Water change

[Fugly69]

Hello. Ok so here is my situation...I live in southern Ontario Canada...I have a concrete pond that is 8ft x 2.5ft x 4 ft deep...I disabled my waterfall and filter during the winter but kept 2 air circulators running...the pond water is very cloudy probably due to the fact the filter was disabled ...and also due to my neighbors having their house brick repointed lots of brick dust...i want to do a full pond water change and scrub the walls and rocks of my pond. my pond water temp matches my faucet water temp now...any suggestions on what to do? I read never do a full water change as it is to drastic of a change for the fish but I'm thinking back to when I bought the fish initially...that was a big change for them and they survived...any tips would be appreciated...

 

[Jhn]

Instead of full water change and scrubbing the sides, you are asking for a mess then, As you will literally wipe out the nitrifying bacteria population in your pond. Do a partial water change and add some quilt batting into your filter system can be in a bucket or where ever it will catch all the fine brick particles, ridding the pond of it without destroying your biological filter. As long as there aren’t any contaminants in the brick, a full on water change other than for aesthetics is going to do more harm than good.

 

[Fugly69]

Instead of full water change and scrubbing the sides, you are asking for a mess then, As you will literally wipe out the nitrifying bacteria population in your pond. Do a partial water change and add some quilt batting into your filter system can be in a bucket or where ever it will catch all the fine brick particles, ridding the pond of it without destroying your biological filter. As long as there aren’t any contaminants in the brick, a full on water change other than for aesthetics is going to do more harm than good.

So last fall I dismantled the waterfall pump and filter fearing it may crack during winter and drain my pond...so water has been unfiltered up to this point. Water is very murky...also neighbour's had all his brick repointed. 10 feet away from pond. I am fearing all the brick dust cant be very good for a 500 gallon pond...

 

[GBBUDD]

We pretty much all shut down our ponds for the winter or at least when the temps drop. The water does get murky , what your not catching from what @Jhn said is ALL ponds are based on Nitrifying bacteria .this is not just gold to a pond but it is blood and no pond/ life can survive without it. You wanting to remove the slime coating from your pond is bring the pond back to the first day you bring home the pond from the store sterile and dead.
Yes we get it you got some mortar dust in the pond and your right it COULD alter the ph as lime / and calcium will do that . Myself i would have covered the pond to keep as much dust out as possible but at this point a simple vacuuming to the bottom and three water changes each at only 30 percent would be a answer that will not stress the pond or the fish.
Mother nature is a bit odd she does her own thing one day its pea soup , then you get the hair algae, then the pond one day balances out the hair too disappears. The slime turns to bio film a short crew cut type of filament that grows on everything and this is your fishes main diet. to us its slimy green and not the pristine mountain stream. But its a pond we are building and that is what a HEALTHY POND IS , BIO FILM

 

[Fugly69]

We pretty much all shut down our ponds for the winter or at least when the temps drop. The water does get murky , what your not catching from what @Jhn said is ALL ponds are based on Nitrifying bacteria .this is not just gold to a pond but it is blood and no pond/ life can survive without it. You wanting to remove the slime coating from your pond is bring the pond back to the first day you bring home the pond from the store sterile and dead.
Yes we get it you got some mortar dust in the pond and your right it COULD alter the ph as lime / and calcium will do that . Myself i would have covered the pond to keep as much dust out as possible but at this point a simple vacuuming to the bottom and three water changes each at only 30 percent would be a answer that will not stress the pond or the fish.
Mother nature is a bit odd she does her own thing one day its pea soup , then you get the hair algae, then the pond one day balances out the hair too disappears. The slime turns to bio film a short crew cut type of filament that grows on everything and this is your fishes main diet. to us its slimy green and not the pristine mountain stream. But its a pond we are building and that is what a HEALTHY POND IS , BIO FILM

Ok I am learning as I go thanks so much for the detailed reply...it was so bad I couldn't even see my fish. But the 30% change at a time makes alot of sense. So after 3 30% changes my water clarity will improve where I will be able to see the bottom or not necessarily? I'm guessing not...

 

[GBBUDD]

It could take more water changes but also the pond and filter should do their part as well. This is not an exact science your water and your system will differ from another. The absolute best keeper of a pond is one who notices the subtle changes. And that is where this site comes in, its those first hand experiences that others have had that we share so mistakes may not be repeated but successes get duplicated.

 

[Fugly69]

It could take more water changes but also the pond and filter should do their part as well. This is not an exact science your water and your system will differ from another. The absolute best keeper of a pond is one who notices the subtle changes. And that is where this site comes in, its those first hand experiences that others have had that we share so mistakes may not be repeated but successes get duplicated.

Once again thank you. I guess if I want clean water so I can see my fish I should invest in a small indoor aquarium lol...ok I will worry less about the esthetics of crystal clear water and focus more on a healthy environment for my fish...

 

[GBBUDD]

.ok I will worry less about the esthetics of crystal clear water and focus more on a healthy environment for my fish...

now your getting it by focusing on giving mother nature a working stage for her microbes, bacteria and host of other creatures a proper stage to put on the show for a healthy environment then she will return with the clear waters we find attritive.

 

[Lisak1]

What kind of fish do you have in a 500 gallon pond?