Pond Noooob

[Chago09]

Ok first off I am gonna say if you know any good links to read up on ponds, please post.


Ok I have kept fish for like 15 million years LOL ok no only 15 yers. Although I have never ever tried a pond. I live in Ontario which means all my fav cichlids obvioulsy can't be put in a pond. Although it is illegal to put local sunfish like bluegills, orangespots etc in a pond I am going to. I have big back yard just screaming for me to rip out the lawn and make a huge pond.

Now here are my questions which I hope you guys can help me with.

1.) For the basic structure, lets say the simplest, I can simply dig a big hole and throw a liner in and thats it?????

2.) In my aquarium there is biomedia and all of that, is this the same principles in a pond?? Like are there giant canister filters which house bio media etc??

3.) Obvioulsy in the winter my pond will freeze at the top. How do you prevent it from freezing over since I have fish in there to feed and won't my pumps all break???

4.) I usually keep my aquariums at 8x turnover. Would this be needed in a pond as well???


I know all these questions are super noob although I honestly have no idea about this pond stuff.

 

[Chago09]

oh ya I forgot to ask, does having a pond attract a lot of mosquitos??

 

[Muske]

No mosquitos - moving water, fish eat them
8X turnover is not neccessry - 1-2 times is really all that is needed, a little more is nice.
DO NOT FEED IN WINTER - it will freeze over but thats OK. Several ways to keep a hole in the ice. The pump can run year round, or put it in a bucket of water to prevent the diaphram from drying out.
Dig the pond w/ different shelves and depths. So basically it is dig, put in underlayment and liner.
www.aquascapeinc.com Wholesale only but good for refs. and ideas.

 

[Chago09]

sorry, you said keep the pump it in a bucket of water so the diaphram doesn't dry out??? can you explain that I don't really understand that.

Did you say don't feed all winter??? Winter is like 5 months. How can the fish go 5 months will literally nothing to eat.

 

[Mystix212]

Native fish could survive but the winter, but you'll good surface agitation to prevent ice build up. Koi come to mind when I hear about cold climate ponds. What is the size that you want? Also, the deeper the pond, the better it holds the heat.

 

[SimonL]

Ok, a couple things. Winter here is brutal.

Koi do not winter well outside, they are not true "cold water" fish. Every single Koi keeper I know has had massive wipeouts at one point or another over the years, due to our fluctuating weather conditions. I'd stock cheap koi and "pond" goldfish like Sarasa, Wakin and shubunkins.

Fish in the north hibernate like most animals. You stop feeding regular food and switch to a wheat-based pellet in fall and spring, then don't feed over the winter, even if it warms up (especially if it warms up).

The ice on the suface needs to be broken, either by leaving a waterfall on, or with a bubbler or pond heater.

Pond needs to be at least 3 feet deep in order to winter properly.

Hope that helps!

 

[Dr Joe]

1) Yes, but you should dig the pond as deep as you can, preferably below the frost line.

2) Yes, in a way. ponds if not heavily stocked are filtered slower than aquariums (typically 2x).


3) If you have anybody in the neighborhood (town) that has a pond, as how it winters (the more you can find the better, somebody's bound not to lie to you ).

4) See #2

Use aeration to keep the ice open in the center of the pond, it also has the added benefit of preventing the water from stratifying. Use a deep water aerator with the bubbler at the bottom.


No need to keep the pump in a bucket of water since it with most probably be a mag drive (where do you find a diaphragm water pump for a pond these days? or better yet ...who still uses them?
).
Pumps can freeze if they are stopped or shut down. But since there is no reason for running the pump as all the biologicals in the filter died @when the water hit high 50's*F. Drain the system and clean everything out and store it for the winter (connect pump with unions to help with this).

An underlayment will help the pond last longer if you have to walk in it (protects the liner from rock cuts etc.). Can be commercial underlayment, 4" of construction sand, even old carpet.

If you don't want to build it with different levels and still want plants in the summer they can sit in pots on top of milk crates at their proper height.

Can't you legally purchase bream for stocking a pond (have you chacked with the MNR?)... As we here at MFK do not condone nor promote the keeping of illegal fish .

http://www.aquaservicesinc.com/stocking.php

questions are better to answer than hearing how someone killed all their fish from stupidity. So ask away/

As far as "any good links to read up on" read all the posts/threads here and for indoor ponds first and you probably won't even have any questions

Dr Joe

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