my Zen Water Garden and Koi Pond [Archive] - Canreef Aquatics Bulletin Board

kien

07-10-2011, 05:25 AM

Do you bring your koi in or have a heater outside or do you just leave them to fend for themselves? Everyone I talk to does something different so im interested :)

You are right, everyone seems to do it differently, and as have I over the years. I've had a koi pond for about 6 years now, 3 at my parents place and the past 3 years at my own place. When I had these fish at my parents place we would bring them in every year and house them in the basement in very large tubs. That was alright, except for the hassle and the space requirements. Unfortunately I don't have the space to house them inside so I went with the 'keeping them outside' approach for my own pond. The first year I built a hoop house over the pond to keep the snow and wind off of it. This worked out well and the pond rarely froze over. Even when it did freeze there was just a very thin layer of ice, but once the sun came out it got pretty hot in the hoop house. (hoop house was just flexible PVC piping with clear plastic draped over it.)

The hoop house was a bit of a pain to set up and take down every year so the second and third year I skipped the hoop house and just ran more powerful pumps to keep the water flowing enough to prevent the entire pond from freezing solid. This worked out well too. The pond did freeze over more than it did when it had the hoop house though. Probably a couple of inches of ice on top, while the rest remained unfrozen with the help of the water movement. The key here is to buy a deicer which is a device that floats on top and keeps a 6 inch hole in the ice at all times to allow gas to escape.

If you keep the fish outside the important thing is not to feed them once the water temperature drops below 15 degrees and don't feed them again until it is at least 15 degrees for a few days straight. Typically they won't eat in these temperatures anyway as their metabolism drops to nothing and they go into a state of hibernation.

For safety reasons (I have young kids), my pond is only 2 feet deep at its deepest so it surely would freeze solid if it were not for the waterflow. I have a couple of levels, a 1 foot deep shelf and and then another foot to the bottom. If my son falls in (which he has, LOL), he can stand up just fine. Anyway, I keep the pumps (kinda like pond powerheads), at the 1 foot ledge and try not to disturb the bottom of the pond where the fish hibernate. My parents still have the pond that I built there but their fish come to hibernate in my pond over the winter, and they just drain their pond. When my kids are older I will probably dig it out and dig it out another foot or two.

I will admit, it is kind of scary thinking of the fish outside when it is minus 30 below but they're fine. I have not lost any of my larger fish this way. I have lost a few smaller comets but none of my koi.

The Grizz

07-10-2011, 06:07 AM

Very nice pond Kien, now I know who to talk to for pointers when my wife decides that I have to build her pond.

fishoholic

07-10-2011, 12:54 PM

Cool pic.'s and interesting to know about outdoor care for them.

ALang

07-10-2011, 02:35 PM

WOW. So you're good at ponds, too!
Thanks for sharing the pics and the over-wintering. Hard to imagine that the fish actually survive in our Alberta Winter!!
As I was reading, I was thinking to myself:" wonder how deep his pond would have to be for it not to freeze over?" Then I read further and was amazed that it is only two feet deep! But you do have to over-winter the lilies and pond plant indoors, right?
Great statues, too!
Lenny.

don.ald

07-10-2011, 02:45 PM

very impressive! do you have critters such as raccoons to deal with?

kien

07-10-2011, 03:30 PM

Alberta Winter!! But you do have to over-winter the lilies and pond plant indoors, right?

Ya, it amazes me too. Like I said earlier, it is a little unnerving at times to imagine them out there when you're nice and toasty inside. As with anything in these hobbies, there are pros and cons to either approach. There are plenty of people who bring their fish inside and feed them year round. There are also lots of people who do as I do and keep them outside year round.

Water lillies are perennials and go dormant in the winter as well. In the fall you cut off their stems once they have died off and keep the root ball/rhizome damp. I used to bring the root ball/rhizome indoors and store it in the garage through the winter as I thought the pond was way too cold for it, but last year I experimented with one of them and overwintered it in the pond with the fish and it came back in the spring just as strong. Now everyone will be overwintering outside.

very impressive! do you have critters such as raccoons to deal with?

I don't have any critters attacking my pond (or at least I haven't seen any yet). I do have a a friend who has a pond that has had cranes clear out their pond :cry:

lastlight

07-10-2011, 03:49 PM

Really nice man. The deck overhang is key it'd be sweet to have dinners and chill with the koi. I always fantasized about doing a pond in my last place but it was a liability due to the dayhome. Now my pond would have to be a foot across lol.

randallino

07-10-2011, 06:16 PM

Very nice indeed!

tang daddy

07-12-2011, 04:48 PM

Nice pond, love the buddha's aswell!

I hope to have a pond in the future with kois, it's so peaceful to sit and watch when the weather is warm...a few people in the LM have koi ponds aswell however they have to put nets over them as the raccoons and herons have raided the fish several times....

sgreen

07-12-2011, 05:29 PM

Very nice pond set up. I have often thought that I would love to have some type of pond but always thought that there was too much work involved to getting it set up and then caring for it...but I guess, as in any hobby, there is always work involved to get the end enjoyment!!!
Thank you for sharing your experiences to help any of us who might decide to get into a similar such pond set-up. It is good to know that there are alternatives to explore, even in our Alberta winters!!!

fishytime

07-12-2011, 06:29 PM

Oh........ So this is why you havnt been around much lately:razz: ....... It looks really good brochacho

kien

07-13-2011, 09:04 PM

So this is why you havnt been around much lately:razz: ....

Yes, which is why I told Kevin to get into pond fish and stuff so that I don't have to spend so much time at picses :-P

Lance

07-13-2011, 09:26 PM

I hope you don't have the fish-stealing critters out there that we have here. I've lost dozens of fish to herons and Kingfishers. I've even had an osprey dive bomb the pond before. Not to mention the racoons playing havoc with the fountain and flagstones. Little bastards flip the heavy flagstones into the pond and have punctured the liner on more than one occasion. I used to keep koi but the losses were killing me so I just go with goldfish now. Can't put a cover over the pond to keep the bird's out as the coons wreck it. I planted lots of lily pads which give the fish cover from the predators in the summer months, but as soon as the lilies die back in the fall, the herons are back. Anyone want to lend me their shotgun?

kien

07-13-2011, 09:37 PM

So far so good.. I did chase a crane from the yard the other morning tho. Did a head count and everyone was accounted for so I think the fish hid well. I have lots of lilies too. Thankfully because of our short summers those large birds are few. I don't see too many of them around here.

I know that coons must be around but I honestly have never spotted one in all the years that I've lived here. I wonder if the coyotes keep them in check. The depth of my pond might be helping too. I know others with shallower ponds that lose fish all the time.

Koi are quite hardy and I find them very easy to keep and care for. They also have great personalities. All the fish will come up and feed from my hand.

lastlight

07-13-2011, 09:47 PM

Get a Buddha Lance =)

kien

07-13-2011, 09:51 PM

I do rub the buddha belly everyday so maybe that does help?

Doug

07-13-2011, 10:45 PM

Very nice. Kool winter advice also. Something I may try once out in Kamloops. Think itds to cold here in Manitoba.

kien

07-14-2011, 12:08 AM

Doug, there was a time when I thought the same thing about Calgary. We had a couple of weeks last winter where the temp was down below 40 for quite some time over night and never got above minus 30 during the day!

Here are some older pics of the koi pond from a couple of years back, pretty much when the pond first came online. I like these photos because the weeds haven't taken over yet LOL.

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/IMG_0525.jpg

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/IMG_0536.jpg

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/IMG_0526.jpg

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/IMG_0540.jpg

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/IMG_0545.jpg

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/IMG_0029-1.jpg

kien

07-14-2011, 12:16 AM

And here is the hoop-house that I built for it the first year. Although I did manage the overwinter the pond successfully without the hoop house last year I do plan on re-using it this year and into the future. It is a bit more work to set up and take down every year but has quite a few advantages. One of the most important being the ability to feed the fish for longer. It effectively lengthens their feed/growing season (spring-fall) and shortens their dormant season (winter).

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/IMG_3840.jpg

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/IMG_3845.jpg

As I mentioned before, with the hoop house the ice rarely froze at all, it gets quite warm under there when the sun comes out and that's one great thing about Calgary. Even if it is minus 30 degrees outside the sun could be out in full force. If you google it you'll see lots of people using these hoop houses for their ponds and/or gardens.

Lance

07-14-2011, 12:18 AM

I do rub the buddha belly everyday so maybe that does help?

I do have a Buddha. The coons even knocked it over once and it weighs the better part of 25 lbs.
I hate those "Little Bastards"!

Doug

07-14-2011, 12:26 AM

I like the weeds. Makes it look more fishy. :D Nice winter shelter. Good idea.

lastlight

07-14-2011, 01:50 AM

Nice yard... even stepped! Did you do all the work back there with the deck, patio etc too?

kien

07-14-2011, 02:47 AM

Nice yard... even stepped! Did you do all the work back there with the deck, patio etc too?

Thanks, and yes I did. Along with landscaping the third tier. There's a lot of yard :-(. Will have you guys over before the summer is out and I've cleaned up the somewhat neglected yard a bit..

Dez

07-14-2011, 03:30 AM

Sweet Kien. I love the overhanging deck. I'll be putting in a 17' x 33' pond in my yard mid to late August. I have 38 tons of rock coming. This rain we've had for the last 2 weeks has not helped with my landscaping. The mosquitos are also causing me to almost quit. You might not want to go deeper. I contemplated going more than 24" deep and didn't see it necessary. If you go more than 24" deep, then you have to get a permit to comply with Alberta swimming pool regulations. And as with more water volume, means more filtration needed. If your 24" is fine, I'd say leave it. It looks awesome with all those fish. Too bad the herons ate 10 of my fish :(. That's one main reason I'll have the bridge accross my new pond, for the fish to hide. Thanks for sharing. Love it.

kien

07-14-2011, 03:42 AM

Sweet Kien. I love the overhanging deck. I'll be putting in a 17' x 33' pond in my yard mid to late August. I have 38 tons of rock coming. This rain we've had for the last 2 weeks have not helped with my landscaping. The mosquitos are also causing me to almost quit. You might not want to go deeper. I contemplated going more than 24" deep and didn't see it necessary. If you go more than 24" deep, then you have to get a permit to comply with Alberta swimming pool regulations. And as with more water volume, means more filtration needed. If your 24" is fine, I'd say leave it. It looks awesome with all those fish. Too bad the herons ate 10 of my fish :(. That's one main reason I'll have the bridge accross my new pond, for the fish to hide. Thanks for sharing. Love it.

Holy crap that's a big pond Dez! LOL. Ya, I read up on all the regulations before I put the pond in which is why the pond is only 2 feet. I could probably live with the fence around it if I went deeper but I suspect in the end such an upgrade will likely suffer in the hands of laziness. Besides there are quite a few other things I need to do. I need to redesign the area around the pond. Would like to redo the retaining wall in something nicer. I also need to redo the waterfall. It was kind of a hack job and semi proof-of-concept that never seemed to leave the "concept" phase.. :lol:

Anyway, 24" does work out well for me but like with any aquatic hobby, the more volume the better (for the fish), not for the wallet or sanity though.. :-) Again, It's always on my mind but I doubt it'll happen.

