11 replies to this topic

[Stansy]

I just moved to a new house that has two ponds in the backyard and I have no idea what to do with them. I'd hate to see them get out of control or even have to fill them in with dirt so I thought it'd be wise to come to the experts for some help

[koiguy1969]

good thinkin'.....welcome aboard Stansy.

[DrDave]

Stansy said:

I just moved to a new house that has two ponds in the backyard and I have no idea what to do with them. I'd hate to see them get out of control or even have to fill them in with dirt so I thought it'd be wise to come to the experts for some help

Nice to see you here. Tell us about the ponds and we will guide you. How large are the ponds? Is there any filtration? Is it running? Are there fish? What is the pond temperature? Have you any test kits to see the water condition?

Oh and where in California are you?

[koikeepr]

Welcome Stansy! We can certainly help. Looking forward to hearing more about what you've got out back in terms of some heavy details.

[DrCase]

Welcome to the forum..
A few pics would let us see what you have to work with

[Stansy]

DrDave said:

Nice to see you here. Tell us about the ponds and we will guide you. How large are the ponds? Is there any filtration? Is it running? Are there fish? What is the pond temperature? Have you any test kits to see the water condition?

Oh and where in California are you?

My big one is roughly 10x15, it has a massive koi (maybe two) and a frog.
As far as filtration I don't think it has any, it has a little water pump that spurts water
up like a fountain but I've got that thing all clogged up and it's more like a trickle.

I'm not sure of the temperature, and the only thing the previous owner left was some powder that clears up the water. I've tried that a few times and it works quite well.

I live in the greater Los Angeles area.

I need a few more posts so I can post some pictures on here.

[koikeepr]

so, it sounds like the owner tried to keep things as natural as possible. Well, there will be many here who will tell you that if you are a handy DIY'er you can build a filter out of a barrel and then you can quit using that powered stuff--which by the way is very expensive. Also, keep in mind that you should do partial water changes--at least 20% every week or two.

[Stansy]

Here's a picture of the big pond:

I'm not sure what to do

[DrDave]

This looks like a perfect candidate for a bio filter to feed that waterfall. There are many ways to do it. This is the one I built years ago (still in service) and it cleaned mine up in 48hours.
http://drdaveskoi.tr...bio_filter.html

You are not that far away if you want to see my ponds.

[DrCase]

It looks good !! a few more pics will give us a better feel for it

[Stansy]

I'll definitely look into that bio filter.
Here's some more:

[koikeepr]

ya gotta get all those leaves out of the pond. They will rot and ruin your water. Your water is brown because of them. Due to the fact that you have that tree immediately over the pond. Every fall you'll need to throw a net over the pond to prevent the leaves from going in. Search the forum, as many of us have posted designs for these winter covers.