| Q
and A; or...HELP! Do you have a question
about ponding, planting, fish, filtration? Send us an e-mail.
We will do our very best to answer it.
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- ... It is
in full sun around 9 hours a day and has 7 water lilies 12 oxygenators and 4 other
plants. When we first put the pond in it had 7 koi fish and the water was clear
with green rocks on the bottom looked great, then we got 20 more koi 3 days later
the water started turning green now we can only see down 3 " MAYBE...(Added
9-17-06) See reply.
- I
have tried to make a filter myself but I have run into a leaking problem, my Mom
told me just buy one....but I am not sure about the gph. My pump that I have is
a cal pump PW4500 that runs 4500 gph so that mean that I need a filter that runs
4500 gph. I am confused because the bio filter that is to go with this pump only
runs 2000 gph. Does that mean that I can use any bio filter of my choice that
runs 2000 gph? It just does not sense to me. I am having a problem with green
water and I know that bio filter will most likely be the answer to my water problems.
(Added 9-17-06) See
reply.
- Early
this week our pond started to get very murky, almost tea colored. Can you recommend
a method or product to use to clear it again? (Added
9-17-06) See reply.
- My wife bought me a UV filter
for our 3000 gal pond with the hope it would kill the algae. It looks like it
would be difficult to plumb into my Biofalls filter system. Is it worth the trouble
and would it, in fact, even kill off the algae and help keep my pond cleaner.
Right now I have a pretty big algae problem. I've also tried large bales of barley
straw in the waterfall tub where the water enters the pond. Other than dying the
water a dark tea brown I'm not sure the barley straw is doing much. What are your
opinions of the UV filter and barley straw? (Added 6-22-06)
See reply.
- I have a
question from MPKS member Carol B. . Her Koi fish have been changing colors the
last couple of years and she wanted to know what she can do to help prevent this.
This year, she had a 1 year old fish that was White with 3 Orange spots. The fish
lost all it's spots and is pure White now. She also had a 3 year old fish starting
late last year into this year, changing from Black to Gray. Also early last year
she had a 10 year old fish change from Orange,Black,and Red color to White and
Black. She has been feeding them Tetra Pond Sticks. She doesn't have a problem
with diseases and hasn't lost a fish in years. The water quality is good. The
pond is in full sun and the water is clear. Any suggestion would be helpful.
(Added 6-21-06) See
reply.
- Over
the last 3 months (since the winter started) we have lost approximately 6 fish
to ulcers in their sides and top of head. We were told it was because we left
the pump on over the cold weather and therefore pushing cold water constantly
to the bottom of the tank - this was stressing the fish. Since the warmer weather
started we have treated the pump with an anti-bacterial treatment and also an
anti-ulcer treatment. We have a lot of lilies so the fish do get shade from them
but we have notices that during the past 3 weeks we have another 3 fish showing
signs of ulcers. We feed some flake (Tetra flake) for the smaller fish and some
pellets (also Tetra) for the larger fish. We also have a lot of blanket weed.
Do you have any suggestion as to what we can do or are doing wrong? We are getting
very desperate now. (Added 6-21-06) See
reply.
- We
have enjoyed your many tips and advice through your web site. We hope that you
can help us with a decision on purchasing a UV sterilizer.
(Added 6-21-06) See
reply.
- We
have a 3 year-old 3000 gal pond with plenty o' circulation. No ammonia, nitrate
problems, but pH was high, at 9, last week, which I attributed to the heavy rains
recently. We did our second 30% water changes of the season and saw the pH come
down to 8. we don't have many show quality koi, but our prized 12" sanke(of course,
the nicest, and only, one) lost a lot of color overnight. All colors faded considerably
overnight several days after a 30% water change. Is the fading related to the
pH levels, the water change, or something completely different? How do we maintain
proper pH in such a large pond? (Added 6-21-06) See
reply.
- Our
family moved into a house w/ an enormous 17' x 22' steel pond in the backyard.