Bridges are nice. The pond I built at my parents place is a figure 8 with a walking bridge over it. We do like to sit on the deck and sometimes put our feet over into the pond and let the fish nibble on our toes. :biggrin:

Dez

07-14-2011, 04:01 AM

kien

07-14-2011, 04:12 AM

How big is your pond? I think I'm going to cheat a bit and make my pond 27". I do have a 6' fence all the way around anyway, except for my gate which goes down to about 5' due to slope. Good tips on wintering. I'll be wintering for the first time this coming winter and moving my fish from the front pond to the back.

10' x 11'. There is a 1' ledge on the sides for plants, then it drops down to 2'. When I called the city of Calgary they said that you can not count your yard fence. Then fence around the pool/pond/puddle has to be within a few feet of the water but I can't exactly recall how close it has to be. Incidentally, my pond has a fence/wall on two sides that are about 4 feet from the water. I would just have to fence in two more sides which wouldn't be too bad, but I doubt I'll do it (dig deeper). Also, one time I called city hall and they said I would also have to put a sign up. I don't recall reading that anywhere though. City bylaws my be different between Calgary and Edmonton though.

To be honest, over wintering without the hoop-house was rather stressful. I'd be out there checking on the pond almost daily, not that there'd be anything I could do if I found a complete block of ice 2 feet deep :neutral:

My next door neighbour has a pond too that is only a foot (or maybe 18" deep) and they overwinter their fish outside too. Their pond is tiny, like 5' by 4' and they just blast it with flow to keep the water moving so that it doesn't freeze. I'm not so sure how the fish like that though..

lastlight

07-14-2011, 05:16 AM

You guys really are killing me. I want my old yard back!

Coleus

07-14-2011, 04:37 PM

Kien, even my wife said "wow..."

kien

07-14-2011, 05:36 PM

even my wife said "wow..."

Ya I get that a lot. BOW CHIKA BOW WOW :lol:

MMAX

07-15-2011, 01:59 PM

Good lookin pond. I have a 15' X 9' with a 4 step waterfall/stream. I comtimplated putting up a hut over it last fall but I went with the de-icer and one of my pumps pushing the warm water across the pond. I shut the main waterfalls off and just went with this system. The only problem with this is that it's murder on your power bill. I've read that running a de-icer is like leaving a hair blower on 24/7. What do you do though, all my fish survived. I went deeper with mine, about 38" in the middle, just make sure you have a 6' locking gate around the enclosure. I'll have to throw a few pics of mine in here. It's been running for about 3 years, looks good with all the plants grown in and the flowers blooming.

kien

07-23-2011, 01:03 AM

Blooms!

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6133/5965202953_4eca057e13_o.jpg

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6005/5965759270_e5b7034e00_o.jpg

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6022/5965203603_ce04594f52_o.jpg

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6142/5965758840_a594a16f6a_o.jpg

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6144/5965758744_e6934aae7d_o.jpg

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6027/5965203167_3ab2bdbd34_o.jpg

kien

07-23-2011, 01:08 AM

Fish!

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6002/5965203109_dc7ea7b082_o.jpg

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6149/5965203213_425856ca9e_o.jpg

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6125/5965758988_bc10d821ca_o.jpg

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6142/5965203367_f4618487c1_o.jpg

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6126/5965203449_29d01f7053_o.jpg

Dez

07-23-2011, 01:46 AM

Love the pink lily. I'll have to get me one of those after my pond is built.

fishytime

07-23-2011, 01:47 AM

Ive always thought koi were purdy ( I have a koifish tat on my leg)......do you have any crazy expensive ones ??

lastlight

07-23-2011, 02:01 AM

Love the shots man! Is that one plant anubias?

kien

07-23-2011, 02:07 AM

Love the pink lily. I'll have to get me one of those after my pond is built.

Ya, the pink is my fav. I have two pinks, a white and a yellow. Have had the 4 for the past three years and they have all bloomed every year quite well.

Ive always thought koi were purdy ( I have a koifish tat on my leg)......do you have any crazy expensive ones ??

Koi bring me a different level of enjoyment from watching my saltwater fish. The big differences being, I can sit by my pond and hand feed my koi and pet them as they swim by. They are so graceful and peaceful to watch from overhead as they glide through the water. The reef fish are quite different to watch as they are always darting around quickly, chasing each other.

I don't have any crazy expensive koi. The most expensive koi I have was $150 that I got when he was 6". He's now 20" and probably worth $500-$1000. All of the other koi were purchased at about the same length or smaller. They grow very fast. I have a lot of inexpensive American koi and mutts. Nothing showy other than that one I mentioned. I'm not really interested in the expensive showy fish. There are lots of pretty koi out there that are reasonably priced. I also have various goldfish, Sarasa, comets, Shubunkins, etc..

kien

07-23-2011, 02:15 AM

Love the shots man! Is that one plant anubias?

Nope. Don't have any of those. I think you are referring to the Pickerel Rush (Pondeteria cordata). They are currently in bloom too actually but I figured I'd already maxed out my pansy quotient for the day. :lol:

My big water gardening experiment this year is trying to grow blue Nile River water lilies and water lotus from seed :surprise: Last year I did manage to grow a water lotus from seed and get a few leaves from the seed. However, I made the mistake of placing them in the pond too soon and the fish at them :(

</pansy>

Frankly Canadian

07-23-2011, 02:37 AM

Nice Pond! I've been working on my backyard oasis for last couple years and I'm getting really close to completing it. Thanks for the info, I've been wondering what to do with my fish over winter and you've answered a few questions for me. I'll post my pics when I'm all finished.

kien

08-12-2011, 04:31 AM

Here's an update on one of my water gardening experiements. I'm attempting to grow out a batch of Water Lotus from seed. The seeds I ordered on-line from Thailand.

Here's one of the seeds which I nicked to prepare it.

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/WTRLOTUS_20110728_001.jpg

I have 4 colours, Red, Pink, Light Pink and white varieties. After nicking the seeds I then plunked them into small plastic containers with water.

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/WTRLOTUS_20110728_002.jpg

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/WTRLOTUS_20110728_003.jpg

I put them on a window sill and performed daily water changes.

About a week later they started to sprout.

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/WTRLOTUS_20110802_004.jpg

and sprout..

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/WTRLOTUS_20110806_007.jpg

and sprout..

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/WTRLOTUS_20110809_010.jpg

and we have our first leaf!

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/WTRLOTUS_20110809_009.jpg

If a mod happens upon this could you move this to the Freshwater forum? Please and thank you! :-D

lastlight

08-12-2011, 05:40 AM

I personally feel that cup is far too small for 4 seedlings. Beyond that it's an interesting project.

Everyone please do your research before trying this yourself.

kien

08-12-2011, 05:45 AM

You may not have noticed but once they sprouted they left the cup for a yogurt container. This weekend they'll be going into Instant Ocean buckets. (see what I just did there?? Still saltwater related).

kien

08-24-2011, 04:23 AM

nom nom nom nom

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6086/6075558904_015b84c3bf_b.jpg

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6210/6075020333_cedda0554a_o.jpg

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6073/6075020443_e45b54f4f8_b.jpg

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6184/6075559322_ebdfecb6f7_o.jpg

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6074/6075020733_1ee67946b1_o.jpg

FishyFishy!

08-26-2011, 12:51 AM

nom nom nom nom

"nom nom" LOL LOL LOL

muck

08-29-2011, 03:02 PM

Love the Koi shots Kien. :biggrin:

kien

09-01-2011, 05:26 AM

Love the Koi shots Kien. :biggrin:

Thanks Cankles :-)

Well, the season is about to wind down. Spent the good part of the summer rejuvenating the pond. Last year weeds had over taken the landscape around the pond and there were a few other things that required maintenance which kept me fairly busy. Here she is in the prime of her season this year.

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/KOIPOND_20110829_001.jpg

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/KOIPOND_20110829_003.jpg

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/KOIPOND_20110829_004.jpg

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/KOIPOND_20110829_005.jpg

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/KOIPOND_20110829_006.jpg

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/KOIPOND_20110829_007.jpg

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/KOIPOND_20110829_008.jpg

kien

09-01-2011, 05:28 AM

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/KOIPOND_20110829_009.jpg

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/KOIPOND_20110829_010.jpg

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/KOIPOND_20110829_012.jpg

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/KOIPOND_20110829_013.jpg

Coleus

09-01-2011, 06:18 AM

beautiful landscape and pond. So peaceful it seems

Doug

09-01-2011, 12:58 PM

Just beautiful. Very good work. Even the pics look relaxing.

kien

07-31-2012, 05:20 PM

Some pics of our outdoor Koi "tank" - Summer 2012 :-)

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/BACKYARD_20120724_024.jpg

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/BACKYARD_20120724_023.jpg

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/BACKYARD_20120724_022.jpg

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/BACKYARD_20120724_020.jpg

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/BACKYARD_20120724_018.jpg

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/BACKYARD_20120724_017.jpg

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/BACKYARD_20120724_009.jpg

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/BACKYARD_20120724_008.jpg

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/BACKYARD_20120724_006.jpg

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/BACKYARD_20120724_005.jpg

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/BACKYARD_20120724_021.jpg

kien

07-31-2012, 05:21 PM

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/BACKYARD_20120724_004.jpg

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/BACKYARD_20120724_003.jpg

FishyFishy!

07-31-2012, 05:24 PM

So ridiculously jealous of the outdoor sectional..... If it goes missing... I swear it wasn't me...

kien

07-31-2012, 05:25 PM

So ridiculously jealous of the outdoor sectional..... If it goes missing... I swear it wasn't me...

I'll blame Jared..

Ya I do love the sectional too. Its nice and confy! I could sit there for hours.. if I wasn't getting roasted by the sun LOL. Next up on my to-do list is to throw up a gazebo over the sectional. Well, maybe not an traditional gazebo but at least a roof with maybe screen walls/doors.

FishyFishy!

07-31-2012, 05:27 PM

I'll blame Jared..

HAHAHA sweet deal!

Looks great tho.

mandyplo

08-03-2012, 03:08 AM

mandyplo

08-03-2012, 03:47 AM

After looking at this entire thread I noticed I have a number of koi and one shubunkin that look almost identical to some of yours !! I'll have to post some pics :)

kien

08-05-2012, 06:31 PM

Wow absolutely gorgeous. Love that platinum butterfly! I'm on the search for one myself at the moment, told my bf its my only birthday wish lol!! Your pond is just beautiful. I really like the modern look to it... Makes me want to convert my "naturally looking" pond to one like yours! Uh oh.

Thanks! :-D Ya, I do like the natural look as well. However, that look just wouldn't work for the space at all. So instead of trying to fake out a natural pond setting I decided to make it more contemporary.

The platinum butterfly is definitely one of my favourites as well. They are hard to come by.

Zoaelite

08-05-2012, 06:40 PM

Looks stellar as always Kien! Any problems with fish snatchers this year?

kien

08-05-2012, 08:33 PM

Looks stellar as always Kien! Any problems with fish snatchers this year?

I did s a Heron one morning sizing up the pond but I chased it away and never saw it again. Have not noticed any missing fish :-)

Actually I have a lot of fry right now as the koi went all 50 shades of gray on me this past spring.

kien

08-05-2012, 08:34 PM

Not on *me* personally.. although.. Oh nevermind!

mandyplo

09-05-2012, 01:53 AM

I did s a Heron one morning sizing up the pond but I chased it away and never saw it again. Have not noticed any missing fish :-)

Actually I have a lot of fry right now as the koi went all 50 shades of gray on me this past spring.

I have some fry in my pond right now too! First time I've ever seen my koi breed! I was so excited I thought I was seeing things :D !!!

