Replacing pond liner - seeking advice

(The message has also been posted in the "rec.ponds.moderated" group.)

We've had our house for about six months now and are at last getting
around to replacing the leaky pond liner. With the pond, we inherited
about 14 small-medium gold fish, along with one quite large koi carp.
The pond itself will be about a 10ft x 8ft oval, with varying shelves
and depths - the deepest being about 1.5m.

I've read up on the subject and (plan in hand) am pretty comfortable
with the actual physical design/construction process. What I have
read conflicting information about is how long to leave the water to
settle until putting the fish back in?

The local pond centre suggests we keep the fish in a large barrell
during the changeover and reuse as much of the old pond water as
possible. So...we won't be entirely using tap water (about half-and-
half), but some sources have said we should leave it a couple of days
for the water to settle, and others have said upto six weeks!

Can anyone give a bit of advice?

Many thanks,

Tim

"Timmah1980" wrote in message
oups.com...
We've had our house for about six months now and are at last getting
around to replacing the leaky pond liner. With the pond, we inherited
about 14 small-medium gold fish, along with one quite large koi carp.
The pond itself will be about a 10ft x 8ft oval, with varying shelves
and depths - the deepest being about 1.5m.

That koi can reach 3' long. You may want to consider finding it a home in a
larger pond.

I've read up on the subject and (plan in hand) am pretty comfortable
with the actual physical design/construction process. What I have
read conflicting information about is how long to leave the water to
settle until putting the fish back in?

I let it sit for a few hours with the pumps and an aerator running. That is
if I use a dechlorinator (you may also have chloramines in your water to
neutralize.) If not, then I wait at least 24 hours with everything running.
I don't do this often as the ammonia builds rapidly in the holding
tank/pool.

The local pond centre suggests we keep the fish in a large barrell
during the changeover and reuse as much of the old pond water as
possible.

NOOOOOOOOOOOO! That is not at all necessary. That water had dissolved
solids you want to get rid of. Do keep some of the "seasoned" filter
material to seed the new setup.

So...we won't be entirely using tap water (about half-and-
half), but some sources have said we should leave it a couple of days
for the water to settle, and others have said upto six weeks!

Everyone has an opinion. I've returned them almost immediately after adding
a dechlorinator without any problems whatsoever.

Can anyone give a bit of advice?

If you keep them in a barrel or small pool for more than a few hours ammonia
is going to be a serious problem. The safest thing would be to put them in
a kiddy pool with 50% old water (to help acclimate them to the change) and
add their old filter. Watch the ammonia anyway as this doesn't always work.
Net the thing so they don't jump out

--

RM....
Frugal ponding since 1995.
rec.ponder since late 1996.
My Pond & Aquarium Pages:
http://tinyurl.com/9do58
Zone 6. Middle TN USA
ISP: Hughes.net
~~~~ }((((* ~~~ }{{{{(ö

What reel mckoi says...

On Fri, 27 Apr 2007 16:36:39 -0500, "Reel McKoi"
wrote:

"Timmah1980" wrote in message
legroups.com...
We've had our house for about six months now and are at last getting
around to replacing the leaky pond liner. With the pond, we inherited
about 14 small-medium gold fish, along with one quite large koi carp.
The pond itself will be about a 10ft x 8ft oval, with varying shelves
and depths - the deepest being about 1.5m.

That koi can reach 3' long. You may want to consider finding it a home in a
larger pond.

I've read up on the subject and (plan in hand) am pretty comfortable
with the actual physical design/construction process. What I have
read conflicting information about is how long to leave the water to
settle until putting the fish back in?

I let it sit for a few hours with the pumps and an aerator running. That is
if I use a dechlorinator (you may also have chloramines in your water to
neutralize.) If not, then I wait at least 24 hours with everything running.
I don't do this often as the ammonia builds rapidly in the holding
tank/pool.

The local pond centre suggests we keep the fish in a large barrell
during the changeover and reuse as much of the old pond water as
possible.

NOOOOOOOOOOOO! That is not at all necessary. That water had dissolved
solids you want to get rid of. Do keep some of the "seasoned" filter
material to seed the new setup.

So...we won't be entirely using tap water (about half-and-
half), but some sources have said we should leave it a couple of days
for the water to settle, and others have said upto six weeks!

Everyone has an opinion. I've returned them almost immediately after adding
a dechlorinator without any problems whatsoever.

Can anyone give a bit of advice?

If you keep them in a barrel or small pool for more than a few hours ammonia
is going to be a serious problem. The safest thing would be to put them in
a kiddy pool with 50% old water (to help acclimate them to the change) and
add their old filter. Watch the ammonia anyway as this doesn't always work.
Net the thing so they don't jump out



-------
I forgot more about ponds and koi than I'll ever know!