# Getting pond ready for fish?



## sandyman720 (Mar 6, 2007)

Hello, I recently put in a small pond. I filled it yesterday with water and have the pump running. I have a biological filter, mechanical filter, and a UV clarifier. I have had it running for a full day to clear the water up.

What else do I need to do to get it ready for fish?

Do I need to do something to get rid of the chlorine?


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## Sasha2000 (Jul 4, 2008)

*Chlorine will go away naturally*

Since you've not heard from someone more knowledgeable than me, I will jump in with my limited experience. Chlorine will go away naturally with aeration and it takes about 3 or 4 days maximum, as for other water conditioning, it is best to get advice from your fish supplier. I have heard that some of these ponds should be set up for a couple of weeks or more to allow the right bacteria to build up and PH levels to stabilize.


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## Hurriken (Jul 7, 2008)

While I have no experiance with ponds, I do have a lot of experiance with aquarium fish. 

up until the late eighties allowing your water to age was an appropriate method to dechlorinate water. These days they put 'stuff' in the water that will not age out. There are some rural areas where ageing still works fine but if you live anywhere near a major city I would not trust it. You will need to buy a dechlorinator. I recomend Seachem Prime. 

You will also need to cycle your filter. This means you need to build up a biological media in your filter. If you don't your fish will either die or struggle to survive. 

I would get is a water test kit. Aquaclear kits are very good. If you detect any Ammonia or Nitrites I would not put fish in. My best advice is to take your time. 

Tropical Fish Hobbyist Magazine has a very good forum. I would go there and get information directly about ponds. There are several folks there with ponds. I hope it goes well for you.


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## jimmy21 (Jul 2, 2008)

i live in a small city in oregon, and we have nice clean rain water for city water. But i filled up my pond and then stuck goldfish in the same day without anything and they are still all alive.


whered you get your uv filter? my water is greener than green


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## Hurriken (Jul 7, 2008)

I know a UV filter will not work for you but I'm not sure what will. I'll see if I can get one of my experianced friends to look at this thread.


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## LauraLeeLLBP (Jul 10, 2008)

I'm one of Ken's friends from TFH.  

Ken's right that you probably should add a water conditioner. Chlorine will evaporate naturally, but chloramines will not and are also toxic to fish.

Aquatic algae is usually caused by a combination of 2 things- too much nutrients in the water (from fish waste and/or other decaying organic matter) and too much light; in a pond, this means sunlight. Algae blooms are especially common in new ponds (or tanks) or in ponds going through some major change (like with the seasons). Since the pond isn't stocked yet, too much light is most likely the issue with yours.

Does this pond get shade at all during the day? Planting a small tree for shade (might want to avoid deciduous trees) and/or adding plants like water lillies and aquatic grasses can help shade the water and cut down on algae. Aquatic and bog plants are also good at outcompeting algae for any nutrients in the water. UV sterilizers can help if the wattage and overall filtration are adequate to the volume of water in the pond. If nothing else helps, you might consider building a decorative arbor over the pond to add some shade.

HTH!


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## Greystoke (Jul 10, 2008)

jimmy21 said:


> i live in a small city in oregon, and we have nice clean rain water for city water. . .


That "nice clean rain water" probably has a lot of nitrates in it from run-off. UV-filters will kill the algae, but that doesn't cure the problem. You need to grow macro plants to absorb the nutrients. 
Plant the edge of your pond with marsh plants, like irises. Lots of them!
It will take some time to clear the water, but the goldfish won't mind. Patience is the word.


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## mudpaw (Nov 29, 2007)

I'm surprised there don't appear to be any pond professionals here, I'm pretty darn close though. I built custom filtration systems, water falls and repaired and installed koi ponds as well as bred koi for years along side my boss who had been in the the business for decades. Yes, please add a water conditioner, other wise only a few chemicals present in the water will evaporate, and use the conditioner every time you add water unless you are on well water. Also, when using a biological filter it takes a little while before your pond will truly "filter" out things like chemicals (though even then the ability is minimal). One really simple tip I always give people is to degas your water as you top off or fill up your pond. All you have to do is make sure the water moves through the air before hitting the pond water (don't just lay the hose in the pond and turn it on, all those chemicals you worked to remove before will be right back in there and at higher levels) Try propping the hose up on a rock or a prick so it goes through the air like a fountain , if that makes sense  A "UV filter" mentioned above only kills algae and some weak bacteria. It does no other filtering of any type, think of it as a clarifier instead. I always push for plants in a pond, they will help eat up some of the nitrates an ammonia(from fish waste and dead plant debris) in your pond as well as give your fish some places to hide from predators (you every pond eventually gets hit by predators, I suggest netting it if you don't want your fish to become dinner item, I don't know how many distraught customers I've dealt with that were so sure their pond would never be bothered only to come home and find a heron feasting on their $100 koi, also bear in mind raccoons, snakes, large frogs, turtles, birds and cats all love fresh easy to catch free fish) . What size is this pond (gallons and max. depth) and what sort of fish as you planning to add? Also, how big is your filter and what is is comprised of (please stay away from the so-called filter sold at home improvement stores, it's highway robbery)? And lastly, what part of the country are you in?


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## white29 (Sep 18, 2007)

Keep in mind that these fish, be they Koi or some sort of fancy goldfish are all basically carp.This means they are super hardy,and I'm no expert but I believe a lot of these additives are overkill. I do believe that allowing your pond to become a balanced mini-ecosystem with lots of plants supplying oxygen will aid in the health and happiness of your fish and will help control algae too.This is all I've ever done,get the environment going first then add the fish and I've never lost any.I lose them in the winter when they're in a tub in the barn,but that's a differant story! The product i'm having a lot of success with for algae control is barley straw pellets.Completely natural and organic,wont harm fish or other aquatic life,inexpensive and simple to use.Check it out.


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## Sasha2000 (Jul 4, 2008)

*Hear! Hear! White29*

I agree with additives being too much. I have tried it both ways. When I started out, I got all the additives the professionals recommended, but my water got cloudy or the PH was wrong. The fish did not die, but neither did they die when I went the nature's way route. It was a whole lot easier and I saved a lot of aggravation, time and needless to say, money!


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