Ponds with viewing windows

[Worrywart]

Hi all,
has anyone got one of these. We got rid of our big pond and replaced with this. It’s a 300 gallon pond and at first looked great. We have problems though keeping the water clean and I just don’t know what to do next. Here is the set up-

300 gallon pond
Oase 12000 pump
Oasis Extreme Max filter plus UV

we Replace the UV every year.

we have about 6-8 fish in there, lost 2 last week I think because of the heat. It just looks dismal and I’m not sure what else I can do. I have thought of replacing the filter with a pressurised one but I’m just not sure. Hoping to have some expert opinions .

 

[Mmathis]

Algae is a sign of excess nutrients in the water. You said you have recently converted from a larger pond. You might have too many fish for that size pond (as a general rule, koi require a minimum of 1000 gallons for the first fish, and around 250-350 gallons per additional koi). For the time being, stop feeding your fish and increase filtration / aeration. Switching to a different type of filter may or may not help anything, and at this point may do more harm than good as you will be sacrificing your matured beneficial bacteria, but adding an additional filter might help.

Test your water for ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, pH, and KH. We recommend a liquid test kit like API MASTER test kit. That kit, however doesn’t come with a test for KH or GH — you’ll have to get those tests separately. When you test, give us the NUMBER results, not “they were fine,” or “normal.”

Maybe do a partial water change, especially if your ammonia/nitrites are elevated (I suspect that they will be).

Do you know what caused your other fish to die? IOW, what was going on with them before they died? I doubt it was water temperature, but that is a possibility. Having a pond thermometer will help monitor that.

 

[mrsclem]

Looks like you have koi fish. How large was your old pond? 300 gallons is small, too small for 6 koi. How long was this new pond set up before moving fish?

 

[Worrywart]

Hi sorry for delay in my reply.
we have one koi and 5 goldfish. This particular pond has been set up for two years but we changed location 4 months back which obviously meant emptying and refilling pond but we used the dechlorinator and initial”y it was fine. we did change one of the filter foams to a very fine one and overnight it was clear, brilliant I thought we’d cracked it but this didn’t last and now it’s worse than ever.
we have some oxygenated plants and don’t over feed.
used tetra 6 in 1 water test strips - , I’ve attached a picture - the KH IS blue which indicates a reading of 20 d - what does this mean ?
The NO3 has also turned pink which indicates a water change is needed
thanks for your advice, really wish I’d never bought this, I also think it’s too small and more work than I anticipated made worse of course by my inability to do much myself as Im disabled.
the first image is before water test and the second after.

 

[poconojoe]

Those test strips are known to be inaccurate. Get yourself an API (liquid) pond test kit.

On filtration...I think you would benefit from installing a trough type bog filter in the back, up against the fence. It can overhang the pond so that the water will return via a spillway or waterfall from the side of the trough.

I'm a big advocate of bog filters. I recently got rid of my two inadequate pressure filters and UV light and replaced them with a bog. My water has never been this clear in over 10 years. I mean crystal clear. It's amazing. Plus, there's no rinsing of filter pads with a bog. Virtually no maintenance.

 

[Mmathis]

@Worrywart Please don’t beat yourself up over any choices you have made! Yes, it’s devastating to lose fish, and one feels completely helpless not understanding what is going on. But, be positive and think of this as a learning experience! WE LEARN MORE FROM OUR MISTAKES THAN WE DO FROM OUR SUCCESSES!

Most of us use liquid drop tests to check our water. These tend to be more reliable than strips. I can’t know the equivalent of your strips to my liquid test, but a KH of 20, by my API test is low. You would want it to be 80 at the very least, but in the 100’s is even better. This is important because (in very simple terms), the KH is what “buffers“ the pH in your water, and keeps you from having big swings in the pH.

 

[Worrywart]

Thank you I will order a test, had a look and API 500 pond Master test kit looks the one .
the bog filter sounds great but how do I do that - do you have any pictures or instructions I coild look at please ?

 

[addy1]

Here is a thread about bog building, and everybody will give you suggestions. Mine is basic pipes, pea gravel and plants, takes care of around 11 ponds from big to small.

