Pond construction begins

[koifishgirl]

Bob,
You are right most of the time I dont know what I am doing, it has been a learning process all the way through this and if I had not had the guys help on this board I would have never got this far. I had no idea how deep or how wide or how to put the pipe work in or anything. From A to Z I have these people to thank. I have had a few people to help me out side of this forum, but not much ,most of what I need to learn is coming from this forum. When I first started running my well I was not sure if it would have enough water in it to fill my ponds and was scared to run the darn thing. If I had done like I was told most of the ponds would be full. I just knew I did not want to replace a pump right off the bat because of something I done.

You think I am blank now just wait till spawning season. I have learned some of what I need to know, but I really will be lost and a little on the scared side again. Its nice to have you guys to come to and ask question before I do something. Im just gald I dont have the money to go full speed ahead as I think me haveing to save and go is better for me as I will learn more. Slower is better.

I can just see me this spring, I'll be on the board asking questions that I have already ask, making sure I am doing things right.




Mike,

I was really suprised that I could tell, What made me take note was my Showa, it has really changed since it was put in the mud pond. I thought it took longer for the koi to start showing improvement but I guess not. They all look brighter, I dont know if it the clay or the water, but somethings going on.

In the summer months we dont get that much rain, but in the winter we get our fair share. It really dont matter to me if I get them full this summer, since I dont have any koi to put in them anyway. I really want them empty for the fry this spring, Im not sure but since it will be cold weather before those other ponds fill or at least one of them, I want to keep empty and fill in spring to spawn, their wont be any bugs that can get my fry right? If they fill in the winter months?

[koifishgirl]

Hi all, my water has been running for 10 straight day now, this is the correct calculation. 6 gallons a min x 60 = 360 x24= 8640 gallons x 10= 86,400 gallon of water. My pond only holds 68,000 gallon of water, why is my pond not full yet? Will I continue to lose this much water or will it ever seal? Im thinking that It should be full and running over into the next pond. Or is something else going on that I should be aware of?

[bekko]

I would just fertilize to get some biological activity going and give it some more time.

-steve hopkins

[koifishgirl]

Ok Steve I will throw a little in the water.

[koifishgirl]

I dont know what happened to my post, but its not here. Anyway I put six cups of ferterlizer to the pond, I dont have extra air so am scared to put much. How long will it take before I start seeing results from the ferterlizer? And the pond volume is 68,000 gallons, did I put close to enough in the pond? I figure what I put would be about what I would put down for grass if I was doing that.

[bekko]

That would be about 1 ppm nitrogen - perfect.

-steve

[koifishgirl]

Trying to get you quick Steve, and thanks because Im running a little scared right now. I worried about having water to keep the ponds full. Wondering if the algie growth in the ponds will help seal the ponds?

[bekko]

Yes, the more biology you have going on the faster they will seal.

Is all the water being pumped into the pond by the fence which has poorer soil? If so, why no start filling ponds at the other end of the row?

Actually, you would probably speed up the process by getting a little water into all the ponds instead of trying to fill just one pond to the brim. Don't worry about stocking fish in them. Just get them looking like pea soup.

-steve

[koifishgirl]

Yes Steve the pond that I am trying to fill now has to much top soil, Im not sure if I will ever get if full, thinking of pumping the water from that pond over to the other pond and see what happens. Im only getting 6 gallons of water a minute from my well but it runs day and night, Jacks say I will never be able to keep the ponds full unless I put liners in the ponds, as you know I dont want to do this, I want mud ponds.
If I do have to put liners in the ponds do you think that the 6 gallons a min will be enough water to keep me from having to put large filters to each pond? I also thought about having another well dug, but who is to say that it would produce the water I need. Also another queation, if I do have to put liners in these ponds could I put maybe a layer of mud to the bottom of the pond, or would the mud sour and make a mess?

[Eclipsar]

When I visited Maurice's place, he only has liners around the sides of the pond, not the bottom, think this was to stop the water going through the sides as the ponds where not dug to deep into the ground, as he used the soil to raise the ground around them.

Regards
Chris