New pond

[Jimmy Gibson]

Hi guys ....This is my first pond. Built it myself .....3000 gallon ....Built on a hillside so I went with a wall.

 

[Tula]

Welcome Jimmy Your pond looks great , looks like you did some research before building. Where are you located and what type of fish do you plan on having?

 

[Jimmy Gibson]

Jackson, TN ..... planning on Butterfly Koi..... The weather has been bad, all I like is finishing the capstone and blocking up and hiding my skimmer. Getting impatient about adding fish, but I know I should wait till spring. It has been pumping for over a month ..everything good so far

 

[MitchM]

Welcome!

 

[sissy]

Welcome and won't you have to protect that filter from freezing .

 

[MitchM]

While you're waiting for spring to add fish, put some ammonia (non-sudsy) in your pond now, that will establish a biofilm that will process the waste from your fish when you do put them in.
You can get straight ammonia from the grocery store for a couple of dollars. Follow the dosing instructions in my signature below.
It's a very simple process.

Make sure you measure the pond water quality parameters before you put the fish in. API offers an inexpensive pond water test kit.
Post any questions you have.

.

 

[sissy]

Oh by the way love it is half and half that sitting wall is great

 

[Jimmy Gibson]

Welcome and won't you have to protect that filter from freezing .

Welcome and won't you have to protect that filter from freezing .

I am going to run pump year round.......we are in zone 7A here in Jackson we rarely get into single digits here.....plan on next winter to throttle the main drain down where the bulk of the water will go through the skimmer

 

[Jimmy Gibson]

While you're waiting for spring to add fish, put some ammonia (non-sudsy) in your pond now, that will establish a biofilm that will process the waste from your fish when you do put them in.
You can get straight ammonia from the grocery store for a couple of dollars. Follow the dosing instructions in my signature below.
It's a very simple process.

Make sure you measure the pond water quality parameters before you put the fish in. API offers an inexpensive pond water test kit.
Post any questions you have.

.

Thanks for the info.... already purchased my API master test kit......PH is at close to 7.0.... 0 chlorine....0 ammonia ..... 0 nitrates .....

 

[Jimmy Gibson]

Oh by the way love it is half and half that sitting wall is great

Actually I havent finished the Capstones yet or blocked around my skimmer to hid it yet..... it seems to rain every other day lately

 

[Jimmy Gibson]

Welcome Jimmy Your pond looks great , looks like you did some research before building. Where are you located and what type of fish do you plan on having?

Just a quick question since you have a Savio skimmer....I am thinking I need to put an overflow pipe to control the level.... now everytime it rains and the level overshoots the basket
and filter and leaves end up in my pump strainer..... was thinking about putting a small pipe via a bulkhead fitting in the skimmer to keep the level so that the basket will catch leaves..... wondering your opinion.... Thanks

 

[sissy]

I am close to the NC border (15 minutes )and we get freezing temps here .As a matter of fact I have friends who retired there and sold and moving here to live a little cheaper .I don't understand how they say VA and TN are southern states .BRRR it gets cold Jan. and Feb. and sometimes even March .They came down for christmas as a surprise .They had not told me they sold ,they were afraid they would jinx it .They are staying in a short time rental hotel here .Glad they were not staying with us after last nights disaster .

 

[addy1]

Very nice! A great build job.

 

[Tula]

Just a quick question since you have a Savio skimmer....I am thinking I need to put an overflow pipe to control the level.... now everytime it rains and the level overshoots the basket
and filter and leaves end up in my pump strainer..... was thinking about putting a small pipe via a bulkhead fitting in the skimmer to keep the level so that the basket will catch leaves..... wondering your opinion.... Thanks

I don't have an over flow pipe, as my pond has a low edge for run off, when too full. Is there an area of your pond you could add an over flow, if not, perhaps your idea would work

 

[sissy]

I put a pipe in mine with one of those grate covers in one corner .I moved one block over a tiny bit to just put the pipe in a hole I made in the liner and then put the pl roofing goop around it .After I rebuilt I used a bigger tank adapter instead with the rubber gasket s on both sides and used a bathroom drain for a shower as the cover .