Soldato
- Joined
- 22 Apr 2009
- Posts
- 3,772
- Location
- North-West
Garden Ponds
- Thread starter NickK
- Start date
I have just bought a house that comes with a 6ft x 6ft pond. The water is pretty clear and it's currently home to thousands of tadpoles.
Not sure what to do with it! I'd like to keep it but don't want to start changing liners etc. Might just get one of the hozelock all in ones and get a few goldfish and see how it goes! Few pics...
Not sure what to do with it! I'd like to keep it but don't want to start changing liners etc. Might just get one of the hozelock all in ones and get a few goldfish and see how it goes! Few pics...
Thanks 
Do you think it's worth getting a vac or decent net to give it a good clean at the bottom or just leave it as is? The previous owner hasn't touched it for years. I've cleaned out most of the crumbled bits of paving and other rubbish.
Do you think it's worth getting a vac or decent net to give it a good clean at the bottom or just leave it as is? The previous owner hasn't touched it for years. I've cleaned out most of the crumbled bits of paving and other rubbish.
I would clean the bottom of any decaying matter at the very least with a net.
Not sure how much experience you have with fishkeeping but are you able to test the water parameters (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate levels etc)? Don't be fooled into assuming that because the water clarity looks good the water will be clean and safe for fish, as even low levels of ammonia and nitrite will be harmful to your fish. The two plants and what appears to be lillies will have help with some biological filtering but I think you would be better off draining 75% of the water if not the whole lot and refilling it again with dechlorinated water. Then install your new pump/filter and re-establish the cycling process.
Not sure how much experience you have with fishkeeping but are you able to test the water parameters (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate levels etc)? Don't be fooled into assuming that because the water clarity looks good the water will be clean and safe for fish, as even low levels of ammonia and nitrite will be harmful to your fish. The two plants and what appears to be lillies will have help with some biological filtering but I think you would be better off draining 75% of the water if not the whole lot and refilling it again with dechlorinated water. Then install your new pump/filter and re-establish the cycling process.
Yup you'll need to work out how much water is in it. Then look at the pump/filter.
As soon as you add fish, then their food consumption will put stress on the environment to recycle their waste/uneaten food. The size of pond + number of fish = size of pump and filter.
Those black cables look like it had a filter or a simple fountain pump system.
A word of warning - Koi or Ghost carp need at least 2x the filtration of normal fish which results in expensive equipment. They also dig around in the pond so you'll find all the dirt will end up being sucked into the filter..
I would be proud to have a pond like that as is with it being a home to frogs, and it doesn't look too bad aesthetically. May dredge some of the bottom debris to make it deeper once they've all gone. Personally would not add any more than a couple of small fish to it if that, to reduce the risk of them predating everything else.
Thanks. To be honest we are quite happy with it as is, although the paving slabs around the edge need replacing as they are crumbling.
We like the sound of water so would like to have a small waterfall/fountain, If we do get a fish it would just be a few small goldfish and nothing more.
When the frogs were spawning the pond was packed full of them! I stopped counting at 100
We like the sound of water so would like to have a small waterfall/fountain, If we do get a fish it would just be a few small goldfish and nothing more.
When the frogs were spawning the pond was packed full of them! I stopped counting at 100
New purchase.. pond skimmer 
to pick up the crap that floats around the surface.
Cleaned out the canister too - first time since it was put in the pond rather than just rotate the handle. Lots of crap at the bottom of the canister filter but looks like it has been working and not smelling bad which seems good news, so it's all organics and sand.
to pick up the crap that floats around the surface.Cleaned out the canister too - first time since it was put in the pond rather than just rotate the handle. Lots of crap at the bottom of the canister filter but looks like it has been working and not smelling bad which seems good news, so it's all organics and sand.
So I've had a few different types of food .. but one of my fish is picky and I mean picky.
Canned sweetcorn - OMG! Yum! however only on the drop.. so fed single kernel at a time.
