Author Topic: Help! (Read 2104 times)

jenn. · « **on:** July 28, 2009, 02:53:15 PM »

Hello everyone! I have been "ponding" it up for a little over 2 years now and am still working on a good setup. I haven't finished all the aesthetic stuff cause I am constantly tinkering with getting good water!!! I have a million questions but for now my issue is water quality and RES turtles.

I gave a 1000 gallon pond with 3 foot and 2 foot levels. I have 2 med koi (7-12 inchs) and 4 babies (born this spring 2-4 inches) I was given 3 Red Eared Sliders that needed a home and while I love them, I am having problems. Our bio filter is a bucket with media located in our shallow end (which I hate). I have to clean it out by hand weekly and skim algea off the top nightly. despite this, the water is getting cloudy. I also use barley pads (which completely stopped the string algae). I am new to turtles altogether (2 weeks now) and don't know what to do. Anyone have any turtle experience?

PondmaninAL · « **Reply #1 on:** July 28, 2009, 05:05:43 PM »

Jenn, you need a bigger filter. Koi and turtles together. You got a real poop farm on your hands. You might want to do a 25% water change. I keep my turtles (6 RES and 2 YBS) in a separate pond enclosure from the fish.

jenn. · « **Reply #2 on:** July 28, 2009, 05:19:14 PM »

So how big do I need to go? I would like an external filter as I am hating this one. Because it is so hot here I am adding water every week so I got that down. I have a separate pond (300 gl) and when I cleaned that this weekend I found all 3 in there crammed together with the goldfish. I don't have the electrical outlet or space for another pond unfortunately. If I were to build my own what size would you all recommend and what media would be most efficient?

Jerry · « **Reply #3 on:** July 28, 2009, 07:01:53 PM »

Jenn Welcome do look up "Skippy" home made filters. if not for that I might have given this whole thing up!
See links, Koi Villiage. Gene has a good tutorial.

tinkster · « **Reply #4 on:** July 28, 2009, 07:21:14 PM »

I agree with jerry a good Skippy biological filter. Mine has taken care of about anything I can toss at it.

tink

jenn. · « **Reply #5 on:** July 28, 2009, 08:22:37 PM »

Do I have to place the skippy in the waterfall? Directly behind my waterfall is a fence so I can't access it from there. I do have a planter box with Jasmine to the right of the pond. I could rip that out and tuck it over there if you can hook everything up on the side. I am still very confused as to the mechanics of it all. Here is a pic of my pond:
You can see how it butts up to the fence and the area on the right where I have a spot to put stuff

Here is a pic of my current filter and pump, not very attractive. easily maintained or effective

So what size container would I need to build it in (also keeping in mind that I may make the pond deeper at a later date)? I have a 50 gallon stock tank but it is short and wide.

Jerry · « **Reply #6 on:** July 29, 2009, 06:19:30 AM »

This is an old photo, but you can see the spillway. The Skippy is behind it, Today it is hardly vsible

Julles · « **Reply #7 on:** July 29, 2009, 06:35:32 AM »

I have three ponds.... One for the koi and lilies, and, in a seperate and securely fenced area, two for the turtles. Turtles will eat your fish if they can, so seperate quarters are a good idea. Also, turtles are much more dirty than even koi. With the fish, I simply clean the filter and do a partial water change each Sunday. But with the turtles, I completely drain and refill the ponds every week - and the pond with the most turtles gets drained and cleaned twice a week during warm weather (when they eat and poop more).

I know it's more work and more space and more things to buy, but consider having seperate quarters for fish and turtles.

Bullfrog · « **Reply #8 on:** July 29, 2009, 07:02:26 AM »

This is a very long article that was posted here but it has a lot of step by step pictures. The filter starts on page 7 but there is a lot of real good information in the story, click here.. http://www.koiphen.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9005&highlight=pond

jenn. · « **Reply #9 on:** July 29, 2009, 11:17:33 AM »

Quote from: Julles on July 29, 2009, 06:35:32 AM

I have three ponds.... One for the koi and lilies, and, in a seperate and securely fenced area, two for the turtles. Turtles will eat your fish if they can, so seperate quarters are a good idea. Also, turtles are much more dirty than even koi. With the fish, I simply clean the filter and do a partial water change each Sunday. But with the turtles, I completely drain and refill the ponds every week - and the pond with the most turtles gets drained and cleaned twice a week during warm weather (when they eat and poop more).

I know it's more work and more space and more things to buy, but consider having seperate quarters for fish and turtles.