Bog building, also called upflow filter, eco filter, wetland filter

I was asked to start a thread on how to build a bog. This is my rendition on bog building 101............. Building a bog: Before you decide to build a bog, you need to know what you want its primary purpose to be. Total pond filtration bog filtration combined with another filter. If you...

www.gardenpondforum.com

 

[Worrywart]

@Worrywart Please don’t beat yourself up over any choices you have made! Yes, it’s devastating to lose fish, and one feels completely helpless not understanding what is going on. But, be positive and think of this as a learning experience! WE LEARN MORE FROM OUR MISTAKES THAN WE DO FROM OUR SUCCESSES!

Most of us use liquid drop tests to check our water. These tend to be more reliable than strips. I can’t know the equivalent of your strips to my liquid test, but a KH of 20, by my API test is low. You would want it to be 80 at the very least, but in the 100’s is even better. This is important because (in very simple terms), the KH is what “buffers“ the pH in your water, and keeps you from having big swings in the pH.

Thank you. It’s just disappponting to see it looking so grim when it has looked so much better.
i will order a liquid drop tester today. Plus would like to try the bog filter as it sounds effective - I’ve asked poconojoe for some pics so I can show my husband. He is not helpful at the best of times but I think he’d be up for this

 

[Mmathis]

Thank you I will order a test, had a look and API 500 pond Master test kit looks the one .
the bog filter sounds great but how do I do that - do you have any pictures or instructions I coild look at please ?

@addy1 has a construction thread about bog-building. You can also do a “search” on this forum, or even a Google search. There is a lot of info out there. There are also varying opinions about what works and what doesn’t, so look for the SCIENCE. No 2 ponds are ever alike, and no 2 bogs are ever alike.

Not sure which API test that one is, but I don’t think the master kit comes with a KH or GH test. You have to order these separately.

 

[Mmathis]

@addy1 Thank you! I think we were posting at the same time.

 

[Worrywart]

Here is a thread about bog building, and everybody will give you suggestions. Mine is basic pipes, pea gravel and plants, takes care of around 11 ponds from big to small.

Bog building, also called upflow filter, eco filter, wetland filter

I was asked to start a thread on how to build a bog. This is my rendition on bog building 101............. Building a bog: Before you decide to build a bog, you need to know what you want its primary purpose to be. Total pond filtration bog filtration combined with another filter. If you...

www.gardenpondforum.com

wow 11 ponds thats impressive. We had one big pond before 8m x 4 m and our water was generally very good, I realise that small ponds are more work in some ways but at the moment i feel like giving up!
i will look at your thread thank you

 

[Andrew]

I definitely recommend more plants, especially some that provide shade like water lilies and floating hyacinth. The sun feeds algae but plants will compete with the green stuff for nutrients. Plus water lilies just look cool!

I love the viewing window! Nice job!

 

[poconojoe]

Concerning a bog filter....in your case your bog would be at a much smaller scale than in addy's showcase. There are many members here that have built a scaled down versions out of a long rectangular trough or planter.

From what you have there already, I assume someone is handy with woodworking. I suggest building a rectangular trough across the whole width of your pond ( or aquarium, if you call it that). Mount it toward the back, sitting on top of the structure of the pond for support.

The trough gets waterproofed by laying an EPDM liner inside it. A PVC pipe is layed in the bottom creating a manifold. Slits are cut 1/3 through the PVC every inch or so. This manifold is completely covered with at least 12" of smooth pea gravel or smooth river stone. Make sure your trough walls are 4"-5" taller than the top of the gravel for expansion or just to play it safe. Plants are grown directly in the gravel, no pots. They aid in the filtration process by thriving on the excess nutrients.

Water is pumped from the pond through the manifold pipe, rises up through the gravel and flows back to the pond via a spillway or waterfall on the side of your bog trough.

Any questions....just ask...

To give you an idea of the basics, here is a link to my recent bog build. Don't get discouraged, mine is a much larger scale than you would need.
https://www.gardenpondforum.com/threads/my-add-on-bog-build.26848/

 

[addy1]

.in your case your bog would be at a much smaller scale than in addy's

I have a planter box bog on my hot tub pond ( 300 gallon pond). About 2 feet long about 10 inches wide. Full of pea gravel some kitty litter and plants. It helps keep the water really clear and healthy.

Any size helps.