What to do.....

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We just bought a house it has this pond - what do I do to get it going? What do I look for - how do I figure out what fish etc etc
 
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First thing I'd do is fill with water and see if it leaks. The size looks too small for koi, so goldfish are your best bet. You'll have to look for any tykpe of filter and see if it is functionable. After you've verified no leak, you could add some plants, a bit of ammonia, and wait for the nitrogen cycle to finish (30 days or so, I think). This would be a fishless cycle and once completed, you could add such goldfish varieties as comets, shubunkins, fantails, etc. Keep the number small and you won't overload whatever filter system you have.

And once you start, read up here on the various topics you're unsure of; there's plenty of info to go around. We can help with any further questions. You can get an API water testing kit to help understand exactly what water quality you have and are aiming for.

Hope this helps.
 
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First thing I'd do is fill with water and see if it leaks. The size looks too small for koi, so goldfish are your best bet. You'll have to look for any tykpe of filter and see if it is functionable. After you've verified no leak, you could add some plants, a bit of ammonia, and wait for the nitrogen cycle to finish (30 days or so, I think). This would be a fishless cycle and once completed, you could add such goldfish varieties as comets, shubunkins, fantails, etc. Keep the number small and you won't overload whatever filter system you have.

And once you start, read up here on the various topics you're unsure of; there's plenty of info to go around. We can help with any further questions. You can get an API water testing kit to help understand exactly what water quality you have and are aiming for.

Hope this helps.

Thank you- this helps a lot.
 
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I'd say "water feature" vs "pond" - how many gallons would you guess that is? It appears to be in a shaded area, but the water also needs to have some depth so the fish don't boil to death in the hot sun - if in fact you can even put fish in there. What climate are you in? Would the fish be able to stay in there year round? Does it even have a filter?

I ask because this looks exactly like a water feature my MIL had - I get PTSD looking at it. Haha! She had us work on that thing every single spring to try to get it to stop leaking - concrete and midwest winters do.not.mix. It was a nightmare. Never did get it to run for more than a few days at a time every year before she gave up again. She always dreamed of putting fish in that thing - thank goodness we never got it to hold water, as it was not a suitable place to put fish in her case.
 
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It has it's appeal . Being the nutty pond professor who never keeps it simple i would look into how to build a bog and then i would place a bog off to at least one side if not both sides of that area picture plants tropical growing off to both side with a splash of water and a water fall in the middle. the right plants will add some height to each side making the corner look more like a oasis then a pile of rocks in between a couple columns. In short bogs can be as simple as a waterproof area where you pump water to the bottom and disburse it with a pipe across the bottom . then the water raises up through a minimum of 12" of stone then falls back into the pond area. You get the benefit of plants topicals etc where theres no watering . the plants clean and polish the water for the fish and with smallest of maintenance
 
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geez tough crowd i opened the door and no one threw the pie...
 
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Is there any type of filter or piping in or around it?

That rock wall in the back may have been used for a waterfall.

Waiting to hear your responses as to the climate you are in. It will help to know.

Is there a rubber liner in there to hold the water? Or maybe a preform hard plastic liner? Could even be a hard plastic stock tank in there.

Good suggestion to see if it holds water before you spend more time and money.
 

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