Thanks for the great explanation. I made my own 30 gallon drum filter with a food grade plastic barrel and used lava rocks and my pond has been crystal clear for over a month now!! It was brown and cloudy before
This is the video I have been looking for! Thank you for making it. I am doing my first patio pond setup in my garden and my philosophy has been Mother Nature knows. Your video was very informative. Subscribed!
Great video mate. I'm onto my second pond now. Have had crystal clear water from the get go with my first. But I do filter my water 7 times over every hour, however a good 2/3rds coverage of floating plants such as azolla, as well as bullrush, snowflake and other aquatic plants also help keep it clean. Plus I introduced a few hundred glass shrimp and they also help, as well as the snails. But yes, a good filtering system is paramount to crystal clear water. It's by far my favourite hobby and most fulfilling when you can enjoy it with other people.
You have such a nice and relaxing pond setup here. Most garden ponds are filled with gigantic gaudy koi fish that are too cramped, and so its nice to see an example of something more manageable done right. Goldfish are much more beautiful when not overshadowed by koi.
My pond turned green shortly after its spring cleaning. Couldn't see the fish or the rocks at the bottom. I added a couple of diy floating baskets with plants I had growing in the yard. After about 3 weeks the water cleared enough to see the fish and rocks! My best summers have been when I added plants to the pond. Will be considering your bio filters in my next pond build.. thanks for you videos. I will be taking notes.
You put all my experience into words, I figured all this out through doing it but you just confirmed what i thought, good video thank you im happy what I was doing was right
I love ponds. Like most I find it calming, relaxing. Beautiful and serene. I have always wanted one. But the upkeep I thought it to be complicated and expensive. Now that I have watched this video. And it being one of the best explanation going on with your pond. This just makes so much more sense. I kinda feel like I may actually be able to make one in my front yard. I am going to us his method.
Ive heard about barley straw helping, but was told to add straight into the pond. my question is, if i followed kevs guide on how to make a biological filter could this be added to the filters as an extra layer instead of adding to the pond to hide it?
Simple tips 1 a good filtration system 2 the right uv light 3 using the right foods 4 keep pond out of direct sun light 5 never over feed as excess food rots and discolouration occurs 6 remove any thing that falls in to your pond
@@Ozponds thank you for such a great reply much appreciated. 👍. Only reason I built a pond was because my gold fish out grew there tank and the bug started from that this year my pond had its first breeding cycle unfortunately my fish ate all the eggs before I got home from work. I also put my African clawed frogs in to my pond for the summer months as they control all the bugs and parasites but I only leave them out for around 3 months as the uk doesn't have the warmest climate I do the same with my fantail as I've had him 8 years he loves going out in the summer months but sleeps next to my frogs in his tank during the winter months as its also to cold for him outside might buy him a little friend this year to help him through the winter months
Nice and natural . with the lockdowns kids dug a hole over a year ago I laughed but got involved/$ so we made it bigger so we can swim in it ,with all the diy filters and water falls 3 pumps , so now we adding 1 big pump big old bath tub part buried as a natural bog filter lots of plants so you cant see it spilling in to a 4m creek bed and waterfall in to the pond ,should be more complete. one question how deep should the creek be? Thanks for the grate info
Sounds awesome! The creek can be water depth you like. If it’s really shallow and wide you’ll need lots of water flow to see the water above the pebbles ( in that situation around 8000 litres for every 30cm of width). If you go deeper doesn’t really matter. Hope that helps 👍
@@Ozponds Thanks for the reply , we got a 16000lh pump to be split to another water fall with a valve. the creek atm is 600+ wide 300 deep still working out the 3 levels after the tub for a slow flowing creek . with your info the pump should be plenty and we going up in hose size 50mm to both thanks for that , we had some successes in collecting some eggs last summer they are 10cm comets now in my aquarium to be released in spring mad colors long tails , so I want to create even more shallow area with plants to hide in the pond for the fry to survive any pointers? ideas of a wide shallow inlet was mentioned . Cheers ! we going slow as vic winter sets in more time for planing and gathering lol
Very pretty but over my head. All I heard was Charlie Brown’s teacher whah whah whah. But it’s me, not you lol My ADHD takes a minute to catch up. But thank you so much for doing this video. I’m sure it’s very informative to many. And your Pond is beautiful! 🤗
Hi Kev, I am trying to make my own budget but a good looking pond. Would you be able to make a video on making the skimmer and biofalls or give me a few tips. Thanks Jock
Will do. I need to make a waterfall filter for my stream on the dream pond. And I’m just about to record a video on the bucket skimmer. Both videos won’t be released for a few weeks though. If you haven’t go take a look at my playlist on the budget ecosystem pond build. It might help you out 👍
Absolutely beautiful, but I wonder how often, and how many fish you replace, from predation? Personally, although I would LOVE it, I would never keep a pond that clear, cause they would quickly be snatched up by everything from raccoons, to herons(which could indeed reach the deep part of that pond). I’m wondering if your lack of any baby fish, or fish of different sizes, is a sign of the significant turn-over. I have a small pond, maybe only 6ftx4ftx(2&4ft)deep, and even tho I have some fish disappear now and then, every year I have numerous new little brown colored baby goldfish. Even with the pond water being so green much of the time, any fish more than around 4”-5” down, only appear as moving areas of color, the herons STILL get some. If I had crystal clear water, I’d be completely restocking every year:(
@@Ozponds The water is so clear the Herons think the goldfish are animals walking around on land and so this pond is not their usual cup of (algae) tea. They'll go find a pond with algae water instead.
