PH level for temparary tank different than the pond.

[Laurnarose]

Thank you MitchM.
At last, this morning my water test ammonia levels are at 0, that is zero. Yay! I was getting worried there. Now for the nitrates tests. NO2 is 0.5 and NO3 is 5.0. I have three floating water-hyacinths and some water feather fern, my two water lilies are finally starting to leaf out. So let us hope the nitrate levels drop soon too. KH is up above 100. And when I looked real close, I saw a half dozen fish-fry swimming in the shallower rocks.

 

[MitchM]

Great!
You'll need to keep using Prime until that NO2 (nitrite) number is zero.
It shouldn't be too much longer.

 

[Laurnarose]

Pond emergency! I get home from work, its 1am. I go outside to check the pond before going to bed and it is nearly empty. A few curses, my anxiety level is through the roof, when I found one pressure filter laying on its side and a nice trail of wet dirt leading off down the yard. Dogs must have pushed it over. The lowest pump was on a rock filled basket 8 or so inches off the bottom of the pond. With a flashlight I see my fish swimming in those eight inches. Fortunately, I have been filling the old 260 gallon preform with water to dechlorinate and to use for water changes. That water had been declhorinated for at least 10 hours. So I used a pump to move that water over. This filled my pond almost to the second level. I have the faulty pump off until morning when I can check it. I refilled the preform with tap water and pond prime for tomorrow.

So how fast can I refill the pond this way? Should I refill no more than 200 gallons at a time. I worry about the ph and the Kh and... well everything else.

When I started this project, I had no idea how stressful this can be when starting a new pond with really large fish. Before this happened my ammonia levels had been 0.5, The Nitrite levels were high in the 5 level and the Nitrates were really high at 20. And I am using the prime every day. I had been doing a 10% water change daily. I never intended it to be an 80% water change. Eeck! Every morning I am amazed my fish are still happily swimming. Fingers crossed that they continue to do so.

 

[Laurnarose]

Last night I added around 150 gallons 2 separate times and this morning I added the same two times a couple hours apart. I have about 8 inches to go to reach the top. Using prime in the prefill water each time and I have added one tablespoon of baking soda each time.

Currently the fish a swimming happily and amazingly I still see a few fish fry from two weeks ago spawn.

Water temp is 66F
Ammonia= 0.5
Nitrite = 0.5
Nitrate= 5.0
PH is 7.8
KH is 6 drops at 107.

When the filter tipped over, the hose loosened just enough to spit water out of the side. It must have taken a while to spit that much water out. This has been fixed and the filters are better secured in place by bricks. Hope that does not happen again. I will fill the rest of the pond tonight when I get home from work. On the positive side, I hope it helps with my Nitrite, nitrate rise.