Hello and a few basic pond questions

[clemsonguy1125]

Hey,
I'm new here, I've got a leopard gecko and several comet goldfish. My goldfish are quickly out growing there 10 gallon tank and I've been offered a 250 gallon preformed pond to move them into. I know it's not huge but it's seems like a good size for my yard. I'm planning on using a fountain pump from harbor freight and was wondering if I should us the 15 dollar 258gph pump or the 30 dollar 1528gph. I have heard good thing about both. And also the both have a built in filter so do I need to build another external one from a bucket like I have seen several people do? Also is installing one as simple as digging a hole, leveling it, dropping the pond in, then pouring sand around it, and what size should I expect it to be, I believe it's oblong?
Thanks

 

[addy1]

The 258 gph pump will turn your pond over nicely. It depends on the type of built in filter if it does a good enough job for your pond.

I have a 300 gallon rubbermaid container, it is around 4 feet or so long.

Yes dig a hole, make sure you have your piping figured out. Make sure it is above ground level a little to keep rain runoff from polluting your pond. Get it level.
Goldies are a little more forgiving then koi.

As long as you have good filtration your fish will do well. Get some test kits to monitor the water.

And welcome to the forum

 

[clemsonguy1125]

Thanks, and I heard it was 250 gallons but I am guessing its closer to 150 because its abot 4' by 2.5'. What kind of piping are you talking about? Its a submersible pump and I was just going to make a small water fall from wood and rocks by running a pieces of half inch tubing up to the top.
Thanks

 

[koiguy1969]

use the largest tubiing your pump accepts this will allow for the least flow restriction and that not only helps with friltration it helps aeration as well.

 

[clemsonguy1125]

This is the pump I was planning on using, does it look ok.
http://www.harborfreight.com/258-gph-submersible-fountain-pump-47117.html

 

[addy1]

The filter on that pump is just a piece of sponge type material. You will want to add a filter, look at the diy section.
You most likely will end up cleaning it a lot to keep the pump flowing (i think lol)

 

[clemsonguy1125]

Okay, will do, could I just pull out the filter and build one instead.

 

[addy1]

Okay, will do, could I just pull out the filter and build one instead.

You would not want any large items to get into the pump and foul it. So most likely you would want to keep the filter on the pump. I use an external pump. I am not sure how you would add a better filter to this pump i.e. in place of the sponge filter.

This is a post from dr case

most of us have are pump in the pond, and pump to the filter..
You want a pump that can move the solids to the filter

 

[clemsonguy1125]

Okay, Ill leave that there, and have it pump out of the pond into a 2 gallon bucket with a pipe coming out of it over the pond, I will put a piece of fine mesh around the pipe to filter it. I guess I can pile rocks around the bucket for asthetics.
Thanks

 

[addy1]

Okay, Ill leave that there, and have it pump out of the pond into a 2 gallon bucket with a pipe coming out of it over the pond, I will put a piece of fine mesh around the pipe to filter it. I guess I can pile rocks around the bucket for asthetics.
Thanks

You will want to use pot scrubbies, mats etc, look at the diy section, fine mesh around the pipe will not really filter well.

 

[clemsonguy1125]

ok, will do, Im looking through the DIY section know

 

[lauraleellbp]

You need to think about both mechanical filtration (physically trapping debris) and biological filtration (providing good surface area to grow the colonies of N-fixing bacteria that convert the toxic ammonia and nitrites coming from fish waste into less toxic nitrates). You'll need to pick out or build a filter that will handle both of these functions.

If you want to build a filter, see the DIY forum like Addy's suggested.

Otherwise there are lots of other filter designs on the market.

Personally I'm using 1.5" black flexible ridged PVC tubing for plumbing my own pond.

 

[addy1]

Where on the east coast are you? If north you need to think cold, if south you need to think heat.

 

[clemsonguy1125]

Im in NC, the only thing thats going in it is some comets that outgrew their tank.

 

[addy1]

Comets are not as fussy as koi. They should do fine. But you still want good filtration or you will be looking at pea green water trying to see your fish.............