Pond Journals

My latest pump has been in operation a few years and has started to fail to keep suction through the filter basket which then seems to cause cavitation and total pumping loss. The first time it happened it was because there was a huge frog in the lines that finally got sucked through to the basket. But lately it will work for a few minutes then lose all pumping action. I finally figured out it was air coming into the system via the strainer lid. The O-ring was not blocking air no matter how much I tightened it down. I was going to buy a new lid and o-ring but could not find them, so I would have to buy a new prefilter kit.

But then I read about O-ring lubrication with a $20 product. It fixed most peoples problems. But upon further research I found folks who used a $2.00 jar of vaseline to do the same thing. I lubricated the o-ring and put some of the vaseline around the lid housing and viola – it started pumping with full force once again and I still have plenty of Vaseline left for future repairs.

I lost my favorite Showa in the spring likely due to bacterial infection or parasites. My other Showa is now struggling and seems to be lingering in the corner where the jets keep the water moving. She did have a bulge on her side with raised scales which would normally indicate dropsy. She did flash for a day or two and tried to jump out a couple of times. I am trying an array of meds and she seems to be responding best to Pimafix. I did add a permanganate based treatment after a 7 day course of Pimafix just to make sure to kill off any parasites and to deal with any bad bacteria growing unseen. She is not out of the woods yet but can swim when she wants to.

I have also covered the corner she likes to hang out in with a shade cloth to keep the water from heating up in the sun. Hoping she pulls through. None of the other fish seem to have any issues and are likely benefitting from the meds.

I think the pond needs much more circulation than I am giving it currently so need a more robust pump. I still have a leak somewhere so until I find that, I do not want to attach a higher flow rate pump. replacing about 100 Gallons a day and adding chlorine remover each time.

Overall the conditions are reading normal with only slightly elevated Nitrates.

It has been a while since I posted anything about the pond. To be honest my enthusiasm for Koi keeping has diminished so I do the minimum necessary to keep things going. I built my system for ease of maintenance and it has been that. I no longer do weekly filter flushes and water changes but just allow the rain to top things up. I do have to empty the pump basket at least once a week, sometimes more in the fall when the leaves are falling. The fish seem healthy and happy and continue to grow. They are all around 30 inches now and around 8-9 years old.

I lost my long fin koi this year in the early spring. There was no sign of bacterial infection or outer damage but she may have been victim of mating brutality or merely suffered from internal issues.

The Performance Pro pump I initially purchased is still going strong but likely needs an overhaul or replacement. It is getting harder to prime but once it gets going it seems to work just fine and deliver enough water changes to the filters to keep things moderately clear. The Jobo UV filter requires new bulbs annually but so far has kept the algae to a minimum. I don’t have much leakage in the piping but there is some likely underground. But summer algae and bacteria should seal it up eventually. I lose about 50-100 gallons a week, but the rain seems to make up for it.

My box filter requires some cleaning to remove the dead algae created by the UV system, but I rarely take out the matting to do a full power wash. My mats are about 5 years old now and are shrinking so likely need to replace those next time I am near my supplier.

I changed brands of food this year from the expensive Saki Hikari to Blue Ridge Koi. The fish seem to like it. I do find more of it in my pump basket so have reduced the amount per feeding. My electronic autofeeder died after about 3 years of use.

I still keep bird netting on the pond to keep out the herons but keeping it above water surface is difficult. I may try to build a short fencing around the pond this year and that will help lift it above the water. I did not have to cover the pond this year due to the mild winter so there is more debris in the water than usual and it doesn’t seem to want to settle yet. It likely needs a good vacuuming and cleaning.

The black sealant around the waterfall rocks has deteriorated away so some of the water finds its way behind the rocks rather than over them. A nice black moss/algae has formed on the rocks so it is taking on a lovely aged appearance. l

I need to get back to a regular pond cleaning schedule to get things looking clear and clean again but I am impressed my overall system has held up despite not being the best design in the world. I would love to put in a real bottom drain and an ERIC system before the pump but am not ready to spend the time, energy, and money to do so yet.

Happy Ponding during these crazy times.