Newbie needs to learn fast!

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Hi there, all. I've lurked here before, but I haven't posted before. This spring, I was bewitched by a Pinterest post that showed amazing water gardens and ponds made from galvanized stock tanks. I guess the supposed ease and simplicity described ought to have been my first warning, but like I said, I was bewitched! I couldn't get myhands on one of the big boys, the 6-8' ones that holds in excess of 1,000 gallons, but I got one that is 175 gallons, oval not round, 3 feet deep, 2 feet wide and 6 feet long. This is my lifelong dream, and I started in on my reading and research.

I'm an avid gardener in southern california, and I have always had aquariums, so I thought I was ahead of the game to start. WOW, was i WRONG and did i have a lot to learn!! The first "pins" i read said full sun, no filtration needed. My container is a high quality one, no leaks or issues. I thought my inhabitants were modest. 8 2" long koi, some teeny tadpoles a few narite snails for algae control and 2 baby water turtles. I already had water plants, but I got lots more of different types. I knew about testing my water, so I thought I would knock this out of the park. Not so much. From the start 3 months ago, it was Instant murk, instant green. I started out with no filter, but a little fountain pump. I had water lilies, and a few different floating surface plants, some bottom oxygenating plants and a few marginal plants that like wet ankles.

I have river rock and cinderblocks for plants and internal hiding spots. I knew we have very hard water here, so I monitored my water levels very closely and could make very little sense of them. Everything got green, murky and cloudy. I saw stories about people making their own filters and invested in my first pond pump. I think it moved like 200 GPH. I wrapped a pump inside a planting box with a combination of activated carbon and whatever pieces of aquarium filter sheeting and put the whole thing inside poly quilt batting. Weighted it down and hoped for glory. Not glorious. My PH levels were consistently on the high side. I know own five different testing kits - strips and liquid, and none of them agree with one another. I suspect it's a nitrogen cycle thing, but sometimes I showed highish ammonia levels, but the nitrite and nitrate showed as in the good range. I went out and bought a stronger pump that moves 560 GPH. I have been through barley straw, peat and every chemical made by Tetra and API to neutralize ammonia, stabilize PH, you name it. All of which was hard to come by during a pandemic quarantine. I've added more sources of oxygen, reduced my oxygenation, moved to shade, put up a huge umbrella. I've lost my tadpoles, and one resultant frog, but turtles and fish endure. I've been doing partial water changes every other day for weeks now. It just won't stabilize.

Two days ago, i bought a total pond brand water filter with UV clarifier. Read all the paperwork, watched every Total Pond video, checked on You Tube. Couldn't get the UV to light. Returned and replaced the unit yesterday and set it up yet again. Crystal clear last night, good test results with the API master test kit. Today, it's again Murky City, USA. I can't get through to Total Pond, and I seem to know more about the chemistry than the sweet guy at my local pond store. Can someone please give me some hope? Thanks, flexney in SoCal.

PS: FWIW, I have two much smaller "ponds" also in galvanized tubs. about 20 and 30 gallons each. I set those up with just a tiny canister filter and they are crystal clear and lovely planted gardens with fish.
 
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So many little threads here, but I had removed the cinderblocks for fear of lime leaching out and affecting my levels.... am I insane to worry about that? Forgive me if I've overlooked telling details. it's been a solid month of panic on my end. Also, tank temperature is 74 degrees. I do dechlorinate my water and have added Stress Coat and beneficial bacteria.
 
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One further question about the filtration system - the particular filter I have is one that you can be inside out outside of the pond itself. I've tried both ways. Is one preferred over the other? I do notice that i have leaks where the tubing connects to the unit, not the valves themselves. I use 3/4" ID tubing
 

mrsclem

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Hello and welcome! Took me a while to read thru your posts! You say you have done research but it seems like on Pinterest and other sites. Have you read any of the information on this forum? Don't even know where to start about your problems.
Galvanized tanks- zinc lined and possibly toxic
Koi- need at least 1000 gallons
New ponds need time to cycle, green water is normal in a new pond.
I would start by reading up on this forum about the nitrogen cycle of ponds. If you can return the koi to where you got them, do so.
As far as water testing, test strips are no good. Use the liquid tests, ammonia should be zero.
Please don't freak out and disappear. We are all here to help and that is why you posted. We will all help you to get your pond a healthy and happy place!
 

Mmathis

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Hello and welcome!

OMG, I cannot get past 175 gallons, 8 koi and turtles! The rest is just a blur! Yeah, I think you were duped by that Pinterest post, rather than bewitched!

Not to criticize your story, it might be easier for us to follow if we stay with the simple facts. Please fill in the missing pieces:

  • Size of pond is 175 gallons
  • pond was begun 3 months ago
  • occupants are 8 2” koi, and 2 small water turtles.
  • Tub is made of _______________?
  • types of plants ______________?
  • Cinderblock that has since been removed (good choice)
  • initially, a small fountain pump, but no filtration
  • water cruddy
  • you are sort of testing your water, but using different type test kits and getting inconsistent results
  • pH is high (just curious, but what is the pH of your source water?)
  • have used numerous chemicals with no results
  • do you have a filter now__________?
It does sound like your tank was starting to cycle. It’s normal for ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates to rise during cycling.
 
