Pond world Virgin

[sissy]

not sure where you are in NC but I am 15 minutes from there .There is the koi farm in NC that carries plants for water but a lot of the plants that grow regular can be used as pond plants .Elephant ears cannas .I love my grasses and fountain grass grows great .Kiefers is a good garden center to visit for ideas in Durham that have some really pretty stuff to see and lots of ideas /Miss Lillies pad is cute to visit and Reems creek garden center in Weaverville NC near Asheville NC are nice and I know of a couple of more .Remember your fish will get bigger and have tons of babies .

 

[sissy]

Give yourself time as learning alot takes time and you tube has lots of good video's and we will help here .I think I spent all of 300 dollars to do my pond and kept it cheap i am retired and on a certain budget .

 

[sissy]

If you are near Danville VA there is a garden center near the airport that sells pond plants by the bag for 5 dollars for a bag of mixed floating plants .There is danas garden center but she is not cheap and she is in Blairs VA

 

[crsublette]

Thank you all for the wealth of knowledge here. Its a little much to try to soak all this in at one time. I already have about 50 or so small goldfish in my pond and they seem to be doing fine.

For a 400 gallon pond, you just made the common beginner mistake.

I know I have to check the levels on my pond. I don't want to use any chemicals if I don't have to. 1) Is it to early to buy some of the aquatic plants mentioned above?
2) I guess the main question I have is what is the single most important thing I have to worrie about right now? 3) What should I be concerned about at this point in my project?

1) In my area, the aquatic plant supplier to my greenhouse buddy was not selling anything until May or June. So, it depends on who you are buying from and how big the plants are you are wanting to buy.

2) Number of fish, 50 goldies in a 400 gallon pond. Single most important thing to worry about is how this number of fish will pollute a small 400 gallon pond.

3) Understanding the nitrification cycle, water quality, and establishing a bio-filter.

A bio-filter creates the most optimum environment for your bio-bug bacteria to convert the toxic ammonia produced by fish into a "more" fish safe toxin.

A mechanical filter is what helps to clean your pond of debris and clean the floating particulates in the water.

Simple right? Talking filtration in the pond hobby can sometimes feel like talking politics.

The best you can do is to read, research, ask questions, and keep a skeptical open mind. Please ask questions.


There are many ways to skin a cat and many ways of using quilt batting to be used in a mechanical filter. When trying to do thing cheap, it's all about creativity.

 

[adavisus]

One hot day a pump will fail, a snake or a heron, will do the culling

The Spring season is late this year, if lucky we might get some reliable growing temps mid April

Regards, andy
http://www.flickr.com/photos/21940871@N06/
http://swglist.wordpress.com/

 

[oneman1pond]

The only reason I bought that many fish because the lady where I got the flagstone said that it would help bring the eco system up to speed. (she is not the pond expert there, he had left for the day.) what I want in the future is a shubunkin pond. I will be doing more research on the bio filter, and I do belive im a creative guy I just need to learn the basic rules of the game and maybe a few trick of the trade. How many filters can I run at the same time in the pond?
My problem is I guess I have a little bit of OCD. I don't want to crowd the bottom of my pond with hoards of filters and crap and I'm throwing a fit now because I see the pump wire but I don't think there is anything I can do about that, LOL. Also my nearest outlit is at the end of my front porch.
I will take some more detailed pictures tomorrow and post them up so yall can get a better understanding of what I'm working with.

 

[oneman1pond]

Ok. as I sit here staring at my laptop doing some research, I think the best biofilter set up I can go with at this point would be a waterfall biofilter set up. My wife wants a small waterfall anyway. I'm still not to sure on how to make it work, but again I'm probably WAAAaaay over thinking this. I have been lookin on ebay and amazon and found a few smaller ones for a decent price im guessing. I'll go around tomorrow and look for one around that price range. As of right now I think im better off buying one instead of trying to make one. I'll also try and find a test kit some place as well. I'll be sure to let yall know how it goes.

 

[sissy]

cheaper to build one mine is a tote and plantainer ,tote was 6 dollars ,lava rock was 4 dollars and furnice filter reusable from lowes was 8 dollars and quilt batting I bought queen sized and that was 7 dollars .I bought the baskets at dollar store .The tank adapter at pet mountain .com and a drill and bit I had .New oval tank was 60 gallon one and bout them for 25 dollars for 4 of them ,more room for plants .The hoses well they were sump pump hose and less than 11 dollars
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[sharedmedia=core:attachments:42779]wasted money on these things pressurized filters a waste of time .Building my own filter fun and clear water my reward .Saving money even better .

 

[sissy]

plus I love the challenge .I have built 3 decks helped build the front porch and carport and built my guest house.You have to love what you do and take the chance you never know until you try .

 

[shakaho]

I'm not saying much that hasn't been said before, but I've tried to put answers to all of your questions together.

I installed a small 400 gallon pond by the entrance to my front door. I got this pond from a friend of mine or seriously neglected the pond. It was full of string algae and green sludge. I got the pond to my house and took my pressure washer to it to get rid of all the green. ... Also it looks like my pond has a greenish looking or cloudy tint to it. it's not crystal clear like I expected it to be.

Your first newbie mistake was the pressure washing. The biofilm of algae and assorted other microorganisms and tiny animals was a valuable ecosystem. One is likely to have either a heavy coating of surface-growing algae or green water. Unless you used a detergent for the pressure wash, you probably left enough critters to regrow, but it will slow the maturation of your pond.

