"Otto Pylot" wrote:

This is a new pond. About 4 feet tall with a 6 foot meandering
waterfall that dumps into a 10'x10' pond that is about 4 feet deep.
Lots of plants, crystal clear water, and 4 Shibunkin gold fish. We plan
on adding some koi next year. Our electricity bill has increased more
than we had expected, hence the question. Would putting the pump
(skimmer) on a timer so that it was turned off at night, from 10pm to 5
or 6am hurt the ecosystem? This would probably just be for the winter
months (in California).

You need to leave it on to keep those cute little beneficial bacteria alive.
We had the same issue when we started and solved our problem by getting a
way more efficient pump. It costs more, initially but worked out over the
long haul. You could also consider using two pumps. One that will circulate
the water just enough for filtration, and a second one that you might turn
on when you want to impress your friends.

How many gallons are we talking about?


San Diego Joe
4,000 - 5,000 Gallons.
Goldfish, a RES named Colombo and an Oscar.



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