help please

My new home has a fish pond which has not been used for about 4 months. The previous owners removed the fish but have left the pump and filter for us to use. I would like to get the pond ready to put some gold fish in but I have never had a fish pond or fish before and don't know what I need to do to get the pond ready. The pond has had water in it for the last four month but we have not had the pump on since we moved in. Can someone tell me what I need to do to get the pond ready for fish ?????


All help appreciated
Many thanks
Damian

Hello Damian;
I would suggest that you check the Yellow Pages for Garden Centers in
your area; many carry pond supplies. They would be the best source
regarding local condition and may even put you in touch with other
ponders. Gold fish are inexpensive and are not very demanding, under
reasonable conditions they will multiply. I started off in 1994 with
one pond , six gold fish now have three ponds, and fifty or sixty fish
am even giving them away.
Fish ponds are addictive!!!!
Best of luck.
Richard

What area of the country do you live in?
It might be too early to start up a pond and add
fish. Fish in water 55 degrees and lower aren't doing
much of anything except hanging around and snoozing
the winter away.

What you don't want to do is buy goldfish from the
pet store and move them outdoors if the temperature
from where they were living to your pond is too great a
drop. Which is why waiting until spring when you can
move the fish with about a ten degree difference in
temperatures.
Also can you estimate how many gallons your pond
is? That will give you an estimate on what your stocking
level should be. Rule of thumb is 20 to 40 gallons per
goldfish. Going with the higher figure is your best bet.
Too many fish in too little of water causes all sorts of
water quality problems. Keeping your stocking level
low is a good way to start learning and will help keep
your water from going green.
Which brings me to plants. Did the owners let you know
about the plants in the pond. More plants the better for
fish health all around. Do the plants in the pond need to be
cleaned up and trimmed up? A spring chore you can get
out of the way before adding fish.
Turning on the pump and getting the filter running before
adding fish should be your first task also (given you a lot
of first tasks here...) The filtering bio bugs won't get started
until the water temps stay above 40ish degrees.

If you are way up north, like I am, pond season is not even
in the picture. If you are in Florida, that's another story ;-)

kathy

kathy wrote:
What area of the country do you live in?
It might be too early to start up a pond and add
fish. Fish in water 55 degrees and lower aren't doing
much of anything except hanging around and snoozing
the winter away.

What you don't want to do is buy goldfish from the
pet store and move them outdoors if the temperature
from where they were living to your pond is too great a
drop. Which is why waiting until spring when you can
move the fish with about a ten degree difference in
temperatures.
Also can you estimate how many gallons your pond
is? That will give you an estimate on what your stocking
level should be. Rule of thumb is 20 to 40 gallons per
goldfish. Going with the higher figure is your best bet.
Too many fish in too little of water causes all sorts of
water quality problems. Keeping your stocking level
low is a good way to start learning and will help keep
your water from going green.
Which brings me to plants. Did the owners let you know
about the plants in the pond. More plants the better for
fish health all around. Do the plants in the pond need to be
cleaned up and trimmed up? A spring chore you can get
out of the way before adding fish.
Turning on the pump and getting the filter running before
adding fish should be your first task also (given you a lot
of first tasks here...) The filtering bio bugs won't get started
until the water temps stay above 40ish degrees.

If you are way up north, like I am, pond season is not even
in the picture. If you are in Florida, that's another story ;-)

kathy
It might be best to drain the pond and clean the mulm[muck] from the
bottom then you will know what you have. Take a 5 gallon bucket, time
how long it takes to fill it and time the filling of the pond. This way
you will know the gallons when treating pond and the fish. Do not clean
the sides but clean the pump and filter[rinse out the materials.] Place
the pump several inches off the bottom on some bricks. My pump is
clam-shelled in two baskets in a bag made of fiberglass window screen
and surrounded with Walmarts blue trimmable furnace filter material.
Fill the pond and add dechlor if you are in the city and planning to
add fish.
You should purchase a few books by Helen Nash-Low-Maintenance Water
Gardens and The Pond Doctor. It would be helpful to read the site by
Chuck Rush for beginners. http://www.pondrushes.net/ Happy water
Gardening.