Vancouver Reefer

12-09-2012, 06:03 PM

Whats the filtration system you use on the pond? Is it hidden under the deck?

kien

12-09-2012, 08:07 PM

Whats the filtration system you use on the pond? Is it hidden under the deck?

It's a giant Laguna power filter hidden(ish) behind the waterfall :-)

kien

04-28-2013, 06:59 PM

So this year I decided to renovate the pond a bit. Nothing too dramatic. I'm planning to just add 2 feet in length and 6" in depth and re-cut some ledges for plants.

Right now the fish are living in a trough and the pond has been prepped for the re-dig!

Weeeeeeeeeeee!!

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/AA0F89B7-A647-4526-85E3-106C0578267D-11064-0000076FB8950736_zpsbaefd4d9.jpg

The Grizz

04-28-2013, 07:31 PM

The pond must have a closed loop I would imagine since you love them so much. :twised:

KevinK

04-29-2013, 03:19 AM

if I se all this, I miss my baby's

before immigrating I left my 10.000 gal koi pond, with about 40 kois in the 24 to 34 inch range + some in the 10 to 15 range.

my dad whom is getting older cant keep up with them (as it was al mine) is pumping the pond as we speak.

trucks are coming next week to fill her up.

all fish are donated to a zoo, as no one wanted to spend a dollar on it, and now he at least gets some annual entrance passes for it.

to bad, but I do miss it.

I would do it over right away, but have to wait for the lotto, as I cant keep that size of fish in the open here, so thy have to be in a out house/ greenhouse, or in a sunroom

kien

04-29-2013, 03:32 AM

It probably doesn't look all that different but believe me, there is a mountain of dirt and clay in my back yard that says otherwise!

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/7B0C33C3-71D5-49B9-B0FC-DCC91C75B6B9-11676-000007E15FFB749F_zps7ac8eae9.jpg

I was going to extend the length by 2 feet but after a day of digging I decided, eff that!! My back is killing me! Man I hate clay.

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/7A00F442-2DF7-4E34-B319-2B7952FFA530-11676-000007E159A91BCB_zpsdbf111dc.jpg

I did manage to complete all of my other goals though. The ledges have been completely re-cut and the space is better utilized. It is also 6" deeper right in the middle where it gradually slopes down.

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/91BC8A71-2B23-405F-9C0D-4CFE5013DCA2-11676-000007E166B175D2_zps226b43d3.jpg

Tomorrow I hope to drop down the new liner and start filling her up.

Have I mentioned that digging clay sucks goat nads?!

Dez

04-29-2013, 04:13 AM

kien

04-29-2013, 05:27 AM

Nice Kien. I'm debating renovating my front pond this year, but dread digging. I got my backyard pond up and running last weekend. I lost a few fish over the winter :(, but 35 of them survived. I found a baby that survived too!

I say you keep digging that 2 feet in length. It'll be worth it in the end.

35?! Wow you have a lot of fish. I suppose you have the room for them. I've been pretty lucky. Over three winters outside and I've only lost two. No losses this past winter. Last summer I did something different and that was to feed them more! 4 times a day with an auto-feeder. They got really fat LOL. Some are just simply too weak to withstand winter and you kinda have to accept that if you over winter outside.

Did I mention I hate digging?! I got to a point where my right forearm started to spasm and the muscle seized haha. Had to rest and massage it to loosen it up before I could continue. Ya, I have a desk job and I'm weak :-(

kien

04-29-2013, 05:32 AM

The pond must have a closed loop I would imagine since you love them so much. :twised:

Yes, as a matter of fact it does!

if I se all this, I miss my baby's

before immigrating I left my 10.000 gal koi pond, with about 40 kois in the 24 to 34 inch range + some in the 10 to 15 range.

my dad whom is getting older cant keep up with them (as it was al mine) is pumping the pond as we speak.

trucks are coming next week to fill her up.

all fish are donated to a zoo, as no one wanted to spend a dollar on it, and now he at least gets some annual entrance passes for it.

to bad, but I do miss it.

I would do it over right away, but have to wait for the lotto, as I cant keep that size of fish in the open here, so thy have to be in a out house/ greenhouse, or in a sunroom

They are addictive as they do develop quite a personality. I love feeding them by hand and they are so majestic to watch swimming around in the pond. 10,000 gallons?! Oh man, that's some water volume. I don't think I could handle that volume. My tiny volume is just about right for me. It can be a bit of a chore, especially when you start battling algae.

Dez

04-29-2013, 03:18 PM

What kind of auto feeder did you use? I only fed mine twice a day in the evening after work.

Delphinus

04-29-2013, 03:20 PM

I hear you on the digging Kien. I don't think I'll ever put a pond in at my place as I remember every single minute of digging the post holes for the fence the tree holes.. I'm right over top of some rather interesting glacial sill, which is probably more rock than clay but definitely the right amount of both to make digging very difficult. For the fence, I ran out of steam for the post holes with only two terminal holes left, I hired a bobcat to do the two holes and he broke his auger. He tells me afterwards "I am soooo raising my minimum price for any of your neighbours who hire me." :lol:

Anyhow so how do you battle algae in these things?

What's a water change like? Do you pump the outgoing water onto the grass, or what do you do with it? Can you get in trouble if you just pump it into a swail or a storm sewer?

FishyFishy!

04-29-2013, 03:33 PM

What's a water change like? Do you pump the outgoing water onto the grass, or what do you do with it? Can you get in trouble if you just pump it into a swail or a storm sewer?

I also wonder about peoples water changing regiments. Jared and I are going to be building a pond this spring, so i'm trying to plan before hand if I need some sort of a drain setup. Luckily I have a swail on the edge of my property right behind the pond, so drainage will be easy.

How often do you change water? Or do you even change water?

kien

04-29-2013, 03:53 PM

What kind of auto feeder did you use? I only fed mine twice a day in the evening after work.

When the pond started 7 years ago now I think, I only fed twice a day. Morning and evening because ya, those were the only times I was home! But everywhere I read says you should really be feeding them 3 to 4 times a day if you want them to put on some major weight. Especially if you plan to over winter outside in harsh climates. After using an auto-feeder on my Reef for a few years with great success I googled pond auto-feeders and found this:

http://blog.petsolutions.com/storage/post-images/35300348.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1331149439 300

It's called a fish mate p7000. I was going to order it online but then happend to find a bunch of them stocked at my local big box pet store! It has been a god send! The first few years the fish grew fine (or so I thought) but after a whole season with the auto-feeder, wow, growth was explosive! I have it programmed to feed 3 times a day while I'm at work but I will still feed them their 4th meal in the evenings myself. It's amazing their appetites! When I feed them in the evenings they act as if they haven't been fed all day! :lol:

I hear you on the digging Kien. I don't think I'll ever put a pond in at my place as I remember every single minute of digging the post holes for the fence the tree holes.. I'm right over top of some rather interesting glacial sill, which is probably more rock than clay but definitely the right amount of both to make digging very difficult. For the fence, I ran out of steam for the post holes with only two terminal holes left, I hired a bobcat to do the two holes and he broke his auger. He tells me afterwards "I am soooo raising my minimum price for any of your neighbours who hire me." :lol:

Anyhow so how do you battle algae in these things?

What's a water change like? Do you pump the outgoing water onto the grass, or what do you do with it? Can you get in trouble if you just pump it into a swail or a storm sewer?

Ya, digging sucks. The area where the pond is for some reason is really rocky too. I have a mountain of bolders as well that I dug up. Today I noticed that I have wonderful blisters on my right hand :lol: When I first dug out the pond I had my dad helping me and we did it over the course of an entire week. I do recall it being back breaking labour then as well but at least we spread out the workload a bit. Still, digging sucks!

I also wonder about peoples water changing regiments. Jared and I are going to be building a pond this spring, so i'm trying to plan before hand if I need some sort of a drain setup. Luckily I have a swail on the edge of my property right behind the pond, so drainage will be easy.

How often do you change water? Or do you even change water?

I have a swail that runs along the back edge of my property as well and that's where I typically drain the pond to. I honestly don't know if that's against bylaws. Maybe I should check LOL. I will often times drain the pond into the garden (flower beds, trees, vegetable garden, etc) as well. Pond water is wonderful for this.

Mike, I do not have a bottom drain but if you read on various pond/koi forums they will certainly always recommend you install a bottom drain into a new build. I thought about installing one in mine with the recent reno but honestly, 7 years running this pond and I never had major problems with sludge build up. Also, a lot of the sites that recommend the bottom drains are referring to people who live in much warmer climates. I fear the installation of a bottom drain in our climate because if a seal breaks down there, or if the pipe to the bottom drain cracks, you are SOL!! I would rather not risk that to be honest.

Previously I just sucked up the bottom of the pond with one of them laguna pond pumps but this year I'm going to do something slightly different. I'm going to build semi-bottom drain but with the plumbing in the pond and not under the pond in the ground. I am also building myself a new above ground filter system. Previously I just used an off the shelf powerfilter (laguna). It works, but I find it high maintenance to clean so often.

As for water changes, yes, every couple of weeks I do a 50% water changes. sometimes in the middle of summer because of the sun and algae I'll need to do a 50-75% every week! I've discovered the secret to keeping algae at bay though, and that is to grow floating plants like water hyacinth and water lettuce. Both will grow like weeds and out compete algae. My pond was so overgrown with floating plants I had to give and throw away bucket loads of them!

FishyFishy!

04-29-2013, 04:01 PM

Good to know where to get some plants this summer then! haha.

I'm thinking of using a laguna pond pump that pumps up to a custom rubbermaid filter that spits it out onto a rock waterfall. I'll probably just T the piping so that it can pump right into my swail with the turn of a couple valves.

Delphinus

04-29-2013, 04:36 PM

Well out of interest I started poking around the bylaws. Not surprisingly it's rather ambiguous...

Although not mentioned here in the FAQ:
http://www.calgary.ca/UEP/Water/Pages/Water-and-wastewater-systems/Storm-drainage-system/Drainage-bylaw/Information-for-Homeowners.aspx

The bylaw itself (http://www.calgary.ca/CA/city-clerks/Documents/Legislative-services/Bylaws/37m2005-Drainage.pdf) does seem to state that you can drain from a decorative pond so long as it is less than 3000 litres.

However, elsewhere, it mentions that a decorative pond is defined as "an artificial body of water for ornamental purposes but does not include fish ponds". But then.... nowhere does it say that fish ponds are allowed to be drained into a swale, but neither does it state "do not".

It does list that fish themselves can't be put into the drainage. But I can't find anything about water that has touched fish while in your custody.

Confused as ever as to whether the city feels they can fine you for draining a pond into the swales or not. :neutral: I know they will gleefully fine you if you don't keep it clean enough or if you dare put anything close to it or over top of it. That's a rant for another day though.

andestang

04-29-2013, 04:43 PM

If you need some help digging I could send over some eff'ing moles I have here :lol:. Think gophers are bad, at least you can see them to get them. I am worried about them damaging my pond liner.

Seriak

04-29-2013, 06:25 PM

My pond digging experience wasn't too bad. I did give up after my shovel was bouncing back at me every time I hit the ground because the ground was so hard, but no too many rocks. Lots of clay though. I filled it in last year and have decided to go with 3 level above ground pond this year.

In this climate I would not worry about a bottom drain. It's no worth it as we usually do not go deep enough to get under the frostline. A good pond vac is great.

