New house, new pond!

[Joseph_Family]

Hi everyone! My husband and I just purchased a home in clear lake, Texas. And it came with a gorgeous pond! We are complete newbies, and are trying to learn as much as we can to keep this thing looking pretty! We moved in and our pump was dead, so we replaced it to get the waterfall going again. The pump was off for two days. We will be buying test strips soon to check the ph, and nitrates. We have 5 koi, and a ton of tiny fish (not sure what they are. Maybe tadpoles?) and water lilies. We contacted a pond servicing company here locally, and he told us that we needed the entire thing drained, and cleaned. Also that the lillies have taken over the pond. (He made this deduction from the photos posted.) any advice for a newbie?

 

[tbendl]

The test strips are not as accurate as the tube tests, I would get the tubes. Don't listen to that guy!!
Test your water and see where you're at. Is there a bunch of stuff in the bottom (dead leaves and gunk)?

 

[tbendl]

Ooops, if there is, get a net and start netting out the gunk. You need to test for PH, nitrate, nitrite, and phosphate, and ammonia.
It is a lovely pond and welcome to the forum!

 

[Joseph_Family]

The test strips are not as accurate as the tube tests, I would get the tubes. Don't listen to that guy!!
Test your water and see where you're at. Is there a bunch of stuff in the bottom (dead leaves and gunk)?

We will get those today, then! We haven't been to the bottom of it, so I can't say with certainty. I can try to take some good photos a bit later, it doesn't look too bad. The water has gotten a bit more murky since we moved in, though.

 

[Joseph_Family]

Ooops, if there is, get a net and start netting out the gunk. You need to test for PH, nitrate, nitrite, and phosphate, and ammonia.
It is a lovely pond and welcome to the forum!

Thank you! I'll keep this updated, and thanks for the quick reply! I'm hoping we become well versed in ponds soon.

 

[tbendl]

That's ok, fish love the murky, it's us land creatures that want the water clear so we can see our fish. Lol
After you test, you'll need to provide pond size and what filters and pumps your are running as well as how many fish you think you have and what kind.
It sounds like a lot but if you've still got fish happily swimming about you should be good. I can't believe that company said you need to drain and clean it. It's not a dang pool!! Lol
Anyway welcome again!

 

[Meyer Jordan]

That great of coverage from Water Lilies is not such a bad thing. It could, however, be indicative of a considerable sediment accumulation on the bottom of the pond. If this accumulation is allowed to get too thick (deep) it could cause water quality issues.

 

[cas]

Pretty pond! Previous owners didn't leave you any info? Before I would drain it I would get the pump going, determine if there is any sediment on the bottom and if so how much. There are many less drastic measures to clean a pond than draining it.

 

[Joseph_Family]

so after we test the water later today, how exactly do we test to see how much sediment there is? Do I need to get my husband to get in the pond?? Or can he just dig an arm at the edge of the pond?

 

[budgenator]

I would distrust any pond company that says you need to drain the pond without first making an on-site inspection; draining the pond is a last resort option not the first!
Learn about what filter is in the pond and how to maintain it, and let it go for a month and see how it is working. Ponds go through seasonal cycles, in the winter they are usually gin clear, in spring they have an algae bloom and go toward pea soap for a while then clear up slowly. you might be in between the bloom and the clearing.

 

[tbendl]

so after we test the water later today, how exactly do we test to see how much sediment there is? Do I need to get my husband to get in the pond?? Or can he just dig an arm at the edge of the pond?

Yeah he can. I'd get a net, you will use it, and run it to the bottom and see what pops up.

 

[budgenator]

so after we test the water later today, how exactly do we test to see how much sediment there is? Do I need to get my husband to get in the pond?? Or can he just dig an arm at the edge of the pond?

The best way is to get in and feel what squishes up between your toes, if you do that be real careful pond liners are insanely slippery. What I normally do is take a pool net and scoop up from the bottom.

 

[Mmathis]

@Joseph_Family Hello and welcome! Wow, how exciting! In case no one has mentioned it yet, NO you don't need to drain and clean your pond! A lot of the pond places tell you that because it gives them business, LOL! But unless you are having problems with water quality, don't mess with Mother Nature. There is a lot of beneficial bacteria on the pond walls, etc., and that's what helps break down the ammonia & nitrites, plus the algae is food for the fish (and tadpoles) to munch on. Most of us don't use water test strips as they tend to be less accurate and can lose quality over time ( every time you open the bottle, you're letting moisture get inside....). Plus, they are more expensive over time than the drop kits. Most of us use API kits with pH, ammonia, nitrite, & nitrate tests. Then you'll want to add a KH and a GH test. Some people test for phosphates, but I don't. Be sure you're using a dechlorinator if your water is treated, and get one that also treats for chloramines, since I think most cities are adding that now, as well.

 

[Lisak1]

Just wanted to say welcome! You'll find lots of helpful people here with great advice for keeping your pretty pond both looking AND working great!

 

[Joseph_Family]

Thank you everyone for an awesome welcome! We got the tubes today, and after checking we are 0 nitrite 0nitrate, 0 ammonia and ph is 8.4. So the ph is the only thing that had me a tad concerned. We haven't been brave enough to get in it yet, and the store we went to didn't have a pool net, so we will probably amazon one. Thank you again, everyone!! I look forward to learning all about this stuff.