Pond at New House

[kdklovesfish]

Hello Pond People! As of now I have three FW community tanks: I'm not a fish newbie, just a pond newbie. I apologize in advance for asking questions that I'm sure you guys have answered hundreds of times. I have tried researching and am just spinning my wheels.

We are buying a house that has a pond already installed in a mostly covered patio section. I have no idea how old it is or if it ever had fish. It has a water fall that works nicely, but I have no idea if it is filtered. There are currently no fish in it, but there is a wild frog that hangs out there. It seems about 2-3 foot deep and maybe a 3ft circumference. It has a black lining that is fairly covered in green algae. That's all I know.

Here's my questions:

1. How do I clean it?
2. Do I need to figure out if it's filtered? If so, how?
3. What are the water parameters for a pond? (I have found so many different sets of numbers that I don't know!!) How do I know when it's cycled and ready for fish?
4. What are your favorite products and why?
5. Other than goldfish/koi what kinds of fish can you have in an outdoor pond? I was wondering about a pleco to help control the algae.
6. I live in North Texas, so we never get "hard freezes" but we do get hot summers. Can I keep the fish outdoors without a heater during the winter or do I need to have tank space indoors? If I do need to move the fish indoors for the winter, at what temp do they need to move? Likewise, can I keep them outdoors during the hottest part of the summer? If not, what temp do I move them in?
7. Do I acclimate fish the same way? (putting the bag in the pond/tank and then adding water slowly to the bag)
8. Anything else I missing...

Thanks!!!

 

[jlk]

Hello Pond People! As of now I have three FW community tanks: I'm not a fish newbie, just a pond newbie. I apologize in advance for asking questions that I'm sure you guys have answered hundreds of times. I have tried researching and am just spinning my wheels.

We are buying a house that has a pond already installed in a mostly covered patio section. I have no idea how old it is or if it ever had fish. It has a water fall that works nicely, but I have no idea if it is filtered. There are currently no fish in it, but there is a wild frog that hangs out there. It seems about 2-3 foot deep and maybe a 3ft circumference. It has a black lining that is fairly covered in green algae. That's all I know.

Here's my questions:

1. How do I clean it?
2. Do I need to figure out if it's filtered? If so, how?
3. What are the water parameters for a pond? (I have found so many different sets of numbers that I don't know!!) How do I know when it's cycled and ready for fish?
4. What are your favorite products and why?
5. Other than goldfish/koi what kinds of fish can you have in an outdoor pond? I was wondering about a pleco to help control the algae.
6. I live in North Texas, so we never get "hard freezes" but we do get hot summers. Can I keep the fish outdoors without a heater during the winter or do I need to have tank space indoors? If I do need to move the fish indoors for the winter, at what temp do they need to move? Likewise, can I keep them outdoors during the hottest part of the summer? If not, what temp do I move them in?
7. Do I acclimate fish the same way? (putting the bag in the pond/tank and then adding water slowly to the bag)
8. Anything else I missing...

Thanks!!!

Welcome! Let's see if we can help with some of your questions!

Ok, cleaning a pond is not necessary in the same fashion as a tank. Debris, leaf litter, dead plants need to be removed periodically in order to maintain water quality. The algae growing on the bottom is part of the natural environment. Water changes need to be performed periodically (same as a tank). This applies more strongly to smaller ponds and/or heavily stocked ponds.

Testing a pond is exactly the same as a tank- use your API kit to test levels of ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and ph. It's also a good idea to occasionally check kh and gh for stability. Ideals are the same as tanks- zero ammonia and nitrite and low nitrate. Ph, gh and kh should all be in reasonable ranges for pond stability and fish health. Your pond is likely already cycled to some degree- just stock gradually and slowly.

Adding live plants is a big plus in any pond as they help with water quality and provide much needed shade and hiding areas for fish. Shade will be necessary for hot summers. Whether a de-icer will be necessary in the winter depends on how cold your winters are (below 40f) and how long it's cold for.

I do not know if your pond has a filter but generally waterfall features on small ponds are simply just that- a waterfall feature for aeration. If you do not find a filter system hidden somewhere, adding a pond filter (or making one) is a big plus.

