Advice on filter/pump for Koi pond for a complete beginner?

[Richard Kerry]

Hi there,

I am new to the pond world (complete begineer so please excude my ignorance)
as I recently moved and inherited a 11ft * 11ft * 2ft pond full with about a
dozen or so Koi carp, largest fish about 16 inches in length. The pump has
given up and the filter seemed permanently clogged up, even after cleaning
the internal (pads) every week. I have also noticed that the pond has alot
of "silt" in it even though the water is clean, it currently has a UV box
which now doesn't work as the pump is not working.

I would like to change the setup but don't have a huge amount of money to do
this, so I'd really appreciate some advice...So my questions are as follows
(apologies I have a number of queries!)

1. From what I have read the pond is too shallow (is it?) and needs to be at
least 4 ft in depth for Koi? If this is the case then I presumably would
have to remove the fish to a temporary setup (holding tank? any ideas on how
this is done?) dig the pond out deeper and replace with a new liner? Could I
use my existing pond for this season as is and make the changes regarding
pond depth when finances allow?

2. Should I get the pond cleared of the silt? How would I do this - using a
pond vac? Can you hire a pond vac?

3. What would be a good/inexpensive pump & filter combination? I have looked
on the web and it's a bit of a minefield of information, some people seem to
advise on a using a Vortex chamber setup or is this only for professionals?
What filter/pump would work with my existing setup as well as allowing for
the increase in pond depth at a later date?

4. I found a setup that looked interesting after doing some calcs on my pond
size, this was using the Hozelock Ecoclear 18000 with a Titan 12000 pump -
is this a good setup? This also looks good as I don't need a gravity feed
filter so can site this setup away from the pond, but the filters (2 of
them) do look a little small compared to my existing big filter box?

5. Could I also use my existing filter box (3 stage) with the new Hozelock
Ecoclear 18000 with a Titan 12000 pump system in line for extra filtering?

6. Any recommendations on suppliers? I found Grovelands Online
(www.grovelands.com) and their prices look great. I am based in
Hampshire.......

Any help would be very much appreciated as I am very keen to ensure my pond
setup is correct and enjoy the new experience of being a pond owner.

kind regards,
Richard

[dkat]

The first thing I would do for instant relief is to quickly take a waterfall
pump (*they can take large pieces of 'stuff' and not care), stick it in a 5
gallon bucket with a punch of lava rock surrounding it and then pump the
water from this into a oak barrel liner from homedepot that has a overflow
lip. This is cheap and allows the water to be pumped into it and then flow
back into the pond. Fill the liner with plants... anything that loves
water. You can surround the liner with rocks, put it in a half oak barrel,
etc. You won't have to clean this setup for at least a year and it will
give you time to think and research. They recently posted a wonderful
homemade filter here along the same line but you would have to have the time
to construct it.

http://www.mvwgs.org/filter.htm

I have known people that have koi in the depth you are talking about and the
pond certainly has enough surface area but if you find you really love the
pond, I would certainly think of increasing the depth for the koi. Is there
any reason you could not build a second pond for the koi that is deeper and
then keep the first one for your plants (a lovely lotus and waterlily pond
Nedra has a wonderful site for lotus plants but I don't have the link - ask
if you are interested)? Then you would not have to worry about 'storing'
the koi until their home was improved. I have had my pond for over a decade
with the set up that I described above. I only allow 3 koi though and the
wildlife keeps my fish population down to a reasonable number.

Look at Jan's site. Wonderful source of information and she has a double
pond.

http://users.owt.com/jjspond/

In my opinion every pond is unique and must fit to the keepers needs. So
while I and others can tell you what works for us, you will find that yours
shapes itself to you. There is no "right" way but you will certainly get
lots of ideas from this room.

"Richard Kerry" > wrote in message
...
> Hi there,
>
> I am new to the pond world (complete begineer so please excude my
ignorance)
> as I recently moved and inherited a 11ft * 11ft * 2ft pond full with about
a
> dozen or so Koi carp, largest fish about 16 inches in length. The pump has
> given up and the filter seemed permanently clogged up, even after cleaning
> the internal (pads) every week. I have also noticed that the pond has alot
> of "silt" in it even though the water is clean, it currently has a UV box
> which now doesn't work as the pump is not working.
>
> I would like to change the setup but don't have a huge amount of money to
do
> this, so I'd really appreciate some advice...So my questions are as
follows
> (apologies I have a number of queries!)
>
> 1. From what I have read the pond is too shallow (is it?) and needs to be
at
> least 4 ft in depth for Koi? If this is the case then I presumably would
> have to remove the fish to a temporary setup (holding tank? any ideas on
how
> this is done?) dig the pond out deeper and replace with a new liner? Could
I
> use my existing pond for this season as is and make the changes regarding
> pond depth when finances allow?
>
> 2. Should I get the pond cleared of the silt? How would I do this - using
a
> pond vac? Can you hire a pond vac?
>
> 3. What would be a good/inexpensive pump & filter combination? I have
looked
> on the web and it's a bit of a minefield of information, some people seem
to
> advise on a using a Vortex chamber setup or is this only for
professionals?
> What filter/pump would work with my existing setup as well as allowing for
> the increase in pond depth at a later date?
>
> 4. I found a setup that looked interesting after doing some calcs on my
pond
> size, this was using the Hozelock Ecoclear 18000 with a Titan 12000 pump -
> is this a good setup? This also looks good as I don't need a gravity feed
> filter so can site this setup away from the pond, but the filters (2 of
> them) do look a little small compared to my existing big filter box?
>
> 5. Could I also use my existing filter box (3 stage) with the new Hozelock
> Ecoclear 18000 with a Titan 12000 pump system in line for extra filtering?
>
> 6. Any recommendations on suppliers? I found Grovelands Online
> (www.grovelands.com) and their prices look great. I am based in
> Hampshire.......
>
> Any help would be very much appreciated as I am very keen to ensure my
pond
> setup is correct and enjoy the new experience of being a pond owner.
>
> kind regards,
> Richard
>
>
>

