I need some help - Please

[Koiandturtlepond0000]

 

[Koiandturtlepond0000]

Hi there,

I am a brand new member, looking for some clever fish keepers help and advice - any would be much appreciated!

I have uploaded a picture of my pond, but to give you a sense of scale and depth - it is about 0.5metres deep and has a diameter of about 3.2metres, making it a 4000 litre (880 gallon) pond.

We have always had trouble with algae in the pond, from the picture you can probably see the 'pea soup' colour.. Over the course of 10 years we have tried various courses of action (but nothing too major) to try and solve the problem. Just yesterday i installed a new Pond Mate pressurised UV+Bio filter (10'000 P.UV) as well as a new Pond Mate pump 7000. This is because the old pump and filter system was probably due replacing, the filter certainly was anyway!

As you can see, there is a metal grate/grid over the top of the pond. This was put on quite a while ago when the children were all young etc.. When we first moved here about 10 years ago, the pond had some lovely big koi in (around 12") and we had them for some time. However, we had a heron problem and over the course of a few years, the fish slowly disappeared.. This led to the net being put over the pond. It doesn't stop the heron coming though, i saw him watching the pond just the other day!! There is very little chance of him getting close enough to get any though.

New fish were put in about a year ago, all fairly small. I think there are about 6 goldfish(small), 2 floor sweeper fish (who you never see anyway..), 2 ghost koi (medium- 8")[you can just see one of them in the middle-left of the 2nd picture] and another 5-6 reddish coloured assorted koi who are all under 6".

I would say for most of the middle of the day (10am-6pm), the pond is in sunlight. There did used to be aquatic plants in here, but we completed cleared the pond last year and ended up not putting anymore plants back in - the pond was very dirty.

Any help would be very much appreciated. I really want to try and make my water clear, it has seemed like an impossible task for so long. Also, I feel very sorry for my fish!!

Hopefully, someone will spot some stupid mistake i have been making..
Thank you in advance,
Koi

 

[sissy]

Welcome not enough aeration .I found that an air pump really helps .Plus you could use quilt batting in a crate

 

[Koiandturtlepond0000]

Got my measurements a bit wrong! - updated them though

 

[Koiandturtlepond0000]

Thanks for the quick reply and thank you.
Hmm ok, i might try that, any recommendations where to get one from, or a particular make?

What is the quilt batting in a crate?

Thanks for the advice!

 

[sissy]

It pics up fine algae cells and you can clean it often and keep reusing the quilt batting .I hose it off soak it in peroxide and water and put it back in .I keep it in my filters all the time .I bought a laguna one but you would not need one as big .My pond is about 4 ft deep and you can see the bottom

 

[talal101]

It pics up fine algae cells and you can clean it often and keep reusing the quilt batting .I hose it off soak it in peroxide and water and put it back in .I keep it in my filters all the time .I bought a laguna one but you would not need one as big .My pond is about 4 ft deep and you can see the bottom

Sissy: What is your solution mix of X parts water by X parts peroxide? and what percent peroxide is the peroxide?

Welcome to the forum Koiandturtlepond. I think you will notice that the uv clarifier will have a huge effect, but I highly recommend you use the quilt batting as sissy has mentioned, even though the uv kills the cells, they may still float around and decompose in the pond making more food for other algae, this way you can at least filter out all the algae cells and wash them out of the pond. I also recommend planting a water lily for some cover from the sun and it will absorb nutrients from the water so the algae have less to eat.

For the heron problem, you should get a fake heron statue and put it next to the pond., it helps deter them in most cases, I would also buy a much finer mesh net, because no offense but that one is a major eye sore. Lastly you NEED aeration, your pond is going to become a dead and unhealthy anaerobic bacteria zone.

 

[sissy]

I just use4 percent peroxide I buy by the gallon and it really does not matter how much you use when you rinse out quilt batting .I added only to the pond before the fish where put back in and only added a cup since water was store from the old pond in everything i could find .It can kill plants .I even rinse all my plant roots in a solution of it just in case there may be a free loader or 2 in the plant .I then soak my plants in fertilizer and water before I repot them .Peroxide breaks down fast and just adds oxygen to the water

 

[talal101]

I just use4 percent peroxide I buy by the gallon and it really does not matter how much you use when you rinse out quilt batting .I added only to the pond before the fish where put back in and only added a cup since water was store from the old pond in everything i could find .It can kill plants .I even rinse all my plant roots in a solution of it just in case there may be a free loader or 2 in the plant .I then soak my plants in fertilizer and water before I repot them .Peroxide breaks down fast and just adds oxygen to the water

Thank you for the information sissy, I would have never thought to use it, its a rather smart idea actually!

 

[sissy]

actually if you use it to clean with and do dishes in dishwasher or use it in your washing machine it kills bacteria and odor .I take a bath in peroxide and baking soda it softens your skin and cleans out your pores and added it cleans the jets in my whirlpool tub .I use a quarter cup of each in my jetted tub

 

[talal101]

actually if you use it to clean with and do dishes in dishwasher or use it in your washing machine it kills bacteria and odor .I take a bath in peroxide and baking soda it softens your skin and cleans out your pores and added it cleans the jets in my whirlpool tub .I use a quarter cup of each in my jetted tub

Thank you for the ideas! I also have a couple whirlpool tubs and never considered this idea. I must go do this tonight!

 

[sissy]

sorry koi we pond napped your thread .Was wondering on that metal could it be causing some of your problems also .I started to look at it better and just wondered .Do you have a liquid test kit .

 

[talal101]

sorry koi we pond napped your thread .Was wondering on that metal could it be causing some of your problems also .I started to look at it better and just wondered .Do you have a liquid test kit .

Agreed.....sorry, we didn't intend to steal your thread. Im with sissy all the way on that one, if that metal is leaching into the water it can mess up the water chemistry

 

[Koiandturtlepond0000]

It pics up fine algae cells and you can clean it often and keep reusing the quilt batting .I hose it off soak it in peroxide and water and put it back in .I keep it in my filters all the time .I bought a laguna one but you would not need one as big .My pond is about 4 ft deep and you can see the bottom

Thanks Sissy, i will try the quilt batting in a crate idea and i am looking at some air filters now!

 

[Koiandturtlepond0000]

Sissy: What is your solution mix of X parts water by X parts peroxide? and what percent peroxide is the peroxide?

Welcome to the forum Koiandturtlepond. I think you will notice that the uv clarifier will have a huge effect, but I highly recommend you use the quilt batting as sissy has mentioned, even though the uv kills the cells, they may still float around and decompose in the pond making more food for other algae, this way you can at least filter out all the algae cells and wash them out of the pond. I also recommend planting a water lily for some cover from the sun and it will absorb nutrients from the water so the algae have less to eat.

For the heron problem, you should get a fake heron statue and put it next to the pond., it helps deter them in most cases, I would also buy a much finer mesh net, because no offense but that one is a major eye sore. Lastly you NEED aeration, your pond is going to become a dead and unhealthy anaerobic bacteria zone.

Hi Talal101, thanks, yes i have actually got a fake heron next to the pond (you can just see it in top left of 2nd picture), it doesn't do much. Our heron literally goes from pond to pond in the area.. so i think its caught on.. haha!

Anyway, i will try and get an aerator in the next couple of days thanks..
I agree the net is a eye sore, but if I'm honest there is very little to see at the moment haha, so i will sort the net after the water clears up a bit.