Broken Pump/Filter. How Do I Keep the Water Healthy?

[Mehitabel]

Hi from a newbie!

I have a 750L pond, with four small goldfish, lots of E.canadensis and a few marginals. The whole thing is about ten years old.

I've been using a Hozelock 3000 combined filter/fountain. It packed up in autumn. I let the pond sit without it, which is what I normally do in winter.

An electrician has just looked at the system and told me the unit is broken and needs to be replaced. I've ordered a replacement. Meanwhile, the water is looking increasingly green and murky. The fish seem to be spending much more time than usual near the surface. So, two questions:

a) Should I feed the fish while there's no filter? (I normally feed them every other day at this time of year, with wheat sticks)

b) Is there anything I can do to improve the water quality until the new pump/filter is up and running?


Many thanks. And apologies if this has been covered a thousand times already..

 

[mrsclem]

Hi newbie and welcome! Don not feed your fish until you can get things up and running again. They will munch on the green stuff. Do you have an aerator that you can run? That will help to keep the water moving. It's always good to have a backup pump in case things go bad. Even a small one to circulate the water will help. Keep us posted.

 

[Mehitabel]

Thanks Mrsclem. I don't have an aerator. Will look into them, though, against future breakdowns.

 

[Mmathis]

Welcome! I agree about not feeding the fish. But curious....how long will it take for your replacement pump/filter to arrive? I guess I’m just spoiled, but when I order stuff, it usually only takes a few days for delivery.

 

[Mehitabel]

Yes, I'm hoping it will only be a few days. But then, I need to get the leccy out to wire it in.. (I didn't dare go down the plug-in-and-go route, but had an external switch fitted specially) And where I live, booking an electrician is pretty much like placing an order for hens' tooth necklaces.

But have ordered a solar aerator.

 

[GBBUDD]

hens' tooth necklaces ? ? I'm sorry I am having an incredible time trying to figure out what this means. Both countries speak English but the slang and meanings can be bewildering at times. lol

 

[Angel]

hens' tooth necklaces ? ? I'm sorry I am having an incredible time trying to figure out what this means. Both countries speak English but the slang and meanings can be bewildering at times. lol

hens don't have teeth hence rare or hard to come by I assume

 

[Lisak1]

You've got 4 goldfish in around 200 gallons? They'll be fine. Remember the green water doesn't bother them at all - it's us who wants it clear. They may simply be coming to the top because they are emboldened by the less than clear water to check things out. Goldfish are very hardy little fish - a bit of time without filtration is no big deal. I've seen ponds filled with goldfish that have no filtration, no aeration, nothing. Just pools of water and they do just fine.

 

[Mehitabel]

Whoops, missed the last two! Sorry, GBBUDD , yes, I meant electricians who are willing to tackle small but specialised jobs, like pond pumps, are very rare round here. BUT, I've found one; he's due to wire in my new pump in a couple of days.

Meanwhile, I've followed mrsclem's advice and bought a solar aerator. It's performing well.

Lisak1 , thanks so much for the reassurance! It's counter-intuitive, as a human, to grasp that fish might not mind having murky water (and mine is now almost opaque).. You assume, or I did, as a beginner, that they must be happier with the water clear. Anyhow, they're now spending less time on the surface and I'm much less worried. Although it will still be good to get the new pump/filter up and running.

 

[qclabrat]

Goldfish don't need to be fed, especially with all the algae present. I actually don't plan on feeding mine till I get the pond opened and the water clears up

 

[addy1]

Goldfish don't need to be fed, especially with all the algae present

Mine get fed occasionally, they have plenty of food in the pond. I do want them to snack on any eggs dropped.

 

[Mehitabel]

I only feed them very small amounts, every other day. Or less. And nothing at all in winter.

 

[MitchM]

...

b) Is there anything I can do to improve the water quality until the new pump/filter is up and running?

....

Make sure you test your water on a regular basis with a liquid test kit and make any adjustments to keep the water within recommended levels.
API makes a master test kit for ponds, plus you will need the KH/GH test kit as well.
https://www.apifishcare.com/product.php?p=details&id=670#.WtsfTi8ZNhE