Inherited Pond

[Ribbet]

Ribbet!

Myself and partner are buying a house. The previous owner had not used this lovely pond probably for 5 years.

Challenge for me, I have absolutely zero experience or knowledge and want to get this pond looking as new again! I want to learn to 'Garden Pond'

What are all these in the pictures?

How do I get them tested?

What steps do I need to get to get this back online with some fish added?

I'm looking at this as a project with a
start to finish and on going maintenance so any costs along advice lines would be great, for e.g. equipment, solutions, tools

Appreciate your help in advance!

 

[addy1]

Welcome to our forum!

The first 3 pictures, first one intermatic, here that is a timer, the second one is on and off switches, the third also a timer, maybe for lights?

the next two pictures look like a pump, the tag laguna is a pond pump/supplies manufacturer

The gray boxes? not sure but it looks like electric feeds

Forth picture from the end looks like a water fall i.e the pump would send the water to there then it would waterfall down into the main pond.

The last three pictures are the pond, screen over it to keep leaves out or to keep predators out or or or lol
Can you tell how big it is?

Is there fish in the pond?

That is my best guess, others will chime in see if they agree with me. Fine if they don't lol

 

[sissy]

and the blagdon is your back flush filter that people use there .It has filter pads in it .Welcome and congrats on your new home and pond purchase .Lots to learn on both the pond and the home .I remember buying my first house and boy was that a real big learning experience ,both good and bad .But it helped that I grew up on a farm .

 

[j.w]

@Ribbet

 

[Joejoe80]

Congratulations.
If it was me and there are no fish in it. I would start by draining it. And visually inspect as much of the pond as you can.
If there are fish in it. Depending on size and how many I might do the same. (Except take the fish out before draining).
Keep in mind you might be inheriting someone else’s headache. I.E. under filtered, leaking, and so on. I would be a little suspicious about them not having it running

If nothings broken don’t fix it.
Otherwise if you find issues it might be easier to tear it down start new build the way you want it. then fixing it.
You already have the equipment

 

[Mmathis]

Welcome to our group, and congratulations! Sorry, but I cannot help at all with the system, but it does sound like a good idea to hook everything up and see what does what — and if the pond is water tight.

 

[GBBUDD]

That is where i would start fill the pond mark the height of the water and see if the water line drops . See if you have a leak . if no leak then get a pump working it looks like there may be several past pumping methods as i see pc and at least two different SETS of flexible line. IF you suspect a leak in the hoses i would just replace them as old lines un used are usualy dried out and if not leaking now the last thing you need is for them to blow once you put some pressure to them and the line blows when your not around. Starting from scratch may be your best bet Someone sure seems to have made your little pond pretty complicated. the timers i can understand but for the lif of me i have noi idea what in the world photo 7 is or could be

 

[j.w]

#7 must be something like this: https://www.blagdonwatergardening.c...onnectors/Powersafe-Switchbox-Four-way-Outlet

 

[sissy]

I would also get a electrical tester to make sure all the electric was installed right also and is still in good shape .Wires get brittle over time and you sure don't want a fire and all of the plumbing will need checked to see if it is still water tight .

 

[Ribbet]

Hi everyone,

Thank you so much for the replies. I am overwhelmed with the support and the information is accelerating the rescue plan!

Alas! A few fish live. I could not believe my eyes. Evergreen pine tree's dominating the pond for the past two to three years maybe prolonged their life. Without the pump, the plantation provided by the original architect has proved lifesaving, sustaining their needs however the pond, as I cut back the multi-tree canopy revealed a swamp like murk. I immediately saved a fish that had pooled in a sunken net (it could have been days/weeks/months).

Today having mapped out the plumbing, I can see the feed in and out. The architect did a sterling job modelling their flow however someone has come along and totally wrecked it making it look like a noodle stew.

A few weeks back I switched the pond on, the pump ran, gave a few spitting pip splitting sounds and then cut out. After I hired an electrician to carry out a full compliance test, he cut the garden electrical circuit off entirely as the pond was tripping it most likely... (this all runs on 12v, amazing.) The rest of the garden is mains so it has been isolated so we pass compliance.

I have some key questions:

1. I found that pump filter at the bottom, it was covered in slime. Tomorrow I am going to jet wash it to factory new - What else can I do with this?

2. I scooped out a lot dead snails, pine leaves and a host of morbid looking worms and woodlice (clearly the fish didn't fancy them!); at the bottom I was pulling out reams of a old root that was slimy like it had tenticles - Any idea what this is? Why did it die? How to replace?

3. I have scoped the remaining pipe work replacement, drawn the configuration of the electrics and water process flow; I want to drain it ASAP to give it a good old scrub; How do I baseline this Pond? Cleanse (products/tools) Re-purpose? And re-introduce the fish into the pond?

