20 replies to this topic

[kiaya611]

Hi,

I was wondering if it would be possible to only run my pump during the day when I can see the pond/waterfall, etc.? My pump is way over what is necessary for the size of pond and population of fish. I don't remember what it's specs are right now, but I am trying to cut energy costs and wanted to know if it would hurt the fish/pond to only run the pump during the day.

Thank you in advance for your help.

Steven

[DrCase]

Welcome to the forum
If i were you i would get a small pump to run at night
and use the big one for show
You need to move the water to keep your filter alive

[j.w]

When should one start the pump, filter and waterfall up after winter................I'm talking about the temperature of the water? I don't want to kill my fish by starting it up too soon but lately it's been so nice here during the day but still cold at night.

[koikeepr]

you can wait til your water hits 45-50 degrees if you like. I start off when it hits 40 consistently for two weeks.

[j.w]

Wow I guess I can do it pretty soon as I just checked and my water temp is about 45*. I think I will wait till it's a steady 50 just to be safe. Thanks.

[koiguy1969]

the biggest problem with turning off your pump is oxygen depletion in your filter. when your oxygen levels fall the aerobic bacteria that colonizes your filter begins to die off, and in its place anaerobic bacteria grows. this is not a good thing..this is the bacteria that produces poor water qualty. .myself, i run aerators in my filters along with the ponds. i have unknowingly been gone for a full afternoon (6+ HOURS) with my pond pump unplugged and saw no significant if any decrease in filters performance. so this tells me that it is concievable as long as everythings aerated you could turn off pond pumps at night, but i cant honestly say for sure.

[DrCase]

j.w I like to run my pump all winter long
This year i was down about 5 weeks with the cold weather
I never checked the pond temp..but the Koi are high in the water tonight
I haven't thought about feeding yet

[j.w]

I used to run mine all the time but last winter we got down to -06*F and I use a Pondmaster 24 pump that runs my filter to my waterfall and it is so powerful that it mixes the water so much that the fish must get too cold and can't find any warmer waters down below. That year I lost a lot of goldfish. This year I took out the filter, cleaned and stored it away and turned off the pump and cleaned the junk out of the pond really good and didn't lose one fish. But then temps were not so cold this winter either. I think I prefer my new method so far anyways. Also last fall I started feeding the fish w/ the wheat germ type of food to build up there strength for the winter. Now I will start feeding with the same food in Spring till weather warms for the change to regular food. I've heard that you don't really need to feed goldfish at all and I didn't for several yrs but I think they may be healthier w/ feeding. But what I wonder is if they will over populate now that I am feeding. If they start to do that I guess I will cut down the feeding in the summer when they can find a lot of food on their own. What do ya think?

[DrDave]

If you had a large established pond with only a few fish, it will establish its own eco system. But when you have more than that system can support, you need a bio filter running 24/7.

For over 30 years, I didn't have any filtration on my ponds that only had a few goldfish and Mollies in them. My water was always clear and the fish happy. Every year, I had new goldfish and the Mollies produced well in summer months. Predators and local fish stores took care of my excess fish. The fish to water ratio was very wide and I got away with it.\

Having Koi and wanting more than a pond can maintain on it's own, require the addition of a bio filter that must run all the time.

[j.w]

Ok I think I'm good then as I only have maybe 18 small goldfish in a 2500 gal pond and don't plan on ever having Koi. I may want to get a few Shubunkins to add to the group but that's about it. I am going to make my waterfall into a filter also. I'm going to add a net full of cut up nylon pads that I can pull out when dirty and just hose off the whole bag. I'll see if I like that idea or not.

[oldmarine]

The last two winters I have kept my filter pump running nonstop. The only reason I did this was to circulate the heated water throughout the pond. I use a submersible heater in my skimmer/pre-filter during the winter months which keeps my water just above freezing even when the temps at night drop down into the teens.

During the winter I remove the boi-filter, and turn off the water fall.

Happy ponding,

Rich

[undrtkr_00]

DrDave said:

If you had a large established pond with only a few fish, it will establish its own eco system. But when you have more than that system can support, you need a bio filter running 24/7.

For over 30 years, I didn't have any filtration on my ponds that only had a few goldfish and Mollies in them. My water was always clear and the fish happy. Every year, I had new goldfish and the Mollies produced well in summer months. Predators and local fish stores took care of my excess fish. The fish to water ratio was very wide and I got away with it.\

Can you tell us what a "wide fish to water ratio" looks like? I have ~1,000 gallons, currently no filter, and am thinking about adding some goldfish. Will add more plants first, though. If I can have a handful of goldfish before I add a filter, that would be great.

[j.w]

oldmarine said:

The last two winters I have kept my filter pump running nonstop. The only reason I did this was to circulate the heated water throughout the pond. I use a submersible heater in my skimmer/pre-filter during the winter months which keeps my water just above freezing even when the temps at night drop down into the teens.

During the winter I remove the boi-filter, and turn off the water fall.

Happy ponding,

Rich

I guess it must not be too hard on your power bill since your pond is smaller but if I tried to heat my 2500 gal pond all winter I'd be in the poor house
I could use a smaller pump and stick it in my filter and just turn off the waterfall. I wonder if that would still keep the water too cold for the fish trying to stay in the warmer waters down under And then would I have to clean out my filter during the winter? Ooh la la that would be a cold, freezing job

[DrDave]

undrtkr_00 said:

Can you tell us what a "wide fish to water ratio" looks like? I have ~1,000 gallons, currently no filter, and am thinking about adding some goldfish. Will add more plants first, though. If I can have a handful of goldfish before I add a filter, that would be great.

It would take a lot of goldfish to overwhelm a 1000 gallon pond. You could easily have a hundred or more small goldfish at first. My experience with ones bought at the pet store as feeders is about half usually die in the first few weeks. They don't feed them and when you get them, they are starving.

[oldmarine]

j.w said:

I guess it must not be too hard on your power bill since your pond is smaller but if I tried to heat my 2500 gal pond all winter I'd be in the poor house
I could use a smaller pump and stick it in my filter and just turn off the waterfall. I wonder if that would still keep the water too cold for the fish trying to stay in the warmer waters down under And then would I have to clean out my filter during the winter? Ooh la la that would be a cold, freezing job

JW, I only had to rinse my pre-filter media about every two to three weeks during the winter months. I used that rinse water to water my house plants.

Happy ponding,

Rich