Good info and thanks for it . Because I was wondering about the algae in my pond and how will it affect the fish even though the water itself is clear.
G'day mate, that's a very nice pond you have there and I dug a big pond at the front of my bush block house. We have that reddish clay here and I was wondering if I need a pool liner or can I just go ahead and use plenty of gravel at the bottom. I've seen many ponds with liners and they just break down and weeds come growing through and ruin the liner. Liners aren't cheap. We have lots of rocks at our place and I can collect the big ones with my tractor. My pond is quite big at around 80 mtrs2 in a triangular shape. Hope you can help me out. Ta
Will it hold water? I’d check that first. If you are going to use rock and pebble on a clay lined pond I would use a geotextile fabric to stop the rocks and pebble sinking into the clay.
@@Ozponds G'day, thanks for replying. Yep, this clay holds water. The whole ground is that reddish/orange solid clay. You can dig as far as you like and it' all the same stuff. My pond is around a mtr deep and with all this rain, it's basically full with water but it looks brown and you can't see through it. I was actually thinking of pouring concrete in it to stop the water mixing with the clay. This clay is bloody hard in the summer and slippery like snot when it's wet and NOTHING will grow in it. I'm in Ballarat.
They occur naturally, all they need is wet surfaces to grow on, it will naturally find the pond. You can also buy it or use materials from an existing water body, to seed your pond.
Is there a product you reccomend using? I just bought microbe lift PL and pond diggers beneficial bacteria I'm hoping this will help out my koi! Thanks for the tip they were definitely struggling since I was over feeding in a 180 gallon tote!
Hi! New subscriber here! Thank you for the advices! What's your opinion on the natural filtration using Swan Mussles (Anodonta cygnea)? Have you ever heard of it?
I make ponds and natural bodies of water for my clients and this is a very good informative video for novice viewers. Everything mentioned here is accurate and to the point, it doesn't matter about the number of fish you have as long as you match the number of fish to the volume of water, subrate area and the quantity of plants you install within the pond. Many people think ponds require all these gadgets and systems to ensure their water quality is maintained. This could not be further from the truth, the less natural your pond is the more you need artificial systems to maintain pond water quality.
Good explanation of the nitrogen cycle but in the pond you show there is very little waste load. Pretty easy to get those results with a few small fish. Guys that buy expensive filters usually have a big fish load to convert.
My channel is more for people on a budget. But in saying that everything is scalable. The dream pond I’m building at the moment uses exactly the same principles. You are right though if people choose to overflow the system with bio load it will become overwhelmed. So they have a choice either more filtration or less fish.
How do you stop dust? It’s the save it’s always gonna accumulate. I’ve got plenty of videos talking about it’s benefits, natural and physical ways to remove it. Maybe a pond with bare liner and a bottom drain would be a better option for you 👍
Hi there. We inherited a pond and the water is green and we can’t see the fishes unless they are in the surface (like the one in your video). It has some lilies. We are planning to take half of the water out and replace it. do you have any advise how to do so or if this is the right thing to do. Thank you in advance for your help
Green waters an easy fix just need to increase the filtration. More surface area for bacteria. Lots of ways this can be done. Bog filters are my favourite but plenty of other options.
Hey there, nice video as usual I must say. Could you tell me what is the name of the plant which is close-up on the top right of the screen at the minute 3'00"? Thank you again for your precious hints
Hi! Thank you for sharing! May I ask you what kind of rocks I should collect and keep in my acquarium tank? I have a tank for turtle and have different acquarium plant in it, like java ferns and anubias plant. I wonder if the acquarium plant would consume the nitrogen we well? Thanks so much for the advice in advance!