I would measure your pond exactly (length, width, depth) and google 'pond calculator'. There are numerous calculators on the net where you can enter your exact measurements to get the exact number of gallons your pond holds. Try a few different ones as they tend to use different multipliers (based on shape) .

Once you know the gallons, you will be dose water conditioner for wcs, figure out a decent size filter/pump and have a better idea on possible stock. Let us know the gallons and present water parameters and we can go from there!




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[kdklovesfish]

Wow cleaning sounds easier than I thought! I was thinking that I was going to have to scrub all that gunk off of the bottom...
I'm guessing in my excitement I posted this way too early. We are buying this house and our closing is at the end of next month. So it would be difficult to measure it now. Once the house is ours (or if we go over there for something) I'll take pictures and measure.
Until then what is gh and kh? Do I need to buy a testing kit just for the pond, or can I just add to my kit? I have an API master test kit for fw now.
Thanks for the warm welcome. I'm soo excited to have a pond. I have been begging to put one in for years!!


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[limnologist]

you should add some native fish and allow it to be a natural pond. that always works best for me, because, when you have the right animals in the pond, you almost never have to do any maintanance on the pond.

 

[jlk]

Wow cleaning sounds easier than I thought! I was thinking that I was going to have to scrub all that gunk off of the bottom...
I'm guessing in my excitement I posted this way too early. We are buying this house and our closing is at the end of next month. So it would be difficult to measure it now. Once the house is ours (or if we go over there for something) I'll take pictures and measure.
Until then what is gh and kh? Do I need to buy a testing kit just for the pond, or can I just add to my kit? I have an API master test kit for fw now.
Thanks for the warm welcome. I'm soo excited to have a pond. I have been begging to put one in for years!!


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No problem! Its always a smart move to research in advance as it helps to avoid pitfalls in the future and help to make your adventure a success!! When you have more information, let us know and we will be happy to help!

The API kit that you use on your tanks is perfectly fine- no need to buy another kit! Ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and ph in a freshwater tank are the exact same things you test for in a freshwater pond. Some less honest businesses may tell you that you need a separate kit (a pond test kit) but this is not true. Freshwater is freshwater, whether its indoors or outside. The only caveat I will advise on is testing ph- only test it in the morning, preferably before the pond has had much sunlight. Plants and algae have a much more profound effect upon ph than some people realize and this can lend to panic. Ph can swing quite a bit from early morning to dark but your creatures will be perfectly fine.

Gh is general hardness or mineral content. Kh is carbonate hardness (also called alkalinity). Very simply, they work together to keep your ph stable and your fish and plants healthy (although Kh plays a larger role in ph stability). If you have a decent lfs near you, they likely will be able to test these for free without needing to invest in two more tests.

Its honestly something I do not test often in my pond and outdoor tubs but it is something that you should be aware of when proceeding forward with your pond. Rainwater is generally acidic to very acidic (such as where I live) so I have limestone to help buffer the effects of rain and keep the pond stable in a reasonable range. You may not need anything at all but its always helpful to have as much information about your water as possible.

Please ask any questions!

 

[Fresh2o]

you should add some native fish and allow it to be a natural pond. that always works best for me, because, when you have the right animals in the pond, you almost never have to do any maintanance on the pond.

Native fish tend to blend in well with the pond making them hard to see at times. Then again, it helps prevent them from becoming a meal for a raccoon or heron.
I had this happen to some brightly colored goldfish. Then again, the size and shape of the pond did not help (too small and shallow). I keep a school of mosquito fish in there for mosquito control. It has a water lily and lotus and a variety of submerged and emerged plants in there. I admit I do not do much in terms of maintenance. A dripping hose feeds it and keeps the water level up. At the most, a fall cleanup to remove fallen leaves and dead summer growth.


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[jetajockey]

If your native fish are hard to see then you are using the wrong kind of native fish

Sent from Peabody's rabbit hole.

 

[Fresh2o]

If your native fish are hard to see then you are using the wrong kind of native fish

Sent from Peabody's rabbit hole.

True. I had rosey reds in there for a while but they died off last winter. Colorful species of dace come to mind.


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