Need Advice

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Ok I need tons of help. First, I want to know how many fish I can have. I started off with 15, 4-inchers (a combo of comets and koi) but 8 of them died and I'm heartbroken. I think it was because of bad water quality, but it's 6 comets and 1 koi now. My pond is divided up into 3 sections. I'll attach a picture. There is a giant filter attached to the fountain that I have just installed. The water circulates through the three ponds and back into the filter and through again. In the other pond, you can see the tiny fountain, which is also being pushed through a filter. In addition, I have two water lily pad plants, which you can't see because they're still underwater. The measurements of each pond are approximately (77x63x23), (28x32x17), and (94x77x19). I don't know how many gallons that is, but how many koi fish could it hold and how should I divy them up?

Secondly, is there enough oxygen and circulation?

Third, all I add is barley and pond prime. I'll start up food when it's consistently in the 50s (still cold here) in addition to adding surface plants. I just took out the winter heater. Does that sound good or am I missing stuff?

If I wanted to breed, do I have the space, and how would I go about that?

Anything else, you notice me doing wrong, please cue me in! Thanks in advance for the help.
 

sissy

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I am guessing but you must mean inch's for size ;).Are these preformed and is the last number depth and what are your temps for water and what kind of filter is it .Feeding goes by water temps and you feed cold water food with some garlic in it to help them feed and fight off disease .How many fish in each pond .They are shallow also .Koi get very large and are hard on water quality .I know 10 years and mine are over 2 ft long .Do you also have a liquid test kit like api that does ph ,phosphate .Nitrites and amonnia
 
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pond1.jpg
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I am guessing but you must mean inch's for size ;).Are these preformed and is the last number depth and what are your temps for water and what kind of filter is it .Feeding goes by water temps and you feed cold water food with some garlic in it to help them feed and fight off disease .How many fish in each pond .They are shallow also .Koi get very large and are hard on water quality .I know 10 years and mine are over 2 ft long .Do you also have a liquid test kit like api that does ph ,phosphate .Nitrites and amonnia

I didn't put the measurements in any particular order, but they are all about 1.5 feet deep, so the smallest number is the depth. What do you mean by preformed? The water temps are around 45° so I'll start feeding in a week or two. I don't know the name of the filter, but the small filter is just a sponge that water gets pulled through. The large filter has sponges, a bacteria-killing light, etcetera. The food that I'll start them on is meant for just after winter, so I think it'll work. Really, garlic? That works? If so, that's good to know! All of my fish are in the pond that the fountain sprays into (the second biggest). I figured there'd be more oxygen in there. So there's 7 fish in there, and 0 in the other two. I put a chemical in there to fight off ammonia. I lost several fish before I figured out that that was the problem :( I do have a liquid test kit. Thanks!
 

sissy

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so the concrete bridge is now over the one pond .Do you have stuff washing into the pond as the one side by where your filter is looks higher than the pond .The side up by the log .I am not sure where you live and what your winters or summer are like .I bought an aerator for my pond but it does have to be protected from wet and cold and even high heat .You could get a big aerator but you only need a little one like petco sells and it has for ports on it .Your water will still need tested as clear water does not always mean good water
 

sissy

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preformed is plastic so guessing you have a liner and yep garlic does work .I have been using it for years .Your pressure filter is OK as long as it is back flushed often .Remember plants give off oxygen during the day but use it up at night and if your fish died in the morning that may be from the lack of oxygen ,but guessing your plants are not growing yet .Koi destroy plants also .
 

sissy

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I have to ask about the concrete has that been a new thing because some concrete is with chemicals to make it stronger .
 
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It's not really a liner. It's cement that my dad paints every so often to prevent leaks. I don't think the pond is uneven, it may just be the picture. I clean out the ponds when stuff gets in mostly. You could be right about the plants eating up the oxygen. But I feel like all the fountains should provide enough oxygen...How many fish do you think I could have total?
 

sissy

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In your biggest pond I would stay with what you have and breeding they take care of that and i know i have given at least a couple of hundred babies away since i built my pond .It is now 5000 gallons and since the 2 koi are over 2 ft long i keep only my 16 original fish
 

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sissy

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Oh by the way love the looks of your ponds they have a zen sorta look .I enlarged the pics to see them better
 
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WOW! Your fish are beautiful! And thank you for all your help! So, you think stick with only 7 fish?
 

Mmathis

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@Jenny Thought you might be interested in this link http://www.your-garden-ponds-center.com/fish-load-calculator.html This is a "fish load calculator" that can give you a general idea of how many fish and what size fish a pond can hold. There is no hard & fast rule because there are too many variables involved with keeping fish.

And, is that your horse in your avatar picture? I LOVE horses, and that one sure is a looker!
 
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@Jenny Thought you might be interested in this link http://www.your-garden-ponds-center.com/fish-load-calculator.html This is a "fish load calculator" that can give you a general idea of how many fish and what size fish a pond can hold. There is no hard & fast rule because there are too many variables involved with keeping fish.

And, is that your horse in your avatar picture? I LOVE horses, and that one sure is a looker!

Yeah that's my boy:shame: Do you ride? And thanks for your help, too!
 
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So my pond looks pretty darn big in my eyes, but I can only have like 10 koi fish total?
 
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Welcome to the group Jenny! I had horses for many years myself although I don't now. They are beautiful animals and so addicting :)

I don't have koi (my pond is only 500 gallons) but I do know they get huge (if given the proper food and space) I have read that some people who keep koi try and give them at least 500 gallons per fish with the very minimum of 250 gallons each (talking adult koi not babies)

Where do you live? I'm worried that if your pond is only 1&1/2 feet deep you *may* have problems with freezing in the winter.
 

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