Algae is not much of a problem if you keep enough plants in the pond and even better if you have a marsh area to plant even more plants. The trick is to keep the soil out of the pond as this adds lots of nutrients. I used a mixture of barley straw in my filter and concentrated barley and never had any problems with algae. I also used a UV to get rid of the green water when it got really bad.

I miss my pond and hopefully my multilevel design will help keep my plants apart from the fish and apart from the turtles. One thing kept eating the others. They don't do well together I find. :)

FishyFishy!

04-30-2013, 04:16 PM

I have a questions for you pond goers...

How important is the fabric underlay underneath the pond liner itself? I really don't want to buy one. lol.

kien

04-30-2013, 04:24 PM

I have a questions for you pond goers...

How important is the fabric underlay underneath the pond liner itself? I really don't want to buy one. lol.

That depends how smooth the dirt is going to be under your liner. I didn't use an underlay under mine either because like you, i was too cheap LOL. Instead, I made sure to get as many pointy rocks out as I could and laid down a significant layer of newspaper. I collected like 4 weeks worth of flyers from my house and my parents house. use duct tape to tape them together when you lay them down otherwise they will fly and shift all over the place! The newspaper was probably as thick as the underlay that you could buy and that cushioned the liner well. Also, I don't have any large trees with roots anywhere near my pond so I didn't have to worry about that, but if you do then you need to take those roots into consideration.

Mind you, I did look up what the underlay cost at Burnco just a few days ago and it's actually not that expensive there. for a 300sqft sheet that I would need I think it would only cost me like $60 ? That seems pretty cheap to me but honestly I think the thick layer of newspapers provided more cushioning.

With my reno I was going to do the same and lay down news papers/flyers again but this time I also have the added advantage of having my old pond liner that I will also use to lay down underneath the new liner.

Bottom line is, you should put something that you trust, in between the pond and the ground. You WILL need to walk inside the pond and you will probably lay down heavy pond plants/baskets, etc, so it's good to have that cushioning to prevent puncture.

Seriak

04-30-2013, 04:37 PM

I have a questions for you pond goers...

How important is the fabric underlay underneath the pond liner itself? I really don't want to buy one. lol.

I had a friend who was removing there old shag carpet and I took it off their hands and used it , but I agree with Kien you should have something because if you miss that one rock, the weight of the water pushing against it could cause a tear in your liner which is a lot bigger pain then buying some cheap underlayment at .25 per square foot.

Hey Kien, where did you buy that autofeeder. That is the exact one I want to buy but I was going to have it shipped as local prices were insane. Was the price similar to online vendors?

FishyFishy!

04-30-2013, 04:42 PM

Would carpet work? I have a ton of that lying around! haaha

kien

04-30-2013, 04:44 PM

I had a friend who was removing there old shag carpet and I took it off their hands and used it , but I agree with Kien you should have something because if you miss that one rock, the weight of the water pushing against it could cause a tear in your liner which is a lot bigger pain then buying some cheap underlayment at .25 per square foot.

Hey Kien, where did you buy that autofeeder. That is the exact one I want to buy but I was going to have it shipped as local prices were insane. Was the price similar to online vendors?

I got it at Pisces up north. It was the same price as online (but without the cost of shipping). This was last year though. Not sure what the retail would be this year.

Ya, I've seen people use all sorts of stuff as underlay. Carpet, carpet underlay, thick vapour barrier. Even a combination of all of the above. Had a friend that put carpet on all the horizontal spots and newspaper on all the vertical walls. Looked funny but worked great.

kien

04-30-2013, 04:46 PM

Would carpet work? I have a ton of that lying around! haaha

yes :-) A few years back a friend of mine and I went dumpster diving at construction sites for old carpet and underlay to use in his pond LOL.

FishyFishy!

04-30-2013, 04:47 PM

Ya, I've seen people use all sorts of stuff as underlay. Carpet, carpet underlay, thick vapour barrier. Even a combination of all of the above. Had a friend that put carpet on all the horizontal spots and newspaper on all the vertical walls. Looked funny but worked great.

Thats great news. Mine is going to be about 1 foot underground, and 2 foot above ground, so a plywood form was going to be used anyways. It would be super easy to staple some carpet to it. Save me some $$$

kien

04-30-2013, 04:51 PM

Thats great news. Mine is going to be about 1 foot underground, and 2 foot above ground, so a plywood form was going to be used anyways. It would be super easy to staple some carpet to it. Save me some $$$

That sounds like a great size ! I'm too chicken to go 36". While that would be a great depth, a) I have young kids and b) there does exist a bylaw that says 24" is the max that you're allowed unless you have a 6' fence with a gate immediately surrounding your water feature, or some such thing. I've seen quite a few ponds that ignore that bylaw though :-)

kien

04-30-2013, 04:52 PM

Seriak

04-30-2013, 05:10 PM

wait, shouldn't you be discussing this in your build thread?!?! :lol:

Well you did delay your build because of a little snow so we thought we might as well take advantage of that.

kien

04-30-2013, 05:11 PM

Well you did delay your build because of a little snow so we thought we might as well take advantage of that.

Good point. Carry on.

Seriak

04-30-2013, 05:12 PM

FishyFishy!

04-30-2013, 06:39 PM

wait, shouldn't you be discussing this in your build thread?!?! :lol:

HAHAH ... NO! I want mine to be all pretty. Not cluttered up with silly banter like this one!

And...... every time I start a build thread it plagues the build and it ends up shutting down half way lol.

kien

04-30-2013, 10:08 PM

.. it plagues the build and it ends up shutting down half way lol.

or you could just man-up and finish the damn build. Just sayin'.:lol:

intarsiabox

05-01-2013, 01:38 AM

I have a questions for you pond goers...

How important is the fabric underlay underneath the pond liner itself? I really don't want to buy one. lol.

I just made sure all rocks were out of the hole and put news paper under my rubber liner. It lasted 10 years without a single leak until I sold the house. Even after 10 years the liner was still soft and pliable.

kien

05-09-2013, 06:08 AM

Made some progress on the renos. I ended up using the old liner as an underlayment to protect the new liner. I decided to throw down some cardboard on all the horizontal surfaces as well.

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/58A946B3-729B-42B5-BA5A-977FB673A8A7-496-000000335C8CBBE9_zps7be5e140.jpg

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/7D86A6C2-1272-4C03-9D61-7D5B2E56EE49-496-0000003329F46643_zps3d430955.jpg

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/520C322F-DF2F-4789-9A56-2763687264F2-496-000000331F957340_zps6fa91833.jpg

I then picked up the new pond liner and spread it out on my yard to spray it down. The manufacturer usually coats these liners with talcum powder to help keep the liner from sticking together when it's all rolled up.
http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/EA699D6C-FFFA-4034-8FA1-18E667BD94C9-496-0000003310A90940_zpse6a513c3.jpg

I then proceeded to roll it up again so that it was easier to haul over to the pond in my wagon. I then unrolled the new liner in place and started to fill with water.

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/CE00566D-45F3-43CB-BA33-9C1A333E1F0F-496-0000003300BF8CF0_zpsa7a631b9.jpg

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/255161F7-D4E2-43A1-A48C-691A62414A92-496-00000032F307C6BD_zpsf666b270.jpg

Hopefully this weekend I can finish up the landscaping around the pond and start on the waterfall.

And here are some of my plants waiting to be returned to the pond.

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/953AE17D-8803-4B60-83B2-4F6FF468C308-496-00000032DFF61899_zpse3c0ab46.jpg

This bog plant that I grow in the pond has actually bloomed already.

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/0C08AE7A-EB1C-4C09-B325-189B758FFB9E-496-00000032F9B60B76_zps76c1c7ea.jpg

MMAX

05-09-2013, 11:42 AM

Marsh marigold is always the first to bloom. Mine hasn't started yet but it's close.

kien

05-09-2013, 01:30 PM

Marsh marigold is always the first to bloom. Mine hasn't started yet but it's close.

Which is strange because there are no pollinating bugs out yet, I don't think!

lastlight

05-09-2013, 03:16 PM

lookin' good hombre.

Oilers

05-09-2013, 03:20 PM

Kien,
Your pond is looking better and better each year. I am just wondering what the use of the cardboard is.

kien

05-09-2013, 03:35 PM

Kien,
Your pond is looking better and better each year. I am just wondering what the use of the cardboard is.

Thanks! For additional cushioning to help keep sharp objects like rocks and twigs from poking at the pond liner. It's a bit overkill but I had LOTS of cardboard boxes around and it worked out quite well. A lot cheaper than buying actual pond liner fabric. I have also previously used a generous layer of newspapers and have also seen old carpet or carpet underlayment used.

Oilers

05-09-2013, 03:42 PM

Thanks! For additional cushioning to help keep sharp objects like rocks and twigs from poking at the pond liner. It's a bit overkill but I had LOTS of cardboard boxes around and it worked out quite well. A lot cheaper than buying actual pond liner fabric. I have also previously used a generous layer of newspapers and have also seen old carpet or carpet underlayment used.

Thanks for the info. Your pond and Dez's are my inspiration of getting a pond myself. I will probably have tons of questions for you when I do have the courage and $$$ to get it started if you don't mind.

kien

05-09-2013, 03:46 PM

Thanks for the info. Your pond and Dez's are my inspiration of getting a pond myself. I will probably have tons of questions for you when I do have the courage and $$$ to get it started if you don't mind.

Don't mind at all. It's not as expensive as you might think. Well, I suppose it depends how big you want to make your pond. My 300 square foot pond liner was only like $250. Probably the bulk of your cost is going to be landscaping materials like rocks or whatever you choose to landscape your pond with. But also, you can still enjoy your pond while your slowly landscape the around it :-)

Oilers

05-09-2013, 03:51 PM

Don't mind at all. It's not as expensive as you might think. Well, I suppose it depends how big you want to make your pond. My 300 square foot pond liner was only like $250. Probably the bulk of your cost is going to be landscaping materials like rocks or whatever you choose to landscape your pond with. But also, you can still enjoy your pond while your slowly landscape the around it :-)

Yeah, I have nothing in term of rocks or landscaping. I don't even have a fence yet :redface: If I get everything done, it's probably in the 10K plus. Yikes!

kien

05-09-2013, 04:42 PM

Yeah, I have nothing in term of rocks or landscaping. I don't even have a fence yet :redface: If I get everything done, it's probably in the 10K plus. Yikes!

Well then, I suggest you work on the fence first maybe :-) I take it you have a new house? If so, ya, you have an uphill battle with landscaping ahead of you! Been there, done that..

Oilers

05-09-2013, 04:51 PM

Well then, I suggest you work on the fence first maybe :-) I take it you have a new house? If so, ya, you have an uphill battle with landscaping ahead of you! Been there, done that..
Maybe this is a stupid question but would it be wiser to put the fence (with a gate) in later so it's easier to move things in (rocks, tree, etc).
My house is newish. I have a lawn, fence on one side but not the other.

Seriak

05-09-2013, 04:56 PM

Hey Kien,

How do you overwinter your plants and where did you buy the liner from?

kien

05-09-2013, 05:04 PM

Maybe this is a stupid question but would it be wiser to put the fence (with a gate) in later so it's easier to move things in (rocks, tree, etc).
My house is newish. I have a lawn, fence on one side but not the other.

Well, I'm not a landscaper and don't know what your yard is like, but it probably wouldn't be a good idea to put a gate into your face if it shares the fence with a neighbour. The new neighbour might not like that. I know I wouldn't. If you have a back lane then I would definitely put a gate there. I suspect you will have a gate to access the back yard from the front yard?

