cas's pond

[tbendl]

What are you using at the waterfall point? You said a bio filter? Is it a skippy?

 

[cas]

Hi tbendl. I have what they call a "biofalls". The water comes in at the bottom, travels up through some filter media and then over a spillway to create a water fall. You can bury the biofalls box so that it doesn't show as much and some years I put plants on top to hide it.

In addition to the biofalls I have a skimmer that has a filter in front of my pump. The filter in the skimmer I clean daily at the beginning of the season and then maybe every couple of days once the pond gets established. I only clean the biofalls at the end of the year when I shut down the pond.

This really is not a lot of filtration compared to what a lot of people have, but it works really well for me. However, I only have 11 fish in a 1,000 gallon pond that has a lot of plants.

These are some pictures I pulled from the internet that show what my biofalls looks like.

 

[cas]

@tbendl I've been reading in other threads where you are trying to figure out how to hide your filtration. This is the back of my biofalls.

 

[tbendl]

That's super helpful Cas, thank you. How do you keep the fish load so limited? Who do you give the babies too? I need a extra fish connection.

 

[sissy]

just watch what you plant my banana plants got huge and had to many babies come up and the roots were hard to cut to get the babies out .With your warmer weather plants will grow faster and get more roots faster .They become a big problem then by lifting the liner or roots can grow over the top of the liner if you are not careful, plus will limit your access to your filter .Colder weather slows plant growth down .

 

[cas]

How do you keep the fish load so limited?

Frogs!

I'm guessing really, but I do have at least one or two large frogs in the pond all summer. I also only feed the fish once a day, and the fish i have are at least 5 inches, so maybe they are eating the fry. Some of the babies do make it of course - of the 11 fish, 5 are babies from past years.

Oh, and if I don't net the pond, the heron will take care of the fish population!

 

[cas]

just watch what you plant

I know what you mean sissy. I have removed a lot of plants from around the pond because they were taking over.

 

[tbendl]

Frogs!

I'm guessing really, but I do have at least one or two large frogs in the pond all summer. I also only feed the fish once a day, and the fish i have are at least 5 inches, so maybe they are eating the fry. Some of the babies do make it of course - of the 11 fish, 5 are babies from past years.

Oh, and if I don't net the pond, the heron will take care of the fish population!

Cas I've got (at last count this fall) like at least 12 frogs, 2 of which are pretty decent size. I started off with 6 fish in like June and am now at around 30 fish. I only feed 1x a day as well.
I'm envious of you. What kind are your fish? I though Shubbies were the least frisky ones, which is why I went with them.

 

[cas]

3 Koi, 1 sarasa, 1 shubunkin, 1 comet, and the 5 babies are comets or common goldfish. I wonder if age has something to do with the fish breeding more. In the beginning I was having a lot more babies. Four of my fish are at least 10 years old, three are at least 8 years old, and the rest are around 6+ years.

 

[tbendl]

I wonder if age has something to do with the fish breeding more

I know it's true for people so I imagine fish would be the same... LOL
I really hope they slow down.

 

[sissy]

I don't think they slow down with age .I am still getting lots of babies and my fish are over 11 years old .I do remove a lot of eggs and the ones that make get new homes as fast as I can catch them .The smaller they are the easier it is .I have over the years have had friends of friends that come to my house to pick up there fish .It gets easier to get rid of once you establish a relationship with people .I live in a rural area so at first I used the garden centers more to get rid of them .Plus the garden center liked the extra customers it brought to them

 

[cas]

The difference two months make. Pictures from Jan 12 and March 12 of this year. I JUST LOVE SPRING!

 

[clam bam]

what lovely pix. love that little bridge!

 

[cas]

Thanks @clam bam . I was admiring the one my brother-in-law made so he made this one for me.

 

[bettasngoldfish]

The bridge is very cute, I was going to ask where you got it lol