[Taistealaiche]

Cor! Some excellent answers here from obviously very knowledgeable people A pond is on my to-do list some time in the next few months. Haven't the foggiest clue of what to do, so I now know exactly where to come. One question I do have immediately.... I read somewhere that a 'wild' pond should be placed out in the open and not under trees? Would that be correct and if so, why? It's just that we have a place in an area we call the Rough that would lend itself wonderfully to a pond. Problem is, it's close to being under a grapefruit tree.

[mickeyboy]

the problem with that is what debris that will fall from the tree will land in your pond so maybe a net to stop leaves etc...

mickeyboy

[Taistealaiche]

I perhaps should've added that the area is quite shady as well.

[mickeyboy]

I perhaps should've added that the area is quite shady as well.

Dont think this makes much differnce, but someone will someone much more experienced will offer you their expertise if im wrong

[sunshineband]

Shady is OK, just if you waqnt to grow water lilies they do prefer a bit of sun 

[darby]

Shady is good - sunlight promotes the growth of green algae.

[Taistealaiche]

Shady is good - sunlight promotes the growth of green algae.

Great! I can probably put up some netting under the grapefruit tree to help minimise debris falling into the pool and I think the pool up in that area will set it off nicely. However it's a few months off yet as I'm busy learning how to grow vegetables at the moment 

[mickeyboy]

Sudden thought -- leave adding the fish until the spring, around end of April or thereabouts 

you have been so helpful i was hoping you could help me again
 i was ging to get one of these with a fountain attachment HOZELOCK EASYCLEAR 6000 4'n1 PUMP FILTER UVC ALL IN ONE... do you think this will be ok? my pond is 1m wide 3 meter long and 1m deep at he deepest point. iI cant find anything and dont know how to convert the area into water measurments .
Thanks

[darby]

my pond is 1m wide 3 meter long and 1m deep at he deepest point. iI cant find anything and dont know how to convert the area into water measurments .
Thanks

Volume = length x width x depth (3m x 1m x 1m = 3m³)

1m³ = 1,000 litres.

Your pond when full will contain 3,000 litres (I am assuming it is rectangular)

The 'Easyclear 3000' would be sufficient.

[mickeyboy]

my pond is 1m wide 3 meter long and 1m deep at he deepest point. iI cant find anything and dont know how to convert the area into water measurments .
Thanks

Volume = length x width x depth (3m x 1m x 1m = 3m³)

1m³ = 1,000 litres.
Thank you very much thats a gresat help yes its a rectangle, i was going to go for the 3000 but as i am having a few goldfish was advisd to go for the 6000. Thanks for your help

Your pond when full will contain 3,000 litres (I am assuming it is rectangular)

The 'Easyclear 3000' would be sufficient.

[mikeguitar]

I've struggled with the dreaded green menace (Algae) for years, tried the science, if my wife wasn't looking I'd concrete over it!!!!!!
all the best with yours, I'm just an old d.i.y. failure :blink:

[8doubles]

The easiest way of finding how much water a small irregular shaped pond holds is to time how long your hosepipe takes on full flow to fill a 2 gallon bucket then time how long the pond takes to fill.
When you are filling the pond use a nozzle with a fine spray to get lots of oxygen in and most of the chlorine out.
A good way of keeping the pond clear is to only put a couple of small goldfish in , after the weed gets going they will live happily on natural food and you will need to feed little if at all.

[JayG]

The usual rule for stocking a pond with goldfish (not Koi) is 1 inch of fish per square foot of surface area. That is OK until your fish A) grow and/or B) breed. My original 5 3-inch goldfish (=15 inches of fish) bred in their first year and are now 12, the largest of which is a foot long (=120 inches or so of fish!).

Luckily the pond is big enough to accommodate them safely, and they are of such a size that they probably eat their own fry each year (sad but true!) so hopefully won't get any more than this.

I do feed my fish; high protein pellets in summer, wheatgerm sticks in autumn/winter, nothing when the temperature is less than 5C (fish's digestion slows down with the water temperature and feeding them "rich" food at low temperatures can injure them)

It's hard to keep a "natural" pond algae-free all year; the water almost always goes green as soon as the sun and temperatures increase, but clears somewhat after the plants (including lilies) start to grow. If you want crystal-clear water you will have to invest in filtration and UV sterilisation equipment, which for me goes a bit against the "natural as possible" grain (as well as being complicated and expensive)

[sunshineband]

Mine is absolutely crystal clear right now, through the hole in the ice 

[Bluedave]

I would go for the larger filter anyway - you can never over filter!