Need help adding 3grown Comet Goldfish to new pond...Thanks!

[deadringer303]

Horizontal was what i was thinking, I liked the security of wrapping it over the edge and attaching it to the top, and then covering that up with another layer of brick for a cap, and what haro said, mortar the new layer on top, I just added grommets and screws for extra security. But yes, attaching it vertically with the bender board is a good idea too. then you dont have to worry about sandwiching it between two bricks or addoing any more additioanl brickwork that what is already done.


And ditto in that lily... I thought that when I first looked at the picture, but wasnt sure if maybe that was already the deepest part of the pond, not sure how big that pot was.

That is the pot it came in. I got it last summer and it is just starting to grow a few pads. that is the shallow part of the pond. The problem is that my deep part is bowl shaped and the pump and bio are in that part. I really do need to dig and re form the bottom to be more usable. I was thinking of shoring it all the way around (like it is now, just nor rounded) and making the shallow edge narrower and the deeper part larger in diameter. I am learning as I go. I acutally built the pond becuase I had a ton of left over bricks just going to waste. Wasnt really sure what ponds entailed. I just went for it. So, if I can get the lily to share the deep part with the pump (laying flat) it will grow to the surface farily easy? What about the papyrus? I read not to put the top of that more than 4-6" below the surface.

After my cinco de mayo party I think I will tackle the digging

 

[deadringer303]

Correct.


That sounds like the stuff you want. I would check the percentages of each compound to make sure it's a good source of calcium chloride because that's what you're after. Potassium chloride is also called "muriate of potash" and used as a fertilizer. I once put 5lbs of potash into a 30 gal tank and hatched goldfish eggs in it and grew the fry to about 1/2". Fish were fine, grew to normal adults. 5 lbs in 30 gal is waaay a lot, but this was an experiment. Sodium chloride is salt which is fine as long as not too much is added, check the percentage. Calcium bromide is used in aquarium additives for buffering.

You can get purer sources of calcium chloride if you'd feel uncomfortable adding "deicer". You should research to make sure you're comfortable with your understanding. A forum is a place to get info on what to research further. It's like getting a cake recipe, you still need a good understanding of the process to produce a good cake.

Here are the specs. What do you think? Also, I will wait until I have re-done the liner to add everything. I assume that the levels will be similar based on my type of city right?

 

[deadringer303]

Also, are these levels have a greater effect on fish than plants? As in, will my plants do better once everything is more stable and at the right levels?

 

[deadringer303]

The pic of the specs will not attach.

 

[deadringer303]

Calcium Chloride - >90-2-4-2-

 

[Waterbug]

Here are the specs. What do you think?

Those specs actually look great to me. But ---- you have to confirm the specs ---- you have to understand it ---- you have to be able to do testing and calculations ---- I know you're just wanting confirmation, but I don't want to send you out with a loaded gun not understanding how it works. Glad to give a second opinion. But I'd be doing you no favor telling you to dump stuff into a pond I've never seen or tested for myself.

I assume that the levels will be similar based on my type of city right?

I don't know what that means. The word "city" does remind me of something...you should know the KH and GH of your water supply. If your source water has good levels already you may be able to keep KH and GH up with just trickle water changes.

 

[JohnHuff]

deadringer303, you have a wonderful yard and pond! Your Beckett filter is not totally useless, the 5 foam pieces will help mechanically filter out a lot of the floating stuff. Just make sure that you clean those out more often, probably at least once a week.

From your initial posts it doesn't seem like you're doing enough water changes. You should probably do it more frequently but less each time, and not wait until the pond is overtaken with algae.

Lastly, it doesn't seem like you have enough bio-filtration in the pond. Waterbug says to add a trickle tower, which is a good idea. A really quick way to increase the surface area where bacteria can live is to add more stones to the flat area on the waterfall where the water is coming off. Just completely fill that area with 1-2 layers of stone. The water will wash over the stones and in a few weeks, they will be colonized with good bacteria and help with the bio-filtration.

 

[deadringer303]

My current GH is 60ppm and KH is around 60 as well. The color was inbetween 40 and 80 so I am estimating that one. PH is at 6-6.5.

Here is my understanding.

KH will stabalize the PH and helt to buffer or prevent swings in PH levels which can damage everything.
GH will help to keep PH from climing too high when I raise the KH.
Nitratites should be at zero and nitrates should be less than 20ppm. Also keep amonia down through water changes or filtering (after fish are added)
From there I need to monitor as needed and do water changes. I should add these chemicals in small amounts and check levels to ensure I do not over do it.
This is what i understand so far.
I need to calculate the right amount of each based on my current levels. Correct?

 

[Waterbug]

Also, are these levels have a greater effect on fish than plants? As in, will my plants do better once everything is more stable and at the right levels?