G’day Ran. I’m not fussy when it comes to rock. Sometimes it’s desirable to maintain a higher pH so people want to use rocks that have a higher carbonate or bicarbonate within them. The usual way to test this is pour some vinegar on the rock, if it fizzes the rock contains the above. I’ve never kept turtles so I’m not really sure if the like a high or low pH. In regards to the plants yes they will consume some of the nitrogen. Hope that helps 👍
It would depend on lots of factors and a decent amount of money. Even then achieving the type crystal clear water (like a garden pond) may be impossible.
I've got a small pond overstocked with guppies. I'm increasing to a 30 gallon tub, and adding a second 7 gallon tub for filtration. I haven't yet decided how I want to run my filter, but I'm going to top the filter with hydroponic plants. Among them green bean to feed my ancistrus.
i ran an aquaponics system for years , my pond was crystal clear , i didnt even have a filter at all .......use clay balls , and plenty of stuff growing in them , i used to grow lettuce , Chard Rocket etc .......it was a totally balanced system
nice and funny, but what if you have no power next to your pond. How can i can i keep my pond clean? An solar pump wont do enough, which i already have.
It can be done but it’s much harder to predict the results. I have a video on tips for a pond with no pump. Low fish numbers (even better no fish) and tons of plants.
ok i live in england we have 3 gold fish and frogs in a 1 metre by 1 metre pond and it was clear for around a year then it got murkyer and murkyer and i have plenty of pebbles and medium sized rocks in it and a pump and 2 plants that is souler powerd with a sponge in it do you know why the pond aint getting cleaner thank you
The amount of bacteria and organisms process the waste is no longer adequate. This maybe that the fish have grown, or there’s more debris breaking down inside the pond. Sometimes you’ve got adequate filtration for a few years then the biological or organic load increases and that same filter isn’t as effective. Hope that makes sense 👍
You watch my videos or other people’s videos on how to build pond filters. Every pond is different (size, amount of fish, etc) you’ll need to watch a few videos, do some research, if you want to save money. If you don’t want to do the research just purchase a complete pond kit or filter system. Unfortunately I can’t squeeze all the information I’ve learnt into a 5 or 10 minute video. Best of luck with your research or purchase 👍
@@Ozponds do you have the videos ? I am trying to build a bio filter. . I have made my Pond thar is 17 x 13 x3 feet deep. My self and for under 200 so far. . So I will do research. Just figured I would ask on how to do this .
Heaps of them👍 I’ve got videos on how to make bog filters, high flow filters, skimmers, intake bays, steams, how to size them, what kind of flow you’ll need, etc.. what videos will fill the gaps for you I’m not 100% sure. Just scroll through them and see what ones will help your personal situation. Best of luck with your build 👍
Really nice vid. The Brown tint to that pond is not caused by single cell algae. Single Cell algae gives a green tint. The Brown tint is caused by the nitrifying bacteria itself. For every amonia ion they break down they excreat organic waste, that is what caused that Brown tint.
@@Ozponds yea, camera not always gets the colour right. Check out my last vid. Some talk about the excellence of bog filters, but also the drawbacks of it.
Very nice. Because I’m all about being hands off (low maintenance) I never stock my ponds with lots of fish. I love the fish but for me the plants, sounds and other animals are just as important. Also I’m not allowed to keep koi in my state. So all my fish are pretty small with low bio load. Therefore if I have a well sized bog filter I never seem to have an issues. The pond down the back that started this conversation has no bog filter. There is no electricity down there. About 12 months ago I added the airline and am trying the David pagan butler style of filter (that is used in swim ponds). This pond will never be a swim pond as it receives lots of runoff from my plant nursery. So very heavy nutrient load. Im trying to filter the water as best I can before it leaves the pond. The filter has certainly made a difference and once I get more plant growth I’m hoping it just keeps getting better and better. It’s a fun hobby there is always more to learn at the moment I’m fascinated by anoxic filters and zones and how they can instantly process ammonia. Keep up the good work 👍
@@Ozponds what does your nitrates peak at? I keep turtles in decently planted stock tanks and still have to do a 20% monthly. Better than other keepers weekly 40% but I’m obsessed with completing the nitrogen cycle. It’s difficult due to having to run bare bottoms because turtles destroy everything including each other
Nitrates read zero on api test kit. I never overstock my ponds though so that helps. I’m lazy so for me everything needs to be simple otherwise I get annoyed. I would say that the bog filter is providing some anoxic filtration that is helping complete the cycle, also all the plants 🌱 in the bog filter and stream. Hope that helps, good luck 👍
Thanks for the post, how long will it generally take for the water to get crystal clear as I am going to build a bog filter that is more than 30 or 40 percent of the pond size, with elephant ears to plant in the bog. Also considering to plant mint in my other pond bog as I see that you have had success with yours using mint. Don't think I am going to find that bacopa monneiri you are using
Hi Kev, I have question about fish. We built small patio pond following your recommendations. Pond looks great, but goldfish die. I checked ammonia and PH - is fine. Do you feed your fish in the pond? How often do you feed them? I have been told that algae in the pond is enough for fish, so I didn’t really feed them, very rarely worm from my worms hotel.
I personally think patio ponds are too small for goldfish. I’d go 1000L minimum and even then I’d only have 6-8 fish. And that’s young gold fish as they get bigger they’d need more space. In my outdoor ponds I don’t feed the fish. The patio ponds on the verandah I do, and they only have small fish (white clouds & rice fish).
its my 4th day of no feeding the water is clear....My koi fish eats algae and my photos plant...My pond is 800 galloon with 21 koi but dont worry i will give some of my koi for free those who can give proper care.... i love watching ur chanel...Next project i want to install is a diy bog filter
I have a 36w uv light and my diy 450 lite tank filter but get tuns of string algae on the sides at the top of the pond any ideas on that, maby I should put stones in the bottom pond for more surfaces area pond is 11ft by 7 ft koi pond 4 Lilly s in there, small dark leafs this year think something is not right by that maby nitrates are high
Yeap so the UV filter will only prevent single cell algae not string algae. Even with more surface area the bacteria aren’t going to consume nitrate. Only way to remove the nitrate is through water changes or heaps of plants. I’m starting to do some research into anoxic filters. These actually somehow consume nitrate. I’m still very much learning about it but possibly something for you to explore as it would solve your current problems. Hopefully that helps you out a little 👍
Get hold of some pond balance if you can. It alters the water chemistry making it hard for blanket weed thread algae to grow. Safe to use with fish and plants
It’s all about filtration. I like bog filters but there are other options that might resonate better with you. Do the research and find a system you understand and then implement it.
The explanation of the nitrogen cycle in ponds in this video is wrong. Ammonia (toxic) is excreted by fish, but the nitrogen in ammonia is inaccessible to either plants (or algae). Nitrifying bacteria convert ammonia to nitrite (also toxic and unusable by plants or algae). Fortunately, other species of nitrifying bacteria convert nitrite to nitrate. Nitrate is nontoxic, but it is also the major source of nitrogen for plant and algae growth. It is, in fact, fertilizer. Algae grows when the pond plants cannot keep up with the nitrate load, either because there are too many fish producing to much ammonia, or because there aren't enough pond plants to consume all the nitrate. In order to prevent algae, you need to either reduce the fish, increase the plants, or do frequent water changes. The nitrifying bacteria are essential, don't get me wrong. But the abundance of nitrifying bacteria is not lone going to keep the pond free of algae; it's the pond plants (or bog filter plants) that are keeping the nitrate levels low. Whatever, is good fro plant growth (nitrates and sunlight) is also good fro algae growth. You need to outcompete the algae with an abundance of plants,or you're going to have algae even in the presence of abundant nitrifying bacteria.
I’m not sure where we disagree on the nitrogen cycle. I talk about ammonia to nitrite to nitrate. My background is horticulture (I own a wholesale nursery) plants can most definitely use ammonia for growth especially single celled algae, not that I cultivate that for sale 😉. But you are right that nitrate is also a good food source for plants. I’m not sure that I’ve ever disputed that. You state that nitrate isn’t dangerous for fish but it is in higher levels that’s why people conduct water changes on aquariums, ponds, etc. I mean my aquariums can read nitrate levels and still not have any visible algae. I attribute this to the bacteria’s doing their thing. Bacteria and algae are much more adaptable to influxes of nutrients and therefore more able to quickly take up those nutrients than more complex plant systems. Anyways that’s just what I’ve found in my learning and my experience. If you want to leave a link to your own UA-cam channel or research papers feel free. 👍
@@Ozponds I think the primary reason your outdoor ponds are so clear is that you don’t feed you outdoor fish. Fish food is the primary source of most of the nitrogen entering ponds. In the absence of fish food there will be very low levels of nitrate in the water. And what little nitrate there is the pond plants will gobble up. I think you may be correct that no feeding is needed for outdoor pond fish (as long as there aren’t too many fish). I also notice that you use gravel rather than soil for planting your pond plant (except water lilies). This will also keep nitrate levels quite low. With such low nitrogen input, the nitrifying bacteria in the filters can easily keep up. I would imagine your ammonia and nitrite levels are undetectable. I didn’t mean to give you a hard time. It’s just that it’s wrong for people to think that they can overfeed fish and under plant. And still have an algae free pond. Notifying bacteria or not, if you nitrogen input is too high, you will get algae. You have a good channel. I like your videos. It’s just that I thought novices would misinterpret what you were saying about notifying bacteria. Nitrifying bacteria are not a panacea for dealing with algae problems.