It hasn't been used for years and is rusty. We've scraped and sanded w/ a steel
brush and are now ready to paint. The trouble is, what type of paint to use that
will be friendly to aquatic [plant and animal] life? And do we need a primer?
(Added 6-21-06) See
reply
We are experiencing
an increase in the Nitrite level in our pond. How can we get this down? We have
0 ammonia, pH = 7.5 and we salted to about 0.1%. Koi are all eating and doing
well it seems. The Nitrite registers at the first 0.25 ppm after 5 minutes. Will
the microbe lift/Nite-out product work for this? (Added
6-2-06) See reply.
- We have recently seen
3 ducks in our Koi Pond. We currently have about 2 dozen Comets and Shubunkins
and 2 each 12 inch Koi. The comets seem to provide offspring every fall. Are there
any advantages and or disadvantages to the ducks stopping here? If not, any suggestions
as a deterrent? (Added 6-2-06)
See reply.
- Please help,
my mother is driving me mad with her pond. It is in direct sunlight through the
day and i know she has too many fish for the size that it is. I would guess that
it's 12 x 12 x 4 at the deepest. The water has already turned green and the two
brush type filter boxes that she has just can't keep up with it. I often see people
giving away their above swimming pools with the filters. Could the pumps and filters
be cleaned and used for pond use? (Added 6-2-06)
See reply.
- I recently purchased
a home with a pond that I believe to be 500-750 gallons but I have no idea what
to do with it! There aren't any fish and I haven't seen any plants pop up yet.
It is tarp lined and all that I've noticed growing is mosquito larva. I would
like to keep it, but I don't want it to be too much work. I have cleaned it out
thoroughly with a net and have installed a pump and filter. Where do I go from
here? (Added 5-3-06) See
reply.
- We
have had a couple of interesting things happen in the natural pond in our backyard
the last two summers. We have lived here 19 years and these are both firsts. Last
summer, after a heavy rain, we found over twenty crayfish in our inground swimming
pool which is about 60 feet from the pond. This happened twice. What would cause
them to want to enter our pool?
This spring we looked out and could
see an orange glow in the pond and found there to be well over 100 goldfish that
are six to eight inches long in the pond. We live in Minnesota and the pond's
deepest point is four feet deep, it is 300 feet long and 100 feet wide. We do
know that a neighbor put five goldfish from their home aquarium into the pond
last summer. Would these goldfish have reproduced and grown this large in this
short amount of time? What will happen to them? Will they continue to multiply
at an alarming rate? (The pond is also treated monthly from May through September
to prevent the growth of algae and other weeds and is not a DNR controlled pond.)
(Added
5-3-06) See reply.
Hi, I hope you can help me, because I've
been trying to figure out if this is feasible, and I'd really appreciate your
input. I live in Iowa City, Iowa, and I have a (somewhat) large pond in my
backyard. It is roughly 220 feet by 100 feet. It is in the remains of an old limestone
quarry, and is fed in the winter by an underground spring at one end. The water
has an average depth of 3 feet, with a deepest point about 10 feet. Our house
sits on the edge of the quarry, and we often spend time on the deck looking down
at the fish in the pond. There is a very healthy (some HUGE) carp that live in
the pond, and while I know koi aren't the same thing as grass carp, I can't help
imagine how beautiful they would be in this pond. I'm just trying to figure out
if you think it would be possible to put fish in this pond. I'm not looking for
any prize winning koi, but I believe that some pond quality koi would look really
nice. (Added 5-3-06) See
reply. - Thank
you very much for getting back to me so quickly! I've been thinking about this
for over a year, and I really didn't know where to start, so I really appreciate
your feedback. So the pond is surrounding by 60 foot cliffs on 3 sides (one of
which our house is on) so the viewing from above is really quite good. The water
is definitely not "gin clear", but its quite easy to see almost anything
from above, just because of the height from above. We've always thought of it
as our private aquarium. The pond is reasonably shallow, and allows a remarkably
good view of 80% of the pond from the deck.
