Thread: Spring Ponding
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Old 21-04-2013, 03:52 AM posted to rec.ponds.moderated
~ jan[_3_] ~ jan[_3_] is offline
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First recorded activity by GardenBanter: Apr 2007
Posts: 1,503
Default Spring Ponding

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?


My usual water loss is in the waterfall, either a rock has fallen or the
rubber has been pushed down. If you can by-pass the water fall and keep
things running, thereby using process of elimination will help. Next turn
off the filter if you can separate it from the pond, see if the leak is in
the pond or somewhere in the filter/pipes.

Not a fan of many koi foods or human foods that are often filled with
fillers that pass right through. And old saying is, you're not keeping koi
you're keeping quality water. Fillers feed the filter, which is okay if the
filter can handle it, most can't.

How is your fresh water? If it is in good shape the best chemical you can
use to reduce murkiness & algae is water changes. Other wise plants, but
often plants wake up slower than algae. Don't get too excited by algae
though, it is really your friend and shows one to cut down on feeding, do
more water changes or upgrade the filter system.

I never have used UV. I get some string algae in the spring, but never
murky. I do water changes weekly, unless one of the water falls is helping
out by letting it leak elsewhere. Then I'm adding more.

One product I swear by is BZT sold by UnitedTech.com. ~ jan
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Zone 7a, SE Washington State
Ponds: www.jjspond.us