From first hand experience the feeding or lack thereof didn’t seem to make any difference. The pond was green for 12 months before I added the bog, I didn’t feed the fish then either. Within 6 weeks of adding the bog clear water. Granted I did plant the bog immediately. So not a perfect test for bacteria vs plants. But in my aquarium no plants just bacteria keeping the water clean and clear (yes I have lights, just in case you thought the lack of light was preventing algae). But I would always advocate people use plants as it helps the cycle complete, is natural and looks great. I’m glad you enjoy the channel all I want to do is help people and I’m still learning all the time so over time things may change as does my understanding and knowledge. By no means do i claim to know everything and I’m more than happy for different opinions and experience to be expressed in the community. It’s up to the individual viewers to decide and trail what works best for them 👍
MMMMMM.. no. Lesson for all, check the difference between his 'clear' pond and the others. Massive difference there...what is it though!? hm, it's that yellow thing, in the sky. Sun. Sun makes the soup green water.
So Mr smarty pants…Why are my ponds in full sun clear? No UV lights, no copper ionisers, no algaecide, no barley straw, no water changes! Just plenty of biological filtration. But if you want to believe that a pond in the sun will always be green soup….go for it👍
Check all my vids. I have many ponds in full sun 👍 and the pond in this video is in the sun right now (I’m looking at it in person) just cause the sun had gone past the house during recording doesn’t mean much…. Maybe you think the sun doesn’t move? That pond gets 6-8 hrs of sun a day, depending on the season.
Sun can contribute to it yes, but if you stock different types of plants, floaters like azolla or salvina, bottom growers like water snowflake lillies and bog plants like papyrus, you'll have a very clear pond. A good filter with healthy bacteria that is turning the water over sufficiently will also make an immense difference. Remember, it's a balance of both. Mimick nature, don't think that man made solutions are more effective. The planet has been evolving for billions of years. Nature knows what to do, you just need to give it the right conditions to get started, then it's low maintenance. Do that right and you will never need a water change, unless you're really overstocking.
Most sensible explanation f the nitrogen cycle I have ever heard on line. Nice voice too ! Well done sir x
Thank you 😊
You are so right. And it makes sense 🤯🥰. I certainly subscribed to his channel.
Thanks for the great explanation. I made my own 30 gallon drum filter with a food grade plastic barrel and used lava rocks and my pond has been crystal clear for over a month now!! It was brown and cloudy before
Fantastic Mike 👍
Don’t suppose you’ve got anyways I can do that please
@@chloeowen4804 what are you looking at building? The drum filter?
You legend man. I have searched so many videos to get this precise information and guidence. Thamk you
This is the video I have been looking for! Thank you for making it. I am doing my first patio pond setup in my garden and my philosophy has been Mother Nature knows. Your video was very informative. Subscribed!
Thank you 👍I’m happy it’s helped 😃
Great video mate. I'm onto my second pond now. Have had crystal clear water from the get go with my first. But I do filter my water 7 times over every hour, however a good 2/3rds coverage of floating plants such as azolla, as well as bullrush, snowflake and other aquatic plants also help keep it clean.
Plus I introduced a few hundred glass shrimp and they also help, as well as the snails.
But yes, a good filtering system is paramount to crystal clear water.
It's by far my favourite hobby and most fulfilling when you can enjoy it with other people.
You have such a nice and relaxing pond setup here. Most garden ponds are filled with gigantic gaudy koi fish that are too cramped, and so its nice to see an example of something more manageable done right. Goldfish are much more beautiful when not overshadowed by koi.
Thank you
This was a very informative video! I can't wait to try it out on my own small pond. Very happy to have come across your page!
I’m happy it helped. 👍
What a gorgeous pond.... great vid very informative 🐟👌👍
Thanks mate
My pond turned green shortly after its spring cleaning. Couldn't see the fish or the rocks at the bottom. I added a couple of diy floating baskets with plants I had growing in the yard. After about 3 weeks the water cleared enough to see the fish and rocks! My best summers have been when I added plants to the pond. Will be considering your bio filters in my next pond build.. thanks for you videos. I will be taking notes.
Awesome. Plants are good. Bacteria is better 👍
Plants, snails, shrimp, bacteria, good water flow. These are all good.