Damien, WHATEVER else you do, DO NOT PUT ANY NEW FISH IN until the weather
consistently warms up - hopefully late March, early April. I know it's a
temptation - resist it, till it's warmer!

First jobs -
Clean the pump's filter (the one on the pump) - do not run it.

Totally drain and clean out the water filter (the container the pump feeds
into) and all the filter elements. Container and filter elements must be
totally clean and dry, at this stage.

Get a net, clean out all the sludge at the bottom of the pond (if you have
pond plants, CAREFULLY take them out with their root systems, put them in
buckets. Many pond plants are very delicate (brittle).

Calculate the volume of water in the pond.

Disconnect the pump hose AT THE FILTER END (so you have in effect, a
hose-pipe from the pond). Position the pump so it's about two-thirds down
the depth, and position the hose from it so it goes onto your garden (or a
drain) and turn it on. This is the easiest way to drain the pond - squirting
the outlet onto the garden enriches the soil.
Run it till you have only one-third of rhe ponsd water left. DO NOT let the
pump run "dry" (must always be pumping water).

Depending on the pump size, this could take several hours. Ideal opportunity
to look at the pond plants, cut back all the surplus, tidy them up.

OK, after this, clean the pump filter (again). Leave the remaining pond
water to settle for a day. Then, use your net and clear out more of the
bottom sludge (you didn't get it all first time, for sure).

These operations will take you a couple of days, it doesn't matter if they
take weeks - the important things are
1/ Got the main filter tank (and its filters) totally clean and washed out.
(It hasn't had flowing water for 4 months, so will almost certainly have
gone stagnant, and killed off the natural bacteria which grow there, and are
needed)
2/ Got the pump and pump filter clean and ready to go.

3/ Got rid of most of the crap accumulated in the pond. NB don't be
surprised if there's still a fish still in there! Difference between pond
water and filter water is that natural bacteria and plants (plus daylight)
will almost certainly have kept the pond water reasonably pure - it should
not be stagnant. Keeping one-third of it also keeps the bacteria which will
prime your filter. All you are really doing is getting rid of excess mud and
decaying vegetable matter.

NOW - you can top up the pond with water, connect the pump hose back to the
filter, switch on. (not forgetting to replace the plants). This will start
circulation and cleaning of the water., and doing this for at least a week -
the longer the better - will stabilise and condition the water ready for
your new fish.

A lot of work, but, do it when the weather is good. Your fish will
aprreciate it, and, in turn, you will appreciate your fish. Avoidable, IF
ONLY you had kept the pump running when you moved in! NB - the pump must be
on 24/7 to retain filter efficiency.

Enjoy! One last thing - when you DO add fish, make sure they are
acclimatised. Large temperature diffeence between the water they came from
and your pond can result in shock, which may result in white spot disease
and/or possible death. Be careful! Take advice from the fish vendor.

"damian" wrote in message
...

My new home has a fish pond which has not been used for about 4 months.
The previous owners removed the fish but have left the pump and filter
for us to use. I would like to get the pond ready to put some gold fish
in but I have never had a fish pond or fish before and don't know what I
need to do to get the pond ready. The pond has had water in it for the
last four month but we have not had the pump on since we moved in. Can
someone tell me what I need to do to get the pond ready for fish ?????


All help appreciated
Many thanks
Damian


--
damian

Many thanks for all you advice, I will do as you suggest.

Regards
Damian

Originally Posted by Yabbadoo

Damien, WHATEVER else you do, DO NOT PUT ANY NEW FISH IN until the weather
consistently warms up - hopefully late March, early April. I know it's a
temptation - resist it, till it's warmer!

