Where do I start?

[Adrian]

Hello, thanks for offering these forums.
I have lots of questions and a lot to learn but wanted to start with a few basic ones.
My wife and I purchased a home with an existing pond plus waterfall. There are currently no pumps and no water in the system. The pond is about 5 feet by 10 feet and 18 inches deep at its deepest. The waterfall is probably three to four feet higher than the top of pond. Near the top of the pond there is a bucket with 2 large holes (around 2"?) for hoses and then a smaller nozzle that I know sprays water into the bucket from our sprinkler system. I took some pictures to post of this setup but basically I just want to learn how to get this all running. At this point Im not really thinking about fish if that would even be possible, I just want to get water running through this and see if the pond 'works'. Clueless is an understatement when it comes to how much I know about this.
Heres my questions:

How would I know which hole is for input and which is for something else? There are two outlets on either side of the waterfall....

What pumps to purchase and how to hook them up/test them etc.?

How clean do I need this setup to be before I get the water going, I've cleaned out tons of leaves and debris etc.

What kind of filters do I need so that all the leaves and stuff dont go thru the pumps?

Thank you, I will get to work trying to figure out how to load up some pics.

 

[Shdwdrgn]

Pictures will definitely help I'm trying to imagine what this bucket setup is, but just not getting it. If this is something like a modified 5-gallon bucket, then its too small to be used with fish.

Your pond is probably around 400-500 gallons. You want a pump that will cycle the whole thing 2-3 times an hour, so a pump rated for 1000-1500 gallons per hour would be great. You have a choice of submersible or external pumps, but your setup may be better suited for one or the other.

If you have a good filter, then that is a nice sized pond for goldfish, although perhaps a bit small for koi. We'll help you figure out the filter as you go. For now, you definitely want to get as much of the dead leaves and dirt cleaned out as possible, otherwise you will have cloudy water until the filter traps the rest of the muck.

Once you get the pictures up, we'll see what you are working with. If you have even briefly considered fish, then its best to just plan for them now, get your system running with the capacity to handle the fish, and if you decide NOT to add them, it just means you have the excess filtration to keep your water crystal clear, and will likely reduce the required maintenance.

 

[addy1]

They are only 18 inches deep, what zone of colorado do you live in? That might be too shallow for fish to survive outside over winter. Goldies might make it, but that is shallow for a cold area.
Sounds like it could be a nice plant pond with some fish. Pictures will help us help you.

And Welcome to the forum!

Do some reading in the diy section, there are some nice home made filters you can set up.

As far as cleaning, since it is fishless, get all the junk out you can. You will be starting with newish pond and will probably have to go through new pond cycles. It does not have to be sparkling clean, just muckless, that will help you when you do the refill and get everything else running.

 

[j.w]

Adrian Glad to meet ya. It does seem that 18" is not very deep and you might have a problem w/ heavy freezing. I would hope the whole thing would not freeze. Maybe you could put a heater in it just as a precaution when things start to get real cold B)

 

[marla]

Welcome
congrats on the new house and pond. 18" yes is not very deep, but for the summer you could have some fish, winter you might need to take them in if you get real cold or a heater maybe. would love to see pictures, that would help with any further questions or answers. I'm new here but there seem to be some very knowledgeable people here. Lots to read.

 

[DrDave]

Welcome to the Forum!

 

[fishin4cars]

Welcome to the Forum, post pics we love to see them!