I'm not sure if there is any benefit to plants, but I don't think there's any harm.

Optimal is one thing, practical is another. For example, there are lots of chemicals that can be used to buffer water at all kinds of different levels. What I've outlined is common in ponds, when done. Most pond owners do no buffering or testing. They can be fine for years, maybe forever given the right source water.

What I don't know is the effect on amphibians. I'm no expert on ponds and less so on amphibians. My assumption is stable pH would be good for them and all these chemicals, at these levels, are in many bodies of freshwater water in the northern hemisphere. I think when you get into tropical fish there are some issues. But now I'm even more over my head.

 

[deadringer303]

deadringer303, you have a wonderful yard and pond! Your Beckett filter is not totally useless, the 5 foam pieces will help mechanically filter out a lot of the floating stuff. Just make sure that you clean those out more often, probably at least once a week.

From your initial posts it doesn't seem like you're doing enough water changes. You should probably do it more frequently but less each time, and not wait until the pond is overtaken with algae.

Lastly, it doesn't seem like you have enough bio-filtration in the pond. Waterbug says to add a trickle tower, which is a good idea. A really quick way to increase the surface area where bacteria can live is to add more stones to the flat area on the waterfall where the water is coming off. Just completely fill that area with 1-2 layers of stone. The water will wash over the stones and in a few weeks, they will be colonized with good bacteria and help with the bio-filtration.

As far as water changes go, I jsu tdid an 80%ish change and it is still pretty green. Better than before though. I really dont mind it but would prefer a bit more visability. I jsut want the fish to be happy once I introduce some. I think I may have done the water change incorrectly. What I did was simply put the waterfall pump hose out of the pond and let it pump itself out. Should i be using a bucket instead to get out the algae? Is the filter preventing it from leaving the system?

Also, the filter does contain the plastic bio balls and I also put s few of those rocks in the container to add weight and keep it submerged. So, the difference between a drip filter and a fixed submerged one is that the drip one actually removes things from the water and the fixed one does not?

 

[Waterbug]

Your Beckett filter is not totally useless, the 5 foam pieces will help mechanically filter out a lot of the floating stuff. Just make sure that you clean those out more often, probably at least once a week.

Truer words were never spoken. But to me, pulling a mechanical filter out of a pond once a week to squeeze out a bit of muck = worthless. Easier ways. And there's the issue of muck in a filter killing bacteria. So either it's a mechanical filter OR a bio filter, but both...I don't think so. At least not a reasonable bio filter.

Lastly, it doesn't seem like you have enough bio-filtration in the pond.

Ammonia and nirites measures 0. Why would additional bio-filtration be needed? What would it filter? How would additional bacteria grow and live without additional food? Not trying to bully you, but I think it would be helpful to explain the reasoning.

 

[deadringer303]

P.S. - This site is awesome! I can't believe all of the responses I am recieving. Thank you all! I just want to learn! Granted, they are "opinions" it is better for me to hear opinions from people I can respond to ass opposed to trying to piece info together from thousands of sites. This has gievn me a better sense of direction and what I should be learning about.

 

[Waterbug]

My current GH is 60ppm and KH is around 60 as well. The color was inbetween 40 and 80 so I am estimating that one. PH is at 6-6.5.

Here is my understanding.

KH will stabalize the PH and helt to buffer or prevent swings in PH levels which can damage everything.
GH will help to keep PH from climing too high when I raise the KH.
Nitratites should be at zero and nitrates should be less than 20ppm. Also keep amonia down through water changes or filtering (after fish are added)
From there I need to monitor as needed and do water changes. I should add these chemicals in small amounts and check levels to ensure I do not over do it.
This is what i understand so far.
I need to calculate the right amount of each based on my current levels. Correct?

That's a pretty good basis imo. Way better than most ponds I think.

 

[deadringer303]

Truer words were never spoken. But to me, pulling a mechanical filter out of a pond once a week to squeeze out a bit of muck = worthless. Easier ways. And there's the issue of muck in a filter killing bacteria. So either it's a mechanical filter OR a bio filter, but both...I don't think so. At least not a reasonable bio filter.


Ammonia and nirites measures 0. Why would additional bio-filtration be needed? What would it filter? How would additional bacteria grow and live without additional food? Not trying to bully you, but I think it would be helpful to explain the reasoning.

It would be needed once fish are added as the nitrites will be added to the pond. Is that not right? Yes, without fish, it is zero. But that will change once the fish add waste to the system. Does that not make sense?

 

[deadringer303]

Ok, so I just retested and the levels have changed a bit without me doing anything at all overnight. The GH is closer to 120 now. The color is between 60 and 120 and closer to the 120 side. KH is still 40 and ph is up from 6-6.5 to 6.5 to 7. Why??? I didn't add anything or do anything.