First jobs -
Clean the pump's filter (the one on the pump) - do not run it.

Totally drain and clean out the water filter (the container the pump feeds
into) and all the filter elements. Container and filter elements must be
totally clean and dry, at this stage.

Get a net, clean out all the sludge at the bottom of the pond (if you have
pond plants, CAREFULLY take them out with their root systems, put them in
buckets. Many pond plants are very delicate (brittle).

Calculate the volume of water in the pond.

Disconnect the pump hose AT THE FILTER END (so you have in effect, a
hose-pipe from the pond). Position the pump so it's about two-thirds down
the depth, and position the hose from it so it goes onto your garden (or a
drain) and turn it on. This is the easiest way to drain the pond - squirting
the outlet onto the garden enriches the soil.
Run it till you have only one-third of rhe ponsd water left. DO NOT let the
pump run "dry" (must always be pumping water).

Depending on the pump size, this could take several hours. Ideal opportunity
to look at the pond plants, cut back all the surplus, tidy them up.

OK, after this, clean the pump filter (again). Leave the remaining pond
water to settle for a day. Then, use your net and clear out more of the
bottom sludge (you didn't get it all first time, for sure).

These operations will take you a couple of days, it doesn't matter if they
take weeks - the important things are
1/ Got the main filter tank (and its filters) totally clean and washed out.
(It hasn't had flowing water for 4 months, so will almost certainly have
gone stagnant, and killed off the natural bacteria which grow there, and are
needed)
2/ Got the pump and pump filter clean and ready to go.

3/ Got rid of most of the crap accumulated in the pond. NB don't be
surprised if there's still a fish still in there! Difference between pond
water and filter water is that natural bacteria and plants (plus daylight)
will almost certainly have kept the pond water reasonably pure - it should
not be stagnant. Keeping one-third of it also keeps the bacteria which will
prime your filter. All you are really doing is getting rid of excess mud and
decaying vegetable matter.

NOW - you can top up the pond with water, connect the pump hose back to the
filter, switch on. (not forgetting to replace the plants). This will start
circulation and cleaning of the water., and doing this for at least a week -
the longer the better - will stabilise and condition the water ready for
your new fish.

A lot of work, but, do it when the weather is good. Your fish will
aprreciate it, and, in turn, you will appreciate your fish. Avoidable, IF
ONLY you had kept the pump running when you moved in! NB - the pump must be
on 24/7 to retain filter efficiency.

Enjoy! One last thing - when you DO add fish, make sure they are
acclimatised. Large temperature diffeence between the water they came from
and your pond can result in shock, which may result in white spot disease
and/or possible death. Be careful! Take advice from the fish vendor.

"damian" wrote in message
...

My new home has a fish pond which has not been used for about 4 months.
The previous owners removed the fish but have left the pump and filter
for us to use. I would like to get the pond ready to put some gold fish
in but I have never had a fish pond or fish before and don't know what I
need to do to get the pond ready. The pond has had water in it for the
last four month but we have not had the pump on since we moved in. Can
someone tell me what I need to do to get the pond ready for fish ?????


All help appreciated
Many thanks
Damian


--
damian

Hello Richard

Many thanks for you advice.
Regards
Damian

Originally Posted by

Hello Damian;
I would suggest that you check the Yellow Pages for Garden Centers in
your area; many carry pond supplies. They would be the best source
regarding local condition and may even put you in touch with other
ponders. Gold fish are inexpensive and are not very demanding, under
reasonable conditions they will multiply. I started off in 1994 with
one pond , six gold fish now have three ponds, and fifty or sixty fish
am even giving them away.
Fish ponds are addictive!!!!
Best of luck.
Richard

Hi Kathy

Many thanks for you help, I live in the UK.
I am afraid the previous owners did not tell me anything about the pond or plants so as you can see I am a new starter with no knowledge about fish etc.
I have been advised to drain and clean the pond and wash the filters etc.
I understand that this makes sense but do you think I need to drain the pond? I am prepared to do what ever is required to get the pond up and running but with so many different views it is a bit confusing.

