Outdoor ponds have become very popular, and with colorful koi and goldfish, can be very beautiful.
There are many shapes and sizes in outdoor ponds, and it will help you to know how many gallons your pond holds. To calculate the number of gallons in your pond, multiply length times width times average depth in feet, and this will give you cubic feet. Then take this and multiply times 7.5, which is the number of gallons in a cubic foot.
The sun is one of the main outdoor factors that will affect your pond, so you will want to try to locate your pond such that it is not totally in the sun all of the time. The sun can cause a lot of algae to grow. Over time your pond is likely to become dirty. This can be caused by fish and leaves, dust, insects and other dirt and debris falling into your pond. A good pump and filter will help to keep your pond clean.
Also it is a good idea not to overcrowd your pond with too many fish. In a 300 gallon pond, for example, about 12 4-6 inch fish would be about right. This doesn’t sound like much, but remember that all goldfish, and all koi will grow much larger. A goldfish can reach a foot in length, and koi can reach 2 feet in length. If all 12 fish were koi, and they all grew to full size, the pond would be very overcrowded.
Something else that helps is very careful feeding of your fish. Just feed a few pellets per fish. Fish do not need as much food as you think they do. They can also eat insects that fall into the pond.
Get a pump and filter that is sized correctly for your pond and fish. A waterfall, or a water fountain is also a good idea, as this adds oxygen to the water.
Now, if your pond should turn cloudy, check to see if it is a gray cloudy, or a green cloudy. Green cloudy water is very common in the summer in outdoor ponds. This green water is caused by green algae that is suspended in the water.
Tips to get rid of green water:
- Have a very good pump and filter for your pond.
- Do not overcrowd or overfeed your fish.
- You may want to make a partial water change in your pond, if your pond is not very large. Siphon or scoop leaves and sediment off of the bottom as you do this.
- Add a product called ALGAEFIX to your pond, this will kill the algae. According to the directions, you will add some once a week to keep it under control. You may end up with cloudy, polluted water after killing all of your algae, if you had quite a lot of algae. The dead algae can pollute. You will want to make a water change, and clean your filter often.
- You can add a product called ACCU-CLEAR to your pond, and this may help clear up the water after killing the algae.
- Have a lot of water lilies, and other pond plants. These plants will help shade your water from the sun, and plants also use up nitrates and other food that makes the algae grow.
- You may want to add a product called WATER SHADE. This will tint your water blue. This will help shade the water from the effects of the sun.
- You can also buy an ultraviolet sterilizer, that when hooked up inline with your water pump, will kill all of the algae that passes through it. These can be a little expensive, but they do work.
If your pond should happen to develop a cloudy gray color, this is different from algae.
This kind of cloudiness can be caused from overcrowding or overfeeding your fish. If this is the case, remove some fish, and cut back on the food. You may want to make a water change of about 1/3 to 1/2 if you can. Make sure that you use a dechlorinating conditioner when you fill it. Make sure that you have a good pump, filter, and either a waterfall, or fountain. Clean the filter often.
Tags: Fish & Ponds