[[email protected]]

dkat wrote:
> The first thing I would do for instant relief is to quickly take a
waterfall
> pump (*they can take large pieces of 'stuff' and not care), stick it
in a 5
> gallon bucket with a punch of lava rock surrounding it and then pump
the
> water from this into a oak barrel liner from homedepot that has a
overflow
> lip. This is cheap and allows the water to be pumped into it and
then flow
> back into the pond. Fill the liner with plants... anything that
loves
> water. You can surround the liner with rocks, put it in a half oak
barrel,
> etc. You won't have to clean this setup for at least a year and it
will
> give you time to think and research. They recently posted a
wonderful
> homemade filter here along the same line but you would have to have
the time
> to construct it.
>
> http://www.mvwgs.org/filter.htm
>
> I have known people that have koi in the depth you are talking about
and the
> pond certainly has enough surface area but if you find you really
love the
> pond, I would certainly think of increasing the depth for the koi.
Is there
> any reason you could not build a second pond for the koi that is
deeper and
> then keep the first one for your plants (a lovely lotus and waterlily
pond
> Nedra has a wonderful site for lotus plants but I don't have the link
- ask
> if you are interested)? Then you would not have to worry about
'storing'
> the koi until their home was improved. I have had my pond for over a
decade
> with the set up that I described above. I only allow 3 koi though
and the
> wildlife keeps my fish population down to a reasonable number.
>
> Look at Jan's site. Wonderful source of information and she has a
double
> pond.
>
> http://users.owt.com/jjspond/
>
> In my opinion every pond is unique and must fit to the keepers needs.
So
> while I and others can tell you what works for us, you will find that
yours
> shapes itself to you. There is no "right" way but you will certainly
get
> lots of ideas from this room.
>
> "Richard Kerry" > wrote in message
> ...
> > Hi there,
> >
> > I am new to the pond world (complete begineer so please excude my
> ignorance)
> > as I recently moved and inherited a 11ft * 11ft * 2ft pond full
with about
> a
> > dozen or so Koi carp, largest fish about 16 inches in length. The
pump has
> > given up and the filter seemed permanently clogged up, even after
cleaning
> > the internal (pads) every week. I have also noticed that the pond
has alot
> > of "silt" in it even though the water is clean, it currently has a
UV box
> > which now doesn't work as the pump is not working.
> >
> > I would like to change the setup but don't have a huge amount of
money to
> do
> > this, so I'd really appreciate some advice...So my questions are as
> follows
> > (apologies I have a number of queries!)
> >
> > 1. From what I have read the pond is too shallow (is it?) and needs
to be
> at
> > least 4 ft in depth for Koi? If this is the case then I presumably
would
> > have to remove the fish to a temporary setup (holding tank? any
ideas on
> how
> > this is done?) dig the pond out deeper and replace with a new
liner? Could
> I
> > use my existing pond for this season as is and make the changes
regarding
> > pond depth when finances allow?
> >
> > 2. Should I get the pond cleared of the silt? How would I do this -
using
> a
> > pond vac? Can you hire a pond vac?
> >
> > 3. What would be a good/inexpensive pump & filter combination? I
have
> looked
> > on the web and it's a bit of a minefield of information, some
people seem
> to
> > advise on a using a Vortex chamber setup or is this only for
> professionals?
> > What filter/pump would work with my existing setup as well as
allowing for
> > the increase in pond depth at a later date?
> >
> > 4. I found a setup that looked interesting after doing some calcs
on my
> pond
> > size, this was using the Hozelock Ecoclear 18000 with a Titan 12000
pump -
> > is this a good setup? This also looks good as I don't need a
gravity feed
> > filter so can site this setup away from the pond, but the filters
(2 of
> > them) do look a little small compared to my existing big filter
box?
> >
> > 5. Could I also use my existing filter box (3 stage) with the new
Hozelock
> > Ecoclear 18000 with a Titan 12000 pump system in line for extra
filtering?
> >
> > 6. Any recommendations on suppliers? I found Grovelands Online
> > (www.grovelands.com) and their prices look great. I am based in
> > Hampshire.......
> >
> > Any help would be very much appreciated as I am very keen to ensure
my
> pond
> > setup is correct and enjoy the new experience of being a pond
owner.
> >
> > kind regards,
> > Richard
> >
> >
> >
There is a site for beginners by Chuck Rush-http://www.pondrushes.net/
and there are some good books by Helen Nash-Low-Maintenance Water
Gardens and The Pond Doctor.

Definitely clean the bottom of the pond out and a shop vac will do the
job just fine. I use a net at times to scoop the silt or as we call it
mulm.

When looking for a pump the magnetic drive type of pump is the most
energy efficient of the submersible. I have a Laguna running for 3
years. Get a pump running before you do any enlarging. It takes time to
plan a new pond and a lot of research.

A filter can be home-made like the "Skippy" filter. Just a barrel,
stocktank or Rubber Maid Storage tub. The filter media can be nylon
net, nylon window screen, plastic cutlery, nylon bath scrubbers, snow
fencing, box strapping and I top mine with half a twin-sized eggcrate
mattress topper. Later in the season I put watercress in the top.

In the past I have ordered from Aqua-Mart, The Water Garden, AZ Ponds
and Drs. Foster and Smith. Happy water gardening.