Hello all New guy from NY

[DOUBBLE TAP]

I have been lurking for a long time now and have learned lots so I figured that I just might as well say hello.

A little bit about my pond experience( or lack there of lol)
I purchased a house a year and a half ago. We gutted the inside and started from scratch so that took most of the fall and winter. So come spring time it was time to do some work on the yard. when we purchased the house there was a jungle of sorts in the far corner of the yard so we figured with the house being vacant for 3 years that was too be expected BUT upon further inspection it was a abandon pond a big one about 5000 gal. the vines grew from all sides and made sort of a knot and fully covered it. There where BIG holes in the liner there was a rock slide it was full of junk, we pulled trees logs tables furniture skate boards tents even a pogo stick and about 1 1/2 ft of muck and mud out of it. knowing nothing about ponds I was in over my head I patched the pond 3-4 times using the wrong glue it came undone after a week or so finally used PL ( that stuff rocks!!!) , had a ton of rock dropped, ran electricity outside and went to work on the internet learning as much as I could. Long story short was able to get it set up (sort of) so I dropped some gold fish in an they wintered very well. Come spring time this year I added a stream fixed the waterfall again and pulled out the goldfish and dropped in koi and finally added plants. being that I started with just a big hole with a liner full of holes and seeing the progression in both the pond an my knowledge of ponds and fish I am very proud. My wife wanted to fill it in but I stuck to my guns and after a lot of blood sweat and tears I have my own paradise. The first picture is last year mid spring and the second is 2 weeks ago

Mods if this is the wrong section please move

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[koiguy1969]

WELCOME...AND NICE JOB ON THE REHAB.WORK. LOOKS GOOD!!

 

[DOUBBLE TAP]

Thanks! not done yet.... but I am learning that it never will be lol

 

[don't ask]

welcome and nice work, did you reduce the flow to your waterfall?

 

[addy1]

That looks great! good job on the rescue, do you have a beginning picture? Would be fun to see the change.

 

[DOUBBLE TAP]

No I did t reduce the flow I just rearranged the rocks I was getting too much splash, it doesn't look just right for me yet I'm trying to get the balance between splash and flow. It was a night time picture it doesn't Look so drastic in the day time

Addy - no I am still kicking myself for not taking more pictures in the beginning, but believe me it was a nightmare.

 

[sissy]

nice job and sounds like you have been really busy .But hate to say I wish someone had told me about koi .A couple of inches long 9 years ago and now over 2 feet long and they sure produce a lot of waste .2 filters going and 2 pumps

 

[DOUBBLE TAP]

Sissy,
I came into it with my eyes open lol. I have 2 filters and 3 pumps, Just added the 3rd pump needed to increase the flow in the stream the other 2 are hooked into filters one runs in the stream and one runs in the waterfall. As hard as it has been I have tried to keep my stock numbers down I only have 15 koi ranging from 5 in to 15 in. I looks a little empty at times in 5000 gal but I figure when I have 15 2-3 foot'ers it will look better. They seem to be growing fast some of the ones that I got at 3 in are now 5-6 in and the two 15 inchers started out at about 12 inches. Weird thing though maby you could help, They are all growing at least some but there are a few that are not growing as fast as the others. Example when I stocked the pond I went to a koi breeder and picked up 4 big guys about 10-12 in and 5 med guys 6-7 inches and 6 smaller guys 3-4 inches. Some of the smaller guys have gained an inch and some have gained prob almost 3 inches. 2 of the big guys have been out sized by some of the medium size fish. Why would this be? They are all in the same water and my levels are where they should be. They all eat the same food and I try to feed evenly as the current moves the food from the near end of the pond to the far end I throw more at the near end. I noticed the big ones where bullying the smaller ones away from the food so now at feeding time the small ones have more of a chance to eat. But this still wouldn't explain how the medium ones are out growing the big ones. Am I over thinking this or are some fish just genetically faster growers?

 

[sissy]

remember they do have babies .I have given 30+ babies away .My pond is 25 x10 by just over 4 feet deep and 13 fish and 8 babies soon to go to new home .No one told me and I now have a 2400 gph pump and a 2900 gph pump .I only feed mine 3 or 4 times a week less chance of a spike in ammonia and with koi that gets bigger as it gets warmer .I have not lost a fish in 9 years to anything but one did jump out during spawning ,my fault net was not all the way on .Company and I just forgot .I have 2 koi and 3 butterfly and 1 shubbie and 2 fantails and some mixed breed whatevers .Mine were cheap from a koi farm in NC and most I paid for one was 7 dollars and 2 fantails were 1 dollar

 

[sissy]

I noticed your fence and found the best way to clean them is bleach and dish detergent in a sprayer and hose off .Only thing you would have to be careful of is your pond .I put a gutter under each section of my sister in laws so water would run off ,I did have to put silicon around each post where it met the gutter .She had a problem with water collecting all along it and ground got smushy wet ,never had it happen until after she put the fence up by the carport and she has 6 acres for water to go .