Moving and need help

[WhiteNoise]

Hey guys! It's been awhile since last I visited. We are in the process of getting ready to move to our other home. My current house we are selling and it has a koi pond. I have 13 fish in this pond. 10 koi and 3 large gold fish. I had less but babies appeared around a year ago and 4 of those babies are growing up now.

So the house we are going to does not have a pond so we plan to build one but in the mean time we need a temporary pond to hold them in during construction. This temp pond needs to be able to last quite awhile as first we have not decided on the type of pond to build and considering I will build the pond myself and work 40 hours a week plus take care of family; I won't be able to knock out a new pond quickly.

So I need a pond large enough to handle the 13 fish. Only one is large at over a foot long while most are between 6" and 12" and 5 of them are around the 6" mark give or take.

What can I use as a temp pond that isn't too expensive? Considering summer is coming up and we usually get 90-100+ weather, I'm worried about temp. Anyone point me in the right direction?

My current pond is over 1200 gallons.

Thanks! I'm really worried about my koi and want to make sure I do this right.

 

[Meyer Jordan]

If your fish are to be temporarily housed for an extended period of time, then I would recommend nothing less than a portable swimming pool with both filtration and aeration.
Similar to this 2885 gallon pool-

 

[WhiteNoise]

I was looking at these actually. Do you think I really need a pool of this size though? Nearly 3000 gallons? Trying to think where I would put such a large pool. The only area large enough is the same area where I would be building my pond. Could I get away with maybe half that size?


I will be transporting my 55gallon DIY filtration system and using it in conjunction with one of my large in water pumps. I can pipe the water back in using my current PVC pipe that I punched holes through to add aeration. Works very well in my current pond.

 

[Meyer Jordan]

You may be able to use temporary housing half that capacity, but only if you provide ample water circulation(2250 - 3000 gph) and adequate bio-filtration in addition to aeration. Also keep in mind that any new housing that you utilize will require a 'cycle' period for the biofiltration.

 

[WhiteNoise]

I currently have a 3200gph pump in my current pond and and backup 950gph in the garage. I had planned to cycle the temp pool for a period of 2 weeks before adding fish. My DIY filter system is a bio filter using rock layers with chic feed on top. works great in my current setup.


Think I will go with a rigid side pool. Mainly for peace of mind. I don't like the idea of those inflatable top pools. If it springs a leak I could lose everything.

I'd feel safer with a rigid wall pool for sure. Something like this:

 

[Dave 54]

I currently have a 3200gph pump in my current pond and and backup 950gph in the garage. I had planned to cycle the temp pool for a period of 2 weeks before adding fish. My DIY filter system is a bio filter using rock layers with chic feed on top. works great in my current setup.


Think I will go with a rigid side pool. Mainly for peace of mind. I don't like the idea of those inflatable top pools. If it springs a leak I could lose everything.

I'd feel safer with a rigid wall pool for sure. Something like this:
View attachment 90011

I have to agree with @WhiteNoise on this one as our club owns 14 ridged wall show vats and two humongus fresh water vats that are also ridged wall vats........ you simply cannot beat them for strength and durability, both the sides and bottom where built with koi in mind, unlike the inflatable which was built with humans in mind and not koi
With the one Meyer has shown I would hazzard a guess that there always the risk of the air escaping due the heating up then cooling of a day through microscopic holes in the air rings or puncture due to the actions of your koi......
You should never underestimate a koi as they are extremely powerful fish capable of launching themselves over your shoulder if paniced.
See my article on transporting koi :-

https://www.gardenpondforum.com/articles/transporting-koi-and-how-to-go-about-it.42/

So transport purposes in the koi world koi are always double bagged, and sometimes treble bagged, [dependant on the koi's size]....
These bags are made from thick industrial stength plastic bags [yet still a large koi can puncture them]:headbang:
The filter on the inflatable isnt meant for koi and thus isnt man enough to do the job of looking after koi.
Though both would need external filtration, U/V-C Airpumps etc, at least with the ridged you can add partial shade from the sun with specially made covers [not sure about the inflatable] ?

Dave

 

[WhiteNoise]

Thanks Dave. My only issue right now is the size to buy. My wife is not at all happy about me buying a 10' to 15' radius swimming pool. I agree with her to a point but I need this to last through the summer most likely. I figure by the end of the summer or fall I should have the new pond built.

Been looking for a smaller but deep pool (under 10' dia. and around 3-4 feet deep.) this would allow me to fit it in the yard but out of the way so I can actually build the new koi pond. The only thing I can find are koi viewing tanks or show tanks. Plenty of those rigid tanks out there and at a size I could work with but damn they are expensive. $400-$800 for a small pool is crazy when I can buy an actual rigid swimming pool for people 10x bigger for a fraction of that cost.

The search continues! lol

 

[addy1]

Keep a watch on craigs list, we got a real nice 1000 gallon stock tank for 50 bucks. It is incorporated into our pond loop.

 

[Meyer Jordan]

Rigid side pools are indeed better. They do cost a bit more, however. Did not know how much you were willing to spend.

 

[WhiteNoise]

I would like to keep the cost around $200 give or take. If I buy a swimming pool this is totally doable as I have already found a handful for around $199. I'd be willing to spend between $100-$300 I suppose.

I might just have to buy a more shallow pool and make a frame to put on top of it with netting to keep the big birds away. I have found 5 foot radius pools which is a good size but they are like 2.5 feet deep. I would prefer at least 3 foot deep.

I am keeping an eye on CL but so far I haven't seen anything.

 

[Meyer Jordan]

Make sure that the capacity is at least 1500 gallons as was discussed earlier in this thread. Any smaller and you are asking for problems.

 

[WhiteNoise]

My current pond is 1200 gallons. What sort of problems should I already be having?

 

[Meyer Jordan]

My current pond is 1200 gallons. What sort of problems should I already be having?

Sorry. Hard to keep different threads on different Forums separate.
You should be OK providing you do not go less than 1200 gallons (your current size).
One very important thing to keep in mind is that the temporary pond will not 'cycle' without fish or other source of Ammonia. This may not be an issue however if you are going to use your current biofilter which is already cycled. Just do not let the filter media dry out when transferring the filter from use in one pond to use in the other.

 

[WhiteNoise]

Good point on the drying out. I will make sure it doesn't. I will have to drain it just so I can move it but I will set it up and get it running as soon as I get it to the other house which is just a couple of miles away.

Thanks for every ones help!

 

[Dave 54]

Good point on the drying out. I will make sure it doesn't. I will have to drain it just so I can move it but I will set it up and get it running as soon as I get it to the other house which is just a couple of miles away.

Thanks for every ones help!

What about a large stock tank in stead of swimming pool , you could use it as your Qt fasility later on and from what I hear they last a long time .

Dave