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hello everyone,
i just boutgh a house with an above ground pond, its about 300 gallons. I have NO clue how to keep it up. I have used all sorts of chemicals "advised from petco" to try to keep the algae out of my sight so that i can injoy seeing the koi.
Now I am thinking that I should own some sort of filtering system for the pond, but my question is what type, and what kind are the best for my situation. I am also 100% open to any other tips that can help me.
Oh, you'll definitely need some kind of filtering system, especially if you have koi. Good news is since your pond is only 300 gallon you won't need anything too expensive.
Okay here's a checklist to get you started:
- A pump that that can at least move the pond's volume ie nothing less than 300 gph. 400-600 gph would be nice though.
- A pressurized pond filter rated for at least 300 gallon ponds but get the biggest you can afford.
- A UV sterilizer is really important to get rid free-floating algae that's making your water green. An ultra-violet bulb kills algae as water passes through your plumbing which will help keep your water clear. This is really important if your pond is getting a lot of direct sun. You can buy a pressurized pond filter with a UV sterilizer built in.
- Of course tubing and clamps to plumb this altogether.
It's not as involved as it sounds. You can actually get all of these parts at Lowes in their pond section at reasonable prices. Try these out first and when you get more savvy you can upgrade to more expensive pieces or replacements as the need arises or pieces start to fail (which will happen).
These are the essentials to get you started. Keep your fish stock low for now until you get things properly filtered and feed sparingly. When I started out I was feeding my fish 3 times a day because the box said so, but doing so will make for one dirty pond. Once a day or every other day is plenty.
Chemicals will help maintain a pond but they won't cure anything. Dosing too much can be hurtful.
Putting plants in and around your pond will have numerous benefits as well.
Hope I didn't talk your ear off, but pond-keeping is something I'm really in to. Let us know if you have any more questions. I'm sure I left a lot out but try to get started with the above list.
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