1/3 Water change??
~J~
Hi!
My pond is just over 600 gallons. I am anticipating opening it within the
next few weeks. I have a moderate amount of algae in it that accumulated
over the winter. I usually use a UV light for clarity, but I was wondering
if anyone would recommend a 1/3 water change at start up to improve water
condition?
Thanks in advance for your opinions.
Janie
~J~
I am so glad I asked!
Janie
Bullfrog Ed <bullf...@worldnet.att.net> wrote in message
news:38D044D9...@worldnet.att.net...
| Why we recommend cleaning ponds once a year.
|
| After running a pond for an entire year, we like to start the new
| season off fresh. Cleaning a pond in the spring simulates the normal
| flushing action lakes fed by stream and rivers experience during heavy
| spring rains. Most of our customers ponds are shut off during the winter
| allowing leaves and other debris that has blown into the pond to settle
| and tint the water a tea color. Replacing this water with fresh, clean
| and clear water gets rid of this color and the excessive nutrients that
| have built up in the pond over the previous year.
|
| Do you have to perform a full clean out?
|
|
| Every pond is different and some ponds do not require a clean out. Ponds
| larger than 2000 square feet might need a clean out every few years.
| Larger ponds, may never need a complete clean out because the ecosystem
| is so healthy and heavy rains replenish large quantities of water at a
| time. In essence, the larger the pond, the easier it is to maintain (
| Just like a fish tank). You can tell by simply looking at the pond. If
| the pond looks the same in March as it did last June, it's probably okay
| to let it go.
|
| Why we clean ponds in the spring.
|
| What time of the year you should clean a pond is another one of the
| silly debates "the experts" have with us. Many "experts" recommend
| cleaning a pond out in the fall. They theorize, probably correctly, that
| the fish are healthier in the fall, when they are fattened up for
| winter, than they are in the spring. Since fish get stressed out during
| a clean out, logic tells them that it's better to clean the pond out in
| the fall when fish are their healthiest. It's frustrating to us to read
| and hear that ponds should be cleaned out in the fall to avoid stressing
| and possibly killing the fish. Do these people who recommend this
| believe we would actually clean out ponds in the spring if it killed or
| made out customers' fish sick? The problem we find with cleaning out
| ponds in the fall is that the majority of pond owners shut their ponds
| down in the winter. When the pond is shut down, leaves and other
| windblown debris settle and decompose at the bottom of the pond,
| resulting in poor water quality. No matter how thorough the fall clean
| out, you will have a difficult time starting out the season next spring
| with crystal clear water. There is no doubt in our minds that spring is
| the best time of year to clean a pond. This gets the pond ready for the
| season and flushes the system the way nature intended it to be.
|
| Don't scrub away algae
|
| You're not trying to sterilize a pond during a clean out! String
| algae is a natural and healthy part of an ecosystem, as long as it's
| kept in check. Don't waste your time scrubbing algae and getting every
| last surface clean. We use String Algae Buster throughout the season to
| help reduce the amount of string algae in the pond. Simply remove all of
| the large debris by hand and do a quick once over with a power washer.
| After power washing, use the water from a garden hose, pouring out over
| the stones and gravel to channel debris to the pond bottom where your
| pump will remove it. We typically pump the pond water through a flexible
| hose to a drainage point in the yard. Start on the top ledge and slowly
| work your way down the ledges, using only the pressure of the
| unrestricted hose water. After doing this for 20-40 minutes, you will
| notice that the water pooling up around the pump is relatively clean.
| this is an indication that the vast majority of solids that were not
| digested by the bacteria between the gravel have been cleaned out. You
| are now ready to begin filling the pond. While the pond is filling, the
| media nets and filter mats found in the BIOFALLS can be removed and
| pressure washed clean. The empty BIOFALLS can be scooped clean of any
| remaining sediment before replacing the mats and media nets. If the pond
| was shut down for the winter, the waterfall pump that was stored inside
| can be installed back into the skimmer and re-connected to the plumbing.
