Pond newbie on a mission!

[maybedave]

Hello fellow pond enthusiasts.

I bought a house with a 750 gallon pond that was overrun with string algae and muck, and just drained the entire thing and scrubbed rocks, foamed gaps in waterfall, etc. and now I have a fresh start. Anything wrong from here on out is my own fault!

Hoping to learn from y'all and keep this thing crystal clear. Thanks!

Dave

 

[Mmathis]

Hello. Yes, I guess it is your fault.

 

[poconojoe]

Very nice!

 

[CometKeith]

Hi and welcome! There is so much to know about this great hobby. I have been doing it 12 years and am still learning everyday. First off you just made two errors... one you scrubbed off all the beneficial bacteria from the rocks that helps convert harmful fish wastes to more inert substances. Second you want crystal clear water... Typically the clarity of the water makes little difference as to the healthy environment you have for your fish! Especially for a new pond the algae will help reduce the toxicity of the ammonia and nitrites your fish will produce until your nitrogen cycle has come into balance. .. ie cycled. Good luck!

 

[cas]

Nice pond!

 

[sissy]

welcome and why did you clean it ,was it leaking as you said you foamed between rocks also .Now you just have to get the pond to balance out .Are there fish (don't see any )and are you on city water and did you treat the water and do you have a API water test kit .

 

[poconojoe]

Yes, it's generally not advisable to drain a fish pond unless you have good reason to do so, such as searching for a leak or your water has been contaminated somehow. However, if you do, it's best to keep that biological film alive that is growing on the liner. IE...no scrubbing or power washing.
The subject is moot, you learned something and it's not a total catastrophe. It will just take time for your pond to establish it's natural cycle. It might take a few weeks for the beneficial bacteria to repopulate and you'll be good to go. You will probably experience a period of green water. Every new pond experiences that. Just be patient and it will all work out.
There are two misconceptions by new ponders. The need for a hospital clean, sanitized pond and the amount of water needed to keep koi.

 

[addy1]

Welcome to our forum!

Plants, low feeding of your fish, not scrubbing your pond rocks etc all lead to a nice balanced pond, as said above.

 

[gimpy]

Nice looking clean, clear pond.

 

[j.w]

I think I somehow missed welcoming you so

@maybedave
Nice pond!

 

[Mmathis]

Not sure that @maybedave is still around. This thread is a year old.

 

[Lisak1]

Not sure that @maybedave is still around. This thread is a year old.

Hasn't been around since August 2020... maybe he didn't really mean "All Advice/Criticism Welcome"!