Converting fish pond to decorative pond?

[MD56]

Hi All,

A year or so ago we bought a house with a pretty large 3000+ gal Koi pond in the back yard. The pond no longer has fish in it, but we love the ambiance so we've kept the pond running and maintained as best we can. This past week I decided it was time to drain the pond and give it a good cleaning. With the pond empty and clean, I'm wondering if there are any changes I should make now that it's not a "koi pond" anymore. We are 99% sure that we will not be adding fish again anytime in the foreseeable future.

The pond filtration system is pretty elaborate. I have 3 concrete cells that are dug into the ground and filled with filter media. Each cells hold at least a couple hundred gallons of water. The first cell is 3 rows of filter brushes. The water then passes through to a cell filled with blue bio mesh mats and then to the 3rd cell which is also filled with bio mesh mats. From there the water is pumped back into the pond. We also have skimmers which do not run through the filtration.

So based on this filtration system, is there anything I should add / take away now that the pond is purely decorative? Obviously keeping Algae down is a huge priority, but is there anything else I can do to make this system more efficient as a decorative pond? We have a lot of queen palms in our back yard and I shoveled about 4 buckets worth of palm seeds out of the pond. Is there anything we can add to help with that?

Any thoughts are appreciated.

 

[Mmathis]

You may not need filtration if you won't be having fish -- or at least not the kind it was set up for. But I would keep a pump going for circulation. Just my opinion. Will you have any plants like water lillys, or any marginal plants?

And for that 1% chance, you could add some mosquito fish or Rosy Red minnows if you didn't want to hassle with koi or goldfish.

 

[Meyer Jordan]

Filtration is not necessary in the absence of fish, but it may be easier to keep the existing filtration on-line than trying to by-pass it. You will need water movement. It has already been asked, but are you envisioning a Water Garden or more of a Formal Feature?

 

[tbendl]

I have a decorative pond and outside of plants and water circulation, everything else I've done has been purely aesthetic.

 

[MD56]

The pump will definitely stay on, we have a large waterfall feature that returns the water back to the pond (and makes for great water sound).

I have not given much thought to doing a water garden, do i still need the filtration for that? I think the only reason I was considering ditching the filters were because they are just another thing that needs to be cleaned / maintained.

 

[tbendl]

Well I only run a pump that runs up to a small bog/waterfall feature and plants. My pond is new, it's only been up and running since August but I have had algae issues. I live in the south so we get really hot in the summer. I am hoping that the plants and the bog will provide enough filtration to eliminate the algae next summer. I don't know that I would ditch the filters first off, but if you can by-pass them and try plants as a natural filter to "test the waters" as it were.

 

[Meyer Jordan]

Well I only run a pump that runs up to a small bog/waterfall feature and plants. My pond is new, it's only been up and running since August but I have had algae issues. I live in the south so we get really hot in the summer. I am hoping that the plants and the bog will provide enough filtration to eliminate the algae next summer. I don't know that I would ditch the filters first off, but if you can by-pass them and try plants as a natural filter to "test the waters" as it were.

I agree. If you don't want to deal with maintenance on the filter you can set up a by-pass.I would recommend that this be done in such a way that you can easily reconnect with the filtration units at a later date if you decide to add fish.

 

[sissy]

Only thing is plants get there nutrients from fish waste to grow .You may have to fertilize them a little and that may cause a little algae .I use peroxide to keep down algae and as long as you watch how much you add it may work .You sure don't want to kill your plants .You could also add in barley bales

 

[DrCase]

If you are going to run the pump for the sound of the water fall .
I would just keep the filters running and enjoy the clean water

 

[MD56]

So you guys have got me thinking about adding life back to the pond again lol

I'm thinking plants for sure, and maybe goldfish at some point. I love Koi but I'm just not sure we're into that much of a commitment.

I do know a little bit about water quality, and understand that it's going to take some work to get 3000 gals of city water ready for plants and animals. But what I'm not super clear on is setting up the filtration and getting the "good bacteria" going again. My plan is to give all of the filtration a good cleaning (brushes and blue mats). After that, how to i get them populated with bacteria again? Is it a matter of cycling the water for a few weeks and letting nature take it's course? Will adding snails or some other sort of small animal life help? I'd like to avoid any sort of store bought starter kits if I can.

 

[Meyer Jordan]

So you guys have got me thinking about adding life back to the pond again lol

I'm thinking plants for sure, and maybe goldfish at some point. I love Koi but I'm just not sure we're into that much of a commitment.

I do know a little bit about water quality, and understand that it's going to take some work to get 3000 gals of city water ready for plants and animals. But what I'm not super clear on is setting up the filtration and getting the "good bacteria" going again. My plan is to give all of the filtration a good cleaning (brushes and blue mats). After that, how to i get them populated with bacteria again? Is it a matter of cycling the water for a few weeks and letting nature take it's course? Will adding snails or some other sort of small animal life help? I'd like to avoid any sort of store bought starter kits if I can.

You will have a much more stable (long term) system if you allow Nature to provide the bacteria population. Bacterial supplements usually will not contain bacterial strains that are endemic to your climate and/or biome. Nitrifying bacteria will not begin to colonize until fish are added. You apparently are not in any rush, so let Nature do the work for you. She will do a much better and more thorough job.

 

[MD56]

You will have a much more stable (long term) system if you allow Nature to provide the bacteria population. Bacterial supplements usually will not contain bacterial strains that are endemic to your climate and/or biome. Nitrifying bacteria will not begin to colonize until fish are added. You apparently are not in any rush, so let Nature do the work for you. She will do a much better and more thorough job.

Thank you for the confirmation. How long would you suggest cycling the pond before adding plants, and then eventually gold fish? And your assumption is correct, I am not in any particular rush.

I read that adding snails can help kick start the bacterial process... any thoughts?

 

[Meyer Jordan]

Thank you for the confirmation. How long would you suggest cycling the pond before adding plants, and then eventually gold fish? And your assumption is correct, I am not in any particular rush.

I read that adding snails can help kick start the bacterial process... any thoughts?

As long as the water is Chlorine free, you can add plants immediately. I would wait for warmer (60F+) weather before adding fish. Start with 2 or 3 fish. This will kick-start the colonizing of the nitrifying bacteria. After about another 2 - 3 weeks, you can continue adding fish, again 2 or 3 at a time.
Snails are scavengers and can be beneficial in a pond. They are an option as bacteria will colonize without them. In many cases, snails will find their way into a pond on their own. Of primary importance is the establishment of periphyton (See my article in the 'Article' section of this Forum. "Periphyton Part 1 Biofilm".) before any fish are introduced.

 

[MD56]

Thank you very much for the great information.

One more question if you don't mind. When I've had aquariums in the past i loved have a Plecos in the tank for algae control. I just love the idea of letting nature handle itself (rather than chemicals). For a pond my size 3000-4000 gallons, would a couple of small Plecos be wise? I know they are aggresive and you dont want to put more than one or two in a pond, but I also am not sure if they would be able to keep up with the algae.

 

[tbendl]

I can't help with the fish questions. I'm strictly a plants and water gal.