Whats next?

[newbieincalifornia]

So we set up our 60 gallon pond on Sunday with a small fountain/filter and today (payday) we will be picking up the items we need to make our own bio filter. Once we set that up what is next? Plants? feeder fish to season the pond? Is it ok to plant baby's tears around the pond? What color gravel should I put in the bottom of the pond? I read that bright colored gravel makes it easyer to see the fish, but will it make them an easy meal for our local possum or crows? Do the aquatic plants go in dirt and all? If so what kind of soil do they require? I know better than to use my miracle grow potting soil in my pond so... yah were soooo excited! Right now it's just a big bucket of water surrounded by dirt. By the weekend maybe it will look better! :banana:

 

[c2c7390]

i would do feeder fish to cycle the pond...i wouldnt do gravel...it just makes it harder to clean/vaccuum...bright color gravel IMO will make the fish blend in...black or neutral like tan colors will bring out the diffrent colors...the material that you plant the plants in depends on the type of plant

 

[koiguy1969]

will you be making a waterfall?

 

[newbieincalifornia]

I was thinking of disguising my bio filter and using the out flow as a fountain. Can I do that?

 

[koiguy1969]

if you want to disguise your filter partially bury it put some flat rocks around the part that sets above ground and voila...a waterfall; or use a flower pot, and fill the top with water plants, hiacynths, parrots feather and the like, run buried tubing and filter plumbing in the back side, no one will know its a filter.

 

[newbieincalifornia]

I was thinking I could mound soil around the base of it, grow baby tears on the soil, and cover the lid with a rock or some thing along those lines. Then run the hose to my water fall (haven't figured out what I want to do for that either my statue or a pot or something) I don't want too much rock around the pond more plants and decoration than any thing.

 

[newbieincalifornia]

So I was gathering all the stuff I needed for my biofilter at home depot yesterday and I decided TOO MUCH DRAMA and just bought the dang thing that filter's for a little over twice the size of my pond for just a little more than making one would have cost me and I am much happyer with it! We also purchased a lilly, 4 tank plants from the pet store for hiding in, and some very cute feeder fish. oh and benificial bacteria and water testing strips. so hopefully today when i get home I wont have dead fish! It was so tempting to buy the koi at the pet store! But we were sucessful and walked away with just feeder gold fish! I have the old pump from the old filter and I'm going to use that today to make a fountain. Any thing else we should have?

 

[koiguy1969]

did you get just an under water filter?

 

[newbieincalifornia]

It is an under water bio filter. It is a black box the bottom has plastic balls (odd looking my husband freaked out when he saw them lol) I also bought a better pump and the pump goes in with the balls. Then it has a very very dense mesh pad and on top of that it has an additional mesh pad that is slightly less dense than the first pad. they both have a hole in the middle for the fountain pole thingy to go through and the electrical cord clip hole thingy for the pump that is on the side then it is all caped off with a fine mesh screen that clips very well to the top of the box. The entire unit is about 18"x7" for a 60 gallon pond. I bought a 140 (or something like that) GPH pump for that and I will be reusing the old pump (a bit weaker) for the fountain. (will that be enough to oxygenate the pond?)

 

[newbieincalifornia]

oh and is that a real bio filter? (better be for 40 bucks) and should I not use my new net to catch fish and or skim the leaves out of the pond? Oh and the neighbors jasmin plant is dropping flowers into my pond will they hurt my fish?