Introducing koi to pond with stream

[Dmitry]

Hello , it was always my dream to have a koi. Now I got property with pond .the stream goes in on one side and there is another stream on other side that carries water away . The pond is approximately 20 by 40 when full, oval shape. It gradually deepens to about 5 feet in a middle. I just ordered 5 koi 6-7 inches big. After I did it I've started to read forums like this and now I have have my doubts .Last summer, at the end of it ,pond was less than half full since we had no rain for months. Water in pond was brownish . So I assumed if I will have stream running it's gonna take care of the waste, but if it gets low due to no rain I will run pump and filter and add water from my well.My first Q: is it possible ? Is this gonna work? Second Q: The water is crystal clear now , but bottom is covered in leaves from surrounding trees . It's never been cleaned . should I clean all the leaves before I get fish in? I understand it's gonna decoy when temperature goes up and gonna kill the fish.,temp now is about 50 here in CT .
Thank you in advance . Any advice is appreciated even if not relevant to topic .

 

[JohnHuff]

Nice! I have long dreamed of a pond with natural flow!

Q1 - yes and yes
Q2 - yes

My question, will the fish be swept away in the outgoing stream?

 

[Dmitry]

Thank you for replay.
Water from pond runs trough several boulders , so there is no way to escape. Or I thought so . You got me thinking , smaller fish can probably swim trough it ,the 6 inch koi I ordered -not really.
So , you think the stream will be enough for removing waste , or should I run a pump as well , may be less time.

 

[JohnHuff]

- Fish are slim, they might get through. You might consider a grate.
- How about wild animals? Will any wild animals be feasting on your fish?
- Just thinking about another thread, will there be a danger of your fish escaping and displacing natural fish? Can the fish store guarantee that the fish are healthy? Do you need to check with your state wildlife agency? You don't want to introduce an invasive species and/or disease into your state's waters.
- I don't think there will be any need to use a pump if the water runs like that. The water will be replaced faster than you can circulate it.

 

[Dmitry]

Another good point . Got to check on permits etc. grate is a good idea , just to make sure fish not gonna get away . Predators is another concern , didn't see any yet ,but saw a hawk just near the pond today . Wondering if it's gonna be an issue

 

[RobAmy]

Beautiful stream and area

 

[addy1]

Where are you at? We have herons here, so do a lot of ponders, they will wipe out a fish pond once they find it.

 

[Big Lou]

Beautiful, welcome.

 

[shakaho]

Where does this exit stream go? If it flows into some other body of water or into a storm sewer, even intermittently, eggs and fry from your pond fish will be going into other bodies of water. Unless you are keeping native fish rather than koi, this will be illegal. Perhaps you could divert that exit stream into another pond -- perhaps a water garden with water lilies and other plants that overflows only onto your lawn/garden.

 

[JohnHuff]

... eggs and fry from your pond fish will be going into other bodies of water.

Hadn't thought about that. Good catch.

 

[Dmitry]

I'm in western CT ,never saw a heron in my area but after reading other posts I guess we have them here .one more concern .
The stream goes into sewer line down the road , so may be it's a good idea to keep native fish .
Do you know what kind of native Ct
Fish would be suitable for pond. Sunfish ? Carp?

 

[HARO]

Every place I've ever checked, it was illegal to keep exotic fish in any water where they could escape into the wild. Not only that, but diseases not known in the wild fish population can be spread this way! No screen will stop fish eggs or fry, let alone disease organisms, from escaping! PLEASE do not go through with this plan.
John

 

[Tula]

Do you have a local fish hatchery? They may be a good source of information . You could also consider a pump with a fountain, for effect - a nice spray of water?

 

[Dmitry]

Thank you , guys ,for replays , lot of usefull info. I've decided to put some local fish in pond . I don't really care if it'll be some "locals " , as long as they live.

 

[Dmitry]

It seems like we have two fish hatcheries . I checked online and it seems like they specialize in trout only, I know troy likes very clean water and will not survive in my pond when stream is weak. I think.