I have a mechanical box Filter I purchased from Lowes and the pump sits inside pumping the water out through a fountain nozzle that sits just above the water. I'm hoping that is going to provide the pond with enough oxygen.

That's fine for a fountain, but it isn't a filter for a fish pond. I know they say "for ponds up to 500 gallons." What that means is that even with NO fish this filter is inadequate for a pond of 501 gallons. It would be fine for two fish in a 100 gallon pond. You will need an external filter, and the best way to get one is DIY. Preformed ponds are usually shallow with lots of surface area. that provides your goldfish with plenty of oxygen. The purpose of filtration is to remove gunk (mechanical filtration) and to use microorganisms to remove toxins (biofiltration).

I have heard more then one say something about quilt batting, what exactly is quilt batting? Can I use quilt batting with what I already have set up? or would I need to rearrange some things in the pond?

This is quilt batting. No, you can't use it with your set up (assuming your pump is just powering a fountain). You have to have a pump with a hose on it. The hose takes the water to an external filter (preferably one you have built) where it goes through biofiltration medium and outflows to the pond (via that waterfall your wife wants). You put a plastic basket with quilt batting in it where the water comes out of the filter so the water runs through the batting.


Also what chemicals should I buy if any to put in my pond without hurting my small goldfish.

The only chemical you should put in your pond is dechlorinater.

I already have about 50 or so small goldfish in my pond and they seem to be doing fine. The mainly chill out at the bottom of the pond by the filter or under the ledges around the pond. every now and then the swim up to the surface and dive back down to the bottom.

That's ~ five times the number of goldfish your pond should have, once they have a year of growth on them. Those little guys will each have 3 inches of body length (not counting the tail) a year from now. If you got them from Petsmart, the odds are good they will all survive. I have NEVER had a 13 cent Petsmart goldie die within two years of purchase.

Is it to early to buy some of the aquatic plants mentioned above?

No.

My wife also talked me into building a small waterfall feature instead of using the fountain.

You need to go to the DIY forum and start learning how to build your filter. I suggest a 30 gallon plastic drum ( you can get them from a carwash) as a filter container. You can put the filter behind the waterfall, put some plants in front around it and in the top of the filter and it will be beautiful. You can use the little pump you have now to pump the water to the filter initially, but you should plan on an 800 gallon per hour pump for the long term.

The bottom line is I dont want to fail. I dont want my pond to go south on me. Im afraid it will turn into a disaster and I will loose my fish since im such a noob at this. Yes im worried but its in, it looks damn good and im in it for the long haul.

You'll do fine.

I guess the main question I have is what is the single most important thing I have to worrie about right now? What should I be concerned about at this point in my project?

Finding a new home for most of your fish.

Again thank you all for your support, your answers, and your knowledge. Im sure I wont be a virgin long!

You'll be an expert in no time.

The only reason I bought that many fish because the lady where I got the flagstone said that it would help bring the eco system up to speed. (she is not the pond expert there, he had left for the day.) what I want in the future is a shubunkin pond.

Sigh. Hindsight is wonderful. You should have started with two little shubunkin.

I will be doing more research on the bio filter, and I do believe im a creative guy I just need to learn the basic rules of the game and maybe a few trick of the trade. How many filters can I run at the same time in the pond?

As many as you can fit around the pond, LOL. But all you need is one. The little box is a great prefilter if you have a pump small enough to fit in it.

My problem is I guess I have a little bit of OCD. I don't want to crowd the bottom of my pond with hoards of filters and crap and I'm throwing a fit now because I see the pump wire but I don't think there is anything I can do about that, LOL. Also my nearest outlit is at the end of my front porch.
I will take some more detailed pictures tomorrow and post them up so yall can get a better understanding of what I'm working with.

So here's how you could tidy up.

1) Build a filter. If you can't stand the look of a barrel, build a nice box around it, and put plants in top of the filter. Locate the filter at one end of the pond, and
2) build a waterfall between the filter and the pond.
3) The opposite end of the pond from the filter and waterfall is where you will put your pump. You will have a cord and tubing coming out of the pipe. You can hide everything by making a bench, shelf, or bridge over that end of the pond. This provides shade and a hiding place for your fish, who will appreciate it. It will also hide your pump. Find an inconspicuous place to bring your tubing and cord out of the pond and run them through a pvc pipe to the filter. You can bury the pipe.

 

[sissy]

You tube show so many video's of filter builds and they add more every day .I was just watching waterfall builds and found so good new ones on there that might work for my build .Info is out there and with the internet it is easy to find .I will have to take a pick of my other tote filter before I take it apart .I double up 2 totes so they were stronger

 

[sissy]

part tank cut handle off one part 2 tank adapter and parts from hardware store 2 screw on parts one is black and one is white so I can put the T part on to pull water from the bottom of the tank

 

[oneman1pond]

I wanted to post some pictures of how the pond looks as of right now but unfortunately I forgot how to do so :question:
on a lighter note I have been researching youtube and reading lot of great info on the net. as soon as I can figure this out ill post more pictures.

 

[oneman1pond]

I just completed my homemade biofilter. As soon as the weather warms up a bit and when I come up with a clever idea to hide it i'll hook it up and let it go to work.
Thank you all again, I'll be sure to keep you posted!

 

[sissy]

to post pics all you do is hit the tab that says more reply options next to post