You put all my experience into words, I figured all this out through doing it but you just confirmed what i thought, good video thank you im happy what I was doing was right
Good stuff David. 👍
I love ponds. Like most I find it calming, relaxing. Beautiful and serene. I have always wanted one. But the upkeep I thought it to be complicated and expensive. Now that I have watched this video. And it being one of the best explanation going on with your pond. This just makes so much more sense. I kinda feel like I may actually be able to make one in my front yard. I am going to us his method.
Go for it Erica! If you set it up right it really is very low maintenance 👍
I was at a very nice pond walking distance from my house yesterday. So many fishes
Lovely 😊👍
Its beautiful I just love it thank you for sharing God bless you always have a beautiful day
Thanks to some of your tips my pond is clear,and this morning I saw 2 maybe 3 goldfish fry, they were scooting so fast.🙂
That’s wonderful to hear Linda. 👍
@@Ozponds I hope my night blooming red lily survived 🤞😉
🤞
thank you for demystifying the secret! I knew it couldnt be as hard as the "experts" lie about it to us! thank you a million time!
It’s very simple 👍
Thanks so much for the info. i know its late to watch this.but always had an idea of this process.now its confirmed. so i can try this to my pond
Great video as usual... thanks Kev
Thanks for the support mate 👍
You have really pretty ponds! Where do you get your rocks? Are they bought from some place or just found?
Thanks. I bought them.
Beautiful pond and great info, thanks.
Thank you 😊
Thanks a lot for your sharing. 🙏
Thanks for sharing the good info, great video voice. Subscribed to your channel.
Thanks Michele. You’re too kind 😊
Little bale of barley straw works amazingly
Ive heard about barley straw helping, but was told to add straight into the pond. my question is, if i followed kevs guide on how to make a biological filter could this be added to the filters as an extra layer instead of adding to the pond to hide it?
@@danniellreynolds6333 in the filter will do
Adding barley is only a reactive band-aid fix. If you deal with the issue you won't need it.
Simple tips
1 a good filtration system
2 the right uv light
3 using the right foods
4 keep pond out of direct sun light
5 never over feed as excess food rots and discolouration occurs
6 remove any thing that falls in to your pond
You should make a video
@@Ozponds thank you for such a great reply much appreciated. 👍. Only reason I built a pond was because my gold fish out grew there tank and the bug started from that this year my pond had its first breeding cycle unfortunately my fish ate all the eggs before I got home from work. I also put my African clawed frogs in to my pond for the summer months as they control all the bugs and parasites but I only leave them out for around 3 months as the uk doesn't have the warmest climate I do the same with my fantail as I've had him 8 years he loves going out in the summer months but sleeps next to my frogs in his tank during the winter months as its also to cold for him outside might buy him a little friend this year to help him through the winter months
Great information and delivery.
Very useful and easy to grasp.
👍👍
Thanks Frank. So glad you’ve found it helpful 👍
Great video looking forward to all the updates on this 👍
Thanks Sam 👍
Nice and natural . with the lockdowns kids dug a hole over a year ago I laughed but got involved/$ so we made it bigger so we can swim in it ,with all the diy filters and water falls 3 pumps , so now we adding 1 big pump big old bath tub part buried as a natural bog filter lots of plants so you cant see it spilling in to a 4m creek bed and waterfall in to the pond ,should be more complete. one question how deep should the creek be? Thanks for the grate info
Sounds awesome! The creek can be water depth you like. If it’s really shallow and wide you’ll need lots of water flow to see the water above the pebbles ( in that situation around 8000 litres for every 30cm of width). If you go deeper doesn’t really matter. Hope that helps 👍
@@Ozponds Thanks for the reply , we got a 16000lh pump to be split to another water fall with a valve. the creek atm is 600+ wide 300 deep still working out the 3 levels after the tub for a slow flowing creek . with your info the pump should be plenty and we going up in hose size 50mm to both thanks for that , we had some successes in collecting some eggs last summer they are 10cm comets now in my aquarium to be released in spring mad colors long tails , so I want to create even more shallow area with plants to hide in the pond for the fry to survive any pointers? ideas of a wide shallow inlet was mentioned . Cheers ! we going slow as vic winter sets in more time for planing and gathering lol
I wanted to know now. Not wait for your next video
This video is about 3yrs old, so whatever you are waiting for has well and truly happened 🤣
do you always have those air stones on? certainly also provide extra movement on the water. Love your videos. Thanks for the good stuff👍
Yes I always have them on. I don’t use them in every pond.
Very pretty but over my head. All I heard was Charlie Brown’s teacher whah whah whah. But it’s me, not you lol My ADHD takes a minute to catch up. But thank you so much for doing this video. I’m sure it’s very informative to many. And your Pond is beautiful! 🤗
😂 thanks 👍
Ffs
Hi Kev, I am trying to make my own budget but a good looking pond. Would you be able to make a video on making the skimmer and biofalls or give me a few tips. Thanks Jock
Will do. I need to make a waterfall filter for my stream on the dream pond. And I’m just about to record a video on the bucket skimmer. Both videos won’t be released for a few weeks though. If you haven’t go take a look at my playlist on the budget ecosystem pond build. It might help you out 👍
@@Ozponds Thanks Kev great content keep it up
Cheers mate 👍
Thanks for the complete explanation
Glad you liked 👍
Absolutely beautiful, but I wonder how often, and how many fish you replace, from predation? Personally, although I would LOVE it, I would never keep a pond that clear, cause they would quickly be snatched up by everything from raccoons, to herons(which could indeed reach the deep part of that pond). I’m wondering if your lack of any baby fish, or fish of different sizes, is a sign of the significant turn-over. I have a small pond, maybe only 6ftx4ftx(2&4ft)deep, and even tho I have some fish disappear now and then, every year I have numerous new little brown colored baby goldfish. Even with the pond water being so green much of the time, any fish more than around 4”-5” down, only appear as moving areas of color, the herons STILL get some. If I had crystal clear water, I’d be completely restocking every year:(
Surprisingly I’ve never lost a goldfish through predators. These are the original fish. The pond was built in 2017.
@@Ozponds The water is so clear the Herons think the goldfish are animals walking around on land and so this pond is not their usual cup of (algae) tea. They'll go find a pond with algae water instead.
😂 maybe 👍
Subscribed, mate, loved it!
😊👍
Good info and thanks for it . Because I was wondering about the algae in my pond and how will it affect the fish even though the water itself is clear.
No problems 👍
Hello Kev, can I ask what are those black tunes you're using underneath the rocks please?
They are a type of filter media. I’m not sure exactly what they are called. I got them when I bought an older fellows aquaponic system.
Lovely looking water
Thanks 😊👍
Can this be replicated with a huge pond that is always moving into a spill way most of the year or not really likely
Not really. Sounds like the water is constantly being replaced.
G'day mate, that's a very nice pond you have there and I dug a big pond at the front of my bush block house. We have that reddish clay here and I was wondering if I need a pool liner or can I just go ahead and use plenty of gravel at the bottom. I've seen many ponds with liners and they just break down and weeds come growing through and ruin the liner. Liners aren't cheap. We have lots of rocks at our place and I can collect the big ones with my tractor. My pond is quite big at around 80 mtrs2 in a triangular shape. Hope you can help me out. Ta
Will it hold water? I’d check that first. If you are going to use rock and pebble on a clay lined pond I would use a geotextile fabric to stop the rocks and pebble sinking into the clay.
@@Ozponds G'day, thanks for replying. Yep, this clay holds water. The whole ground is that reddish/orange solid clay. You can dig as far as you like and it' all the same stuff. My pond is around a mtr deep and with all this rain, it's basically full with water but it looks brown and you can't see through it. I was actually thinking of pouring concrete in it to stop the water mixing with the clay. This clay is bloody hard in the summer and slippery like snot when it's wet and NOTHING will grow in it. I'm in Ballarat.
I would use a pond underlay with a liner. You should get good results.
Awesome man just liked and subbed thank you!
Awesome 👍
Can u just buy additional nitrifying bacteria later down the line? Or are there ways to mass produce the bacteria?
They occur naturally, all they need is wet surfaces to grow on, it will naturally find the pond. You can also buy it or use materials from an existing water body, to seed your pond.
Thank you so much and I thoroughly enjoyed your video its jammed packed full of useful information 👍🏾
Will your pump also kill dragonfly nymphs? I want a lot of dragonflies in the area and is the main reason for putting up a pond in the first place
Check out my videos on intake bays and skimmers. If you pre filter the pump nothing gets sucked in.
@@Ozponds Ooohhhh interesting. Just checked them out. Thank you
Great video very interesting..
Thanks for a excellent video .
Cheers mate 👍
Is there a product you reccomend using? I just bought microbe lift PL and pond diggers beneficial bacteria I'm hoping this will help out my koi! Thanks for the tip they were definitely struggling since I was over feeding in a 180 gallon tote!
I’m in Australia. But I have found most beneficial bacteria’s to be very much the same.
If all else just buy UV sterlizer keeps my water crystle clear speacialy if you have some turtles as well that much plants
I can't see the water so clear,, all I can see is the fish floating... thanks for sharing ❤️
😂 no problem 👍
Hi! New subscriber here! Thank you for the advices! What's your opinion on the natural filtration using Swan Mussles (Anodonta cygnea)? Have you ever heard of it?