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hi, thanks for reaching out. I’m just very worried. My plan was to locate a huge container tank ASAP. I never thought full grown koi could live in 175 gallons. If you look the topic of stock tank ponds up, lots of people seem to manage fine. I thought it was just me, so I’ve been crushed.

* 175 gallons, 3 feet deep, 2feet wide, 6 feet long steel tank made by Behlens
* water lilies, anachoris, mosaic plants, water ferns, water hyacinths
*currently using 560 Gbh pump pond filter with a UV water clarifier - supposed to handle up to 1200 gallons
* source water is very hard, ph 7.5

i started being interest by something that linked to Pinterest, but my research has been with aquarium specialists and pond people, not DYI make a cute pond. I just don’t know what to do next. I am trying to see what I’m going wrong with the filter. Should I have it IN or OUT of the water?
 
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the Total Pond filter has plastic bio-balls , 2 sponge levels and the UV clarifier 9 watt bulb. Plus plastic “bio balls” which I don’t know much about yet. I see lots of different bio media out there, ceramic, etc. should I change that? I am sure the nitrogen cycle is my problem, but with an api master pond test kit, my levels are fluctuating a lot.
 
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As of 3pm in California, testing as follows: PH 7.5, ammonia 0 but looking ever so slightly green, nitrite and nitrate 0. Because I have used beneficial bacteria and ammonia lock, I’m hoping the slight rise in ammonia has been neutralized but still showing up after conversion. (I think that becausenitrite and nitrate read at zero) water is very murky. I’m praying it’s safe
 
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Welcome! Don't lose hope... stick around and you'll come out the other side. I have frequently said on this forum that ponds and aquariums are alike in exactly one way - they both have water! And that's where the resemblance ends!

You're making one of the biggest mistakes that many new ponders make by assuming that murky water is dangerous and clear water is healthy - your fish could care less. So stop worrying about how green or murky it is. Doesn't matter. I'm not a big fan of UV filtration, but others swear by them, so that's something to decide on your own.

A 560 GPH pump is good for about a 250 gallons pond. So you're fine there - you said 1200 gallons, and that would be false. You want to turn your water over at least 1.5 times per hour... more is definitely better and most shoot for twice.

A small pond like yours is infinitely harder to get and keep in balance than a larger pond, but it's possible. You just need to make sure all the elements for success are in place.

New ponds do require lots of patience. Nature takes time to get things in balance, but once it happens it will be almost overnight. The things you want to remember are keep your fish load low (koi won't do in a pond this size), keep the organics level low (remove dead debris from plants, don't overfeed your fish) and get the water moving. Aeration can be a big boost to a new pond. But mostly you just need to wait. No chemicals, no water changes... just patience.
 
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Welcome. There is a lot of good information here if you stick around and do lots of reading. There are different opinions as well, so you will see a variety of ways to deal with your pond. There really is no one and only correct way. There are many.

Your pH is fine. Stop worrying about that. Your fish don't need a particular pH number, but they do need the pH to be stable. To keep it stable you need to know the KH. Anything between 100 and 200 ppm KH will make sure your pH doesn't fluctuate.

Your tank is going through the nitrogen cycle. Have you had a reading for nitrate yet?

As others have pointed out, your are very overstocked. Koi grow fast and you will need a large pond to be able to house 8 of them in a healthy environment.

If your tank is galvanized, it's not really suitable for fish unless you put in a liner.
 

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@flexney
 

TheFishGuy

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I would like to answer as someone who has a 160 gallon galavanized stock tank, with plants, a previusly housed koi int it ( IK KIKES! )

first thing, I have had not problems with the galvanized material, and as long as I leave the algea coating on the walls no fish problems

second thing, plants and algae, I have mine in full shade, and no algae growth, though plant life is slightly harder to find

third thing, KOI. I treated it like it was a pond, and wala here I am with some unhealthy goldfish in rehab, and some growth stunted koi that were on the verge of some very negative health affects. a galvanized stock tank of this size IS NOT A POND! it is so small that is it not an uncommon aquarium size, and therefore needs t be treated as one, it needs water changes EVERY TWO WEEKS with any fish life to keep everything healthy, and also, my koi didn't even grow and inch while being in that pond, they could dart from side to side faster than I can say koi, and now with a bigger home, they have already had noticeable growth in just ONE WEEK!

to conclude, get rid of all animal life in that thing, and slowly add only a few GOLDFISH then treat it as an aquarium, not a pond!

you can veiw my stock tank pond here: https://www.gardenpondforum.com/threads/hello-from-unpredictable-colorado.27526/
 
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Shade shade and more shade use the now pond tank as the bog and order your 1000 gallon from tractor supply
 

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