New pond setup..

[Ph1ngering]

Hi all,

I just finished digging, padding, liner-ing and filling my pond. Working on the landscaping around it but its coming along nicely. Can't wait till the work is over so i can start enjoying it a lil more..

At any rate my guess is its around 1500 gallons. I have a 1200 gph pump and a 500 gph pump. Going into a tetra 1000 - 1500 gallon bio filter and a 1000 - 1200 gallon pressure filter. First question is does that sound like adequate filtration for my size pond.. My goal is to do more filtering than needed (i am an over feeder)

Second question is how long would you wait to let the water warm up / de-chlorinate. I have added a de-chlorinator (SP), but still think that the freshly added water should sit for a day or two. Its been a week, I just don't want to shock my fish in a temp difference ect..

Third question is plants any recommendation for which sucks up the most food? I want to use the more a third filter than for shade / cover.. How many would be recommend for my size pond.

Thanks any advice would be great, I'll post some picture soon. It really was a small area to do this in other wise i would have gone a lot bigger..

Thanks
--Craig

 

[DrDave]

You can de-chlor and add fish the same day. I have never lost a fish doing this. I have done 90% water changes on my Koi fry (over 1000) and not lost any either.

The water temperature is a simple matter of introducing the water they are going into slowly and if you can float the container in the pond before releasing them. I also make sure the water chemistry is slowly mixed in the container they are in.

As for your commercial filters, some one else will have to comment on those. I design and build my own.

It is not always the size of the pump, it is how it is used. the 500GPH could be used for circulation but is way too small for any water feature or filtration.

 

[kirscp]

I didnt' wait long before adding fish to my pond either, I know it wasn't the same day, as it is 45 miles to a pet store that has koi. I let the bag float in the pond for 1 - 2 hours, allowing for the water to adjust.

I have only lost one koi after introducing it into my pond and that death was not due to my pond, but the fish guy ... dropping the koi on the floor three times before getting it into the bag. Of course it was the BEST looking one too! That was the only reason I didnt' have him toss it back. That has actually happened a couple of times to me. I'm buying, let me net and bag my own!

As far as the filters. I am in the same boat as Dave, I have never purchased a filter. I've built all my own.

You can add as many plants that you want. I've never heard of over planting, but you do want to be able to see the fish.

My current pond was started in the fall of last year, so it isn't completed yet. The filter system is completed (for the most part), koi, and plants. I'll probably add more plants, but I want to wait until next year, as the lilly's that I planted are not fully grown.

 

[DrDave]

Nice pond!
What are the dimensions? Did you have to bond or do any seams to get that width?

 

[kirscp]

Thanks

Pond is 12' x 12' x 5' deep. Liner is 25' x 25' 60mil, picked it up off eBay for $375, delivered to my door. I don't see the company I purchased it from on eBay anymore, unless they changed names.

 

[DrDave]

Home Depot carries 15 ft wide which is what I designed my pond addition around. I was hoping to find locally a wider one.

 

[Ph1ngering]

Fish are in... I guess I was being cautious, I have had 4 of these fish for two years now, so didn't really want to rush things...

I'll re-phrase my question for you home brew filter creators.. How big of a filter would you set up for a 1500-1700 gallon pond?

I have a small 40 gallon hard shell pond, that i wanted to put plants in on a lower terrace, pump water to it slowly and then pump it back up. How long does the water have to sit for the plants to suck the nitrates out of it? Any idea on how to get a slow flow rate?

Thanks have been reading a ton on this site have gotten a lot of good ideas..

--Craig

 

[Ph1ngering]

Here are some pictures as well... Still got to make a dock to cover the filters and some shelter for the fish to hide in during the two hours of direct sun they get..

In progress... Didn't like the mulch..

Finished.. (is it really every finished)

 

[kirscp]

Home Depot carries 15 ft wide which is what I designed my pond addition around. I was hoping to find locally a wider one.

Home Depot was pretty expensive, for what I wanted. There are several online places, and of course eBay.


As far as the filter size. I would think a 40 gallon filter would work just fine.

I have a 150 gallon stock tank I use as my biological filter:

I'll be adding plants to the top to give it a better look. It is filled with filter media and had a ball valve on the bottom, so I can flush it out or drain it for winter.

Some type of a farm store should have a smaller sized one. I see 40 or 50 gallon ones advertised around here for $40 or $50. I would actually say that that size of a filter would be over kill, but you are always better off having too much then not enough.

I had a 1,000 gallon pond:

The green tote was my filter. I had a pump in the pond, I think it was 600gph, that pumped through a UV Clarifier, then into the top of the tote. I had a filter mat, then the water trickled through a foot or so of bio balls. I later had to add a second hose on top, since my fiter media would get full and over flow. As you can see, water was crystal clear, in mid June.

I would NOT go with that type of a design again though. I had to clean the filter pad several times a week, and it was a mess. Was a cheap filter to make and worked, so really can't complain too much.


"Any idea on how to get a slow flow rate?"

I read that 500-1000 gph for a 1500 gallon pond was good for a veggie filter.

 

[DrDave]

Craig
You don't have to go through a veggie filter slow for it to work, remember, the water is going to make hundreds of trips a day through it. Each time, some of the nitrates will be absorbed and eventually an equillibrium will be achieved.

As for a Bio filter, I prefer the 55 gallon drum. The reason is, by the time the water reaches the top, all the sediment and a lot of the algae is stripped from it an is now in the bottom waiting for a back flush to remove it. My bio filter took pea soup and left me with a clear pond in several days after installing it.

DrCase went one step further and added a second 55 gallon drum. He used the Skippy sponges and I use 1/2" irrigation tubing cut into 1 1/2" pieces (7000) of them.

 

[Ph1ngering]

Gotcha... Thanks for the clarification..

I think i should be in good shape for now...

 

[DrCase]

craig ...one 55 gal drum should filter your pond well...i saw that down spout on the side of your pond ....do you have control of that water ,,,durring a heavy rain??

 

[Ph1ngering]

I have 6 inches of that gravel around the pond and the liner is actually higher than the gravel as well, so none should wind up in the pond...

Thanks for the reply..

 

[DrCase]

that sounds like a plan.

 

[Ph1ngering]

I'll post some more pictures, since my changes have gone in...