Back from Vacation - pond update

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Just got back today. Gave the fish a really good feeding, I had left once a day low rations for my parents, as I knew my Dad would over feed them.

They were obviously hungry, my Mom controlled the feedings, and I can see the fish were hungry, my water hyacinths look like crap. They've been eating them big time.

One of my fish has grown like CRAZY! He/she is going to be a big one. I have noticed some thing weird on this fish's back. I don't know if its a fungus or if he's outgrowing his scales and they are changing to a new color .... ? Its a yellow with a black back koi (not sure the name). I think its a fungus :(. I'm going to make a huge effort to catch him tomorrow and will post pictures. I have a 10 gall tank I can treat him in, if he needs it.

Out side of that, they all looked good. Bigger. They were happy to see me. The pond needed a good cleaning, so I spent 30 mins or so scooping the gunk and leaves off the bottom. There were a few handfuls of string algae, but not too bad. When I left I had no algae on the top, when I got back there was a bit. Still, not too bad.

I've decided I need an aerator for under the water hyacinths, where they are all netted in stuff seems to collect there. I need some water flow going through them.

The red platys have been busy, when I left I thought I had about a 100 babies well there's another new litter and some more pregnant platys! WTH am I going to do with all these fish??????? Why aren't the koi or tilapia eating them???????? I seriously think I'm going to need another pond soon.

In my head (not my husbands), I'm seeing this existing pond as a wild life natural pond with loads of platys and maybe guppys. Leave the plants in this pond. I'd like a more 'formal' pond for the koi and goldfish. And I'm not a formal kinda person, so what I really mean is a better built pond after I learnt from my mistakes and no plants for the koi to mess up.

That's the update friends. Look out for pictures of the koi tomorrow, I'll be needing some opinions.
 

j.w

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Welcome back and hope you had a nice time in Disneyland.
Good to hear all your fish are alive and well, except for maybe the one w/ the fungus if that's what it is.
Better get digging on that new pond or before you know it they will have already outgrown the old one and then some and you'll need a 3rd pond :)
 

addy1

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welcome back, glad you had a great time
 
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Thanks guys! Awesome vacation, now that my little guy is out of diapers its all so much easier. Besides a few tantrums at some restaurants, the boys did great. I did discover my kids aren't afraid of me, because all I do is threaten and never follow through. Must change that - but am too much a softy!
 
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Thanks guys! Awesome vacation, now that my little guy is out of diapers its all so much easier. Besides a few tantrums at some restaurants, the boys did great. I did discover my kids aren't afraid of me, because all I do is threaten and never follow through. Must change that - but am too much a softy!
welcome back Priscilla OMG formal ponds :D me thinks you have the fish keeping bug good and propper now .
Make sure the pond is big enough propperly filtrated with a bottom drain (especially if your going to keep koi), think a 1,000 gallons + and you wont go far wrong , one question though are there any water restrictions where you live as you may well fall foul of that law if there is one being an Island and all that ?:(

Dave :D
 
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welcome back Priscilla OMG formal ponds :D me thinks you have the fish keeping bug good and propper now .
Make sure the pond is big enough propperly filtrated with a bottom drain (especially if your going to keep koi), think a 1,000 gallons + and you wont go far wrong , one question though are there any water restrictions where you live as you may well fall foul of that law if there is one being an Island and all that ?:(

Dave :D


What do you mean water restrictions? I don't know of any issues having ponds.

BD's scare me! I don't think I've made it there yet. I have 6 koi. I don't plan on any more, unless I find a white butterfly. I've seen a few videos on you tube where people say they never drain their ponds, they just let the fish live in a 'natural' environment. I have a serious anxiety issue, so I don't think I could do through the stress of draining the pond and cleaning it. I would be up for weeks stressing about it. I try to live by the KISS rule (Keep It Simple Stupid).

Yes, I would definitely make it at least 2000 gall. Or more. I would go deeper this time, current pond is 3 feet at deepest end. I would go for an even 4 feet all around.

I know you said you didn't think the current pond looked like 2200 gall, but my husband used a pond calculator again, using the middle measurements of our pond and it calculates it to 2500 gall.

I'm going out shortly to catch that koi with a spot on him, will post pictures shortly.
 
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What do you mean water restrictions? I don't know of any issues having ponds.

BD's scare me! I don't think I've made it there yet. I have 6 koi. I don't plan on any more, unless I find a white butterfly. I've seen a few videos on you tube where people say they never drain their ponds, they just let the fish live in a 'natural' environment. I have a serious anxiety issue, so I don't think I could do through the stress of draining the pond and cleaning it. I would be up for weeks stressing about it. I try to live by the KISS rule (Keep It Simple Stupid).

Yes, I would definitely make it at least 2000 gall. Or more. I would go deeper this time, current pond is 3 feet at deepest end. I would go for an even 4 feet all around.

I know you said you didn't think the current pond looked like 2200 gall, but my husband used a pond calculator again, using the middle measurements of our pond and it calculates it to 2500 gall.

I'm going out shortly to catch that koi with a spot on him, will post pictures shortly.
Yes please Priscilla post a photo asap so we can have a good look , it may very well be nothing but best to be on the safe side .
By water restrictions in my travels around the world I have come across Islands that have water restrictions in force during the summer months you dont want to run fowl of the Authorities .:(
Would you believe here we have to have planning permission if building a pond however we foumd a way around that by only burring the bottom drain the rest is free standing and for free standing structures in the UK you dont need to apply :cool: :D:LOL:

Dave(y)
 
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Yes please Priscilla post a photo asap so we can have a good look , it may very well be nothing but best to be on the safe side .
By water restrictions in my travels around the world I have come across Islands that have water restrictions in force during the summer months you dont want to run fowl of the Authorities .:(
Would you believe here we have to have planning permission if building a pond however we foumd a way around that by only burring the bottom drain the rest is free standing and for free standing structures in the UK you dont need to apply :cool: :raz:

Dave(y)

Oh, okay, we don't have water restrictions here or need permission to build a pond. No shortage of water on this island since we use reverse osmosis using well or sea water.

I can't catch him!!! Just spent an hour out there. My poor kids started yelling for me, so had to abort and come back in.

It might be he is outgrowing his scales/color. But I would really like a better look.
 
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We have had water restrictions around this area at times too... I'm in a very dry area (not quite desert), so nothing grows in the yard without a sprinkler system.There are some years when people are not allowed to water their lawns or use any water for ponds and such. Luckily that hasn't affected me (yet). In fact they are so tight with water here that even if a stream runs through your property, you are not allowed to use that water unless you purchase separate water rights.

Regarding bottom drains... you can build a pond without one (many people do), just keep in mind that it will require more manual cleaning on your part. The leaves in the Fall are the worst, but I've found having a sand bottom makes it easier. I can drag a net through the sand, then shake it underwater so the sand falls out but the net still holds the leaves. I just have to be careful to pick out my snails before I throw away each scoop of leaves. Keep it in mind when you design your pond, and you can construct it so that the water flow naturally carries all the leaves and junk to one end of the pond, making less clean-up for you.
 

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