First Time Pond Owner

[FXM]

I recently moved and have a wondeful cement pond in my back yard. It presently, and according to the owner, has never had any filtration, pump, etc. It has growing vegetation in it and several KOI and tadpoles. The vegetation seems to be overtaking the pond and you really can't see anything. I want to start fresh in the sprintime. I would like to completely remove the "strangling" vegetation. I want to keep the KOI. How do I go about doing this? How do I drain the water? Can you use regular water from the hose? Can someone reccomend a good filter/pump? The pond is approximately 5 ft by 3 or 4 ft. I have no idea how deep the pond is. Any information that would put me on the right track would be most appreciated.

Thanks!

F.X.

 

[koiguy1969]

a question for you too..some better dimensions please, including the DEPTH ( borrow a tape measure).. but i can already tell you its not big enough for koi.
you can fill it from a regular hose but if your city hookup youll need to use a dechlorinator to make it safe for fish and plants. a 500gph pump is probably plenty and theres designs for diy filters here on this site in the diy section. just down size one.. you should encorporate a waterfall or fountain into the circulation of the water after the filter for the aeration (adding oxygen to the water). not to mention the enjoyable soothing sound to relax too and even help put you to sleep if you can hear it in your bedroom.

 

[DrDave]

Welcome to the Forum. You will need to get a filter going before you remove the vegetation. Right now it is providing the bio protection for your Koi. There are as stated plenty of plans here and I also have pictures on my web site.

 

[FXM]

Thanks Dave! I'm a bit confused on where to start. It looks as though I have "Parrott Feather" in the pond right now that pretty much covers everything. As mentioned previously, I want to remove all of this choking vegetation so I can enjoy the fish in the springtime. I really need some advice and "one by one" steps as I am new to "Ponding"..if that is even a word. I want to install a pump and some kind of water movment in the pond. Not a waterfall. Any advice you can give would be most appreciated.

Thanks!

F.X.

 

[oldmarine]

FXM, welcome to the forum. First off parrot feather is not a good first time plant to start out with. I learned the hard way. Start with something simple to care for like 'water hyacinth, water lettuce, and or hardy water lily of your coice'.

You have come to the right place for information. There sre some great pond experts here that will keep you on track as they did me. The key is to stay open minded.

Happy ponding,

Rich :fish:

 

[DrDave]

What you don't want to do is remove all the plants andsterilize your pond before getting a bio filter established. You will most likely lose your fish if you don't heed this advice.

There are hundreds to maybe even a thousand posts here on filtration. I suggest you do some searching first, then ask questions as you get more informed on the subject.

 

[FXM]

Ok, I finally took the "leaf net" off of my pond. The pond is approximately 6 ft by 4 and the depth of the water is approximatley 2ft. I think it holds approximately 350 gallons. Where do I go from here? I need a reccomendation for a pump/filter. I also need to know if it is alright to remove all of the vegetation that is choking everything in the pond. There are about 6 Comets in the pond now.

Thanks!

FXM

 

[oldmarine]

FXM,

I have approx. the same size pond as your's, but mine is a different shape. More of a butterfliy shape pre-molded, black plastic.

All I have is a 10 gallon (DIY) skimmer style pre-filter that is pumped into a 27 gallon (DIY) boi-filter, and that gravity flows back to the pond via the reservor at the base of the water fall.

Happy ponding,

Rich

 

[stroppy]

is that fish i can see in the photo on its side ? you do need to get some of that plant out ... but you need to also set up some kind of filter, there are lots of filters in the diy section ...but please dont move all the plants out till you have got a filter up and running

 

[koiguy1969]

is that pond partially raised and if so how much?

 

[FXM]

The pond is raised about a foot off of the ground. I tried to start the pump yesterday, however it does not seem to work. So instead of getting frustrated, I think I would rather purchase everything new. Sorry for so many questions, but here goes! The pond is approximately 6 ft by 4 and the depth of the water is approximatley 2ft. I think it holds approximately 350 gallons. What do I need to get this pond up and running? All I want is to have is a sparkling clean pond, a water fountain of some sort and lighting around the pond itself. How many fish can this pond hold? Any and all reccomedations regarding pumps and filters please!! Something not too complicated.

I appreciate your assistance.

Thanks!

F.X.

 

[koiguy1969]

O.K you may want to build a stocktank (skippy style) filter then. a stocktank sits about 2 feet tall so would have a nice 1' drop to the return flow,giving good aeration. going with a 40 gallon would put your filtration volume at 10% of ponds volume. thats a good place to be.. going larger not only provides more filtration but increases your system volume. the more water in the system the more stable the system.. you can get the 40 gal stocktank from TSC tractor supply company. online or at a store.. its a easy buid.. run a 1000gph pump. i think youll have a system to meet your needs. actually a low maintainence system that will prove to be quite a bit more than sufficient.

 

[FXM]

What about a Laguna Max-Flo-600/Laguna Presure-Flo 700 combo? They seem to be very good and reliable pumps and fitlers. As mentioned previously,the pond is only 6x4 with approximatley 350 gallons of water. Once I purchase the filter and pump, what is the next step to take? Should I take all of the dense choking "parrot grass" out prior to starting the pump and filter? Right now there is no pump or filter in the pond. I assume that because the fish seem healthy, the pond only needs to be filtered.

Thanks!

FXM:lol: