Just bought a house with a koi pond and know nothing about it!

[msmary]

Hello,
We just closed on our new house last week and in the back yard is a koi pond. The original owners who built the house put the pond in and kept it up. The 2nd owners maintained it until they got a divorce and the woman we bought the house from said she hasn't touched it in years. We are the third owners and this is our first house. She has only unplugged the waterfall in the winter and covered it. She said there used to be a lot of koi in it and one year an owl got them.

I would really like to get the pond back to looking good and get koi in the spring to put in it. I just have no clue what I am doing!! I stuck a yard stick in the pond and it is almost two feet deep. I realize it needs weeded....I am just not sure what plants stay and which ones go. I bought a pool net to cover it up with. So after I get the leaves out and weed what needs to go then I will cover it.

Any suggestions or insight would be helpful and appreciated!!

 

[Tula]

Welcome to ponding Most folks are cutting back pond plants and netting their ponds at this time of year, so you're on the right path. You'll have the winter to read up and plan for the Spring. Kim

 

[JohnHuff]

Welcome to the forum and pond life, and congrats on your house!
I think the first thing you'll need to do is to weed it, remove the dead leaves and do a general clean up around the area. Then you'll (and us) will be able to see what you've got.
My next step would probably to see what kind of a pump and filter mechanism you've got. That's what's going to circulate the water.
After you do that, you can take a few pics and show us what you've got!
Ponding can be a fantastic hobby!

 

[adavisus]

The main feature is the waterlily, its out grown the pond and looks like a variety which will choke it next Summer.

Spring would be a good time to lever it up, chop it to manageable size chunks and replant at most one or two crowns. Theres probably 20+ crowns there now, self crowded. Think of it as a weekend project next year.

Not a lot else to do, scoop out any organic stuff to reduce the decomp load to less than 5% of pond volume...

Yah, a couple or three shubunkin or goldfish would thrive in that size pond. Not koi....

Regards, andy
http://www.pinterest.com/adavisus/pondering/
http://swglist.wordpress.com/

 

[mtpond]

Welcome. What are the dimensions of your pond? Its going to be a nice looking pond after you get it all cleaned up.

 

[DrCase]

welcome to the forum
You got the first step down . Cleaning and seeing what you got

 

[sissy]

How deep and how big and what size pump and filter will help us help you .You may also want to check what kind of liner you have and see if it is in good condition .After all the cleaning you would not want a leak

 

[msmary]

Thanks everybody. I will post more pictures when I get it cleaned up and try to look for the filter and pump. Where would I look for these things? Lol, I'm trying not to sound like a complete idiot but I just have no clue about this stuff.

Adavisus- you mean scoop out the bottom of the pond?

Also, I can't see the bottom of the pond. Shouldn't I be able to see the bottom since it is sort of an ornamental pond. How can I fix this?

 

[JohnHuff]

Post more pics and we should be able to spot the pump and filter or where to look for it!

 

[Dave 54]

May I suggest you buy a number of books if you wish to proceed with the pond in the spring, if you wish to keep koi then buy The Interpet Manual of koi Health Author's Keih Holmes and Tony Pitham
ISBN number 1842860992.
This book is one of the most used out of our large library of koi and fish health books .
The other I would suggest is The interpet manual of Fish Health by Authors Dr Chris, Andrews Adrian Exell and Dr Neville Carrington ISBN number 1842860674
These are the books we started off wit 27 years ago and are still the two books I most look at if I or someone else I know has a problem.
They will take you from the basics of fish keeping water chemistry etc right up to a more advance level of fish keeping.
Here in the UK our title would be Senior Aquarists with 27 years behind us in both keeping and showing koi at the Aquatic Society venues and koi venues around the South West .
Back in 2009 we were also awarded a place in the Koi Magazines koi hall of fame because of our work with koi, nominated by a chap who went on to forge a career in the world of fish farming and koi expertee.
He says it was our love and attention to detail which set him on his path where he now lectures and has a sucessful,consulancy and is also an Author (cant afford his book though its well expensive) lol.


rgrds

Dave

 

[HARO]

Follow the electrical cord down into the pond, and you SHOULD find the pump. Almost never fails! :fingersx:
John

 

[sissy]

unless you get shocked first Haro yikes :cheerful: :lamp5:

 

[JohnHuff]

Follow the electrical cord down into the pond, and you SHOULD find the pump. Almost never fails! :fingersx:
John

Unplug it first!