Hello New To Ponds Wondering What Fish -- Filter

[IceMan569]

Hello

I love All Fish --- But goldfish

I have dug in hole 13ft by 13ft -- 3 ft depth


I bought a liner off ebay its good one thick non tear and sun resist ( fish safy ofcoarse )

i Have sand to put down under and old pool liner for under pading

i 'm finishing in spring

got question

want type of filter should i use ?? - Something not real high on price

would a pool filter work ?? - have one

What type of fish could i put in it besides goldfish

Koi --- i figger

Anything else ???


Thank u jerry

 

[IceMan569]

bumbed it up

please any advise

 

[black angel]

Sorry no one has advised you but with you in America I dont know what filter you should go for.
Generally one that turns over the pond at least once an hour and the pump should be the same or slightly lower.
For instance a filter that can manage say 5000 litres and a pump of equal or slightly lower pumping capacity.
You have to work out how many gallons the pond holds and thats not easy unless the pond is all one depth. A lot of people step the pond on different levels for plants etc so you need to take an average depth.

You can make your own filter but thats something i dont know about.

 

[mr.dark-saint]

The Turn Over Rates should be at least 3 times the volume of the pond (100 gallon then a 300 gallon per hour water pump).

If you can afford it a "Bead Filter" is the way to go with a UV Sterilizer. But cost being a factor I suppose you can make your own out of Trash Cans. Or you can build a "Swamp Filter", too. Basically you build a smaller pond and fill it with water plants to suck up the nutrients. Cat tails, Hyacinths, Water Lettus and the likes. This basically takes the place of a "Settling Tank" where the poop breaks down and gets used by the plants. This also helps in the spring time when the water starts to turn green you can fill it with Barley Hay (this way you don't have to see them in the display pond).

You mention a "Pool Filter" is it "Sand Filter" or is it just a "Water Pump" with a collection basket? If you deside to use this you'll have to build a "Dog House" (or some shelter) to keep it "Dry" and above the ground. If this is a Sand Filter then it basically works like a Bead Filter (in principal) and you can use it to move water. If the pump is just a pump it can move the water from the main pond to the "Swamp" (just make sure to build the swamp higher then the main pond so the return will be gravity fed).

What fish other than goldfish? Channel Cat (pretty much any cats unless they fall under the Native thing then just make sure you have no Game Warden as friends ), Snapping Turtle (or any Aquatic turtles will do), It mainly depends on where you live too. I know guys down South keep Cichlids during the summer months and bring them in during the cooler months (they get some color on them from snacking on mosquito larvea and other things that fall in. Besides Koi is nothing more than a Goldfish with barbels. I'd sort out the "plan" then pick out the critters .

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

What is the climate like where you live- does it ever freeze at all in winter?
Even though your pond is large, it does not have enough to keep koi (4ft deep minimum), especially if you get cold winters where you live. However there are 3 main goldfish types you can choose from (comet, common and shubunkin goldfish- basically slim, coldwater goldfish) as well as other fish like tench (similar to the clown loach in behaviour and shape, this coldwater fish can grow to over a foot long and is primarily a bottom dwelling fish- it also comes in different colour varieties like the gold form).
Channel ctafish are predatory fish so would be a problem when it comes to stocking the pond, they grow huge and can also fit suprisingly large fish into their mouths- they do however make a very interesting and unique addition to ponds.
Don't lose interest in goldfish imediately though- although they do not have the prestige of koi, they arenot demanding fish to look after, come in a large variety of colours and patterns/markings and grow to a decent size as well.
I would not advise sturgeon though- many of these grow giagantic (the smallest variety grows to over a metre long) and require freezing, highly oxygenated water (most come from freezing cold mountain steams or brackish rivers, most ponds are simply to warm and stagnant for them to survive in the long term- in a good habitat though they can live to over 50 years old).
Ghost carp (hybrid fish between koi and mirror carp) grow smaller than most koi and are very hardy fish, you may be able to have some of these in your pond.

Check out this article on the main types of pond fish and the basics of keeping them;

http/www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/pfk/...p?article_id=90

.

 

[IceMan569]

You mention a "Pool Filter" is it "Sand Filter"

Yea its a sand filter -- its for a 24 ft pool -- should push enought water


heard someone mention to put rocks on top of the sand to help filteration

it does freeze - figger i put a fountain it keep from freezing - keep the water moving


well pond is 3 and 4 ft depth one side

my uncle has a pond but only 7 ft by 7 ft 3 ft depth held 4 koi - they got 2 ft then cats pulled them out and got them 1 by 1 and they even had babies

but most got eatin up


i was going to build a bridge across to add shade

is that a good idea ?

 

[mr.dark-saint]

Sand Filter, eh? So where and how are you going to house it?

Putting rocks on top of sand only keeps the sand from lifting up. Might be more efficent using a Garbage can filled with "Lava Rocks". I'd still shoot for a Swamp Filter much more effecient and nicer looking.

It also freezes (more info more fun). The smart thing to keep the "Surface" from freezing is to keep up with the circulation. However this will further lower the water tempature through out, water from the bottom taken up to the surface so there will be no thermal-climb. So this means if the surface is 35 degrees then the bottom is also the same temp. You can avoid this by moving the intake closer to the surface or placing a smaller water pump to keep the surface cleared.