For me I have two gates to access my back yard from the front yard. This is handy for hauling stuff from the front to the back yard If you don't have a back lane typically landscape companies like Burnco will drop off your stuff on your front driveway where you'll have to haul it to the back yard.

kien

05-09-2013, 05:05 PM

Hey Kien,

How do you overwinter your plants and where did you buy the liner from?

All of my plants hang out in the pond with my fish over the winter. They've done well for 4 winters now and come back every spring. Sometimes they start trying to sprout through the thin layer of ice in the early spring (March/April).

I got my liner from Burnco in the South East.

MMAX

05-09-2013, 11:20 PM

Which is strange because there are no pollinating bugs out yet, I don't think!

Not really that strange, it will sometimes bloom in April but spring arrived late. You don't need pollinating bugs to get flowers, but there's plenty out my way, both bees and butterflies.

kien

05-09-2013, 11:29 PM

Not really that strange, it will sometimes bloom in April but spring arrived late. You don't need pollinating bugs to get flowers, but there's plenty out my way, both bees and butterflies.

Ya I know it's possible and happens all the time. I have daffodils and crocus flowers everywhere which I always thought was strange too. I guess I'm looking at it from a genetic point of view. Over years of evolution, I would have thought that plants would "learn" bloom at the optimum time for pollination. As it is I think my blooms are wasting their energy :-). Maybe these plants aren't indigenous? I dunno, I'm no botanist !

Delphinus

05-10-2013, 04:12 AM

Lots of bugs been out and about for a while! I was seeing mosquitoes over a month ago even with all the snow. Hardy little buggers.

kien

05-10-2013, 04:28 AM

Lots of bugs been out and about for a while! I was seeing mosquitoes over a month ago even with all the snow. Hardy little buggers.

Mosquitoes don't pollinate. They just suck blood! :-)

Delphinus

05-10-2013, 05:01 AM

Well, the females anyhow :p

There have been, you know, other insects out and about. They're out there... pollinators and non pollinators alike.. I just meant I was dismayed to see mosquitoes in particular over a month ago already. Nothing slows them down, apparently!

And as long as you're enjoying the flowers I don't think your plants are wasting their energy. :)

kien

05-10-2013, 05:07 AM

Ya I don't have anything against blooms. My indoor plants bloom year round with no bugs at all LOL.

Dez

05-10-2013, 01:03 PM

Thanks for the info. Your pond and Dez's are my inspiration of getting a pond myself. I will probably have tons of questions for you when I do have the courage and $$$ to get it started if you don't mind.

In terms of rock, my pond in the front yard is a 5 x 10 pond 2 and a 1/2 shelf high with a 19' stream bed and I didn't pay for a single piece of rock. My wife and I drove around a couple of nights a week to new neighborhoods and looked for freshly excavated sites for houses to look for rocks. It took a little while, but free is better than spending $$$$. I'm not sure how much rock costs, but I'm sure it ain't cheap.

Oilers

05-10-2013, 02:30 PM

In terms of rock, my pond in the front yard is a 5 x 10 pond 2 and a 1/2 shelf high with a 19' stream bed and I didn't pay for a single piece of rock. My wife and I drove around a couple of nights a week to new neighborhoods and looked for freshly excavated sites for houses to look for rocks. It took a little while, but free is better than spending $$$$. I'm not sure how much rock costs, but I'm sure it ain't cheap.
Thanks Dez. Now I know what I will be doing during my free nights then :mrgreen:

MMAX

05-10-2013, 03:14 PM

Thanks Dez. Now I know what I will be doing during my free nights then :mrgreen:

Just like mine too. Countryside ditches, trips out west to the mountains and best of all co-workers with huge rock piles on their land. I would be interested to see how many pounds of rock I hauled to build mine--probably a couple of tonnes at least. I have nothing against Burnco but do yourself a favour and save yourself a pile of cash. Rock from these places cost a fortune.

kien

05-10-2013, 03:25 PM

Just like mine too. Countryside ditches, trips out west to the mountains and best of all co-workers with huge rock piles on their land. I would be interested to see how many pounds of rock I hauled to build mine--probably a couple of tonnes at least. I have nothing against Burnco but do yourself a favour and save yourself a pile of cash. Rock from these places cost a fortune.

+1

I also dug up a lot of medium sized boulders when I dug out the pond that is good for landscaping. I also found a construction site near my house that had a pile of boulders that they dug up and needed to get rid of. They were dirty and covered in mud/dirt but they were free!! :biggrin:

Dez

05-10-2013, 04:39 PM

A long plank is your friend. Back up the truck to the boulder, then roll it up into the truck.

IanWR

05-10-2013, 07:17 PM

We found the pot lifter (http://www.leevalley.com/en/garden/page.aspx?cat=2,2180&p=63382) to be a useful tool to gather/place rocks. With two people you can move fairly large rocks, and it even helps move rocks by yourself. Btw, a pleasant bonus to find pond chat on a reef site. :)

- Ian

kien

05-10-2013, 09:01 PM

kien

05-14-2013, 04:45 AM

The pond is now back online! Granted it doesn't really look any different than before :lol:

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7287/8737719356_65e520f3b5_o.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7283/8737719880_0e50aab576_o.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7285/8736599789_f6a83022eb_o.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7281/8737721184_4e42f75c55_o.jpg

kien

05-14-2013, 04:51 AM

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7282/8736599619_9b915f6e29_o.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7288/8736599571_c5dfb70bf6_o.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7288/8736599375_13c20e1ebd_o.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7283/8736599245_44deeb9dff_o.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7281/8736599051_017bc84fc3_o.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7284/8737720468_b1ae263e12_o.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7281/8737720400_dcac075058_o.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7288/8736598851_5c4262ab4e_o.jpg

Dez

05-14-2013, 01:25 PM

kien

05-14-2013, 01:34 PM

Nice Kien! I love the pic of the koi just about to take in a mouthful of food. Was that covered structure there behind the deck before? Looks like it's a completely waterproof roof. When did you build that? Nice pictures.

Thanks! That's my gazebo that I built last fall. Yes the roof is waterproof, covered with semi-transparent polycarbonate panels. I still need to finish painting it. Plus I intend to cover some of the windows with plexiglass and some with bug screen/mosquito netting.

FishyFishy!

05-14-2013, 01:49 PM

Thanks! That's my gazebo that I built last fall. Yes the roof is waterproof, covered with semi-transparent polycarbonate panels. I still need to finish painting it. Plus I intend to cover some of the windows with plexiglass and some with bug screen/mosquito netting.

That looks great! That will be a nice little chill area for the summer for sure!

kien

05-14-2013, 01:57 PM

That looks great! That will be a nice little chill area for the summer for sure!

Yup that's the plan :-). I found that we couldn't sit back there for a long period of time because we would just get roasted by the sun! You've seen my back yard, it's pretty exposed there. Or at least it was :-)

lastlight

05-14-2013, 03:11 PM

not the most flattering shots of those hungry gaping suckers lol. you got that put back together fast it looks great man.

Lexy

05-14-2013, 03:24 PM

Hello Kein, I really enjoy reading this thread. Thanks for sharing and I m a koi man lol. I do own a koi pond too and I ve been looking for a Japanese pagoda ( not Chinese) similar to the pic here. Does anyone know where about I can purchase it, I don't mind making a trip to Calgary or Vancouver.

kien

05-14-2013, 03:29 PM

not the most flattering shots of those hungry gaping suckers lol. you got that put back together fast it looks great man.

ya, it seems any time I photograph them they are stuffing their faces!

Hello Kein, I really enjoy reading this thread. Thanks for sharing and I m a koi man lol. I do own a koi pond too and I ve been looking for a Japanese pagoda ( not Chinese) similar to the pic here. Does anyone know where about I can purchase it, I don't mind making a trip to Calgary or Vancouver.

Thanks :-) You should post some pictures of your pond! I like how you are picky about your pagodas :lol: That is a nice looking pagoda though! I saw one like that once at Sunnyside garden centre in Calgary. They have the largest selection of garden ornaments.

lastlight

05-14-2013, 03:43 PM

You should post some pictures of your pond!

http://www.myalbum.ca/Foto-YETESZFQ.jpg

looks like a big one!

kien

05-14-2013, 03:45 PM

http://www.myalbum.ca/Foto-YETESZFQ.jpg

looks like a big one!

ya, that's why I asked them to post the pics. That pond looks insane and I'm sure lots of other people would love to see it. This is why we have a Pond/Koi forum!! :biggrin:

Oilers

05-14-2013, 04:03 PM

ya, that's why I asked them to post the pics. That pond looks insane and I'm sure lots of other people would love to see it. This is why we have a Pond/Koi forum!! :biggrin:
That pond is absolutely amazing. I was there last weekend. You should ask him to post some pictures of his koi. Man, some of them are as big as my thighs!!

kien

05-14-2013, 04:07 PM

That pond is absolutely amazing. I was there last weekend. You should ask him to post some pictures of his koi. Man, some of them are as big as my thighs!!

I can tell from those pictures that some of those fish weigh about as much as I do :surprise:

Lexy

05-14-2013, 04:07 PM

ya, it seems any time I photograph them they are stuffing their faces!

Thanks :-) You should post some pictures of your pond! I like how you are picky about your pagodas :lol: That is a nice looking pagoda though! I saw one like that once at Sunnyside garden centre in Calgary. They have the largest selection of garden ornaments.

Thanks I give them a call. Look like someone is already ahead of me lol.

kien

05-14-2013, 04:10 PM

Thanks I give them a call. Look like someone is already ahead of me lol.

What would really be nice is a pond journal where you can share all the details of your pond! How deep is it?? Do you over winter outside?? How often do you feed? What do you feed?? How do you battle algae?? Is that an aerator I see?? Where do you get your koi from?? Don't answer those questions here. Start a thread!! :biggrin:

MMAX

05-14-2013, 11:44 PM

You know of any places to get some nice larger sized koi at a decent price?

AquaticFinatic

05-15-2013, 02:29 AM

I apologize if you have mentioned before but how do you winter your fish? I lost all mine this year so am after some tips. Same with des if he sees this. Tia

Trabby

05-15-2013, 03:42 AM

Looks great!! I've had spent mothers day getting my waterfall an pond back online..... Love this time of year. We had 6 baby fish overwinter :lol:

kien

05-15-2013, 03:49 AM

You know of any places to get some nice larger sized koi at a decent price?

Hmm, that kinda depends what you consider a "decent" price :lol: I've noticed over the years that Koi prices are all over the place. There are inexpensive "mutts" that are still attractive but not "show quality". Then there are true "show quality" koi that are insanely priced. Anyway, the best selection of koi in Calgary so far is the big box store. They have some pretty big koi. Again, I don't know if you'd consider them decent priced or not :-) Most of my koi I got a few years ago when they were 6"-8" and ranged in price from $11 to $100. A baby koi can easily double in size in a year! Feed them good high quality high protein food a lot and they will grow big and fast!