I already have 2 ponds so a third just isn't possible right now. I would have to use a solar pump as I have no more available electricity. Also, I am very tight on cash right now (6 month old baby, recent gallbladder surgery, both cars totaled by drunk driver in April and recently laid off). $:-\$ I do have a 50 gallon stock tank but that is probably too small for the turtles (they are all softball sized).

jenn. · « **Reply #10 on:** July 29, 2009, 11:25:16 AM »

Quote from: Jerry on July 29, 2009, 06:19:30 AM

This is an old photo, but you can see the spillway. The Skippy is behind it, Today it is hardly vsible

My waterfall butts right up against a fence so there is no way I could put it behind it. I have space to the right of it if that could work but it sounds like I would have to completely re-do the waterfall and set up to get it running.

Jerry · « **Reply #11 on:** July 29, 2009, 03:08:59 PM »

you will have to pipe it in.

tinkster · « **Reply #12 on:** July 29, 2009, 06:42:34 PM »

jen. I cant see very well but what do you have in the back now, it looks like a big black tub where you water comes down the falls? My skippies are made in those black tubs at the top of my falls.

tink

jenn. · « **Reply #13 on:** July 29, 2009, 11:22:39 PM »

Quote from: tinkster on July 29, 2009, 06:42:34 PM

jen. I cant see very well but what do you have in the back now, it looks like a big black tub where you water comes down the falls? My skippies are made in those black tubs at the top of my falls.

tink

It is actually part of the liner. We did the pond, waterfall and basin all with one piece of 45 mil epdm. So I guess if I wind around with the pipes I can still make it work then!

tinkster · « **Reply #14 on:** July 30, 2009, 08:45:29 AM »

I am not sure how others have done there but since I built on a huge bank, mine had to be dug into the hillside instead of on top of like most but I dug out the skippies at the top of my waterfalls. I have two that sit down in the ground vs on top. I have very primitive plumbing that would shock most hehehe but it works great and water is crystal clear but I feed the water into the skippes and it comes in on the bottom and then up through layers of gravel then media and flows over the top of the falls. Very DIY. I didnt even cut the liner in my skippies. I just have the plumbing hose form the submersibles over the side and down in the bottom where the water has to upfeed through the media. I never clean nor change anything in my skippes, I dont touch them. hehehe.. not popuplar I know!

tink

jenn. · « **Reply #15 on:** July 30, 2009, 09:28:28 AM »

That is the kind of set up I need!!! With a 6month old baby, 2 great pyrenees, 3 cats and sometimes a life, I want to streamline my work as much as possible. So how large of a container would I need to build it in. I have heard 55 gallon mentioned a bunch but don't even know where to find that?

tinkster · « **Reply #16 on:** July 30, 2009, 09:37:26 AM »

I am not sure about the containers since I made mine out of the liner. I just used my liner and dug a deep hole. My skippy is different in that I cannot drain it from the bottom like you could with a tubbermaid tub that is above ground instead of down in the ground but since I dont touch mine, I did not needed it anyway. ANyway you could use your liner that is the top pond/basin but digging it out or making it deeper?? IF not then I think alot buy their rubbermaids at walmart .. maybe some will chime in that have normal ones vs ones like mine

tink

Jerry · « **Reply #17 on:** July 30, 2009, 12:17:01 PM »

Rubbermaid has stock tanks

OSH did order for me (58.00) many sources Google it.

2 sizes were available 100 gal and 150.

jenn. · « **Reply #18 on:** July 30, 2009, 02:01:45 PM »

I have a 50 gallon stock tank but it is wide and flat, not deep like that.

Jerry · « **Reply #19 on:** July 30, 2009, 02:43:28 PM »

No idea if that is okay. I do know that stacking a lot of filter meduim is good.
Mine is upflow.
You are on the right track.

Jonna · « **Reply #20 on:** July 30, 2009, 05:35:22 PM »

I did something similar to Tink on my outside pond. They had made a deep concrete hole next to the pond but no way to filter the water. The idea they had was to put the pump in the hole and have the pond water flow over the top between them. I reversed it, put the pump in the pond and ran a flexible hose from it over into the hole to the bottom. I put a 4" pvc pipe straight up sitting on the bottom with part of the bottom of the pipe cut away so water could enter. I kept the top of it an inch above the water line and put a cap on it. I filled the hole with lava rock and turned on the pump. My pea soup went to crystal clear in about 10 days. The water comes up through the rock and gravel, through the roots of the plants I put bare root on the top and flows over the side and back into the pond. I use the pvc pipe to clean it out if necessary. For that, I use a shop vac and suck the gunk from the bottom of the pvc pipe and thus from the bottom of the hole. It's simple but it works really well.