Left hand waterfall (when facing main pond):
And the right hand waterfall:
The sand filter (it is about 3.5' in diameter) and electrical panel:
The skimmer is on the left hand side (deep end) of the main pond in front.It has 2 main drains.These are all adjustable as to percentage of pull to the sand filter. The UV unit has a transformer and can be installed at filter. Sam (owner of house) assures me that if I do not mind the electric bill... it will make the pond crystal clear right down to the 6+' bottom of the main pond. As a simple partial water change and backwash of the filter made 3 foot clear in just 4 days...I am inclined to believe him!
The snails are almost completely gone from the streambeds. Yippee!
One problem may have been that the previous tenants were silly enough to shut the system down all winter... and then put the danged filter on a timer as they did not like the sound of the waterfall at night! If this pond was not as well established, ballanced, and self sufficient as it is... I do not know how the fish would have done half so well as they did!
The sand filter does about 18,000 GPH and the pond is 13,000 gallons. Hence its ability to handle the overstocking quite well. Not to mention those drop streams (I will get better pics from the lowlands that show all the mini-falls once I cut some of the overgrowth back!) I still have no real count on the inhabitants. Anyone know how to make the buggers keep still for a head count? LOL I CAN say that these are some danged big, fat, healthy (though they could use some color enhancement) fish!
I am still planning on raking out all the string algae and getting some filtering plants for that top pond. It may have bags of lava rock in it for additional biological filtering, there was one lying on the bank next to it. All plants will be bought from reliable source and dipped prior to adding. I promise!
Now that I can see into the bottom of the shallow (3') end... there are two large tubs in there. Sam (owner) says that they used to have hardy lilies in them that came back every year. They certainly did not THIS year. May be due to system being off and freezing over, or neglect of previous tenants, or koi eating new growth as said tenants may not have fed them. As food is provided by Sam as part of rental agreement... that is just stupid. They also have kids, that I witnessed on our firt walk-through of house, that liked to beat the water with large sticks. If I were a fish... I would not come up for food either! I will take the advice not to add any lotus.
Koi seemed slightly cautious but curious of me when I sat on bank. Sam says his 15 year old daughter would lie there with her hand in water and koi would rub against it to be "petted" just a few years ago. I plan to spend long hours by pond reading pond and koi magazines until they will do so again! LOL
