My pond is about 8 years old and between 4000 and 6000 gallons. I'm going to buy a large measuring tape and try to get some accurate measurements soon. When it was first installed we were using a sand filter recommended by our pond guy, and a waterfall thingy at the top of our waterfall with bio stuff in it. We have always had green water.
We started with 4 Koi and later added 6 more. Our neighbor's son put in some of his goldfish, too. Wow! did those goldfish multiply!
Through the years we have only lost 1 Koi and a few goldfish in the Spring.
I had a couple water lilies but the last couple years after they reach the top of the water in the Spring it seemed like something was cutting them off and they were floating in the pond, stems and all. I thought my neighbors dog was swimming in the pond....LOL
This year we had one end of the pond cave in under our lower deck area, so we decided to do a complete empty. We wanted to get rid of all the goldfish, their population had for some reason stopped increasing, and just keep the Koi.
We started on a Sunday morning, the emptying was going pretty well until the pond was about 2 feet deep, then the sump pump we were using just couldn't handle the pea soup. We netted the fish and put them in a childrens pool with pond water and airation. We got in the pond and picked out around 30 of the flat rocks that had fallen in over the years, and started using 5 gallon buckets to get the rest of the water out. We took a break and while the guys went for ice cream, I sat on the deck and was watching the pond when I saw this really ugly thing sticking out of the water..... I stared at it and couldn't figure out what it was.
When the guys got back, I told them that I saw a monster looking thing in the pond, they laughed at me....
I went to get some luan and my husband called me to tell me the monster is a snapping turtle!! Now I know why there wasn't any new goldfish and what was happening to my lilies.
We caught him and relocated him to some aquaducts about a mile from where I live. We took all the goldfish to our pond guy. We fixed the cave in and refilled the pond and got the waterfall working.....we got rid of the sand pump years ago, it didn't do anything for our pond. We put the Koi back in the next day and were so happy to be able to see them! Three days later.......all green again!
Well, I'm on a mission to figure out this green thing. I've been reading and researching.....
Here is what I'm doing...
1. Stop feeding my Koi 6 handfulls of food twice a day. Starting yesterday, I'm feeding 1 small handfull once a day.
2. Putting in 10 ounces of this Barley juice stuff I bought online, once a week.
3. I ordered a bunch of plants, they will be here tomorrow. Anacharis, Hornwort, Parrots Feather, Pickeral and big water Lilies.
4. Doing a 20% water change once a week.
I do have 15 water hyacinths, they don't even make a dent in covering my pond.
So I am on a mission! If anyone has any other ideas for me feel free to contact me!
I will post some pictures of my progress...
We started with 4 Koi and later added 6 more. Our neighbor's son put in some of his goldfish, too. Wow! did those goldfish multiply!
Through the years we have only lost 1 Koi and a few goldfish in the Spring.
I had a couple water lilies but the last couple years after they reach the top of the water in the Spring it seemed like something was cutting them off and they were floating in the pond, stems and all. I thought my neighbors dog was swimming in the pond....LOL
This year we had one end of the pond cave in under our lower deck area, so we decided to do a complete empty. We wanted to get rid of all the goldfish, their population had for some reason stopped increasing, and just keep the Koi.
We started on a Sunday morning, the emptying was going pretty well until the pond was about 2 feet deep, then the sump pump we were using just couldn't handle the pea soup. We netted the fish and put them in a childrens pool with pond water and airation. We got in the pond and picked out around 30 of the flat rocks that had fallen in over the years, and started using 5 gallon buckets to get the rest of the water out. We took a break and while the guys went for ice cream, I sat on the deck and was watching the pond when I saw this really ugly thing sticking out of the water..... I stared at it and couldn't figure out what it was.
When the guys got back, I told them that I saw a monster looking thing in the pond, they laughed at me....
I went to get some luan and my husband called me to tell me the monster is a snapping turtle!! Now I know why there wasn't any new goldfish and what was happening to my lilies.
We caught him and relocated him to some aquaducts about a mile from where I live. We took all the goldfish to our pond guy. We fixed the cave in and refilled the pond and got the waterfall working.....we got rid of the sand pump years ago, it didn't do anything for our pond. We put the Koi back in the next day and were so happy to be able to see them! Three days later.......all green again!
Well, I'm on a mission to figure out this green thing. I've been reading and researching.....
Here is what I'm doing...
1. Stop feeding my Koi 6 handfulls of food twice a day. Starting yesterday, I'm feeding 1 small handfull once a day.
2. Putting in 10 ounces of this Barley juice stuff I bought online, once a week.
3. I ordered a bunch of plants, they will be here tomorrow. Anacharis, Hornwort, Parrots Feather, Pickeral and big water Lilies.
4. Doing a 20% water change once a week.
I do have 15 water hyacinths, they don't even make a dent in covering my pond.
So I am on a mission! If anyone has any other ideas for me feel free to contact me!
I will post some pictures of my progress...
