temporary above ground pool while rebuilding old pond: important questions

[ginny]

I have read existing commentary on this topic. Does anyone have a recommendation about what kind of temp. pond to buy? We think we need two or three days to rebuild the old pond. We need about 1,000 gallons. Will the pumps that come with these above ground ponds for humans be adequate for my koi? I have about 12 and some are at least a foot. My current filter seems to have died. I am worried about raccoons attacking the soft sides of an above the ground pond. I had planned to put netting on top to keep other creatures like herons out. This works on my real, in ground pond. We plan to use our current pond water. Any warnings or suggestions for how to protect my fish? I am really worried about putting my koi in one of these above ground thingies, even temporarily.

 

[Mmathis]

Hello and welcome!

We have an Entex pool/pond — think I ordered it from AMAZON. It has a metal frame, and I think it’s about 1200-1500 gallons. It is “temporary,” but that has turned into being over a year. Only have goldfish, though. So far, so good. I already had a Skippy-type filter (150 gallons), so that’s what I’m using. I bought a huge net and made a cross-shaped frame with PVC pipe to support the net (it’s partially under an oak tree). We do have raccoons, and catch them on our backyard security camera almost every night, but so far they are showing more interest in the dropped seed from the bird feeders than they are in the “pond.” If I can find a pic, I’ll add it.

This is the one I have, except it didn’t come with the pump — I’m using the one I already have. There is a larger one available, I believe. The biggest challenge was finding a level spot for it. We

 

[WaterGardener]

I have a couple of Intex pools, one indoors, 1000 gallon, and a 2000 gallon one outside.

The filtration that comes with them is very.minimal so you will need something else.

The only creatures we have had in the outside pool are tree frogs. They lay eggs in there every year and the frogs develop in that pool.

I found mine on eBay and bought ones with damaged boxes. Everything inside the boxes was brand new and in perfect condition. The price was less than half that of the others, but that was a few years back. Don't know if those are even available now, but if you can find them, they are well worth buying.

 

[Lisak1]

I am really worried about putting my koi in one of these above ground thingies, even temporarily.

I understand the concern, but rest assured that professionals (and lots of us DIYers) do it all the time. The biggest issue pros warn about is fish jumping out - anytime you put koi in a new situation they have a tendency to jump. So your net will serve several important purposes!

Can you use your current pump and filter? (You said your filter "died" - not sure if you meant the pump or if you meant the bacteria seems to have died?) 12 koi in a 1000 gallons is a lot, but if you can finish in a couple of days they should be fine with minimal filtration. Your current filter would be better than a new one (already seeded with bacteria) and a pool filter isn't the best choice for a koi pond as they will clog easily.

Good luck! We'd love to see what you have currently and what the new plan is!

 

[WaterGardener]

The filter on these pools is made of folded paper. When we first set up the pool outside we used the filter that came with the pool just to circulate the water to keep mosquitoes out. It clogged within 24 hours and there was nothing but water in the pool.

If you just want to move some water around, they are fine. But for filtering, they are pretty useless.

 

[poconojoe]

If your filter died, I'm sure you are looking to replace it (unless your new build includes a bog filter).

You will still need a pump with a bog though, so if it's your pump that died, you'll need a new one anyway.

Get the new one and use it on the temporary pool.

Make sure you have lots of aeration. With 12 koi in only a 1,000 gallon pool, you are going to need lots of aeration.

Can I ask about your new pond build plans?
Approximately how many gallons and how deep?

What material are you going to use for your liner? The preferred material is EPDM or second choice HDRPE. Don't use a PVC liner.

Have you considered a bog for filtration?
Many of us have added one on and got rid of inadequate high maintenance store bought filters. You can go right to a bog and save money and constant maintenance by adding a bog to your plans.

 

[j.w]

@ginny
I'd go the swim pool route for the temp pond. The one at the top of these posts sounds like a darn good deal!