I apologise if i sound really stupid asking this, but how do you regulate ammonia, nitrate, nitrite etc in a pond. Obviously in our tanks we do regular water changes using a gravel vacuum, but what happens with a pond as i've never heard of anyone doing "pond water changes" and does the sludge that i'm sure will accumulate on the bottom ever get removed or does it just stay there for good?

jamoko

I do weekly water changes in my pond. I've got a small pond so doing water changes isn't all that big of an ordeal. I'm digging a larger pond this summer though so water changes might get a little more challenging.

Thanks for that! How do you do them, do you just bail it out with a bucket or do you use a gravel vacuum like you would in a tank?

You pump the water out. With a pond, just like an aquarium, you need to do 10% water changes every week. I large water change once or twice a year. I have a large 1 horse power external pump that gets the water going. It really doesn't take long to do a water change.

To regulate Ammonia, nitrate, and nitrites we have first the bio filter. You have a small bio filter for an aquarium, the bio filter for the pond is quite large. The larger obviously the better. The bio media holds the little guys that eat the ammonia, then nitrites, which are then spit out as nitrates. The nitrates come back into the pond and with a good healthy system are then gobbled up by the plants. Koi of course create more waste than goldfish so you need a pretty heavy bio filtration system to do it's job, and the more fish the more bio media. Thus 250 gallons water per fish is the best way to go.


About sludge. In a koi pond you can have sludge (i guess?) in the bottom if your bottom drain is not working right, or if you don't have one. I have a bottom drain so I do not have sludge in the bottom of my large pond. My upper pond does, but it's only about 300 gallons and is easily removed. Just drain it and scoop it out. Sludge will also build up in ponds that have rocks in them. This stuff needs to be taken out every year as it is a breeding ground for aeromonis. Thats why it really is best to not have rocks in the bottom of a fish pond, plus it makes them easier to clean. The bottom drain will make your life easier as well.

In my pond I normally will clean them really well in the spring and then do monthly water changes. My pond parameters stay at a really even level and weekly water changes aren't required. I do get a lot of sludge which I have a really good skimmer net that gets its off the bottom.

thanks for all the info guys, i'm not planning a pond just yet (well not in this house anyway) but just want to research it because i know i will eventually have one! do you find a pond any more diffficult to run/maintain than an ordinary tank? i just find it quite duanting seeing as you don't really have the same visibility with a pond.

jamoko

I find it much easier to take care of the pond than the fish tanks bit I do spend more time working on it than the tanks in the winter. But the work on the pond is much more relaxing and enjoyable. The only time it is harder is in the spring when I have to clean it from the long winter.

The more water you have the easier it is to keep your water perameters under control, that is if you follow the stocking level rules + proper filtration.