water gardens

[Nana Gayle]

I have a small water garden with a small water fall and fountain that I have tried to get 'fish ready' for three years now. The pumps have filters but I can't keep it clean without the use of chemicals. Is this the only way? I had a man tell me I would have to invest a couple thousand dollar into a special system to maintain a clear bio-safe place for fish. So far everything I put in it has died but 2 snails and some plant life. If you know the key to raising a health water garden with fish, please let me know. Thanks, Nana Gayle

[heather6773]

My grandparents had one and they had no trouble keeping fish. Just go to a local pet store and they should be able to help. Have you tried looking on-line for help? What kind of fish are you trying to have? Koi are nice. They look like goldfish but get bigger.

[rdy2rac with]

Is your pump & filter large enough to take on your pond? When we put ours together the pump we got was actualy oversized (we got most everything in the fall on clearance) so we have never had a problem with our pond & we have had fish in there since about a month after we set it up (we even had baby fish for the first few years). Another suggestion is to keep the pond plants simple & try to keep as much plant ruffage (dead leaves & other plant stuff) out of the pond. Aside from pruning the herbs I have the only other daily maintanence for my pond is to check for plants that have fallen or are sagging in the water.

Here's some early pics of our set-up.
http://www.imagestation.com/mypictures/inbox/view.html?id=4232550750&url=http%3A//www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid60/p4da3e901d7f66d71bd4c4917f2c250ff/fc47995e.jpg&caption=pond:%20day%201%20half%20way%20done&album_id=4290292915&from_album=1
http://www.imagestation.com/mypictures/inbox/view.html?id=4232550739&url=http%3A//www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid60/p3e1c2887102f220c085cd49fdd588eb6/fc479953.jpg&caption=finished%20project%20w/fountain&album_id=4290292915&from_album=1

Edit: BTW, my fish are Shabunkins (a type of Koi) & goldfish. We even have a goldfish that we won at the local fair Memorial weekend.

[rdy2rac with]

Any update on how your pond is doing? Hope some of my dealings were able to help you out.

[Mid_Nite_Sun]

Are you talking about a small above-ground one? We have one in our backyard. It's pretty big, it's actually 2 ponds, one small pond than the stream and water drop into a big pond. It also has a waterfall...etc..

We have problem keeping it clean but no problem with have fish there. It's really deep so fish don't die during winter. :)

[ttugrad95]

Hi, I know this post was old but I didn't really see a solution to the problem. I am a new member here and a new homeowner. While I haven't done a backyard pond yet, it is definately on my to do list, but I have years experience home aquariums (including fresh and salt water).
Stating that you cannot add fish to a pond because you must add chemicals to keep the water clear is false. Its actually just the opposite. You must add chemicals to the water to keep it clean because you dont' have fish.
You need a couple things to keep fish, whether it be in a pond or aquarium. You need filtration, circulation and airation (sp?). If you have a pond with a waterfall you probably already have all 3. Most premade waterfall kits I have seen have two mediums in it, the first filters out solid material and the other is a medium for a biological filter. Biological filters are imo the most efficient way to keep water clean. You basically grow beneficial bacteria which feeds off the waste in the water. But to grow this bacteria you need a food source and the best food source is waste from fish. Its called the nitrogen cycle. I don't remember all the terms but the amonia from fish waste is the first stage which is a food source for one type of bacteria (2nd stage) which in turn is a food source for another type of bacteria (3rd stage). The amonia and first bacteria is poisonous to fish which is why you add fish gradually to build the cycle. More food, more bacteria but if you add fish too quickly the amonia and first bacteria levels will spike before the last stage adjusts and kill the fish.
Make sure you have the right equipment, drain and refill your pond (maybe a couple times) to get rid of the chemicals that have been added to artificially keep it clear. Gradually add your fish and your water will be sparkling clean.