New 50gl Boston pond owner - questions

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ddechellis

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Jun 13, 2006
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New ~200gl Boston pond owner - questions

Repost: I mistakenly posted this in the wrong forum - any tips will be appreciated.



I recently bought a house up here in the Boston area with a 200gl fish pond outside. At the time it was empty but with a couple of visits to the LFS, I've gotten it all fired up and I have been checking the pH level - been hovering around 70. I have a unknown brand pump with a pump sock 10 feeding a tube out circulating the water. I apolgize I don't know the capacity/brand of the pump - it's been one of the things on my to-do list.

About two weeks ago with everything looking good I bought a dozen starter goldfish and everything was looking OK. I have some questions though, going forward, as I ponder buying some bigger fish such as comets for my pond (I apologize for the stupd questions ahead of time).
I also bought some "water lettuce" to give the pond water some shade.

* I was told roughly "one to two" pellets per goldfish when feeding them once a day. I have a feeling I may have lost a few of these starter fish - but I never saw any bodies rise to the surface. Is it always not the case that dead fish rise to the top? What is the best way to inventory your fish occasionally? I don't want to be dumping extra fish food and overfeed if some have died.

* Should I invest in a pond filter? The previous owners never had one but from some research online it looks like for certain fish it might be necessary. If I do get a filter, are there outside considerations (such as the capacity of the pump) that I should be concerned with? Are they AC powered or mainly non-powered. It also looks like the best place for placement would be pre-pump so it catches the 'gunk' before getting to the pump.

* Winter considerations: My pond is shaped in two circles with a 'canel' between the two circles. One end (with the pump) is 25" deep and the other is 19" deep. Is there any way to salvage the fish by winterizing the fish/tank or if I get fish large enough to last a winter can they last the (sometimes long and cold) season?

* Any recommendations for fish other than starter goldfish as I get more and more experienced? I was told to look at comets but I plan on doing more research on this site for passive fish for my pond.

* I have noticed some frogs hanging out around the pond - should I be concerned with them eating the smaller fish at all?


Thank you for your help - sorry about the long post but I am eager to embark on this new hobby of mine.


EDIT: I found some of the help stickies - I imagine a lot of my questions will be answered there.
 
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50 gallons is far too small for a "pond" and if you really mean 50 and not 500 gallons, you're not going to be successful with goldfish and certainly not comets.

I bought a dozen starter goldfish
Click to expand...

far too many fish to start 50 gallons with. the developing ammonia and nitrite which is part and parcel of any 'new' tank/pond will become 'toxic' in short order and kill many more of your fish. you need to understand the "cycle" of any aquatic system:

start with these:

http://faq.thekrib.com/begin-cycling.html

http://badmanstropicalfish.com/start_up/start_up4.html

http://www.pubnix.net/~spond/filter/nitrogen.html

http://fish.orbust.net/cycling.html

Should I invest in a pond filter?
Click to expand...

absolutely. unless and until you have a good crop of aquatic plants to convert the nitrogen compounds, you need a biological filter.

i'm not going any further here since if you do actually mean 50 gallons, i strongly question it's ability to sustain any fish over the winter up there and at best, it will only hold a group of SMALL mosquito fish or some such.
 
Don't get anymore fish than you already have.

Feed only what they will clean up in about 5 minutes.
No, dead fish will not always float to the top. Some maybe hiding, they can be very clever at that.
A filter would be a good idea. You don't have to spend alot of money. If you are handy you can make your own.

http://rodandjenn2.home.mchsi.com/Adam_s_Filter/adam_s_filter.html

http://pixelriver.tripod.com/Filter/filter.htm

http://www.skippysstuff.com/biofiltr.htm

You should be able to overwinter your fish in the deeper end. You will need to make sure and keep a hole in the ice so you have gas/oxygen exchange. You can use a deicer, make a dome to cover the pond, keep a bubbler going, etc. Kind of just depends on where you are and how cold it gets there.

The hardier goldfish are best such as comets, shubunkins, wakin, etc. Those in milder climates can keep the fancier goldfish in their outdoor ponds or they bring them indoors for the winter. Stay away from Koi as your pond is not large enough for them.

The frogs may or may not eat your fish but it is rather hard to keep them away anyway. Make sure your fish have some hiding places in the pond. Plants, a large plastic flower pot turned on its side and weighted with a rock, plastic milk crates work for hiding areas and double as a plant stand.

Oh, and buy yourself a good water test kit. Testing on a regular basis will help you know if all is well with your water quality. Do a regular weekly water change of no more than 25% and be sure and use some dechlorinator. A little regular maintenance will help keep things going well and hopefully avoid any major problems.

Good luck with your new pond any enjoy!
 
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