Pictures of our huge rock removal job...it's ugly!!

[beckesj]

I've posted a few threads looking for advice on our green murky water, silt and snail problems. I hope this thread adds the photos I think will help everyone understand what we're in for with this huge task and also help those people who may be thinking of designing a new ponds with rocks for that natural look to maybe think again and forget it. It's not worth it after you learn the hard way. I hope they show up....The green algae photos were taken April 23rd the day we had it drained by a company and power washed...which are the clean looking photos that follow. Little did we no that having it power washed ruined our pond so badly and the people that did it contaminated our entire pond and all of our fish with parasites and possibly those tiny snails, etc. The 5 holding tanks they brought to house our fish during the job were never sanitized and each had pond water in them from previous jobs that day!! Horrible what we've been thru, didn't realize the effects until a week later and our fish were in there before I knew they hadn't been cleaned. Another hard lesson of new pond ownership, but it never takes a second time, it hurt too much the first time. Don't let that happen to you, fish are healthy now but they went thru a lot to get them free of all the uglies that came into the pond. Also the pond looked beautiful for approx. 3 days then started down hill and now it's green and murky and covered again with algae even after adding two 50 watt UV bulbs in May.

[ageraldi]

Getting all those rocks out of there is going to make your life so much easier in the future. It will be worth it in the end! Good luck and stay cool!

[steveamy]

I don't envy you at all. Look at that mess. You are right, anyone taking a look at that will think twice about the rocks in the bottom. All the junk is still waiting for you under those rocks. Good luck.

The things I could do with those rocks though.

[ageraldi]

There are several local companies around my area that build ponds like that everyday. And for BIG cash. Then these companies call these ponds “koi ponds”. These are at best “water gardens” with maintenance. I hope everyone who sees your photos realizes that the invest made on all those rocks cost them time in the end. You will love your pond again SOON beckesj.

[cindy]

and the people that did it contaminated our entire pond and all of our fish with parasites and possibly those tiny snails, etc. The 5 holding tanks they brought to house our fish during the job were never sanitized and each had pond water in them from previous jobs

I would be passed p***ed. No telling what diseases were carried to your fish.
I think I'd insist on vet bloodwork compensation to rule out khv.

[beckesj]

There are several local companies around my area that build ponds like that everyday. And for BIG cash. Then these companies call these ponds “koi ponds”. These are at best “water gardens” with maintenance. I hope everyone who sees your photos realizes that the invest made on all those rocks cost them time in the end. You will love your pond again SOON beckesj.

THANKS....I know there's a much brighter healthier clearer pond days away for our fish and for us to enjoy and we don't mind hard work, but this is going to be brutal in this heat and we need to make it happen as fast as we can so the fish aren't in temp holding tanks for more than a day or two at most. I'm praying for some very cloudy 75-80 degree weather without humidity. Would be nice for this job this weekend. You're so right, if you look at the number of rocks and think of the man hours it took to place them. Lots of $$ must have been spent there alone, plus rocks aren't cheap to buy.

[ragenmoan]

were the shots of the cleaner pond before or after shots? i used to have an aquascape type rock bottom septic tank type koi pond and will never do it again! had the pond in place for 2 years. the pond builder offerred an anual cleaning service for $500 bucks. looking at the amount of work required, the cost may be justified. most unfortunate that these type pond builders "bait" you with the pond and then "hook" you with the maintenance cost....!

[cindy]

Have you called the company to tell them the dangers of not disinfecting between ponds?

[IMSALSMOM]

Your Fish Will Have So Much More Swimming Room And You Will Enjoy Your Pond That Much More.

[tracey_shafer]

Have you called the company to tell them the dangers of not disinfecting between ponds?

I would hold them responseable for the medical treatments you had to pay for since they did not.

[beckesj]

I would be passed p***ed. No telling what diseases were carried to your fish.
I think I'd insist on vet bloodwork compensation to rule out khv.