4. I brought a big bag of fish food off amazon ( https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07FZ12MND/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 ) as it had great reviews. The fish were avoiding it. Not sure if they have become accustomed to their new diet? It's been ONE day.

5. I am using a kitchen siv atm to scoop the pond. I am a fish out of water here - any recommendations on key tools, materials and testing equipment that will enable me to set up, calibrate and maintain this new reality to me of pond life?

The house is a challenge, with a little risk sprinkled on however we have a large appetite so are very happy with the purchase. Thank you to all, I look forward to engaging with you as I 'chip in'

Thanks,

Andy

P.s.

More horror photos to follow

 

[GBBUDD]

1. see if the impeller is clear often it's a few screws holding the housing around the impeller but DON'T open any water proof seals
2 THE SLIMY disgusting mass that was at the bottom of the pond could be the BEST soil for growing plants around your pond.
3. i wouldn't do more then to simply pressure wash with some scotch brite pads but i would not sterilize it as it seems you would like to do as what you see as slime dirty and unclean is probably just what your pond needs to cycle.
4. Sorry but your fish have survived for how long without food? they are going to get stressed out as you remove them from the pond to clean. food at this point is not so important . wild animals do have the benefit of having breakfast lunch and dinner. they often can go weeks without food but i would bet your fish were a=eating the algea you want to remove when the best solution maybe to control not so much remove
5. I have never tested my water . i observe my fish , when i see an issue i look back at any changes i might have made. or that mother nature may have changed

 

[JamieB]

A lot of the slime is actually the biological bacteria that breaks down waste. Move the fish with a good amount of the original water( minus solids!) plus any plants, and then you can finish scooping out solids from the pond. Don’t let it go dry, don’t scrub, just remove the solids and gunk. Then you can fill it with fresh DECHLORINATED water, and then watch to see if the level drops as a test for leaks. Meanwhile, keep the fish in a cool sheltered place, slowly adding fresh dechlorinated water till they have weak tea looking water instead of swamp water. Get an air pump in there, till they get back in their pond.
Once you have the pond filtration/ etc done, and know the ponds not leaking, you need to find out how much water your pond holds. As a rule of thumb, each goldfish should have about 60 gallons each, For standard type goldfish. They get to be over a foot long. Fancy types stay smaller. Koi need around 1000 gallons each. Expect breeding, and be prepared for some losses as you learn.
A good way to deal with the fish until your pond is done, would be a large outdoor trash can, nice and new. Fill it to test for water leaks before putting any fish in it, as some may be designed so the axel pierces the interior.

 

[Stephen Noble]

Welcome!

 

[Ribbet]

I wish everyone well amidst the lock down situation and all fish are all doing well

Your advice was taken on board. The pond was carefully cleaned of unwanted debris and the water plantation is healthy.

'SLIME':
This stuff that was removed at large; black sludge and am confidant it did not upset the ratio of healthy bacteria. The green algae is nice and thick around the sides. The pump was not cleaned and placed back in as per suggestions.

FISH:
There are three active and social fish. My fellow detectives, can you I.D the breeds?

They swim around and play with us when we are near the pond, it is actually quite lovely their characters. The white one is a little shy but is curious

FOOD:
Foodwise, we ground it down a little and the fish are now enjoying this.

STATUS:
No leaks, running pump and waterfall, healthy looking fish and mostly healthy pond - we are re-landscaping the area to include a canopy sufficient for shade, for now we have a temporary solution.

Feedback:

The more I review guides, forums and other forums, the content is conflicting. It looks like the general rule of thumb is to maintain a healthy ecology with an appropriate life-cycle of kit and resources. So I have rounded up some final questions to complete my knowledge:

1. This system was designed with a timer as highlighted above; 2, 4, 6 and 8 hour settings. Here are some of the options I was considering:
   1. 24/7 until clear, then once a week for two weeks then once every month or when the water turns 'murky'
   2. 24/7
   3. Don't use a pump / filter and fill the pond with living plants
   4. Once a month
2. Cleaning of Laguna filter/pump frequency
   1. Annual Spring
   2. Bi-Monthly
   3. 6 Monthly
3. Plants appropriate to a 7a environment
   1. Suggestions welcome
4. Frequency of pond clean
   1. Annual
   2. When water exceeds 'tea' clarity

Grateful if you could pick the answer out in your reply with your comments.

Wanted to say a thanks from us and the fish (not named yet) as your knowledge has had a positive impact on the welfare of the fish.

Andy

 

[mrsclem]

#1-2- pump and filter need run 24/7
#2- I would check it monthly and clean as needed, unless it seems to be needing cleaned more often.
#3- don't have plants in my ponds except lilies. Others will be able to give you a list
#4- Not sure what you mean by cleaning, keep leaves and muck scooped from bottom, net out leaves. A total drain and clean means starting over from scratch. Hope this helps!