This is one of the reasons
I'm really interested in seeing if we can put something in there. I'm actually
a 23 year old medical student, and this is my parent's house, but I grew up playing
in the pond, and as a biology major and a self proclaimed "fish nerd"
and fisherman I think I have a pretty good idea of the ecosystem down there.
I know the predominate species is grass carp, and while there are a few small
bass, they're population is probably 1/80th of the grasscarp. There are no panfish
as I have seen, and if there are any other species they are very reclusive. I
just know that because the pond is well suited for grass carp, they definitely
have the run of the place, and its always fun to watch them. In regards to predators,
we occasionally have a great blue heron that comes by (which I know could have
a field day), and every once in a while have raccoons, but most of the terrestrial
predators are minimized because the quarry cliffs come down the water on 3 sides,
affording almost no standing room. There is no outlet to an above ground waterway,
and the only reason we know there's a spring feeding in is because one end never
freezes in the winter. Last night I ordered a water testing kit, just to make
sure that the water quality was within reasonable parameters for koi. Again, I
really want to thank you for getting back to me, and I just have a few more questions.
A) If I got some sort of koi, is it possible to get some kind of pond quality
koi. I'm not looking for any grand champions here, but I'm just trying to get
something pretty to look at from above. And because its such a big pond, and predation
could be a problem, I feel like I'd need to put in a high quantity of fish (any
ideas for where to buy, cost, numbers to introduce?). B) Would I still
need to feed these fish pellets in this natural environment, or would it be possible
for them to feed off the natural ecosystem. Ideally I don't want to have to feed
the fish, because I think its unlikely that I could feed the Koi selectively over
the grasscarp, and I get the feeling that could get expensive. Also I don't really
want to make the koi targets from avian predators. If you could help
me with these questions, I would really appreciate it. My father is from Japan,
and I know it would make his day to see koi in his backyard.
(Added 5-3-06) See
reply.
- We
are in the process of "redoing" our pond. We originally did our pond with the
acquascape system, and have been slowly redoing it as we have realize that it
wasn't very efficient. My husband did build and dig it out himself. We have been
very lucky that our koi have been healthy, but we have been very diligent with
cleaning, water changes etc. However, we are ditching the all the gravel (we don't
have a lot left) and would like to get a new liner, and put in a bottom drain.
However, we would like some advice on the best type of filtration system to get
for our pond. My husband will be doing a lot of the work himself as he is quite
knowledgable in plumbing and electrical. We will most likely hire someone to help
dig and also remove boulders.
However, my main questions
are: --What brands would you recommend for a filtration system?
--What bottom drain brands or systems would you recommend?
(Added 4-11-06) See
reply. - we
have an outside pond full of goldfish. I have fed them all winter but the other
day I was told to not feed them between Oct through Mar, then start them on cheerios
cereal. I would like to know at least for next winter. (Added
4-5-06) See reply.
- I am a
new ponder (purchased a new home at Christmas). I have read with much interest
your website and contributions. When is the correct time to begin feeding my fish?
Any help would be greatly appreciated. (Added 4-5-06)
See reply.
- i have just spring
cleaned my pond, i stock approx 45 - 50 goldfish, shubunkins and golden orfe.
i have discovered that i have several baby crayfish approx 1-2cm long. will these
crayfish harm my other fish, and if so how can i get rid of them? (Added
3-26-06) See reply.
- i recently
bought 4 butterfly koi. i was wondering if there is shows for them like there
is for regular koi. my pond is 700 gallons and i was wandering if this will be
alright when the are fully grown (Added 3-26-06)
See reply.
- I purchased a
house over the winter months and the backyard came complete with a run down dirty
koi pond. The owner told me that they removed the heater when they moved. So the
pond and fish sat unsupervised for months. I did not pay much attention to it
over the winter since it was dirty and cold outside. On the first really nice
weekend day I looked in the pond and I couldn't believe it...I have koi fish that
survived. There are also a couple of plecastemus (sp). My problem is that through
the fall all the leaves from the surrounding trees fell into the pond and I have
no clue where to start. I love the idea of a pond, but I am feeling very overwhelmed.
