New ponder in Kentucky

[Jason M]

I have a pond that I opened in 8/2011 it is a 1200 gallon epmd liner pond with few plants and a dozen or so comets that made it through the winter and noticed some fry swimming around. I have been away do to military commitments and have not been able to finish the waterfall and stream yet hopefully I will get this done this August/September. I am looking for suggestions on plants and ways to keep it clean.

 

[don't ask]

welcome Jason

 

[j.w]

Jason M

 

[addy1]

Welcome to our group

ask your questions, we love to help

 

[mtpond]

Welcome!

 

[Jason M]

As I said earlier my pond is 1200gal and I am using a Tetra Pond external bio-active pressure filter 1500gal with uv light, with a Total Pond 3600gal pump. Since my waterfall is not completed the the return water just runs back into the pond next to the pump. Do I need a bigger filter? It is hard to get the water clear it stays a bronish green, I have used algae remover and water clarifier as well as backflushed twice in the last 10 days and it remains at about 6" of clarity in the water. I have recently (about ten days ago) got 5 water hyacinth and 15 hornwort.

 

[taherrmann4]

Welcome to the group

 

[Jason M]

Ok so I went out and got me some plants this morning. Two of them keep tipping over and a few more are unease. What do I do to keep them from tipping?

 

[sissy]

You may have wanted to give them what I call ice time ,isolate ,clean and then they enter the pond .I never put plants straight in the pond because you never know what the plant is potted in or what kind of bad stuff could have gotten into the plant.I keep new plants out of my pond for at least 2 weeks .

 

[j.w]

This would mean re-potting but maybe you could put some heavy rocks or gravel on the bottom inside of the pot. Or maybe it would work on top? You could also put the pot inside another pot w/ rocks weighing down the outer pot so can't tip over. I see you have goldfish and they don't seem to like to move around the furniture like koi do so that's a plus :razz:

 

[j.w]

I clean my pond w/ just a pool skimmer long handled net. Clean just the bottom and like to leave the good short growing algae on the sides of the pond. Fish like it and covers the liner nicely. I don't have a filter right now set up and am just doing partial water changes now and then and we get lots of rain so that helps as a refresher. There are some who use bogs to clean their pond and others use Skippy's and so on. Your stream is a filter in itself also. Check out the DIY section on filter building.

 

[don't ask]

Jason, brownish or murky water doesn't always mean a problem. If you have them do your water tests, if not get the test kit and check all levels in pond.. if all checks out just bear with it and wait some more the pond should gradually clear.. we have all been in your shoes and some of us still walk in them dealing with less than desirable clearness of pond.

 

[Figgy]

Hi Jason, welcome to the forum from me.