True Newbie

[Ray Sandoval]

I just moved into a new house with a hole in the ground they called a pond. I have no experience with ponds or fish so this is going to be a hard lesson I'm thinking. I've included a pic of the original condition of the pond, half full and green green. The pond has a drainage tube back feeding into a waterfall that flows back into the pond. I also saw a filter box that I've experimented with, switching the pump from the waterfall to the filter box. I can actually see the bottom after running the pump through the filter box. I was curious so I ran to Petsmart and bought about (10) $0.15 goldfish and put them in. Well, the next day I didn't see one! I heard ducks a few days earlier flying over, obviously doing some reconnaissance on my newly cherished pond. Glad to say, I saw some of those goldfish sneaking out from under some rocks a few days later. I regained my encouragement and was ecstatic when I found someone willing to sell me a few larger goldfish for $20 then got really excited when he said just come take them. I now know this May not have been the best thing, but needless to say I now have several fish. Glad to say the Petsmart fish came out and seem to be playing with their new friends. Really nice fan tails included. My goal as a new "father" is to get their habitat where it should be. I'm scouring these forum topics like a madman on a mission! I will continue to update the progress and welcome any advice. If anyone has recommendations for supplies I'm all ears. I'm in central California between Bakersfield and Fresno. I'd love to find a store that I can become a regular to. Any recommendations on aquatic plants is a high priority on my list.

 

[Waterbug]

Very nice pond and yard. The builder had a good eye.

Here's a web page I wrote for beginner pond owner. This stuff can be a little overwhelming. Instead of covering a ton of things and not really understand them I thought getting a good basic understanding of 3 things can be a bigger help. You have a fair number of fish, I don't know how deep the pond is, but you might be getting close to a high fish load. So ammonia could become a problem so worth testing.

The waterfall/stream is your best bio filter. It will control ammonia. Algae is also a good bio filter.

My best advice is to do what you're doing, research. But do broad research, lot's of sites. There's a lot of very poor info around. Be careful what you believe, assume info is bad and you will be right more than wrong.

I don't know of any better beginner info than videos by Doc Johnson. Not everything will apply to your type of pond and I don't agree with everything myself, but good sensible info.

 

[addy1]

to our group. Very nice deck and pond. See if you can figure out the gallons of your pond, you don't want to overload it with fish (and they do make lots of babies) I feed mine lightly when they are spawning, so they will eat any eggs that are laid.

Get a liquid pond test kit so you can keep track of how your water is doing, ammonia etc.

 

[Priscilla]

Hello and welcome! I'm a newbie too, its amazing how much you learn in a pinch. I'm sure there will be some trial and error, and trial and success.

 

[Nepen]

Welcome to our group. I love how the deck and the pond compliment each other, especially the stream! If you could, I'd plant lots of Irises/ bog plants in the stream, it'll help all the toxic fish produce and also looks lovely.

 

[shakaho]

That's a cute pond, but it's really small and that's a lot of fish. Those little Petsmart feeders are vigorous fish, reaching as much as a foot long in a couple of years.

 

[taherrmann4]

Welcome to the forum.

 

[Potato]

I am definitely not qualified to give any advice whatsoever, but I inherited a pond with a house not dissimilar to yours and I can say yours looks WAY better than mind did when I first started, so you're doing something right.

 

[sissy]

welcome and interesting pond you have there

 

[Ray Sandoval]

Very nice pond and yard. The builder had a good eye.

Here's a web page I wrote for beginner pond owner. This stuff can be a little overwhelming. Instead of covering a ton of things and not really understand them I thought getting a good basic understanding of 3 things can be a bigger help. You have a fair number of fish, I don't know how deep the pond is, but you might be getting close to a high fish load. So ammonia could become a problem so worth testing.

The waterfall/stream is your best bio filter. It will control ammonia. Algae is also a good bio filter.

My best advice is to do what you're doing, research. But do broad research, lot's of sites. There's a lot of very poor info around. Be careful what you believe, assume info is bad and you will be right more than wrong.

I don't know of any better beginner info than videos by Doc Johnson. Not everything will apply to your type of pond and I don't agree with everything myself, but good sensible info.

Great link! Thank you this will be a great starting point.

 

[Ray Sandoval]

That's a cute pond, but it's really small and that's a lot of fish. Those little Petsmart feeders are vigorous fish, reaching as much as a foot long in a couple of years.

I agree and probably knew better when I got them, but I do plan on thinning out the population by giving quite a few away. Got caught up in all the excitement. Lol

 

[Ray Sandoval]

Welcome to our group. I love how the deck and the pond compliment each other, especially the stream! If you could, I'd plant lots of Irises/ bog plants in the stream, it'll help all the toxic fish produce and also looks lovely.

The designer is actually a landscaper and he did a great job of using the space in the backyard. I'm pretty happy back there.

 

[sissy]

You may get a little crowded once they have babies .I know I have given lots of babies away .Some in trade for plants ,like my lotus tubers and my lilies

 

[adavisus]

Quite panicking,

Get an armfull of books on water gardening, ornamental ponds from the library

Put feet up, look up stuff as and when you need to

A tough as boots medium size hardy waterlily and a couple of aquatic iris would be a safe bet to start with on the plants, to moderate water temps when the heat rolls in

Regards, andy
http://www.pinterest.com/adavisus/pondering/
http://swglist.wordpress.com/

 

[shakaho]

I agree and probably knew better when I got them, but I do plan on thinning out the population by giving quite a few away. Got caught up in all the excitement. Lol

I think most of us have done that.