I have a 30' by 15' by 4' deep outdoor above ground pool converted into a small pond. Blue vinyl liner Estimated 7,000 gallons. Not a round pool. like an elongated rectangle with rounded corners on each end....(==) <---like that. Has a wooden deck platform perfect for standing there and observing the fish.
After a complete water change and new filter install, I bought about 150 feeders and let em go in the pool...er...pond in early September. Best part...they lived...thrived. After a month went by and no dead goldfish (would throw flake food in for them) I began collecting some sunfish and whatever else I could catch with a cast net. They are dissapearing however because there is a couple predatory fish in there. Now there is goldfish...shiners...mozambique tilapias and other exotics from the local waters. No structure in it yet. Just fish and using the large canister type pool filter to filter it (I know I need to change that...thats the reason for this post). I also do water changes in it periodically. Strange thing is the new life in the pool keeps the water clear even though there is algea growing. You can at least see the bottom now, whereas before the pool bottom was hardly ever visible. The algea are sustaining the fish and the other way around seems like. No fish have been found belly up since I converted it, but I am sure it is not a healthy system for them because it is not filtered properly. But it has potential. I never knew others have done the same until now.
Anyone have a suggestion for a system I can use with an above ground set up? I want to begin doing this right but I don't have much money to spend on it so it can't be state of the art but has to be effective. Also, winter is not much a concern here for freezing but would like to keep it from going below 50. But summer is a definite concern so what would be the best way to PLAN NOW on keeping the water cool in the Summer months. Should I cover it to keep the sun out by then?
THANKS FOR ANY INFO YOU CAN PROVIDE SPECIFIC TO MY APPLICATION. Help me get my pond up a running before spring!
After a complete water change and new filter install, I bought about 150 feeders and let em go in the pool...er...pond in early September. Best part...they lived...thrived. After a month went by and no dead goldfish (would throw flake food in for them) I began collecting some sunfish and whatever else I could catch with a cast net. They are dissapearing however because there is a couple predatory fish in there. Now there is goldfish...shiners...mozambique tilapias and other exotics from the local waters. No structure in it yet. Just fish and using the large canister type pool filter to filter it (I know I need to change that...thats the reason for this post). I also do water changes in it periodically. Strange thing is the new life in the pool keeps the water clear even though there is algea growing. You can at least see the bottom now, whereas before the pool bottom was hardly ever visible. The algea are sustaining the fish and the other way around seems like. No fish have been found belly up since I converted it, but I am sure it is not a healthy system for them because it is not filtered properly. But it has potential. I never knew others have done the same until now.
Anyone have a suggestion for a system I can use with an above ground set up? I want to begin doing this right but I don't have much money to spend on it so it can't be state of the art but has to be effective. Also, winter is not much a concern here for freezing but would like to keep it from going below 50. But summer is a definite concern so what would be the best way to PLAN NOW on keeping the water cool in the Summer months. Should I cover it to keep the sun out by then?
THANKS FOR ANY INFO YOU CAN PROVIDE SPECIFIC TO MY APPLICATION. Help me get my pond up a running before spring!
so I have a green light. 
