Cleaning Pond Water

[beer monkey]

similar to these..





probably not high end japanese koi but members of the extended family, and don't need so much looking after, a great looking pond fish thats what i have in my pond and they can get tame in time and if lucky enough can feed from your hand.

[Kudjap or Bust]

Yes they do look like those, some difference in the colouring, some of ours have more black and orange rather than orange and white.

Is your pond concreted throughout, and do you have a aeration pump running, meaning how do you keep the water so clean?

[beer monkey]

Yes concrete top to bottom and goes down to around 4 foot, which is a way too deep(i was'nt there at the time of excavation) for the size which is only around 2/3 meters in lenght and goes in a "L" shape with shelfs at the sides , have a normal dual pump(which i brought from UK couple years ago £80.00) which takes the water up the rear of the concrete and stone water fall, also it has a fountain to help the water on very hot days, its by no means perfect but Ok for the size, no biological/UV filters though,it all seems to survive OK, do get 'Green' periods though, sorry the top photo is not mine it was just an example for the type of fish but the bottom photo is, which you can see the fish in around 12" of water after that it gets darker , a full water change and a good clean-out works well, you will note that the top is in shallow water with a concrete base so will always look much cleaner and fresher.
i don't run the pump 24hours, mainly afternoon and early evening, or when needed.

[rickfarang]

I don't know about fish prices around Udon, but in California, large Koi are pretty expensive as pond fish go. Your fish expert has a great incentive to do well!

[beer monkey]

The real Japanese koi are very expensive in UK too(don't known cost of these in Thailand), but 'Ghost Koi's' that look similar are much much cheaper, and the last lot i brought was around 100 baht for 3 (3") and 200 baht for bigger single fish.

[Kudjap or Bust]

BM - Thanks for the reply. Our pond goes down to over a meter at one end, I don't expect crystal clear water throughout but would like to be able to see the fish when they're near the top.... our guy is ready to concrete the pond throughout when we're ready (when the rain stops) he also suggested a shelf half way down the sides to put water plants on, he also knows where to get hold of some large rocks so we / he can build a waterfall at one end. I mentioned we could fill in some of the pond to make it shallower but he says its better to have it deep so the fish can dive low in the hot times of the day, we have no shade in this part of the garden yet, well, not until the trees grow that I planted as saplings last year....
So now its "stop bloody raining" and I can get on with it all.......

[beer monkey]

sounds like it will be great when its done, might be worth thinking about a small wall only about 12" tall all round as it would be a nice place to sit , and a shelf is a must don't have to go alround though, i have two levels so its easier if you ever have to get in there and also to place plants.
Once everythings weathered and settled in and plants are growing and it soon comes to life.

My water fall see pic,it stands at 4 foot high, at the top you can just see the blue water pipe it runs up the back and into the top water trough and is normal plastic pipe with holes drilled in along the lenght as to get an even flow down the fall a decent underwater pump(seen them in town) with hose connected to the water pipe, all cost nothing to build apart from some inexpensive rocks,(try getting a variety of colours and styles of rock)and the pump of course.

[Kudjap or Bust]

Waterfall looks good BM, our guy has drawn a picture of the fall he wants to put in, it has 3 levels and stands about 6 ft from the water level. The height isn't much of a worry as out new patio behind the bedroom is a little over a meter higher than the pond level. Thats where our seating will be.

Looks like we've got a break in the weather so hopefully we can get started soon....

[Kudjap or Bust]

BM - Just a quiick thought, has normal concrete been used on your pond or has some kind of waterproofing agent added to the mix?

We made a start yesterday, cleared the hole of overhanging weeds, grass etc, and pumped out the remaining rain water, have to wait now for a day or 2 for the base to dry out, have put a cover over it with ventilation on the sides, just hope the rain holds off for a week or 2......

[beer monkey]

Will ask the bro-in law about the mix when we next speak to him, but my guess would be before i know for sure, would be just normal concrete, i was out of town at the time of construction so could'nt see what was happeneing its pretty tough anyway no signs of cracks or faults appearing over 3 years or so, as you probably know already don't introduce the fish to it straight away .

[beer monkey]

BM - Just a quiick thought, has normal concrete been used on your pond or has some kind of waterproofing agent added to the mix?

just spoke to my man, and he said no special stuff mixed in the concrete just normal, he built it from blocks/bricks like he was building a wall(swimming pool) in the ground then rendered the sides and tops so it was purfectly square even on the edges, no cracks have appeared after several years, and at the moment what with the weather in Udon he tells me the water is virtually clear and the fish are very colourful and happy at the moment.
He even asked if i wanted a pool in the garden the built same way but tiled.

[rickfarang]

The waterfall is a good idea - water bubbling down a wall of rocks will aerate the water, helping to keep it clear, and to also help keep the fish from trying to gulp air at the surface on hot days.

One thing I suggest before getting too far into this, Kudjap, is to read up on concrete fish ponds on the web. Concrete is alkaline. I recall reading advice to give such ponds several months and several water changes before putting fish into them. Much like we have to add acid to swimming pool water. But read up on it yourself -you may find a way to speed up the process (such as by using a swimming pool test kit and keeping the PH neutral "manually".

[tomloughney]

Alge will cause the green color. Add a few ppm of Copper Sulfate and that will be finished. If its really, really green circulate the water before you add the copper sulfate. The dead alge will consume all the oxygen and kill the fish. The copper will do nothing to either fish, people or regular plants.

The brown color is clay from the soil, sediment will generally settle out for time to time. You can remove it by adding alum or aluminum sulfate at 1 or 2 ppm just prior to the filter, but it will just come back again from the soil and fish. Adding plants will clear up the water, some underwater stuff would be good, but the carp (goldfish) will generally eat anything so its difficult to grow stuff under the surface.

Brown water is just like the girls, some brown is better than others.

I worked in water treatment for a while.

Tom

[beer monkey]

Brown water is just like the girls, some brown is better than others.

Too True Tom, Too True.

Thanks for the tips.

[Kudjap or Bust]

he built it from blocks/bricks like he was building a wall(swimming pool)
He even asked if i wanted a pool in the garden the built same way but tiled.

Would single rendered and tiled brick walls be enough for a swimming pool? I was told by a friend when he visited from the US the walls would need to be double brick with a gap in between them filled with reinforced concrete to put up with the water pressure..... I nearly went ahead and built one that way.....

[beer monkey]

I am certain its 2 bricks thick as the wall is around 8" on the top edge,would have to investigate further if i let him build a small pool.

[Garnet]

I just happened across this ad, and immediately recalled this thread. If the claims for the product are anything like the truth, one or even two of these might be a fabulous addition to a fish pond, depending upon its size.

http://www.bargainoutfitters.com/cb/cb. ... 03340&pn=3