Inherited a pond but clueless

[Susan Scott]

I am brand new here, looking for help from people who love ponds. We bought a home in New Hampshire late last fall with a small pond, only about 6'x12' and quite shallow, less than 2' deep. It has a Laguna pump that says capacity 600. The filter box has 3 filters and those little black biosphere things and a UV sterilizer inline with the pump. It also has a waterfall. The house had been empty since March, we moved in around Oct so there was zero pond care all summer, but the fish seemed happy and the water was fairly clear. There were about 12 goldfish of maybe 4" to 5" in size. We put in a brand new floating pond heater to keep an open pocket in the ice over the winter, but it died early in the winter and the ice got really deep, really fast, there was no replacing it. So, dead fish this spring.Okay, so that's the background. I want to re-stock it with goldfish (we're getting a big aquarium to put them in next winter!!! ) However, I want to be sure the pond is sufficiently clean for the fish. Here is a picture of how it looks today.

Right now there is a shallow layer of muck on the bottom from dirt and leaves (and, sigh, dead fishies) Should that be 100% cleaned out? There is also a layer of sand on the very bottom under the muck. Not sure why. The sand will come up if I get all the muck out. Does it need to be there? Where do I even begin to learn even the most obvious basics of how to care for this thing?
I have found a lot online, but it all seems aimed at people who have specific issues with their pond. I don't even know enough to know if I have an issue Thank you!

 

[tbendl]

Welcome Susan! The dead fish and leaves must come out. I would try a pool net, that should allow you to get the large debris out. I don't have fish so I can't help with the rest. Good luck and welcome!

 

[JBtheExplorer]

The first thing I'd do is get the debris out. Its pretty impossible to make it spotless, but get as much as you can; all the leaves, any dead fish or frogs, and clumps of debris. It will get murky when you stir it up, but that's just the way it goes. With dead fish laying in there, I imagine the water quality isn't the best. Keeping the water circulated and filtered is a good start, which it sounds like you're already doing. Others here may have more suggestions.


For future winters, consider trying a Pond Breather. It kept most or all of the baby fish I left outside alive. I really thought they'd be dead but one warmer day this Spring, I found them all swimming around like winter never happened. This coming winter will be my first try at keeping adult fish outside, though. Bringing them indoors was always a pain in the butt for me and this year I had bad luck with it.

 

[Meyer Jordan]

This would be a good time to do a complete clean-out. Remove all debris, sediment and the sand. Do not scrub or power-wash the bare liner. refill with de-chlorinated water. Also clean the filter at this time.

 

[Dave 54]

Hi Susan and welcome from Plymouth in the UK .
We are a helpful forum at GPF , the first thing you need to do is give the pond a good clean , I'm not sure about the sand your best bet is to dig your hand into it to see if it sits atop a liner .
Out with the dead leaves dead fish etc then give the pond a half water change [note you'll need to add dechloniator to take out the chlorine/chloromines which are deadly to fish.
Next you need to remove the UV-C tube and replace it with a new one [do this every twelve months] make sure however the filter is turned off and once in the UV-C carefully take out the crystal sleeve that houses the bulb paying particular attention to any seals when you put it back together but that sleeve has been out all winter you may well have to buy a new sleeve if it froze up and cracked.
You must then take a good look at your filter give it a good clean then add Microbe_lift PL filter pad innoculent gel and follow the instructions on the bottle to the letter.
Next a warning "BEWARE", not all you read on the enternet is correct or factual its far better to buy in fish books and learn the hobby through them
May I suggest The Manual of Fish Health ISBN 0861013869. Dr Chris Andrews Adrian Exell, Dr Neville Carrington and
Hand Book of Fish Diseases (All Fish) ISBN 0866227032. Dieter Untergasser.
@Meyer Jordan @bettasngoldfish, @CometKeith, @Mmathis are the main names that come to mind goldfish wise , I feel certain they wont mind you tapping their brains for Goldfish Knowlege

Dave

 

[Susan Scott]

Thank you everyone! I so appreciate being given a direction and a place to start. I don't feel the clean out will be too bad. The gunk on the bottom is not deep, nor is it even very smelly so it has not been there too long. Fortunately we have a well, not town or city water so chlorination isn't an issue. I have been letting the water spray in from a hose rather than just sticking the hose into the pond, so it aerates a bit as well. Thank you also for the book recommendations. I hear you about not trusting everything you read online! I did do a quick online search about the gel stuff Dave recommended. It sounds perfect - add good bacteria, break down the gunk, and re-stabilizes the pond when a lot of cleaning has to be done, exactly what I need.

I did wonder about the UV sterilizer. There really isn't any way to know if it's working properly or not, is there?

Is it desirable to make the pond perfectly clear and sparkling? That looks really nice but I wonder if that is a fish friendly environment. We use to have a pool and of course that gets a ton of harsh chemicals dumped in twice a week all summer to make it sparkle. Can't imagine the fish would like that, though.

Last question - what other plants or animal life are ideal in a balanced, healthy pond?

 

[Dave 54]

No sady Susan you'll have to strip the UV-C down otherwise if the crystal sleeve is broken you are basically in danger of A] A live Current B] your new expensive bulb blows in the water the bulb sits inside the sleeve and is normally totally isolated.
Crystal clear water isnt all its cracked up to be , you may have ammonia or Nitrate problems it still look Crystal clear but is infact deadly .
It may if your not happy about messing with the UV-C simpler to get rid of it and buy a new one , thats down to you .
Being a formal koi pond owner we cant help you with the plants [formal koi ponds in the UK are just koi and water perhap with a few plants around he edge of the pond but not in it] .


