Anyone else here have a fish pond?

[ellend]

Goldfish and koi are very hardy, they can survive in the winter as long as the pond doesn't freeze solid. My pond is nearly 5 feet deep, it's half above ground and half below ground, so sometimes the top freezes over in the winter, but it never freezes below the surface.

If you don't keep a hole in the ice for gas exchange, your fish might all die. We use a pond de-icer (keeps only a small hole open.) I have to give about 100 fantail goldfish away to the pet store every year from a 5x7, 3 foot deep pond. Do not feed goldfish when the water is below 50 degrees, and it's best to feed a special cool-water food during fall & spring in case there is a sudden cold snap. Their digestion slows remarkably when cold, and gas can build up in their intestines and kill them if their gut is full. The cool-water food clears their system quicker than the normal warm-weather formulas.

 

[CarpCharacin]

I also have a de-icer, but my pond rarely freezes over completley.

 

[CarpCharacin]

I (finally) got the filter going on my pond for the season. I tried a few times before, but I didn't want to do it when it was too cold, because that's when the fish go to the bottom of the pond, and I don't want them getting sucked into the bottom drain.

I had initially used polyester batting as my mechanical filtration media, but I didn't like how it wasn't reusable, so I got some AquaMaxx reusable 100 micron filter media, but it ended up being too fine and it got clogged too quickly, so I'm still on the search for some better mechanical filtration media.

 

[backyard pigeons]

I (finally) got the filter going on my pond for the season. I tried a few times before, but I didn't want to do it when it was too cold, because that's when the fish go to the bottom of the pond, and I don't want them getting sucked into the bottom drain.

I had initially used polyester batting as my mechanical filtration media, but I didn't like how it wasn't reusable, so I got some AquaMaxx reusable 100 micron filter media, but it ended up being too fine and it got clogged too quickly, so I'm still on the search for some better mechanical filtration media.

Good luck! I got a roughly 200 gallon pond recently, and I'm gonna breed tropical fish this year in it. I'm excited.

 

[Kiki]

I'd love to see some pond pictures.
Do you all have some?

 

[CarpCharacin]

View attachment 1881086





I'd love to see some pond pictures.
Do you all have some?

I'll take some new ones, I probably should top off my pond or maybe do a water change, though.

 

[aart]

Played with ponds for 5-6 years...just tiny ones, couldn't afford a big one.
Had a pretty elaborate filtration system, which is now defunct, ponds still there full of frogs and lillies.
Will have to dig up some pics another day

 

[CarpCharacin]

Played with ponds for 5-6 years...just tiny ones, couldn't afford a big one.
Had a pretty elaborate filtration system, which is now defunct, ponds still there full of frogs and lillies.
Will have to dig up some pics another day

How did your filtration system work? I built / partially designed my own filtration system, but I had to revise it in order to get it working properly. It's a moving bed filter, but I wanted to keep the mechanical filtration as part of the same filter, so instead of the water coming in the bottom and going out the top, it comes in the top and goes out an overflow in the side.

 

[BaaKaaawk]

3500 Gallon Koi pond here with a large concrete fountain in the middle.

 

[DobieLover]