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Good morning everyone! I'm new to the forum because I'm new to the pond hobby. I have just started my first pond details below with a few pictures. I'm not done yet, so it's a work in progress...I have a feeling it's always going to be a work in progress :)
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Menards pre-formed 275 gallon About 6' X 8' X 18" deep :( (Wish it was deeper) but it's my first so can always grow!
4000 liter biological pressure filter with UV light on timer 2 hours in morning and 2 hours in evening
Tetra pre-filter to 600GPH pump to Tetra fountain
Tetra in-pond skimmer to 1,900GPH pump to LED waterfall

I had some really clear water and for the first week and then added some Pondworx Pond Bacteria and the next day seemed a brown tint kind of dirty. I also added 3 gold fish my Dad gave me out of his 8 year old pond. They're doing good it seems, swimming around checking things out and seem to love where the waterfall dumps into the pond. They haven't been eating much though? I also added a placostmus (not sure I'm spelling that right) We named him shadow because he seems to hide in the shadows and not do much.

Anyway not sure what I did that could of caused the abrupted change in water condition so I'm sure some "veteran" pond lovers could help me.

I love this new hobby and learning all about it!
 

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Nice pond; welcome to the forum! This is a good place to learn what you are doing--and why. There is a lot of knowledge and experience swimming around here.
 

sissy

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Welcome and love your bar but hate to tell you that you are now addicted and we can't help you as we encourage you and then you go bigger ;):LOL:We get addicted and can't help adding more people to our addiction
 
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Thanks Sissy, I added the patio this spring and have been busy ever sense. I'm already wishing I would of gone deeper and bigger with a liner. Maybe in a couple years.
 

j.w

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@Mattstark44
Pretty pond and wondering if any of that nice soil around the edges may have gotten in and colored the water a bit. Sounds like it could be that stuff you added to the water tho. Hopefully it will clear up on it's own. If not you can stick a plastic basket w/some of that white quilt batting shoved in and put it under your falls to fine clean out the brown. I take a piece of denser plastic screen and lay it over the top of the batting to collect the bigger particles before it goes through to the white batting.
Something like this:
This one is full and I need to clean and start over again:
IMG_8295.JPG


Just take out the dirty batting and do it again till the water is clear. I have spare batting that I can use while one cleans and dries.

IMG_8296.JPG
 
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Thanks J.W. I just transplanted those evergreen bushes (hopefully don't regret it) I tried to be careful but may have gotten some dirt in the pond. I'm going to take my pre-filter out tonight and pressure wash it to clean it and put it back in. I have an API freshwater test kit in the mail and on it's way to get testing on the water. I'll give it a few days and see if it improves.
 
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Sissy, I was just reading another one of your posts and see that you stated the barley extract will tint it brown for a couple days. I did add a little liquid barley extract, I bet that's it. I have a small bail of barley in the pond as well, can you put to much barley in a pond?
 

sissy

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liquid barley with peat will tint the water but not just plain liquid barley .I don't care for the straw it just makes a smelly mess .Barley breaks down to be a peroxide type chemical .
 

Meyer Jordan

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Looks nice.
I noticed that the photos are tagged "Koi Pond". I do hope that this is not your plan. Pond is entirely too small for Koi.
 

sissy

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I think he only means uv on timer but that will kill the bulb fast .He does mention going bigger and only mentions 3 goldfish and that whatever it is .Some say koi ponds because they just associate ponds with koi .I started with a preformed also and went bigger and bigger
 
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3 goldfish, should refer to it as a goldfish pond. I read that it isn't necessary to run the UV bulb all the time? I put it on an outdoor timer hoping to lengthen the life of it. The filter, waterfall and fountain run 24/7.
 
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Glad to hear the filter is running 24/7 - that's important! I know nothing about UV though, but @sissy did say that you would burn your bulb out faster on a timer.
 

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