Celebrating one year with new pond!

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A year ago 18 fish were moved to our downsized house from our old location. We started pond keeping in 2004, and many of the koi are at least 15 years old. Five of the initial goldfish ("feeder fish" purchased to begin our foray into pond keeping) have survived. We dug the first pond ourselves, an oval rustic construction with a capacity of about 200 gallons. Realizing the limitations in size and filtration, we hired a local company to install a larger pond with a bog and stream bed. When our fish collection outgrew this pond, we got rid of the bog and stream and ended with a capacity of 1000 gallons. With this move, we decided to have a rectangular pond with no rustic rocks, no waterfalls, just a modern spillway. The fish now have a 2000 gallon home. When first introduced to the pond, they raced from one end to the other, apparently loving the straight ten feet of water. Over the year, we are amazed that the koi have grown, especially the ones that were 12 to 16 inches long. We have lost two small goldfish and one shibunkin is struggling, the the other 15 are thriving. We have caught glimpses of four tiny fry and have attempted to build a safe area for them.

This year was horrible for algae, a daily battle. Unlike our old pond, this one is in full, brutal sun. We have put up umbrellas, which have helped tremendously. We have looked at more permanent solutions such as a pergola or awning, but the aesthetics and costs aren't optimal. Any alternative suggestions would be appreciated.
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addy1

water gardener / gold fish and shubunkins
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Welcome to our forum! Very nice pond!

Mine is in full sun without algae issues, but I have a ton of plants. And filter with plants
 
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Welcome,
i don't know your area or how open the rest of the yard is but from the looks of it you have NO FLIGHT path for a heron to get close to your pond. Are raccoons an issue ? i wonder if the net is necessary
 
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Welcome,
i don't know your area or how open the rest of the yard is but from the looks of it you have NO FLIGHT path for a heron to get close to your pond. Are raccoons an issue ? i wonder if the net is necessary
Yes, we have city creatures...lots of feral cats, a few raccoons, and hawks. The yard is mostly driveway, with the pond on one side of the driveway and a patio with potted plants and raised beds on the other. I have seen herons over head, but agree that there isn’t a good approach for them.
 
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Welcome to our forum! Very nice pond!

Mine is in full sun without algae issues, but I have a ton of plants. And filter with plants
There are plant rafts that the koi can’t into, with water lettuce, hyacinth, and celery. When the rafts are full I pull some of the plants into the open water, where they survive for a day or so before being destroyed by the koi. The hyacinth has also attacked by caterpillars. I also have potted plants in the bog.

The algae is under control now. During the spring, the water would be clear in early morning. You could actually watch the algae bloom when the sun reached the pond. It was a daily battle for weeks, removing clumps of algae, cleaning filters, etc daily. Didn’t want to use the algaecide.
 
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Beautiful pond ! I like your umbrella, we have a shade sail over ours.
Thank you. We have a sail that is still in the box. No idea how to attach it...no trees. Thought about putting it on a pergola, but still not sure.
 

addy1

water gardener / gold fish and shubunkins
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but from the looks of it you have NO FLIGHT path for a heron to get close to your pond. Are raccoons an issue
Herons can't fly into my pond area, but they do land in the yard and take around 15-20 minutes to stalk up to the pond. When I had a pond island they were able to fly in and flutter down to land on it.
 
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Thank you. We have a sail that is still in the box. No idea how to attach it...no trees. Thought about putting it on a pergola, but still not sure.
We installed our shade sail to wooden posts we dug and placed into the ground.
 

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