Originally Posted by
Ronaye
Darkstar, in answer to the water parameter question (which made me realize how lax and lucky I've been with this pond. There is a LOT to be said for under-stocking a pond to keep it healthy!
The total volume of the pond including filtration and stream is about 4000 gallons. The pond is peanut shaped, 22' long by 14 and 16' wide, 3 shelves inside the pond to a total depth of 5 feet.
I have only had an ammo reading once, which was after the pond was totally encased in ice for a number of days (which is very rare for these parts, I was unable to keep a hole in it.) I don't recall what the reading was but it was low. As soon as possible I performed a partial water change with dechlor and the ammo dissipated.
Because I've never had ammo readings, I stopped testing for nitrates and nitrites a long time ago.
I keep my pH at 8.4 using bicarb, keep the kh about 125. Years ago in another pond I had extreme pH swings and learned (the hard way) about the importance of carbonate hardness and pH. Always diligent with that.
In the warm months I do partial water changes weekly or every 2 weeks at most, about 300 gallons per change. I'm on muni water that is from a local aquafer of good quality - the city sends out regular reports on the water and its contents - but I still always use a dechlor, for the past year or so Kordon Pond NovAqua Plus. In the winter I only do occasional changes (every 6 weeks?) as we get a LOT of rain here. It can be a struggle to keep the KH and pH up.
Last did a water change November 4th, when I realized this fish was in distress.
I keep my filters running 24/7 year round unless it gets extremely cold and things freeze solid. When it does, which is rare, it doesn't last but for a couple of days.
Aeration is from two short waterfalls and a lot of pond surface.
The other fish all look fine.
Pix are of the waterfalls - they are split, coming off a 20 foot stream which stems from a 100 gallon Matala filled tank which is fed from the main filtration system 40 feet across the yard. 2nd pic is looking south from the falls end of the pond. Bottom drain gravity feeds underground to the filters on the other side of that slatted fence (Vortex, mechanical, bio which pumps back across the yard and up to the waterfall head) or can be diverted to "french drain" another 15 feet south of the filters. Oh yes and two 25 UV lights between the mechanical and biofilters.
Hope this isn't too much information! You know how people like to talk about their ponds :-)