Newbie pond owner with issues

[April Duckworth]

Ok I bought a house with a pond. The pond was not cared for at all by the previous owners. It had 18 inches of sludge on the bottom of a two foot deep pond including trash, spools of wire edged ribbon and piles of decayed leaves. We cleaned it out and started over this season. We used safestart and all the other products pushed at us by the store per package instructions. I also put 15 plants in and a uv filter. It processes 400 gallons an hour. Water levels were tested by the pet store and all looked fine so we added a fish. A feeder goldfish lived for a week so we added shubukin goldfish (spelling?) and koi. Every one died, turns out gill flukes which is one of the things said store had me treat for As the fish slowly suffocated over the course of a week. No refund but sorry we sold you sick fish better luck next time... I was crushed and gave up. After the fish died I paid little attention to said pond until I heard the pump sucking air. I was going to pull it all out and forget the pond but as I was doing so I noticed baby fish.... So now I have a half full pond with tiny (less than an inch) fish and zero ideas of how to care for them. I had tanks as a kid and I know basic water care but never had a pond so I am afraid I will kill the babies. How did they survive all the treatments? What do I feed them? Can I safely add water? Can I treat for algae since all the rocks in my pond are slowly turning green? Why is algae growing? How do I rescue this thing? Also if I comment with pics is it possible to tell what kind if fish they are since I had golfish and koi?

 

[Lisak1]

Yes, pictures would be good. Algae is your friend - be happy when you see it!

Details of your pond - size especially.

 

[Faebinder]

I know you said 2 feet deep... but what is the volume of the pond in US gallons (if you cant tell then give us the approximate length and width).

 

[April Duckworth]

The pond is aprox. 1080 gallons, It is 13 feet by 7 feet by 2feet. It is a octagonal shape.

 

[Meyer Jordan]

Can't tell from the photos whether the fish are Goldfish or Koi but, in either case, they have reverted to their basic carp coloration. You can tell...Koi have barbels (whiskers), Goldfish do not.

 

[Faebinder]

I bet they are goldfish fry.

Do you have a filter?(not UV, I mean an actual filter).

 

[April Duckworth]

I bet they are goldfish fry.

Do you have a filter?(not UV, I mean an actual filter).

Yes, it is all one unit though. It has a physical part and a uv part.

 

[April Duckworth]

Can't tell from the photos whether the fish are Goldfish or Koi but, in either case, they have reverted to their basic carp coloration. You can tell...Koi have barbels (whiskers), Goldfish do not.

Some of them have a lot of oranges and several are still transparent/white but they are too fast for my camera. The ones I got pictures of were just lazy at the moment and I caught them. There are a more than two dozen that I could count and two sizes, though they seem to be thinning out a little or hiding better. I couldn't tell if I had one in a net (not that I have tried). They are still under an inch in size. I just don't know how to care for them... aaakkk

 

[April Duckworth]

I know you said 2 feet deep... but what is the volume of the pond in US gallons (if you cant tell then give us the approximate length and width).

It is 13x7x2 I was told that it was just over 1000 gallons. It is a soft liner over a concrete basin with rocks in the bottom. It is octagonal in shape.

 

[April Duckworth]

Yes, pictures would be good. Algae is your friend - be happy when you see it!

Details of your pond - size especially.

Please see my reply... it has pictures of the fish and a better description. Thank you for your help.

 

[April Duckworth]

I bet they are goldfish fry.

Do you have a filter?(not UV, I mean an actual filter).

Yes, it is part of the same but there is a physical filter and a uv part. It is suppose to run both functions according to the guy that sold it to me. Should I invest in a different physical filter as well?

 

[Mmathis]

FYI, from my experience, goldfish can take up to a year (or longer) to show any color other than olive (which appears black), and are usually at least fingerlings. I have seen a few exceptions, though.

 

[sissy]

Do you know how many gph your pump is and is it all in one inside the pond with a foam filter or is it outside the pond .Some of my babies did not get there barbels until they were bigger and if they did have them I could not see them .You could also have mixed breeds .At least you have fish that seem to be doing fine for now . I would not treat with any thing for now since babies are there .Only safe thing you may be able to use is liquid barley

 

[April Duckworth]

Do you know how many gph your pump is and is it all in one inside the pond with a foam filter or is it outside the pond .Some of my babies did not get there barbels until they were bigger and if they did have them I could not see them .You could also have mixed breeds .At least you have fish that seem to be doing fine for now . I would not treat with any thing for now since babies are there .Only safe thing you may be able to use is liquid barley

The pump clears 450 gallons per hour and the filter has a physical foam/bioball aspect to it. It had a slight leak on the output so I put a zip-tie hose clamp on it and submerged it. I am waiting on the new uv light as I suspect it is less effective than when we purchased it since it was clear and is now not. Can I add more water as the pond is only half full? And is de-chlorinating agent ok to add (similar to safestart)?

 

[Smaug]

Add the appropriate amount of dechlorinating agent before adding new water then add it. Quit worry about algae it's actually what those fry are eating. Don't was yiur time with additives especially barley liquid it's a waste of time and money. Ponds aren't supposed to be algae free or crystal clear not that that stuff will assist in either. Seeing as how your experience is minimal then just stick with raising your miracle babies.