| The fish can be introduced back into the pond once it is approximately
| 1/3 filled. Be sure to add dechlorinator before adding fish if the tap
| water is from a city water supply. Acclimate the fish to the water
| temperature by floating them in a small bucket for 10-15 minutes. Slowly
| introduce some of the pond water into the bucket. This will prevent the
| fish from going into shock from any sudden temperature change. After the
| fish have been added we reduce the water flow filling the pond to a
| slow trickle. (If there is a fill valve in the skimmer, you can fill the
| pond this way.) The pump is ready to be plugged in once the pond is
| full.
|
| step by step
|
| 1. Shut off the water fill valve and begin draining the pond using
| either a small pump or the pump from the skimmer. If the pond has fish,
| begin filling containers to hold all of the fish with the same pond
| water.
|
| 2. With 6 inches of water left in the pond, catch any fish present and
| place them into the containers holding the pond water you just pumped
| out so as not to send them into shock from a rapid temperature change.
|
| 3. Remove any solid waste such as leaves or twigs by hand while the
| stones are being washed.
|
| 4. Begin washing down the pond rocks with either a jet type sprayer or
| hose, starting from the filled pond line and working your way toward the
| bottom of the pond all the while pumping out the collecting water.
| (After the initial power wash, use only the pressure of the hose water
| to channel dirt to the bottom.)
|
| 5. After hosing down the pond, we wash off the filter pads from the
| skimmer and BIOFALLS.
|
| 6. Transfer the fish to smaller buckets of the old pond water and float
| them in the pond as the water fills it back up. Dechlor is added to the
| tap water to remove chlorine before returning fish. Release fish while
| the pond fills.
|
| Happy Ponding,
| BullfrogEd
| http://www.pondguys.com
Charles K. Anderson
> Why we recommend cleaning ponds once a year.
>
> After running a p
<SNIP.....................SNIP>
>
> ~J~ wrote:
> >
> > Hi!
> > My pond is just over 600 gallons. I am anticipating opening it within the
> > next few weeks. I have a moderate amount of algae in it that accumulated
> > over the winter. I usually use a UV light for clarity, but I was wondering
> > if anyone would recommend a 1/3 water change at start up to improve water
> > condition?
> > Thanks in advance for your opinions.
> > Janie
Less windy version!
Net bottom solids,
Exchange 25% of water,
Add CSA Bacteria ;^)
(initial dose)
Get cold drink (or hot your choice)
Set back and enjoy your pond!!!!!
Ponding is a hobby not a job.....
IMMHO
--
Charles K. Anderson
http://www.pondguy.com
CSA Bacteria and Enzymes
C&S Biological Filter System
mailto:pon...@busprod.com
mailto:cha...@pondguy.com
how
Personally I think this drain and clean every year requirement is a
sign of poor filtration or perhaps a 'lets sell em something' service
policy. A properly maintained pond does NOT require draining every
year. Even a 1/3 change is not an across the board recommendation for
spring start up. If the pond has a thick accumulation of sludge on the
bottom, this can be removed with a pump, or siphoning, in some
situations. In this size (600 gallons) a wet dry vac will remove this
fast. Be on the look out for bubbles rising as they may be toxic. A ten
percent change from the bottom should get most of the trash out.
I admit that winter is something that we don't do down here very
often. If, given a choice, we don't do stones on the bottom either. Also
admit to draining the occasional pond to remove large quantities of
trash that have built up on the bottom stones of neglected ponds. But
these "THE ONLY WAY" ads--er I mean posts are IMHO not very productive.
Jane what type of filtration do you have other than the UV? How many
fish? How old is the pond?
How much trash is on the bottom?
<some snips>
> |In essence, the larger the pond, the easier it is to maintain (
> | Just like a fish tank). You can tell by simply looking at the pond.
This must save a lot on test kits.
> | If
> | the pond looks the same in March as it did last June, it's probably okay
> | to let it go.
> |
> | What time of the year you should clean a pond is another one of the
> | silly debates "the experts" have with us. Many "experts"
> |recommend cleaning a pond out in the fall.
