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I was sent over here by Lynne22, and since she has such a nice name ( 
) I just had to check out these forums! 
I have a 3000 gallon pond that my husband built after we had the hole dug out for us when we were having to connect to the town sewer system after our septic tank got some serious leaks. The contractor dug the hole for free - very nice! He dug it just where we mapped it out, and made it about 4 feet deep, but when my husband put a layer of sand down under the liner, he built it up so much that the deepest part is not about 2 1/2 feet. I was NOT happy at all when I found that out! :'(
Last summer was our first with the pond up and running, and we had a terrible time trying to get the water regulated. I lost about 36 baby koi - about 6 batches of 6 fish at a time. Granted, I got them at PetSmart, and I've been reading that those aren't the healthiest, but I couldn't afford the better ones, and wasn't sure they would live anyway.
In September, I made a last attempt at 4 more babies from PetSmart. The problem was that the water was so full of algae and murky that once I put any fish in the pond, they were never seen again... until we found them dead. So, when I was cleaning out all the leaves in March and April, I found 1 dead koi. Didn't see the other 3, but assumed they had died too. Fast forward to May, and the pond turned pea soup GREEN! My husband couldn't take it, and since we didn't see any fish, he put more Algae Fix in, and added a bit extra for good measure. The next day, all 3 koi came up gasping for air! We were shocked that they had survived the winter here in zone 6, because again, the pond wasn't deep enough, and it had frozen completely over with no air holes or heater.
The next day 1 was found dead in the skimmer, and we haven't seen the other 2 since! The water was still pea soup green, so I put some barley straw in - it started doing it's trick, but not enough for my husband, so he bought a UV light which he installed last Thursday. I couldn't wait, and bought 2 different batches of 8 comet feeder fish after having seen a friends very large comets in her pond.
They have been doing well so far, and the water is clearing up. Only 1 comet was found dead in the skimmer in 2 weeks - that is an accomplishment for us! They are even coming up to the surface to eat now - so exciting! But we still have not seen the 2 koi. The only place they can really hide, is underneath a 1/2 clay pot that my husband smoothed out and put in the bottom, but when he went in the pond yesterday and turned it over, there weren't any fish there. NO koi, which were now about 5 inches long. So do we assume that some animal got to them? I have seen a heron flying high over the pond, and actually saw one by the side of the pond one time last fall. I haven't seen one by the pond at all this year though. I'm guessing it could have come when we weren't home? It's so weird not knowing where those fish are!
Anywho... I am really enjoying reading everyone's posts here, and the pictures are terrific! I have a few questions that I am going to post in the appropriate forums, and am looking forward to all of your advice.
) I just had to check out these forums! I have a 3000 gallon pond that my husband built after we had the hole dug out for us when we were having to connect to the town sewer system after our septic tank got some serious leaks. The contractor dug the hole for free - very nice! He dug it just where we mapped it out, and made it about 4 feet deep, but when my husband put a layer of sand down under the liner, he built it up so much that the deepest part is not about 2 1/2 feet. I was NOT happy at all when I found that out! :'(
Last summer was our first with the pond up and running, and we had a terrible time trying to get the water regulated. I lost about 36 baby koi - about 6 batches of 6 fish at a time. Granted, I got them at PetSmart, and I've been reading that those aren't the healthiest, but I couldn't afford the better ones, and wasn't sure they would live anyway.
In September, I made a last attempt at 4 more babies from PetSmart. The problem was that the water was so full of algae and murky that once I put any fish in the pond, they were never seen again... until we found them dead. So, when I was cleaning out all the leaves in March and April, I found 1 dead koi. Didn't see the other 3, but assumed they had died too. Fast forward to May, and the pond turned pea soup GREEN! My husband couldn't take it, and since we didn't see any fish, he put more Algae Fix in, and added a bit extra for good measure. The next day, all 3 koi came up gasping for air! We were shocked that they had survived the winter here in zone 6, because again, the pond wasn't deep enough, and it had frozen completely over with no air holes or heater.
The next day 1 was found dead in the skimmer, and we haven't seen the other 2 since! The water was still pea soup green, so I put some barley straw in - it started doing it's trick, but not enough for my husband, so he bought a UV light which he installed last Thursday. I couldn't wait, and bought 2 different batches of 8 comet feeder fish after having seen a friends very large comets in her pond.
They have been doing well so far, and the water is clearing up. Only 1 comet was found dead in the skimmer in 2 weeks - that is an accomplishment for us! They are even coming up to the surface to eat now - so exciting! But we still have not seen the 2 koi. The only place they can really hide, is underneath a 1/2 clay pot that my husband smoothed out and put in the bottom, but when he went in the pond yesterday and turned it over, there weren't any fish there. NO koi, which were now about 5 inches long. So do we assume that some animal got to them? I have seen a heron flying high over the pond, and actually saw one by the side of the pond one time last fall. I haven't seen one by the pond at all this year though. I'm guessing it could have come when we weren't home? It's so weird not knowing where those fish are!
Anywho... I am really enjoying reading everyone's posts here, and the pictures are terrific! I have a few questions that I am going to post in the appropriate forums, and am looking forward to all of your advice.
