My pond build thread

[Laeris]

I wonder if there are any freshwater filter feeders that would give the same effects as oysters do on salt water.

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http://youtu.be/Os3h24Lbq44 Freshwater clam! XD


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[Fresh2o]

http://youtu.be/Os3h24Lbq44 Freshwater clam! XD


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Good choice. I would use a small tub or shallow Rubbermaid container filled with a few inches of sand for them.


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[enrgizerbunny]

Checked on then this morning and nobody is belly up. Looks like full transition

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[FWFishTanks]

Great! The pond looks nice

 

[enrgizerbunny]

Good choice. I would use a small tub or shallow Rubbermaid container filled with a few inches of sand for them.


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Well I do have 50 lbs of pool filter sand with no destination....

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[enrgizerbunny]

Well I do have 50 lbs of pool filter sand with no destination....

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If I just put sand in the deep end and never put a container on the pond is there any reason to believe they would puncture the liner? It's right under the filter output shoo there'd be plenty of water movement to feed them. I'd love to have clams instead of a uv sterilizer to get clear water.

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[enrgizerbunny]

Where is the leak? At the lid or around the pipes?
You should think about a gravity design* filter. Either up flow or down flow. Very little pressure, less chance for leaks.
Downsides of a gravity design filter is in the return pipe and proximity to the pond. It has to maintain a certain slope (for lack of a better term) else it won't drain properly. This could result in the filter and/or plumbing being too close to the pond or in an unsightly position.
*Not to be confused with a gravity FED filter.


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I considered gravity drained filter, but I like pressurized. I'll eventually get another barrel of the same size with a metal small ring that won't flex under pressure and use rubber/silicone on the seal.

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[Autumnsky]

There are FW clams... several kinds. Not sure about the cold temps of winter for each kind.

 

[enrgizerbunny]

There are FW clams... several kinds. Not sure about the cold temps of winter for each kind.

I searched it, there are varieties that winter over.

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[Autumnsky]

I searched it, there are varieties that winter over.

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That is especially intriguing. I thought I had remembered being at a lake as a child in a cold climate and seeing shells on the shore and was told they were clams. Hadn't ever checked up on it. They were thin shelled, slender, about maybe 3-4" long and white and had some black on them (it was a looooong time ago).

That would be VERY cool.

 

[Autumnsky]

This was interesting especially about some needing the host fish.
http://www.xerces.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/pnw_mussel_guide_2nd_edition.pdf

 

[Fresh2o]

As a child I remember finding clams/mussels in a river north of central VA. Would be concerned about collection laws and potential parasites.
More info and a list of where they can be ordered can be found here.


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[PoppaRyno]

Make sure they're not zebra mussles... Lol.

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[enrgizerbunny]

There are plenty of websites that sell them commercially. Mrbullfrog.com sells a variety that is supposed to winter over and I'll probably order some in the spring. We're going into hibernation mode here on central Virginia and I've already stopped feeding the fish. Pond temperature is a little high for it in my opinion, but I'm sure there's some critters in there if they get hungry.

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[enrgizerbunny]

So as to avoid an additional thread, what would everyone's estimate on my stocking limit be? My water volume is roughly 1500 gallons or so. My pump is rated at 2700gph, but is probably actually moving closer to 2k, not sure though. Filter media is 15 gallons of bioballs. I currently have 6 comets and a koi all 4-8"in length. I want more koi and may even get rid of a couple of male goldfish to have better ratios and give the females a break.

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[Delapool]

Bit slack but what's the pond dimensions again?

 

[enrgizerbunny]

My original dimension was like 10x7ft, but I think it got a little bigger. Depth is 3 feet on one end and 5ft on the other.

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[Autumnsky]

You might have a couple extra years as the fish grow, to consider a larger gph pump.

Personally I would edit GF and go for more Koi but they will get long and fat! So much more poopy over time.

As for the actual calculations I wouldn't be much help. Though 2.5 gph circulation I think would be a minimum with a little bioload/smaller young fish. For a GF tank recommended 10x exchange on water volume per hour. (Is it any different for a pond, it would depend on fish quantity/bioload though?)

 

[enrgizerbunny]

Everything I've read on pond filtration is that 1.5x turnover per hour is ideal. Ponds aren't "sterile" like an indoor tank and (in my opinion) have much more biological activity.

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[Autumnsky]

Good. It has been awhile since I was read up on ponds. Maybe next year.

This is how I keep my foot in the water, lol. Just watching this one grow.