that v section you have would be a great place for some kind of platform , a deck or pavers to raise your chairs up so you are not looking over the pond but into the pond much better for viewing and feeding .