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[paul.lovejoy]

Ive got this pond ( another post nobby builder) anyway built thinking wifey knows all turns out she does not 

picked up a few terms so far like water filter pump and how much

anyone got any info know how ponds about 10,000 litres got biofilter lv not running as i have to mature the pond ( thought it was mature enough as its taken 10 years to finish) I have put a packet of pond feed stuff in to acelerate the maturity got 2 packs 1 a week and thats as fart as i have got

ponds about 1mtr deep with a shelf around for plants i hope

wifey wants ghost kio and those bubble eyed things any advice please on plants/fish and other things that may cost me even more money oh yes pond has a waterfall sheer drop one and also a divert pipe back into the pond from the filter to control the flow

[amba]

Avoid ANY type of carp if you have pond plants.They will dig up the soil and make the water very cloudy.

Also avoid overfeeding them as what goes in 1 end comes out the other and causes excess nitrite which mixed with sunlight.. ha-ha..causes an algae bloom and you will end up with nice green water.

Best advise would be leave the water without any fish in and filter running for about 8-10 days then add a few cheap gold fish and see how they go this year.If all live and pond is healthy then next spring think about adding some more or something bit larger or different.Golden orf or shubinkins are nice and easy to maintain.

Remember a pond is a living thing and will evolve with time.Pure tap water has chloride in it which will kill fish so needs to be left a good while to become natural although with ammount of rain we have had should be speeded up.

For first year again my advise would be drain out around 10 % every 2 months or so and replace with fresh as that way you will ensure good quality water and also remember that fish need oxygen to breath so keep some form of water circulation especially that which agitates the surface either a fountain or the filter feed running from a higher level to create a splash.

Best of luck and as it matures you will find them quite theraputic.

[paul.lovejoy]

Thanks Amba thats was those fish subinkins........ponds arnt a quick thing then :-[by the sounds of thing was hoping to go and buy a family next week even got names choosen thers Bob for the slim one thers Chris for the one thats always running around oh yes and Jamie for the fat tinker cuddly one

sounds like this is going to take a while

The gold fish suggestion has just saved me a fourtune thanks for the advice

[Sir Tigger KC]

How'd you fill that pond then Paul??    Havn't you got hosepipe bans around your way??   

[paul.lovejoy]

been a lot of rain which we caught in buckets as well..........contractors are allowed to use hoses for ongoing contracts i can even wash my van apparently although taxi drivers are not allowed to use a hose pipe to clean thier cars does not make any sence to me that one

[amba]

Ponds can not always go to plan as buying fish does come with certain pitfalls.

If you introduce new fish to an established pond it is not uncommon for a few to die as they are not used to the different water quality... (imagine living on planet Earth for several years then going to Mars..air quality is totally different )..same applies for fish.

They are kept in a very unreal enviroment probably a plastic barrel in a garden center..then transfered into a totally different world .They also have diseases and can pass them on to other health fish which then die.

Always start off with cheap goldfish as they are normally very hardy/pretty cheap and give years of pleasure as they can live in excess of 10 years and get quite large.

If all survive 1 year to next you have established a health pond ..trick then is keeping it that way.

Our pond is 18 years old and I have only ever put gold fish in from new.Each year they multiply and recon we now have 200-300 from a family of just 6.Some are 6-8 inches and all healthy..yes some years normally after winter we find a couple dead on the top but that is life and nature.Pond is 8 mtrs x 5mtrs and 1 mtr deep and like yours is raised as our ground is too hard to dig any depth into.Have 2 filters with uv running and a small fountain which is just to make a noise in the garden and keep some surface air.No water lillies as they dont like moving water but we have loads of pond weed for oxygen/2 very large clumps of yellow flag iris and 1 corner is full of yellow marsh marigolds in the spring.

I don,t ever feed the fish as they have more than enough natural food with flies and bugs and last year we even found some newts which are protected species so they now need to stay.

Enjoy your new hobby.

[paul.lovejoy]

now thats a big pong very nice......plants we have quite a bit of moving water mainley due to the power of the pump and the divert from the filter so we can adjust the flow of the water fall if that makes sence.

i know wifey was hoping to get some lillies

[amba]

Water lillies will not flower if they are in any type of moving water especially if they have spray onto the leaves.They need lots of sun to flower and if you must have them in the garden get a large half whisky barrell and get a couple of small ones to grow in that.

Get the water a bit mature over a few weeks then pop in 12 little goldfish and see how things go from there.

[the alarming man]

and watch out for the heron....

[amba]

Herons like to enter low water then stand and wait for their attack.

Never had any issues with raised pond as the birds cant tell how deep the water is so they won,t enter.

Have a photo somewhere of a heron standing on the raised wall of our pond almost puzzled as to how to get at the fish.When it took off was like somebody had turned the sun out..massive wing span and they take quite a long runway to get airbourne so most small gardens are quite safe

[the alarming man]

i have just seen pauls pond on his previous thread....that should keep the dum bird at bay.....

[amba]

Yep..cant see them venturing anywhere near that pond as too high and being covered with pergola doudt they will even trouble.

Easier pickings elsewhere and being near the sea as he is doudt herons are much trouble anyway.

[the alarming man]

even more of a problem down there acording too a collegue of mine..and my mum and dad (in london ) have a massive problem with herons (losing 2-3 fish a week to the heron)

[amba]

Surprised really as more salt water than fresh...suppose they are far away from "Plucks Gutter " tho

[amba]

Will keep my eye open tomorrow then as working down in "Planet Thanet " in the morning