Sloped pond helps when you leave the deeper end alone while it's really cold out there.

As for your Uncle's Koi I'd say it was 'Coons since I have yet to see a cat snatch, jerk and lift a fish that would weigh more than themselves . I know this first hand with 'Coons since I lost a good portion of Koi with their help.

A Bridge is good and bad. It gives shade so it'll lessen algae bloom (but wouldn't do squat if the pond has direct sun exposure for more than 6 hours a day) it's also a good Pump "hidey hole" as well as a UV mounting location. It's bad that it gives a nice fishing perch for "Coons" so you'll have to ponder this.

 

[Tcian]

The sand filter will work fine for removing particles from the water and provide some amount of biological filtration. Just remember to back flush it on occasion just as you would for pool operation. I will be using one on a plant only pond I am planning on making this spring. You might want to consider running the outlet from the pool filter to a second filter that can become a waterfall and act as your biological filter. I would use a 25 gallon no hole plastic pot. Drill a suitiable size hole in the bottom of the pot, add a bulkhead fitting in it and pipe the water from the pool filter to it. Use some course filter material for the beneficial bacteria to collonize and create a lip at the top of the pot using some left over liner material to create your waterfall. You did not mention the flow rate of your pump, but if you have to, you can add a T and valve and run any excess water to a fountain or venturi, either of which will aid in aeration.

Not sure if running a fountain in the winter is a good idea as it will allow the water temp to get below 32 degrees without freezing. You might want to consider a floating pond heater placed in the four foot area of the pond just to keep an area open for gas exchange. The water should freeze to a depth of only 32 inches depending on the area of the country you are in. This will allow the fish some area of water that does not freeze where they will remain in a state of torpor.

Koi develop strength by swimming vertically. Ideally, they should have a depth of six to seven feet to develop properly. Common goldfish will do quit nicely in this size pond, and should provide you with some spectacular specimens in just a few years. Try not to overstock in the beginning as it will take a while for the biological filter to stabalize the water chemistry. Let nature take its course and the fish will stock your pond to the proper level in due course.

As you are in the planning stage, now would be a good time to consider a bottom drain in your plans. Your pool pump can suck the water (and debris) from the bottom of the pond greatly reducing your cleaning chores. This is another area where you would add a T to your plumbing. You should use a skimmer that runs most of the time to take the water from the surface of the pond getting rid of the dust and leaves ect that are always present. Then from time to time close the valve on the skimmer and open up the bottom drain to clean up the bottom of the pond. This type of set up wil give you the best of both worlds and allow you to maintain your pond quit easily. Waterfall should be at the opposite end of the pond from the skimmer.

Shade will become important in your fight against algae. The bridge is a nice idea, but also condider floating plants. At least a third of the pond should be covered by plants or shaded somehow, depending on how much sunlight your location will experience.

 

[Tcian]

Sorry, I forgot. Plumb an overflow drain to run any excess water from a heavy rainstorm to whatever area in your yard that you want it to go. Otherwise your pond may just expand beyond what you had planned. I use PVC pipe run through a bulkhead fitting in the liner and terminated with a 90 degree elbow facing up. Locate the top of the elbow at the highest point that you want the water to get to and then you can run the PVC into a sump, edge drain, dry creek bed or anywhere else you can get rid of the water at.

 

[IceMan569]

Plumb an overflow drain Great idea

i forgot that one

i'm havin a water fall /stream big one
u see i have 2 pieces of liner 8ft by 10 ft water fall piece

one 20 ft x 20 ft for pond


water rate on filter i don't know it was for a 24 ft round by 4 ft pool

i'm going to put a drain around top and sides of the pond to keep run off in it

and theres a 15 ft by 8 ft deck already up on 0ne side

i well be added plants as many as i can get my hands on or can afford

i figger the bridge may help algea promble that i will have not much shade

lights under bridge sounds great idea

i figger if i cover up 1/3 of it -- the middle -with bridge plus plant on the sides

the waterfall the thing that i'm not sure about & where to put

i was going to make like a stream running in to it say 5ft by 7 ft stream

thou Tcian idea sound cool


Could i make the steam work for me like addd lava rock to it ??

i will be adding fish slow maybe just 5 to start

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

You mention a "Pool Filter" is it "Sand Filter"

Yea its a sand filter -- its for a 24 ft pool -- should push enought water


heard someone mention to put rocks on top of the sand to help filteration

it does freeze - figger i put a fountain it keep from freezing - keep the water moving


well pond is 3 and 4 ft depth one side

my uncle has a pond but only 7 ft by 7 ft 3 ft depth held 4 koi - they got 2 ft then cats pulled them out and got them 1 by 1 and they even had babies

but most got eatin up


i was going to build a bridge across to add shade

is that a good idea ?

Don't keep a fountain running during freezing weather as it will make the temperature of the water plumet too much. Ice helps insulate the pond and helps prevent sudden temperature changes taking place, which would stress the fish out a great deal.
If large fish like koi you need a deeper pond- one of the reasons why your uncles koi were killed by cats is that at 3ft deep, there isn't enough depth to give fish like koi any great deal of protection from cats.
If you make the pond an extra foot deeper, the koi will be a lot happier, healthier and a lot safer.