On 4/16/2013 2:58 PM, Norminn wrote:

I'm not going to debate...would love to hear more about how much, when
and what to feed.

This is my first spring with a pond, inherited with our new home. Six
koi, est. about 6-8" each.

I've only had a few warmish days (north central Indiana) to clean and
make repairs to water lines. I seem to have water loss in a buried line
between the pump and the waterfall....is there a general guide (or
tables?) that estimate normal evaporation? My pond is about 6x10', egg
shaped and about 18" deep at the center.

Water is too murky to visualize fish clearly, but there seemed to be a
little dark colored (koi, I hope) chasing a golden one the other day.
Mating behavior? Hungry bass?

When I went to Lowes few days ago, the clerk shared that he had been a
ponder in Ohio, and used barley straw in mesh bags to control algae and
that it worked very well. I have some products, food and water
treatment, left by the previous owner, so I am in relatively good shape.

Cheerios?


Norminn,

Congratulations on becoming a ponder! You ask several questions:

I'm guessing that from the measurements you've provided that your pond
is around 600 gallons, maybe a little less.

There shouldn't be much evaporation this time of year so what period of
time has elapsed between when the pond was full and now?

Most ponds get murky from algae bloom in the spring. They'll clear
eventually; and sometimes in a matter of a few hours dramatically. Some
people use the in-line U/V lights. I've read about the barley but I do
neither in my 3,000 gallon pond. I do add a second pump with filter to
help remove the algae bloom. I have to clean it almost every day when
it's really thick.

Cheerios - sometimes fed in cooler weather as it doesn't produce as much
waste which in turn can produce ammonia which in turn can be harmful.
Others can tell you the chemistry behind all this.

JB