Freezedried Mealworms - yum!
Freezedried small shrimp - yum!
Medikoi Staple - they all love, not much residue on the bottom of the pond either
Waterworld premium that is coming to the end of the date - they all seem to eat, sinks after a bit and after digested there's some residue
Tetra sticks Growth - they will eat, however there's lots of residue on the bottom of the pond
Tetra sticks Wheatgerm - they will eat when colder
Dried silkworm pupae - some will eat others just spit out
Nishkoi Growth - some love some hate (spit out)
Freezedried larger shrimp - bleugh
I just bough a pack of Nishkoi .. seems I'll be going back to Medikoi then lol.
Canned sweetcorn - OMG! Yum! however only on the drop.. so fed single kernel at a time.
Freezedried Mealworms - yum!
Freezedried small shrimp - yum!
Medikoi Staple - they all love, not much residue on the bottom of the pond either
Waterworld premium that is coming to the end of the date - they all seem to eat, sinks after a bit and after digested there's some residue
Tetra sticks Growth - they will eat, however there's lots of residue on the bottom of the pond
Tetra sticks Wheatgerm - they will eat when colder
Dried silkworm pupae - some will eat others just spit out
Nishkoi Growth - some love some hate (spit out)
Freezedried larger shrimp - bleugh
I just bough a pack of Nishkoi .. seems I'll be going back to Medikoi then lol.
Compost heap..
Alternatively, dig a hole and then put it all in there. Wait for the water to drain away and then put earth back on top.
Made a DIY vacuum using the old bioforce 4500 canister & 2500 pump. No filter material needed as it sets up a cyclone and the pump with the small diameter hose means it settles stuff nicely. garden hose -> hose lock connector -> input port -> canister -> outlet port connect to input of pump -> return to pond. This way needs a 'wet' initialise using the pump to pump the water in and blow out the bubbles but then switch to the set up as stated.. it means the crap get extracted before it gets to the pump.
Then hose up the crap at the bottom of the pond.. the filter canister floats and I have removed all the old UV electrics so it's got no electrical except the waterproof pump.
Does it work?
After one go at the deepest area of the pond. The result of the little gits digging up the plant pots.
Did it again for the other side of the pond - gunktastic. I did note that the veggie filter has more poop in it but I thought it probably has quite a bit of wildlife in so I left it.
Added at full set of filter materials to it and have left it going - so it's busy polishing the water along with the main bioforce 9000 + 6000 pump.
Then hose up the crap at the bottom of the pond.. the filter canister floats and I have removed all the old UV electrics so it's got no electrical except the waterproof pump.
Does it work?
After one go at the deepest area of the pond. The result of the little gits digging up the plant pots.
Did it again for the other side of the pond - gunktastic. I did note that the veggie filter has more poop in it but I thought it probably has quite a bit of wildlife in so I left it.
Added at full set of filter materials to it and have left it going - so it's busy polishing the water along with the main bioforce 9000 + 6000 pump.
An apple tree ha blew donw last week in my garden. The neighbour a grounds man with a digger came and cut it up with his chainsaw and took the logs. I have just finished today buring the rest of it nd Iv'e been left with a huge stump. My neighbour say he will be coming down in the week to dig it up with his digger, level the ground so we can mow the area.
I was sat done the bottom of the garden and it suddenly dawned on me a pond would be really cool.
I'll take pictures tomorrow and get some input
I was sat done the bottom of the garden and it suddenly dawned on me a pond would be really cool.
I'll take pictures tomorrow and get some input
Ponds are only cool when they are up and running with nothing else to do. I found them hard work - Plant's grew like hell - they needed a lot of work over the year - feed the fish -protect against Herons - keep pump and filters going - In fact I made two filters with 50 gallon drums - Search youtube ! -- Then to top it all pump packed up and few days later had thunderstorm - lost a lot of fish - Wouldn't do one again - to much hassle .