Does this imply that you are the "real" experts? And that any debate
that does not agree with yours is silly?
hth - how
Bullfrog Ed
After running a pond for an entire year, we like to start the new
season off fresh. Cleaning a pond in the spring simulates the normal
flushing action lakes fed by stream and rivers experience during heavy
spring rains. Most of our customers ponds are shut off during the winter
allowing leaves and other debris that has blown into the pond to settle
and tint the water a tea color. Replacing this water with fresh, clean
and clear water gets rid of this color and the excessive nutrients that
have built up in the pond over the previous year.
Do you have to perform a full clean out?
Every pond is different and some ponds do not require a clean out. Ponds
larger than 2000 square feet might need a clean out every few years.
Larger ponds, may never need a complete clean out because the ecosystem
is so healthy and heavy rains replenish large quantities of water at a
time. In essence, the larger the pond, the easier it is to maintain (
Just like a fish tank). You can tell by simply looking at the pond. If
the pond looks the same in March as it did last June, it's probably okay
to let it go.
Why we clean ponds in the spring.
What time of the year you should clean a pond is another one of the
silly debates "the experts" have with us. Many "experts" recommend
step by step
~J~ wrote:
~J~
I have about 20 babies that I will soon be giving away. I use a veggie
filter only (at the top of my waterfalls), and the UV light. The water is
clear except for the algae mostly on the sides. The pond has been protected
with fine netting since last fall, so there is little debris on the bottom.
I have never done a water change in this pond, but thought I should this
year. I have had great results with it really. I have to admit, I have
been concerned about a filter.
Thanks,
Janie
how <NOpondfi...@netscape.net> wrote in message
news:38D063C0...@netscape.net...
| Hi,
| Personally I think this drain and clean every year requirement is a
| sign of poor filtration or perhaps a 'lets sell em something' service
| policy. A properly maintained pond does NOT require draining every
| year. Even a 1/3 change is not an across the board recommendation for
| spring start up. If the pond has a thick accumulation of sludge on the
| bottom, this can be removed with a pump, or siphoning, in some
| situations. In this size (600 gallons) a wet dry vac will remove this
| fast. Be on the look out for bubbles rising as they may be toxic. A ten
| percent change from the bottom should get most of the trash out.
| I admit that winter is something that we don't do down here very
| often. If, given a choice, we don't do stones on the bottom either. Also
| admit to draining the occasional pond to remove large quantities of
| trash that have built up on the bottom stones of neglected ponds. But
| these "THE ONLY WAY" ads--er I mean posts are IMHO not very productive.
| Jane what type of filtration do you have other than the UV? How many
| fish? How old is the pond?
| How much trash is on the bottom?
| >
| > Bullfrog Ed <bullf...@worldnet.att.net> wrote in message
| > news:38D044D9...@worldnet.att.net...
|
| <some snips>
|
| > |In essence, the larger the pond, the easier it is to maintain (
| > | Just like a fish tank). You can tell by simply looking at the pond.
|
| This must save a lot on test kits.
|
| > | If
| > | the pond looks the same in March as it did last June, it's probably
okay
| > | to let it go.
| > |
| > | What time of the year you should clean a pond is another one of
the
| > | silly debates "the experts" have with us. Many "experts"
| > |recommend cleaning a pond out in the fall.
|
|
| Does this imply that you are the "real" experts? And that any debate
| that does not agree with yours is silly?
|
| hth - how
|
|
|
schat...@my-deja.com
I have learned ONE thing and one thing only since I built my first pond
last year. Everyone does things differently. The best to do is take
in advise and see what works best for you.
As for water changes, *I* find the following works well in my 200
gallon pond with 5 shubunkins and comets.
Shop vac out bottom debris when it starts to look unhealthy. Do
partial water changes when it clouds up or tints. Clean filter when
output drops. Trim plants when they start to look a bit too much.
Fertilize when they start looking a little sick.