I apologize if you have mentioned before but how do you winter your fish? I lost all mine this year so am after some tips. Same with des if he sees this. Tia

Sorry to hear about your loss :( It's tough to lose koi because they are so personable. I over winter my fish outside in the pond and have been donig this for 4 years now with great success. For me, what has worked out well is to keep the surface of the pond agitated and moving, over the winter. This alone helps to keep the pond from freezing solid. On the colder days and nights the pond will still freeze down about 2 to 3" but this is a good thing. It helps to insulate the pond and keep windchill from continuing to cool and freeze the pond. The pump in the pond moving the water under the 3" of ice helps to keep the pond from freezing solid. Kinda like how parts of the river don't freeze over the winter because it's moving. In addition to this, it is very very very important to float a de-icer on your pond. You can buy pond de-icer's at your LFS. Note that these are simply meant to keep a small hold in the ice and not to warm the entire pond! This helps to keep a hole in the ice so that gas can escape from the pond. And finally one other thing I make sure of is that the very bottom of the pond, at 24" down is not disturbed by the pump. The fish will huddle down there over the winter and hibernate. It's warmest down there thanks to the heat of the ground. You don't want to mix water that's down there with water from the upper part of the pond that's colder. When I circulate the pond water with my winter pump I place it at the top 1 foot shelf in my pond (where my marginal plants normally sit).

Something else that I've done in the past as well is to build a hoop house over top of the pond. It's essentially a PVC tube structure (the frame), with clear pvc plastic draped over it. This acts as a green house for the pond over the winter and worked out well. However, it is added maintenance to set it up every fall and take it down every spring. Both methods (with and without the hoop house) worked for me.

Hope that helps.

Delphinus

05-15-2013, 03:52 AM

Do you lose a lot to evaporation over the winter? The air is so dry here..

kien

05-15-2013, 03:54 AM

Do you lose a lot to evaporation over the winter? The air is so dry here..

Actually no, I don't find that I lose much water at all. I think once the ice forms over the pond that helps to keep the wind off of it which cuts down on evap.

Dez

05-15-2013, 01:22 PM

My regime is slightly different than Kien's. I take the styrofoam out of the floating deicer heater and let it sink to the bottom. It only kicks on at 7c. Then I run an airstone on the first shelf 2 ft away from the heater which brings the warmer water up. I keep the air pump in the shed and cover in with a large Rubbermaid container and blanket so that the heat that the pump generates stays in the Rubbermaid and gets pumped to the pond. I do not run a water pump. When it gets really cold, I will shovel snow onto the frozen surface to help insulate the whole pond. This has worked well for the past 2 winters since I've had my big pond.

Oilers

05-15-2013, 04:01 PM

Kien,
What type of filter media do you use? Can you show us a couple pictures of the filter system?

kien

05-15-2013, 04:11 PM

Kien,
What type of filter media do you use? Can you show us a couple pictures of the filter system?

My filtration is fairly simple. It amounts to a giant canister filter built by Laguna called a Pressure Flo.

http://www.aquapetbargain.com/photo/Hagen-Laguna-PT1504-Pond-Filter.jpg

I have a pond pump that sucks up water and debris from the bottom of the pond and pushes it into the canister filter. The canister filter has foam pads for mechanical filtration. It also contains bioballs for biological filtration. It also has a UV sterilizer built in to nuke algae spores.

I also have bio balls in my water fall. In addition, this year I am installing an in-pond skimmer that skims the surface for debris like leaves and dead plants. I've managed to get by the past few years without a skimmer but having one will make your life a lot easier. I am constantly netting/scooping gunk like dead leaves off the bottom of the pond. This is fairly important because there is no clean up crew in the pond! Those dead leaves will just rot down there. A pond skimmer (either in-pond or out of pond) will go a long ways in helping to keep this debris from accumulating in your pond.

http://i1.ytimg.com/vi/xHm7GcaUJag/hqdefault.jpg

Oilers

05-15-2013, 04:35 PM

I have a pond pump that sucks up water and debris from the bottom of the pond and pushes it into the canister filter. The canister filter has foam pads for mechanical filtration. It also contains bioballs for biological filtration. It also has a UV sterilizer built in to nuke algae spores.

I've read that ideally the pump should be able to pump half of the pond's volume every hour. Does that apply to all the pumps? What brand of pump would you recommend or use?

kien

05-15-2013, 04:49 PM

I've read that ideally the pump should be able to pump half of the pond's volume every hour. Does that apply to all the pumps? What brand of pump would you recommend or use?

ya, that's a good rule of thumb. In the case of ponds and koi husbandry, definitely the more the better. Koi are messy fish! As an example, my canister filter (Pressure Flo) and its accompanying pump (Laguna max-flow) is rated for 3200 gallons per hour. My pond is roughly 1000g. The pump has worked flawlessly for 3 years now.

http://www.transaquariumsonline.com.au/ProdImages/Filters/laguna%20maxflo.jpg

In the winter I take my canister filter off-line and store it, but I keep the pump on to circulate and move the water in the pond. The canister filter is not needed in the winter because the fish don't eat so they don't generate much waste and algae is dormant so there's not much to clean.

This is just one of many different methods of filtration. I also maintain a pond at my parents house and there they use an above ground box/water fall filter.

http://www.lagunaponds.com/lagunaeng/images/filters/skimmerfilterfalls5000.jpg

It works just as well. The key is, whatever you decide to use, make sure it's easy for you to maintain. My canister filter is nice because it has a backwash port which I can dial to when I need to flush out the filter pads. Then there are handy handles that I plunge on the filter that I can use to clean the pads of debris. The gunk gets washed out of the canister and into my garden/flow beds.

Reef Pilot

05-15-2013, 07:25 PM

We inherited a pond when we bought our house a few years ago. It has this big filter box (says screenex on top) about 3 ft wide, and this rather large pump in the sump portion of the pond. No idea what they are, but they just keep going,... no maintenance.
http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s540/wklatt/004_zps4986d849.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/wklatt/media/004_zps4986d849.jpg.html)

http://i1304.photobucket.com/albums/s540/wklatt/009_zps11d1a9c8.jpg (http://s1304.photobucket.com/user/wklatt/media/009_zps11d1a9c8.jpg.html)

kien

05-15-2013, 07:45 PM

I need to see pictures of this pond! Preferably in your pond thread :-)

kien

07-11-2013, 05:44 AM

Lilies have been blooming for a little while now. It's hard to photograph them because they only bloom for like 6 hours out of the whole day and right in the middle of the day when the sun his high in the sky blasting them with light. Great for them, not so great for photo taking :neutral: Anyway, managed to catch these ones on a cloudy day.

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2872/9260847442_a74f69b992_o.jpg

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3683/9260847666_5245c7c66d_o.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7443/9260847568_68a47c0421_o.jpg

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3696/9258068325_9145eca07b_o.jpg

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3761/9258068525_b1f5b60687_o.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7418/9258068807_7b5c27465d_o.jpg

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5458/9258068971_0e9928314d_o.jpg

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2815/9260850446_1429a0ba99_o.jpg

Any here's that gazebo that I talked about putting up last year.

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5445/9260849036_2f1a26b2f5_o.jpg

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3667/9258069579_83d95e5946_o.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7293/9260848828_45194dc820_o.jpg

In a couple of weeks I hope to start working on screening off all the windows and doors of the gazebo with bug screen.

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2863/9258071495_ecab313282_o.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7286/9260852558_5c54558020_o.jpg

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2875/9258073139_8769289d96_o.jpg

kien

07-11-2013, 05:48 AM

Full Pond View!

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3671/9260849668_c45e91aaa2_o.jpg

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3722/9258070175_fb77273095_o.jpg

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5481/9258070463_9a640acb23_o.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7341/9260850740_426050db26_o.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7423/9258071097_0591735e26_o.jpg

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3785/9260851646_63192d4e18_o.jpg

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2849/9258072857_d22f2d335d_o.jpg

Dez

07-11-2013, 01:48 PM

Awesome stuff Kien!

Reef Pilot

07-11-2013, 01:51 PM

Beautiful!!

FishyFishy!

07-11-2013, 01:59 PM

Dang you and your back yard of beauty!!

Jealous.

michika

07-11-2013, 03:03 PM

Wow, that is just stunning. The photos are great.

gregzz4

07-12-2013, 04:34 AM

Looks soooo relaxing Kien !!
Good place to hide from tank issues
Great pics

The Grizz

08-08-2013, 04:58 AM

AMAZING Kiener simply amazing!! Hope my pond turns out half as nice as yours.

kien

08-08-2013, 05:02 AM

Looks soooo relaxing Kien !!
Good place to hide from tank issues
Great pics

Yup, for sure! Not that I ever have any tank issues.. :lol: :lol: :rofl: :pound: :pound: :lol: :rofl:

AMAZING Kiener simply amazing!! Hope my pond turns out half as nice as yours.

Thanks! Speaking of your pond, where is that build thread Mr. Fancy Sump.

thmh

08-08-2013, 05:20 AM

Kien I wanna visit Calgary just for your Koi zen pond!

~Tony

Seriak

08-08-2013, 02:34 PM

Awesome. Where did you get your water lettuce. I need some of that. :)

kien

08-08-2013, 03:15 PM

Kien I wanna visit Calgary just for your Koi zen pond!

~Tony

Sure thing bro! We can sit out back by the pond and totally ignore the fact that there are perfectly good mountain biking trails all around us.

Awesome. Where did you get your water lettuce. I need some of that. :)

I got them from the Big P up north on McKnight. Every spring they bring in tonnes of the stuff. I've also seen them at Sunny Side garden centre though, but they are pricier there.

By around now the water lettuce and water hyacinth overgrows my pond and I end up harvesting bucket loads every weekend to give away, so if you want a few heads come on by.

Seriak

08-08-2013, 03:36 PM

I got them from the Big P up north on McKnight. Every spring they bring in tonnes of the stuff. I've also seen them at Sunny Side garden centre though, but they are pricier there.

By around now the water lettuce and water hyacinth overgrows my pond and I end up harvesting bucket loads every weekend to give away, so if you want a few heads come on by.

Only if you are one of those southern reefers. :)

Delphinus

08-08-2013, 03:37 PM

We can sit out back by the pond and totally ignore the fact that there are perfectly good mountain biking trails all around us.

That actually made me cry a little bit.

Although with that pond I guess I could see the temptation! :razz:

kien

08-08-2013, 03:37 PM

Only if you are one of those southern reefers. :)

Riverbend. That suth'n 'nuff for y'all ?

kien

08-08-2013, 03:38 PM

That actually made me cry a little bit.

Although with that pond I guess I could see the temptation! :razz:

I did cringe a little bit when I hit the post button on that one.. :neutral:

kien

08-08-2013, 03:43 PM

That actually made me cry a little bit.

Although with that pond I guess I could see the temptation! :razz:

speaking of crying, it's probably a bit wet for the trails today ? I'm good with pathway if you're still interested. I also brought my running clothes though so I'm also OK with aborting the ride altogether. Although, with the new rules I think you have to ask permission before you can go ? Let me know if you get permission to go K ?

Skimmerking

08-08-2013, 04:00 PM

:pop2:

The Grizz

08-08-2013, 04:02 PM

Thanks! Speaking of your pond, where is that build thread Mr. Fancy Sump.

It's still a work in progress, nothing but a small hole in the ground ATM. Build thread will come as soon as I get a chance to work on it some more.

Stay clear..... this Bear bites off limbs!!

Toongraeme

10-23-2013, 05:46 AM

Hey, awesome garden! Wish that was mine lol.... Just wondering what you do with the plants during winter? And the lillies?

kien

10-23-2013, 01:43 PM

Hey, awesome garden! Wish that was mine lol.... Just wondering what you do with the plants during winter? And the lillies?

