ah great to see this up got soem questiosn now

[vantgE]

So I have a small 300 gallon plus pond probally 330ish, was setup last year, there are three remaining goldfish of seven(grandma took care of the pond for a weekend and a couple died), filtraion is only a 300 gallon pump with small bioball and sponge prefilter, watter falling back into the pond. We had major problems last year with clarity in the pond a most of it algae and a little of it dirt, ended up doing 50% watter changes once a month so we could see the fish for a few days, but thats just the start and really plan on improveing it this year with any help from everyone here.

So questions

1. Is 300 gph enough for my 300+ gallon pond?

2. Is my filtration adequate?

3. would a uv be worth the cash to add for clarity?

4. We were considering a $400ish pond filter with uv at pisces but not sure if it's. necesary and don't like the price, some alternatives or suggestions for filtration?

5.The pond is empty in terms of decor should something be added?

6.Are plants beneficial necesary? do you like them? (would have to be floating, didn't leave any place to plant em)

7.Could the goldfish fry between half an inch and three inches go in the pond with the full sized adult goldies(long tailed comets)?

8.When are you setting up your ponds?

thanks for anything you can help with

[HOSStile]

Answers 1. I tried a couple of 200 gph pumps on my pond worked until late summer and algae bloom.

2. If you think of a pond as an outdoor aquarium with the same problems, like everyone saying you should turn over your water 4-5 an hour. I dont know that you would need that much filtration.Uv is good to get the green out of the water.

3-4. Working on a system myself similar to sump system using valcanic rock as biofilters with some mechanical filtration. Seems like too much money for what you get for me too.

5-6 Put what you like in and around your pond, 1 found that putting gravel in the water helps trap particulates and biofilters the water. Definitely put water plants and yes floating plants like water lettuce and water hyacinth, for 2 very good reasons. 1 they use up nutrients that algae would use and 2 they block sunlight from the water which also encourages algae growth, besides the fish like to play in the roots.

My comets started out that size are about 6 inches now , they had babies last year not sure if they were eaten or not.

7 I just bought a 2000 gph pump am going to build a little house to go along with my mill to house the filtration system. Going to empty the pond in the next little bit and probably start it up middle of May and get these poor fish of mine out of the basement . Hope some of this helps and BTW someone else submit some pictures.

[Guest Guest]

I'm not sure if we have pictures and no digicam but will put some up if I can find them

Is the filtration in 3-4 like a reverse sump thing, pump the watter into it then let it drip through and overflow into the pond? cause I was pondering a diy sorta like it, but wasn't sure if it would halp at all

Thansk HOSStile

[vantgE]

why does it say guest?

That was me if anyone cares

[HOSStile]

I don,t see why it would'nt work, you look at the commercial ones and it basically mech. filtration, bio filtration with foam or similar inert material and then bio balls. The only problem I see having is slowing down the speed of the water coming from a 2000 gph so it doesnt overflow or blow up the filter. I have considered putting this filter ahead of the pump but it seemed to me to be problematic with supplying adequate flow to the pump intake. So I am think a baffled filter with very large out flow and a bypass in the top.