It is hard to find good information and specifics about how to start over when
your pond is already built with living fish in it. I am afraid of killing my koi.
(Added 3-25-06) See
reply.
-
...The last two winters we have lost our largest fish while the others seem to
be fine. I think that maybe they just get too big for the pond (approx 1250 gals.),
and don't enough oxygen. The ones we have lost are wonderfully colored, and obviously
quite big ( our lagest ever was about 10lbs). Questions: 1. would adding a air
stone help? 2. does anyone make a stone that has a pump that can be outside? 3.
am I right in my assumption regarding the size/oxygen? ... (Added
3-25-06) See reply.
- ...My
major question of course is how do I get rid of the string algae? How long should
it take to get rid of it? Should I treat the pond in the winter? Must I figure
out some way to shade the pond? (Added 3-22-06) See
reply.
-
I live in Lewiston Idaho and have a 300 gallon pond. My koi had babies last summer
around Sept. I pulled them out of the pond and put them [11 total] in an aquarium
in my house. How do I successfully transfer them to the pond. Please be somewhat
specific as I am new at this pond thing. (Added 3-22-06)
See reply.
- I have kept my
koi inside for the winter. How do I:
get their immune systems up before reintroduction
to the pond? get the PH level similar to the pond? get the pond as good
for them as it can be - reduce "nasties" get good bacteria going?
Do I put in one or two at a time, then a couple more? (There are 2 koi
who stayed in the pond over winter). (Added 3-22-06)
See reply.
- Hi...We have
a 3000 gallon Koi pond and are located in Louisville, KY. My question is: Is there
a simple was to tell the sex of the Koi? We have been very successful this year
without trying to be. We have baby Koi every where. We are planning on adding
to our pond by building a separate pond with a water fall connecting them. I would
like to be able to separate the males from the females so that we do not become
over populated. I am trying to find homes for the baby Koi, and there are a few
perfectly marked ones that I wish to keep. I really do not like the Idea of them
becoming feeder fish. The adult Koi that we have are imported Koi and the baby
Koi are about 3 inches long now and are getting their color and patterns. They
are going to be really striking specimens. I would appreciate any insight that
you could possibly give me. (Added 3-22-06) See
reply.
-
Hi, I was wondering if you can suggest a pond vacuum for me, I want to be able
to get the muck and dirt from the bottom of the pond and also be able to return
the (clean?) water back into the pond at the same time, is this at all possible?
(Added 3-22-06) See
reply.
- hello
my name is james ... iam making a 3 cotainer vortex system, my first tank is the
vortex where the waste settles,comes in from bottom up to the top into a tube
down the tube and out of the settling tank bottom, Is this right, then back up
to the mechanical tank top the water drops trought the brushes and out the bottom
is this right, then pipes back up to the top of the biological tank where I could
have a spray bar with a tee so air would get in trought the top of the tee, dripping
water on japanease matting then down to bioballs and out the bottom of barrel
is this right, then going out from bottom to a sand filter, this is opional...then
to a pump. Please let me know if all this is right and if I need any corretions
please help,. I have a 7500gallon pond stoked with about 20 nice size koi, please
help to let me know what size pump to use. also how does the pump pump water to
each barrel if the pump is after the last filter, wouldn't it just suck air, after
it sucked all the water from the last barrel, I know it is all gravity fed, how
is it pushing water out from the bottom drains? (Added 3-8-06)
See reply.
- I originally had
3 plecostemus in my cement pond with waterfalls - approximately 8 ft by about
3 ft pond that grew to almost a foot long and had babies that are getting big
also. I was considering trying to catch a few of them & put them into a local
canal here in south Florida. I have plants with goldfish & guppies in my pond.
The plecos seem to eat all my floating fish food & I didn't think I needed that
many. Is it ok to release them to a local canal. (Added
3-8-06) See reply.
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