14 replies to this topic

[mountaindew]

I just put in a new pond.Its 7x10 and 3ft deep.I am running a pool sand filter but I am filters instead of sand.Also I have a pressurized uv filter.The water has been in since saturday and the fish went in sunday.When I look into the pond the 1st foot is pretty clear but after that it seams to be cloudy.The only chemical that has been added is chlorine remover.Is there somthing else I can use to clear this up or does it just take time

[DrDave]

The cloudy color is due to chemical inbalance. Your pond has to go through the nitrogen cycle and when the bio filter is populated with sufficient anerobic bacteria, the cloudy water will clear up overnight.

[koikeepr]

well, that's all dependent on where you live mountaindew. If you are in a cold climate right now, the beneficial bacteria you need to have that normally keeps the water clear will be largely snoozing. There is a chance that your water may be cloudy all winter until those bacteria can come out in force in the spring to help do their thing.

It will likely get clearer in the next few weeks, but it will hopefully be crystal clear in the spring. Ponding is about patience....

[mountaindew]

I live in southwest florida.Thanks for the help

[koidance]

Southwest Florida sounds warm?? however best to just add one or two fish at a time,then leave it for a couple of weeks and add another.The good bacteria needs time to get going,and it cannot unless you add a fish (note the singular!!)

A filter and pond needs to cycle,adding one or two fish will start the process off.First you will see a spike in the Ammonia readings,perfectly natural,then after a couple of weeks the Nitrite (not Nitrate) will spike,but gradually it will settle down,then you will get a Nitrate reading in a few weeks,and this will be the best news of all, as the water parameters are exactly as you want them.The cycle should be faster in warm climates,I am speaking for GB.

THEN, add a couple more fish,but not too big.By the time your pond is 4 months old it should be settling nicely.You cannot hurry nature,just give a helping hand.

[DrDave]

Patience is a virtue, especially with a fresh pond. I know it is hard to resist populating it after all the work, but it pays off in zero losses when done right.

[mountaindew]

Thanks everyone for all the tips

[poisonXvenom]

I agree with DrDave... Patience is key. Don't worry about the cloudiness. Your pond is going through the nitrogen cycle. You shouldn't make any big water changes. You want the system to settle first. Good Luck
=D

[mountaindew]

It took about a week but everything is fine now.Thanks

[D&RW]

Add one fish or two at a time. Are you guys saying this as a general approach to repopulating a pond? I plan to start moving our fish about March, but had planned to move them all in within short order. Now it sounds like maybe I ought to stage it.

[mountaindew]

I put all of mine in at once.There are about 10 of them and no problems

[DrDave]

Once the bio system is in place adding fish to a large pond should not be an issue.

[D&RW]

That sounds good. It seems a bit like a catch 22 because the bacteria need ammonia to live. It seems like starting up a filter and running it w/o fish in the pond would eventually (how long?) lead to their death. On the other hand, adding fish before the bacteria are functioning well apparently means some ammonia spikes, nitrite spikes and then nitrate spikes are to be expected. For those I assume one does water changes and adds amquel + until the system normalizes.

[undrtkr_00]

You can put in some food or other organic matter into the pond to keep the bacteria going prior to adding the fish. Or, even directly add ammonia if it is fairly pure. I know a guy who recently kick-started his saltwater aquarium nitrogen cycle using a cup of pure ammonia. Seems like it has worked OK for him. Just make sure it is adequately converted before adding fish to the pond.

[koiguy1969]

my first pond was about 450 - 500 gals i used microbelifts 'pl gel filter innoculant' to get my filter going and had 2 dozen fish in it in 2 weeks... as an extra bit of protection, i also hung a zeolite basket on the filters pond return. all water parameter test were great.

*PL GEL is a technological breakthrough because it's the first product that puts the bacteria right where you want it and it stays there!
*Easily applies to the filter pads/media without running or getting messy.
*Contains naturally occurring bio polymers, helping organisms quickly attach to the media allowing for an 80% reduction in filter start-up time.
*Helps to stabilize pond environment quickly upon startup and to eliminate transient instability

i used it with fantastic results and would definately give its recommendation...my filter was highly active in a week. just make sure you follow the directions.. it takes 4 hours .

Edited by koiguy1969, 04 January 2010 - 11:29 PM.