We did a complete clean out of the pond a while back. But since this
is the *new* pond it had a lot of destructer, er construction debris
clouding up the water past the point where a filter could get it out.
The pain was getting the water out. Once emptied, it was a breeze.
But we were also going for the "oh my god it's brand new" clean look at
the time.
Incidently, I find that my non-fish pond requires more maintenance than
my fish pond. Go figure.
And remember... DO IT YOUR WAY! There are no right or wrong ways to do
anything in ponding. Some ways are more accepted than others, but
through trial and error you can find a way that works for you
successfully. Nothing these guys say are handed down on stone tablets
from on high. Keep in mind it's THEIR way and their SUGGESTIONS.
Have fun!
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.
ARDNASYAK
>last year. Everyone does things differently. The best to do is take
>in advise and see what works best for you.
This is very true!
Sandra
how
"none of this is struck in stone". The 'PONDGUY' gets raves from
posters in this group and others and I think his advice is worth
consideration also. If your water is clear and there is not mulch debris
then you are doing ok. The algae on the sides is supposed to be there. I
would add that finding a home for the twenty odd new fish is very
important. One more question, how long has it been since you changed
the bulb on your UV?
~J~
does it work as long as its still burning? I think I have homes for all my
babies. They are mostly calico's, cute little things, but the pond will is
too full.
Thanks,
J
how <NOpondfi...@netscape.net> wrote in message
news:38D19768...@netscape.net...
Charles K. Anderson
> My UV bulb was used only for one season. Does it lose something with age or
> does it work as long as its still burning? I think I have homes for all my
> babies. They are mostly calico's, cute little things, but the pond will is
> too full.
> Thanks,
> J
UV bulbs should be replaced every spring,
even though the light is working (not burnt out)
the properties began to reduce and with age, well, it's just a light.
(with diminished radiation)
This is also why tanning salons change their bulbs an a regular basis.
(or at least the good ones do)
Be aware though, just because you change the bulb and the water clears
does not necessarily mean the water quality is healthy.
(common misconception among UV users)
I have a UV on my pond, have not even turned it on in 4 years now.
(don't need to)
One other thing, the quartz sleeve should be cleaned on a regular basis
for one to work at peak efficiency.
Deborah F. Ryan
Just a quick silly question if I may. Just how much algae on the sides is
good? Or is it clearly a personal thing? Man, I have tons this year and
despite the fact the fish and ducks are loving it, it looks terrible 8-}
peace....debbie
how
l8r how
Ceos twpc
I'm glad your Ducks are back ;-))
Laurie
Deborah F. Ryan
The pond is aprox 6,000 gals and only two mallards that show up every Spring
until the nest and move on.....peace.....debbie
Jerrispond
>My pond is two years old. I have 2 Koi (small) and about 8 large goldfish.
>I have about 20 babies that I will soon be giving away. I use a veggie
>filter only (at the top of my waterfalls), and the UV light. The water is
>clear except for the algae mostly on the sides. The pond has been protected
>with fine netting since last fall
> so there is little debris on the bottom.
>I have never done a water change in this pond, but thought I should this
>year. I have had great results with it really. I have to admit, I have
>been concerned about a filter
It all sounds good to me...keep an eye on amonia and PH, and ......If it ain't
broke don't fix it !!!! Jerri
Ceos twpc
ain't
broke don't fix it !!!! Jerri >>
SO true, i don't know if that could ever be said enough ;-))
Laurie
Deborah F. Ryan
Tried to respond to you email and it bounced. Tanx for the suggestions on
algae. Wish there was a way to bottle and sell this stuff. I could retire!
<LOL> peace....debbie
how <NOpondfi...@netscape.net> wrote in message
news:38D2FB06...@netscape.net...
Bee
glad your Ducks are back ;-))
I've been here just a short time and last year and this year two ducks male and
female have made a stop over in my pond on there way some where else because
they don't stay. I worry about all my fish in the pond but they have made it
through the visits. It's funny because they huddle up at the bottom just like
in winter and stay til the ducks leave. Very cute. Bee