What should I wash the filters with?
The pond has a lot of green alga on the sides how do I get rid of this?
I have been to the shops and have seen a solution that you put in the pond that will kill the alga. I am not very happy to do this as I feel that it is too severe.

I'm sorry to ask you so many questions but I can assure you that your help is greatly appreciated.

Damian

Originally Posted by kathy

What area of the country do you live in?
It might be too early to start up a pond and add
fish. Fish in water 55 degrees and lower aren't doing
much of anything except hanging around and snoozing
the winter away.

What you don't want to do is buy goldfish from the
pet store and move them outdoors if the temperature
from where they were living to your pond is too great a
drop. Which is why waiting until spring when you can
move the fish with about a ten degree difference in
temperatures.
Also can you estimate how many gallons your pond
is? That will give you an estimate on what your stocking
level should be. Rule of thumb is 20 to 40 gallons per
goldfish. Going with the higher figure is your best bet.
Too many fish in too little of water causes all sorts of
water quality problems. Keeping your stocking level
low is a good way to start learning and will help keep
your water from going green.
Which brings me to plants. Did the owners let you know
about the plants in the pond. More plants the better for
fish health all around. Do the plants in the pond need to be
cleaned up and trimmed up? A spring chore you can get
out of the way before adding fish.
Turning on the pump and getting the filter running before
adding fish should be your first task also (given you a lot
of first tasks here...) The filtering bio bugs won't get started
until the water temps stay above 40ish degrees.

If you are way up north, like I am, pond season is not even
in the picture. If you are in Florida, that's another story ;-)

kathy

On Thu, 17 Feb 2005 13:06:32 +0000, damian
wrote:

I understand that this makes sense but do you think I need to drain the
pond? I am prepared to do what ever is required to get the pond up and
running but with so many different views it is a bit confusing.

One of the problems with this group is so many opinions and I wouldn't
drain the pond unless I found a good reason. I'd vacuum the muck off
the bottom and top off the pond with more water. It is true a pond
fish lives in an environment comparable to a toilet bowl, but if there
is no muck accumulating on the bottom and no overload of waste being
generated things will work out.

What should I wash the filters with?
The pond has a lot of green alga on the sides how do I get rid of
this?

Don't get rid of the algae on the sides. That is a sign of a healthy
pond. Some of these algae even feed directly on ammonia without it
being converted to nitrates, and that can be a good thing.

Probably the easiest way to clean the filter is with a water hose, but
lots of ponders will scream at this idea because the water supply
usually has chlorine in it and the chlorine will kill the filter
bacteria. If the pump isn't running there isn't an appreciable
amount of bacteria in the filter still alive anyway and the hose will
be fine. Another way it to put the filter in water without chlorine
and slosh it up and down. (To get water without chlorine leave it
sit overnight at normal room temperature.)

I have been to the shops and have seen a solution that you put in the
pond that will kill the alga. I am not very happy to do this as I feel
that it is too severe.

Problem with using a chemical to kill algae is the dead algae feeds a
new crop that comes back in a short time and you need chemicals again.
A better solution is to work toward a natural balanced pond that
clears on it's own and hopefully remains clear. I used to think I
knew how to do that, but I'll refer you to some interesting reading.
http://www.koiclubsandiego.org/library/green_water.html

I'm sorry to ask you so many questions but I can assure you that your
help is greatly appreciated.

Welcome to the crowd. It is an interesting pastime.

Regards,

Hal

It ain't so much what folks don't know, but so much of what folks know
ain't right.

We empty the pond as we don't use the shop vac to clean the pond,
(it is my DH's choice and we have two teenage boys to help out)
We always go the easy route ;-)
I agree with all of Hal's other answers.

kathy