Dave

 

[Meyer Jordan]

Thank you everyone! I so appreciate being given a direction and a place to start. I don't feel the clean out will be too bad. The gunk on the bottom is not deep, nor is it even very smelly so it has not been there too long. Fortunately we have a well, not town or city water so chlorination isn't an issue. I have been letting the water spray in from a hose rather than just sticking the hose into the pond, so it aerates a bit as well. Thank you also for the book recommendations. I hear you about not trusting everything you read online! I did do a quick online search about the gel stuff Dave recommended. It sounds perfect - add good bacteria, break down the gunk, and re-stabilizes the pond when a lot of cleaning has to be done, exactly what I need.

I did wonder about the UV sterilizer. There really isn't any way to know if it's working properly or not, is there?

Is it desirable to make the pond perfectly clear and sparkling? That looks really nice but I wonder if that is a fish friendly environment. We use to have a pool and of course that gets a ton of harsh chemicals dumped in twice a week all summer to make it sparkle. Can't imagine the fish would like that, though.

Last question - what other plants or animal life are ideal in a balanced, healthy pond?

Stay away from pond treatments. Work with Nature, not against. Many, many choices in plant material. Others members will offer suggestions. Other than fish, no need to add animal life. The presence of a water source will attract a wide diversity of animal life, some not so welcome. Once the pond is chemically and biologically balanced you will not need a UV.

 

[Susan Scott]

No sady Susan you'll have to strip the UV-C down otherwise if the crystal sleeve is broken you are basically in danger of A] A live Current B] your new expensive bulb blows in the water the bulb sits inside the sleeve and is normally totally isolated.
Crystal clear water isnt all its cracked up to be , you may have ammonia or Nitrate problems it still look Crystal clear but is infact deadly .
It may if your not happy about messing with the UV-C simpler to get rid of it and buy a new one , thats down to you .
Being a formal koi pond owner we cant help you with the plants [formal koi ponds in the UK are just koi and water perhap with a few plants around he edge of the pond but not in it] .


Dave

My hubby is an electrician and quite handy with fixing stuff. I feel pretty safe about having him install a new bulb.

I'm really looking to have a pond that is in harmony with the wild life around it, not a pristine show piece, so perfectly clear water isn't a priority. We live on the edge of several hundred acres of woods so we get everything from snails to bears and everything in between wandering through our yard.

 

[RobAmy]

Welcome to the group, you already got some sound advise above.

everything from snails to bears and everything in between wandering through our yard

That's great, what a location. That was my number one goal to attract the local wildlife with our pond, so far it has done very well.

 

[Meyer Jordan]

 

[Dave 54]

Oh dear I hope the bear doesnt snaffle any fish Susan otherwise it may become an expensive hobby everytime one happens by , the nearest thing to preditors in the UK Foxs and hedghogs then we have the raptors in the way of a faily of buzzards and thats all really
As long as that sleave is intact he can use it if not they are sometimes quite expensive to replace hense buying a totally new one if it cant be rectified
The books I've suggested will see you right explain the Nitrogen cycle and give you an in depth look into fish diseases etc , there is one more book that may be right down your street it's called Fany Goldfish "A complete Guide to care and collecting",ISBN 185974975 by Sr Erik L Johnson DVM , Richard E Hess and photography by Fred Rozenzweig.
Dr Johnson is in koi circles one of the best authors on all matters Goldfish and koi alike .
All these books can be bought on Amzon .Com

Dave

 

[Susan Scott]

Dave, so far we've been here for just about 6 months and we've already seen bear, deer, turkeys and racoons in our yard. I'm not even going to try to predator-proof the pond. I'll be happy if I can just keep them out of my garden.

 

[CountryEscape]

Welcome, Susan. If you are going to have fish, and you have raccoons, I wonder how the fish survived last summer! That's unbelievable, given your pond is not very deep. Maybe the fish have a place to go to hide from the raccoons?
To help in keeping your pond in harmony with nature, get some plants. If the water is too deep for a certain type of plant you want, put it "on a shelf". I love the stackable plastic shelves at Wal-Mart, that have a cut out opening in front. Turn them upside down and they look like a garage with no door. Great place for fish to hide, and it adds a shelf for plants. The algae will cover the plastic in short order, so no worries about it looking like it doesn't belong. Plants help to use up nutrients in the water, helping to keep the algae at bay.
All the stuff you mention on the bottom is likely just what has gathered there over the years. That may be sand, or maybe I wonder if it is silt from the air, depending on where you live and if you have sandy soil that gets stirred up int the winds.
Another suggestion about plants, keep in mind that raccoons like to rummage through plants, pulling them out of pots trying to find bugs and fish, so keep that in mind if you put plants in pots in the water. People say raccoons make a total mess of plants in one evening.
Good luck with your adventure! And, as they say, if you have water, everything else will come. I have frogs, turtles, snakes, dragonflies, etc. and love it all!

 

[Susan Scott]

Under the waterfall is a rock shelf that fish and frogs can hide under and there was a couple of terra cotta colored cement tunnels that look sort of like short pieces of a pipe or something. I think that is where the fish hid from predators.
I would like to add some kind of floating plant that doesn't need to be potted in dirt, to help filter the water a bit more. I like the idea of the shelf. I'm thinking if I put it in the middle of the pond, the coons wouldn't be able to reach it from the shore.
I think most of the dirt blew into the pond from a nearby dirt mound that was created when the previous owners excavated the pond. Not real bright, but I guess moving the dirt was one of those projects they were going to get to "someday"