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

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


--
damian

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.

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

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