Thanks! All my plants, including the water plants, are perennials. I simply cut back their foliage and leave then in the pond over the winter. They come back every spring.

riceboy

10-29-2013, 06:51 PM

damn i just looked through this the next reef meet (when its warm outside) should be at ur place that backyard is beautiful

kien

10-29-2013, 07:32 PM

damn i just looked through this the next reef meet (when its warm outside) should be at ur place that backyard is beautiful

Thanks! :biggrin:

cbrine

10-30-2013, 05:07 AM

niiiiiiiice Koi!!! my parents are now on their 2nd pond (they upgraded to a bigger dug in one awhile ago) and they too overwinter theirs. Its waaaaaaaaaaay to much work for me (3 jobs, a soon to be 3 year old, and 3 dogs). lol my marine aquarium is all I am willing to deal with.
Where did you get your Koi from? They too after a few years of bringing them in for the winter just kept them outside and have a small wooden cover to help decrease snow buildup, use an deicer and a pretty strong pump to help with flow seems to work well for them. Interesting to see your set up (as always) since we do not see too many people with ponds and fish.
:)

kien

04-06-2014, 08:12 PM

Well, I think spring has finally sprung here in cowtown ! Of course it's only April which means there's still plenty of snow left to fall, but at least the sun is out and the temperature is above zero !

First order of business, water change! After a long and harsher than normal winter I could tell that the fish needed a good old fashioned water change.

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/D3AD8BF3-7921-4CF8-899E-A1DD85FB0E48_zpsct3klttx.jpg

Signs of life! Looks like my lilies are ready for spring too.

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/53650D11-4EBA-410C-9EC9-56B10B88C263_zpstqxc1kdm.jpg

There's still another month and a bit left of over-wintering before I can feed the fish since the water is still quite cold. They're mostly huddled at the bottom keeping warm and conserving energy. Some of them have started to wake up and swim about more.

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/3ECA36C5-9EB5-48C5-A6DF-FA46D3B40004_zpsr9cduiog.jpg

The last of the ice over the pond. It shows what the water looked liked under the ice covered pond. The pond definitely freezes over but there is a giant bubble of water inside the ice that constantly moves to stay liquid.

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/847D037E-0937-4FD5-A130-070F6477EB7C_zpssxcwodas.jpg

michika

04-06-2014, 08:26 PM

Very cool!

Dez

04-06-2014, 09:04 PM

Nice Kien. My pond finally defrosted again after re-freezing.

BlueTang<3

04-06-2014, 10:16 PM

MMAX

04-06-2014, 10:46 PM

So you successfully winter your kip in the pond, how deep is it? Do u keep a heater or just water circulation? How often are you doing water changes through out the summer? After reading through your and Dez pond thread has me itching to build one.

Very easy to overwinter them, mine have survived several winters. Be careful if you build one...just as addictive as SW tanks. I think it's time to move my build thread over from the competitors site.

BlueTang<3

04-06-2014, 11:01 PM

Very easy to overwinter them, mine have survived several winters. Be careful if you build one...just as addictive as SW tanks. I think it's time to move my build thread over from the competitors site.

I saw yours as well on aa :)

kien

04-06-2014, 11:30 PM

So you successfully winter your kip in the pond, how deep is it? Do u keep a heater or just water circulation? How often are you doing water changes through out the summer? After reading through your and Dez pond thread has me itching to build one.

Ya I've over wintered the fish outside for as long as I've had the pond. So far so good. I won't lie though, it is unnerving knowing your fish are out back when it's minus thirty outside!

I have no heater, just a circulating pump and de-icer (keeps a hole in the ice for gas to escape). In the summer I'll do weekly water changes cuz they eat a lot more (equals more poop). As well, there tends to be more algae. Outside of august I will do a water change every two to three weeks. It is addictive, especially once you start adding water plants!

All-in-all it is fairly easy to maintain. Water chnages are quick and simple!

hillegom

04-06-2014, 11:33 PM

Any problems with raccoons?

kien

04-06-2014, 11:34 PM

Oh and my pond is 24" deep at it's deepest. There's a ledge that's shallower at 12" deep where I keep my water plants. There are bylaw store consider when digging water features, specifically, you if you have one deeper than 24" it must be enclosed by a 6' locked fence (excluding your property fence).

Dez

04-06-2014, 11:38 PM

I don't do water changes on my pond all season. Just a 100% water change at the beginning of the season.

kien

04-06-2014, 11:41 PM

Any problems with raccoons?

I've actually never seen a raccoon in the wild here. I'm sure we have them but I've never seen them. Maybe the coyotes, wolves and foxes keep them away? The porcupines are more adventurous. I had one of those living under my deck.

What I do have concerns with are heron! Every year I find one or two in my back yard. I live near lakes and a river so my back yard is on their way to feeding grounds :-/

I lost a couple if fish to heron one year. Other years if see them in the back yard during (my) breakfast and chase them away. I put a decoy heron in my back yard that helps I think. Heron are territorial apparently, so they won't land if they see a heron on the ground already.

kien

04-06-2014, 11:45 PM

I don't do water changes on my pond all season. Just a 100% water change at the beginning of the season.

I wish! I think the amount of feeding will affect your water chnage schedule. In July and august I will feed my fish 3 times a day on an auto feeder.

My biggest challenge is algae. I get A LOT if it because my pond is exposed to full sun for most of the day. We don't have any houses or trees near us that will shade the pond. I've tried just about everything for algae control except hydrogen peroxide which I'm going to start trying this summer.

hillegom

04-06-2014, 11:49 PM

We have a lot of raccoons here. My neighbour lost his fish last year, so I am reluctant to build a pond. So I just enjoy pictures of everyone else's.
I have seen herons here as well.

Dez

04-07-2014, 12:11 AM

Seriously, h202 is the ticket. I had algae the first season and crystal clear water for the next 2 seasons. The first season I wasn't using hydrogen peroxide. The key is a super good pond clean out at the beginning of the season. That's why I do 100% water change. H202 combined with occasional flocculent after heavy rains has kept my water Crystal clear. And I feed 3-5 times a day during hot season.

Dez

04-07-2014, 12:12 AM

Oh, and I get full sun for most of the day too.

Reef Pilot

04-07-2014, 12:12 AM

I never change my water either. Usually get enough turn over with all the rain we get here, esp in the winter. I turn on my UV to keep the water clear from algae in the summer.

We have racoons and herons here. But have a little electric fence wire that I have a timer on overnight, and keeps the racoons out. Actually, don't even turn it on most of the time now (not at all in the winter), as I think the racoons know what that wire is, and stay away.

The heron has come and landed a few times, but probably doesn't like that wire around the pond rim, either, and has never tried to get into the pond.

So I have never lost any fish yet to predators,... or that I know of. And of course here in Vancouver don't have to worry about freezing.

kien

04-07-2014, 12:25 AM

Dez

04-07-2014, 12:38 AM

I just FB'd you.

kien

04-07-2014, 01:51 AM

I just FB'd you.

Awesome thanks!

BlueTang<3

04-07-2014, 02:10 AM

kien

04-07-2014, 03:00 AM

Ya I saw the depth bylaw that's why I asked about success wintering them.

So I will have to wait for the snow to melt in my yard but I wan thinking falls/ river to a pond. Most of my yard is a hill tho so I don't know how well a pond would work without major changes.

I mentioned h202 to the pond people at the home and garden show and they almost blew a gasket. They were not fond of me even mentioning it for use in a pond with livestock.

I've read similar reactions online about the use of H2o2 which is why I never bothered to try it in the past. However, now having seen Dez successfully use it for two seasons now I'm sold! Sure it can cause problems if you over dose but we of all people know the importance of not blinding dosing something right ? :-). I'm sure it's fine if you you use it properly, and I'm sure tonnes of people have nuked their ponds by not using it properly. Par for the course for aquatic hobbyists :-)

MMAX

04-07-2014, 03:32 AM

I just FB'd you.

If you wouldn't mind, could you send that info my way as well?

Dez

04-07-2014, 12:53 PM

If you wouldn't mind, could you send that info my way as well?

Pm me your email so I can send pics easily :)

SeaHorse_Fanatic

04-07-2014, 05:21 PM

My "pond" is a 180g Tuff tote and even with a cedar and chicken wire cover, I've gone outside in the morning to find a whole family of raccoons bouncing on top of the cover trying to get at the fish. They succeeded a few times in the past but now I have all sorts of ugly netting over top.

So you're lucky you don't have coons.

My parents had a big cube tank outside under their porch cover and woke up one day to a Blue Heron sitting on the edge gobbling up all their koi. That was in SE Vancouver, under an aluminum awning.

Anthony

MarkoD

04-07-2014, 05:44 PM

I'm gonna be putting in a pond this year. But gonna use a preformed pond. So too small for koi. I wish one day to have one as nice as yours

kien

04-08-2014, 01:21 AM

I'm gonna be putting in a pond this year. But gonna use a preformed pond. So too small for koi. I wish one day to have one as nice as yours

Thanks MD! Curious though, why are you using a preformed ? Do you have space restrictions ? The plastic liner (sheets) are actually much cheaper, and you can design to your hearts content. My next door neighbour's pond is one of the larger pre-formed plastic molds and they keep goldfish (comets) outside all winter. That thing is like 18" deep.

MarkoD

04-08-2014, 03:49 AM

I just bought my first house . Don't plan on living here longer than 5 years. Don't wanna invest too much in the yard and then have to leave it when I sell

mike31154

04-08-2014, 04:06 AM

Thanks MD! Curious though, why are you using a preformed ? Do you have space restrictions ? The plastic liner (sheets) are actually much cheaper, and you can design to your hearts content. My next door neighbour's pond is one of the larger pre-formed plastic molds and they keep goldfish (comets) outside all winter. That thing is like 18" deep.

Plastic liner sheets? Never heard of this. I thought other than the preformed plastic jobs, the only other option was the flexible rubber liner sold by the foot? Enlighten me please, since I've been wanting to dig a hole in my yard for a pond too!

MMAX

04-09-2014, 06:02 PM

Plastic liner sheets? Never heard of this. I thought other than the preformed plastic jobs, the only other option was the flexible rubber liner sold by the foot? Enlighten me please, since I've been wanting to dig a hole in my yard for a pond too!

I think he means 45mil EPDM rubber liner. And it's not cheap by any means.

kien

04-09-2014, 07:05 PM

I think he means 45mil EPDM rubber liner. And it's not cheap by any means.

They are cheaper if you buy from places like Burnco. If you buy from garden centres then they are a bit more expensive. My 1000ish gallon pond was roughly $300 worth of liner. And I had a lot left over.

MMAX

04-09-2014, 10:21 PM

They are cheaper if you buy from places like Burnco. If you buy from garden centres then they are a bit more expensive. My 1000ish gallon pond was roughly $300 worth of liner. And I had a lot left over.

I paid just over $1000 for my liner and underlay. My pond is roughly 1400gal(15' X 9') but deep along with a bog garden to one side and my 30 foot long stream. I got to claim some of it back on the home renovation credit they did a few years ago.

kien

05-19-2014, 03:31 PM

With the Victoria day long weekend pond season has officially started! I noticed that my waterfall had sprung a leak so that was one of the first things I tackled this weekend. I wasn't too surprised as my waterfall was of a very cheap plastic to begin. Upgraded to a higher quality waterfall:

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/koi%20pond/FEE8A1D4-C48D-4559-BE6E-6E6A434184FC_zpsovy0url4.jpg

Waterfall back up and running!

