Can i add fish now?

[420benz]

Pond is 2 weeks old and has plants and 2 bubblers and 2 waterfalls.Tests are good except for the PH which is over 7.5

 

[Somethin' Fishy]

A pond can take as long as 12 weeks or more to "cycle".

 

[Gemma]

I'm not sure if you posted dimensions somewhere else on the forum so...I would add fish but no more than 3 small ones to start the cycle

 

[j.w]

Now don't anybody faint reading this!

I've heard that one can actually use human urine to expedite the process of cycling a pond. I've never done this but wonder if anyone has any knowledge on this? It is ammonia that the fish create that starts the cycle so why couldn't one start it w/o the fish in there?

 

[Lisak1]

You can indeed pee in your pond @j.w - we won't judge! Or you can follow the "add ammonia from the store regimen" that @MitchM has shared.

 

[Jimmy Gibson]

Well I share this......since I am 65 years old..... and raised way out in the country on a cattle farm......those days are gone but......you can’t take the country out of the boy....... so my wife has chastised me many times for using the same place too much...... it will kill plants.....so I think moderation would be in order....lol Jimmy

 

[Sparky]

How big a pond? How big a fish? Small fish perhaps 2 or 3? Nothing more for quite a while until you start seeing nitrates. I’d feel ok there as long as you keep an eye on your parameters.

 

[sissy]

my pond stays at 9 and Iadd crushed oyster shells to keep it stable

 

[420benz]

Almost 3 weeks in.Todays readings are PH- 7.6 Ammonia- 0 Nitrates- 0
So far so good. BTW: Pond is about 700 Gal.

 

[Sparky]

What type of fish do want to introduce. Personally I would grab a couple of feeders and toss them in. Nothing more for now however. Need to kick things in gear.

 

[420benz]

3 small gold fish. What are feeders?

 

[j.w]

Feeder goldfish, they sell in pet stores for like 10 cents each.

 

[addy1]

Pick out pretty ones they tend to live forever.

 

[420benz]

How big do they get?

 

[j.w]

Goldfish can get 10" to 12' or more. Takes them quite awhile tho to get that big. Like many years.