Lots of tears were shed over the past few months and I still feel sick thinking about the unknown. I even had to perform the removal of 68 anchor worms, some of the fish had multiple on them and others had none. It was the first time I ever held a fish in my hands in the water, they were each so good, I was told to cover their eyes with a wet towel underwater and it would keep them calm and it really did. My husband and I made quite a team that day. It made me feel a bond to each fish as I checked it over entirely and removed any anchor worms. We made sure we removed every fish and checked it over to be sure we didn't miss any and then carefully poured peroxide on each wound after removal. I could tell they were relieved, they were happy and I felt 100% better that I made myself take charge and do it. Added some microbe-lift wound healant to the pond and within 48 hours their wounds were all disappearing and healed very nicely without a trace there was ever anything attached Backed up my treatment of Dimilin 14 days later as required to be sure we zapped all traces. That was late May, no signs since removal. Then we treated for fluke worms in early June with that Parazi stuff. Within a day or so all flashing stopped and haven't seen a fish flashing in nearly 2 months. Now it's get the rocks out and improve the water, my test readings are still at good levels, but it's still so green and murky. Can't wait until it's done!

[beckesj]

were the shots of the cleaner pond before or after shots? i used to have an aquascape type rock bottom septic tank type koi pond and will never do it again! had the pond in place for 2 years. the pond builder offerred an anual cleaning service for $500 bucks. looking at the amount of work required, the cost may be justified. most unfortunate that these type pond builders "bait" you with the pond and then "hook" you with the maintenance cost....!

The clean shots are taken the same day in April as soon as they finished power washing. Now it's back to green as it was in the first photos, but no string algae because we have more koi now and they eat it up. I wish the koi could reach the waterfall and stream, there's lots of string algae I have to remove by hand. The company that cleaned it did not build it......the builders of the pond are a whole different problem and story for another day.

[madeyna]

Your landscaping is very beatiful. I put in one of these ponds but fitted it a with drain so I could empty it and hose it down the spring and fall. I I didn,t have any troubles with it but it was way understocked fish wise. I had 3 gold fish in about 500 gallons to eat larva and I didn,t feed them so they ate their own spawn as well. It was up and running from 89 to when we moved in 2004 with vertually no fish heath problems. Of course I also had a gold fish pond and a koi pond which I kept over stocked and had tons of problems with them

[birdman]

I've been there/done that my self. So I know what your going through. I only wish everyone could see this before they make the same mistake with their new ponds.

[Koi Empire]

I've been there/done that my self. So I know what your going through. I only wish everyone could see this before they make the same mistake with their new ponds.

Birdman,

You are totally correct! If everyone would see this before doing there pond. I have seen so many ponds done this way and then have to remove all the rock they put in, or even worse, have to do it after they have lost tons of fish because of poor water quality do to making a pond this way.

But Beckesj, don't give up, your doing the right thing!

Jesse

[Leekinneykoi]

Thank you Maureen for sharing your experience and the wonderful pictures to help show new people deciding how to build their first pond.
No matter how much anyone tries to explain how bad these types of ponds can be for fish, stubborn people often still do not listen, and pictures that show FACT!! are the best defence possible .

I would like to have your permission to copy your thread to use in one of the Help Sticky Threads I am slowly building in the construction Archives area.
Please

[beckesj]

Thank you Maureen for sharing your experience and the wonderful pictures to help show new people deciding how to build their first pond.
No matter how much anyone tries to explain how bad these types of ponds can be for fish, stubborn people often still do not listen, and pictures that show FACT!! are the best defence possible .

I would like to have your permission to copy your thread to use in one of the Help Sticky Threads I am slowly building in the construction Archives area.
Please

ABSOLUTELY!! If we can convince even one person to change their mind about lining their new pond with rocks I would feel really great that I helped in some way to save someone a whole lot of tears and frustration and BIG $$$$. THANKS for passing our photos on to help others realize what they would be dealing with using such a setup.

[Joey S]

Maureen - are you going to put in a bottom drain while you are cleaning? A retro one wouldn't be too hard and would go a long way to improve things.

[Koi Empire]

Maureen - are you going to put in a bottom drain while you are cleaning? A retro one wouldn't be too hard and would go a long way to improve things.

Maureen - Joey S is 100% correct a bottom drain would improve things significantly. No true Koi pond should be without one.

Jesse

[Leekinneykoi]

ABSOLUTELY!! If we can convince even one person to change their mind about lining their new pond with rocks I would feel really great that I helped in some way to save someone a whole lot of tears and frustration and BIG $$$$. THANKS for passing our photos on to help others realize what they would be dealing with using such a setup.

Thank you, I will send you a link when I have finished the thread , it may be a while, I tend to work on forum stuff more in the winter months.