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/koi%20pond/50FCAD3B-D522-452F-8AD0-8C13B000DE5D_zpsoyuavps6.jpg

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/koi%20pond/F69A61C8-8E2F-4F82-87CB-79840534FC0B_zpskcnfelnr.jpg

feeding time! Ya, they're really really hungry!

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/koi%20pond/B037189F-84E0-47D9-8E68-C18AF7609093_zpsdxilidy8.jpg

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/koi%20pond/BEF3B1A1-0AF0-4B1C-B679-1C77879DDDB0_zpsif6tbuqo.jpg

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/koi%20pond/40FC6D2F-284C-4B5B-BB48-0F227B797CB6_zps2l0fmlrc.jpg

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/koi%20pond/CA214C82-9085-4D84-85E0-FDE27CC81597_zps5lyfxnvg.jpg

As usual, the marsh marigold is the first thing to bloom every year.

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/koi%20pond/5785AD00-F40F-401B-8119-1F4CD12519B8_zpssqtcwnss.jpg

Still have a few things to do, like a water change and clear out some string algae and apply a pond clarifier. I got a #ProTip from Dez to try Hydrogen Peroxide, unfortunately it's virtually impossible to find here in Calgary but I did manage to find a powdered version in the form of Sodium Percarbonate. Going to give that a go and see if that helps clarify the water more.

Scythanith

05-19-2014, 03:36 PM

Maybe you could look horizontally? :)

kien

05-19-2014, 03:39 PM

Maybe you could look horizontally? :)

hmm, you may be on to something there. I am vertically challenge after all. Why didn't I think of that !!

michika

05-19-2014, 03:45 PM

Google the Calgary garden show and ponds. There was a guy there talking extensively about hydrogen peroxide and ponds. Sadly I was there for the bees and didn't catch his name.

kien

05-19-2014, 03:47 PM

Google the Calgary garden show and ponds. There was a guy there talking extensively about hydrogen peroxide and ponds. Sadly I was there for the bees and didn't catch his name.

will do thanks !

Reef Pilot

05-19-2014, 04:13 PM

kien

05-19-2014, 04:57 PM

Last year my pond turned green after my UV light crapped out, and took a while to find a replacement. But once it was replaced, it cleared right up again.

I turn off the UV light for the winter, and then on again in the spring as the water warms up and I detect a loss of clarity. Right now, mine is still off, but I think I will turn it on very soon now.

Also, have never changed the water in the pond. But of course, living here on the coast with the rain, as a lot to do with that. I have finally had to start adding water now to keep it full,.... last time for that was back last fall.

Ya I find that a UV definitely helps with that suspended algae that greens your water. I try to replace my UV bulb every season. I don't know if that's overkill or not but it definitely helps. The bulbs can be a challenge to source at the beginning of the season.

Dez

05-21-2014, 01:54 AM

kien

05-21-2014, 02:05 AM

One thing I love about koi is that there is so much variation and variety in them. I see your fish and have a bit of fish envy, but you probably see mine and feel the same way. In the reef, a yellow tang is a yellow tang, they don't vary too much. But with koi each one of them has different personality. Can't wait to visit you to see your pond and reef one day.

Yup! Actually I have total pond envy :-)

You're right though, there are so many different koi!! It's addictive once you start collecting, but you know your pond can only hold so many. Also, I do find that koi are much more personable than marine fish.

kien

06-01-2014, 02:42 AM

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/koi%20pond/3EFAF060-ABB5-4AB7-9E70-E119AE017F14_zpsv3kz91bt.jpg

FishingGoalie

06-01-2014, 02:43 AM

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/koi%20pond/3EFAF060-ABB5-4AB7-9E70-E119AE017F14_zpsv3kz91bt.jpg

Kien you know how to live life.

frizzo1983

06-02-2014, 09:37 PM

humm this is an odd choice in fish food but it looks like it's working for you, I might try to switch to the grilled chicken burger for the reef tank :}

Coralgurl

06-02-2014, 10:39 PM

I was just telling my mom about your pond. She would LOVE to do one, but then she sees how much work a reef tank is and said nope, not for her! Not sure what's involved in looking after a pond but it sure looks a lot more relaxing!!!

kien

06-03-2014, 03:39 AM

It's very relaxing and actually quite easy compared to reefing. :-)

JDigital

06-04-2014, 06:01 PM

Considering how much of a health nut you are Kien, I'm amazed you eat that cr@p McDonalds calls "food".

kien

06-04-2014, 06:23 PM

Who said I was a health nut?!?!

lastlight

06-04-2014, 09:33 PM

Considering how much of a health nut you are Kien, I'm amazed you eat that cr@p McDonalds calls "food".

LOL. who?

kien

06-09-2014, 02:44 PM

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/koi%20pond/09922B1C-5215-49A6-8174-22E7B24928CE_zpsxtbzbnom.jpg

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/koi%20pond/928ADC95-1832-44FC-887F-AF2CD303B676_zpsr7kyqngr.jpg

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/koi%20pond/E3C9567B-AE44-4517-A46C-66EAECCD8101_zpsu7ivpdjy.jpg

kien

06-12-2014, 06:29 AM

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/koi%20pond/KOI_20140611_002_zpsca167478.jpg

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/koi%20pond/KOI_20140611_003_zpsbc630439.jpg

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/koi%20pond/KOI_20140611_004_zps6c621dc9.jpg

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/koi%20pond/KOI_20140611_005_zps137dc510.jpg

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/koi%20pond/KOI_20140611_006_zps3fb94f78.jpg

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/koi%20pond/KOI_20140611_007_zpsa4a7192a.jpg

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/koi%20pond/KOI_20140611_008_zps5749445b.jpg

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/koi%20pond/KOI_20140611_009_zpsf123cfef.jpg

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/koi%20pond/KOI_20140611_012_zps960301d2.jpg

Doug

06-12-2014, 04:29 PM

Great pics of some very beautiful fishies.

kien

06-12-2014, 09:37 PM

Great pics of some very beautiful fishies.

thanks! Collecting koi is kinda addicting..

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/koi%20pond/KOI_20140611_014_zpse8be7481.jpg

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/koi%20pond/KOI_20140611_015_zpscb90728b.jpg

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/koi%20pond/KOI_20140611_018_zpsd647eb7e.jpg

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/koi%20pond/KOI_20140611_019_zps79ca880d.jpg

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/koi%20pond/KOI_20140611_020_zpse926382e.jpg

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/koi%20pond/KOI_20140611_021_zps96d0de22.jpg

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/koi%20pond/KOI_20140611_023_zpse5f83cb4.jpg

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/koi%20pond/KOI_20140611_013_zps3bfa71cb.jpg

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/7F711862-6E4B-4F23-A890-7755158C0F9C_zps9gjo6q4f.jpg

FishyFishy!

06-12-2014, 09:41 PM

Man... I'm slaving away here at work... and you get to relax and watch your Koi!!!!! :cry:

That gold one is mighty puuurdy!

MMAX

06-13-2014, 12:17 AM

What size ranges are your koi?

kien

06-13-2014, 12:39 AM

What size ranges are your koi?

My smallest are probably 4". My biggest two are about 20". Then everything in between.

Dez

06-13-2014, 02:29 AM

kien

06-13-2014, 03:22 AM

Can I be your friend Kien? Seriously though, you have some nice specimens. Do you quarantine your fish before introduction into the pond? I haven't added any fish cause I am so scared of disease. Same reason I don't add corals into my tank anymore.

No I don't QT. I find treating pond fish fairly easy though, as there is no worry about nuking the rest of the pond like in a saltwater tank. There's just fish and plants :-). Plus, doing a 100% water change on a pond is a lot easier too.

Dez

06-13-2014, 03:42 AM

Ahhh, I see. Treating 4000 gals is quite different though. 1. It can get expensive to treat. 2. Some of the medication kills all your biological filtration (in my case it's about 10 giant bags of media that fills 4 large Rubbermaid totes). 3. If my prized fish gets sick I don't have anywhere to move it to for treatment without cramping my style (I have to fill an inflatable kiddie pool that is 8' in diameter and would take up my deck/lounging area). Plus water changes daily on that would be too fun. And if I manage to get the fish healthy again, I'd have to put it back in the "disease infested" water again.

kien

06-13-2014, 03:47 AM

Okay ya that would be a royal pain in 4000g!! I only have 1000g. Plus I have a 150g to hold my koi whenever I need to totally drain my pond which actually doesn't take that long at all.

The other thing is, I only buy my koi from one place and they don't generally bring in koi often. They have a lot of 200g holding tanks where they've housed koi all winter long. I tend to stalk them and when they go on sale in the spring that's when I snatch them up! I know that they've been in that holding tank for months. Not too many people buy foot long koi in winter or even early spring :-)

Seriak

06-13-2014, 03:07 PM

Just bought some 3" Koi from Tanks a lot for 4.49 each. Not high grade or anything but good enough for my pond.

kien

06-13-2014, 03:19 PM

Just bought some 3" Koi from Tanks a lot for 4.49 each. Not high grade or anything but good enough for my pond.

I got some of those a couple of weekends ago too! Great deal on nice Israeli bio-secure koi for sure! I don't collect any "high end" koi myself. I just look for ones I think are pretty from the local fish stores.

Ross

06-13-2014, 08:16 PM

Just bought some 3" Koi from Tanks a lot for 4.49 each. Not high grade or anything but good enough for my pond.

What is this store you talk of??

Worth a visit over Pisces?

kien

06-14-2014, 06:38 AM

What is this store you talk of??

Worth a visit over Pisces?

It's a new fish store that's tucked in the basement of Paws Pet Food on the corner of elbow drive and heritage. They have fresh water tropical fish, a reptile room and some koi tanks and tubs. And lots of dry goods.

FishyFishy!

06-14-2014, 03:02 PM

It's a new fish store that's tucked in the basement of Paws Pet Food on the corner of elbow drive and heritage. They have fresh water tropical fish, a reptile room and some koi tanks and tubs. And lots of dry goods.

I was super impressed at how clean all of his tanks are. Ive never even seen algae, or spots on the glass any time ive been there. I wish he got into saltwater lol

kien

06-14-2014, 03:14 PM

I was super impressed at how clean all of his tanks are. Ive never even seen algae, or spots on the glass any time ive been there. I wish he got into saltwater lol

That's exactly what I was thinking ! He would do well if he got into salt I think. There is a huge demand from us southies!

FishingGoalie

06-14-2014, 06:50 PM

I need a store in the west so i dont have to take a taxi to the fish stores ;)

kien

07-02-2014, 08:51 PM

Kids were playing in the pond this afternoon

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/koi%20pond/90A27957-99CA-4875-AC5D-4E6DF3522734_zpsqoqu2dra.jpg

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/koi%20pond/A50F6FCD-23E9-4781-9828-4BEF4F1ED257_zpsrxtdqlkq.jpg

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/koi%20pond/573D1A1D-D09F-43CB-A401-2CE9CF6A856C_zpspnibclfh.jpg

when they noticed that the fish got bizz-eee! Fish eggs everywhere! I think this is the largest spawning event I've ever had in this pond. The older koi normally spawn every year but I rarely notice the eggs. I guess there are more sexually mature fish in the pond this year because you can't NOT notice the eggs this year. They're everywhere. All my plants, on the walls, on my power cords, on my planter baskets, everywhere !

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/koi%20pond/IMG_3907_zps77e04454.jpg

Eggs attached to hyacinth roots.

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/koi%20pond/IMG_3912_zpscfeff9c4.jpg

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af144/muzanji/koi%20pond/IMG_3913_zpse5e9ed82.jpg