Sorry never heard of it.
Subscribed to this guy
Welcome aboard Wes 😊
I make ponds and natural bodies of water for my clients and this is a very good informative video for novice viewers.
Everything mentioned here is accurate and to the point, it doesn't matter about the number of fish you have as long as you match the number of fish to the volume of water, subrate area and the quantity of plants you install within the pond. Many people think ponds require all these gadgets and systems to ensure their water quality is maintained. This could not be further from the truth, the less natural your pond is the more you need artificial systems to maintain pond water quality.
Spot on. Nature knows what it’s doing. No need to reinvent the wheel. 👍
@@Ozponds absolutely bro I'm totally in agreement with you. 👍🏻😊 Nature knows best!
Totally agree. If people get the basics right the pond will look after itself.
Good explanation of the nitrogen cycle but in the pond you show there is very little waste load. Pretty easy to get those results with a few small fish. Guys that buy expensive filters usually have a big fish load to convert.
My channel is more for people on a budget. But in saying that everything is scalable. The dream pond I’m building at the moment uses exactly the same principles. You are right though if people choose to overflow the system with bio load it will become overwhelmed. So they have a choice either more filtration or less fish.
What about the silt on the bottom of the pond??? You have a lot. How can we combat that?
How do you stop dust? It’s the save it’s always gonna accumulate. I’ve got plenty of videos talking about it’s benefits, natural and physical ways to remove it. Maybe a pond with bare liner and a bottom drain would be a better option for you 👍
THE URBAN RESCUE RANCH NEEDS POND HELP AND ADVICE! Please Oz, help Uncle Ben!
Hi there. We inherited a pond and the water is green and we can’t see the fishes unless they are in the surface (like the one in your video). It has some lilies. We are planning to take half of the water out and replace it. do you have any advise how to do so or if this is the right thing to do. Thank you in advance for your help
Green waters an easy fix just need to increase the filtration. More surface area for bacteria. Lots of ways this can be done. Bog filters are my favourite but plenty of other options.
Hey there, nice video as usual I must say.
Could you tell me what is the name of the plant which is close-up on the top right of the screen at the minute 3'00"?
Thank you again for your precious hints
That one is bacopa monnieri. One of my favourites I always add it on the margins and in my filters.
@@Ozponds thank you, unfortunately here freezes in the winter so I guess that plant would die
Did you Iron that Lab coat👨🔬 for this video or just get your wife to Iron it for you? 😜 luv ya mate, great video, perfect information.
3 years ago video just watch it now
and i mis learning a thing just biological something word
what should i do ? :)
I don’t understand your question.
Hi! Thank you for sharing! May I ask you what kind of rocks I should collect and keep in my acquarium tank? I have a tank for turtle and have different acquarium plant in it, like java ferns and anubias plant. I wonder if the acquarium plant would consume the nitrogen we well? Thanks so much for the advice in advance!
G’day Ran. I’m not fussy when it comes to rock. Sometimes it’s desirable to maintain a higher pH so people want to use rocks that have a higher carbonate or bicarbonate within them. The usual way to test this is pour some vinegar on the rock, if it fizzes the rock contains the above. I’ve never kept turtles so I’m not really sure if the like a high or low pH. In regards to the plants yes they will consume some of the nitrogen. Hope that helps 👍
@@Ozponds thank you so much!!!
I find Bog Gardens work great which I think is what you are running.
Yeap bogs are best 👍
What type of rock do you put in your pond? Does it matter?
I don’t overthink it.
How would you achieve this with a larger body of water. 2 hectares/ 5acres.
It would depend on lots of factors and a decent amount of money. Even then achieving the type crystal clear water (like a garden pond) may be impossible.
I've got a small pond overstocked with guppies. I'm increasing to a 30 gallon tub, and adding a second 7 gallon tub for filtration. I haven't yet decided how I want to run my filter, but I'm going to top the filter with hydroponic plants. Among them green bean to feed my ancistrus.
Sounds good 👍
i ran an aquaponics system for years , my pond was crystal clear , i didnt even have a filter at all .......use clay balls , and plenty of stuff growing in them , i used to grow lettuce , Chard Rocket etc .......it was a totally balanced system
Hey mate was wondering what the plant you have at 1:28 is?
That’s eel grass (vallisneria)
Do your pond have a pond lining?
Is that soil on the bottom of your pond? Is it a mud pond or does if use pond lining?
It’s a liner. The stuff at the bottom is fish waste and other broken down organic material like leaves.
nice and funny, but what if you have no power next to your pond. How can i can i keep my pond clean? An solar pump wont do enough, which i already have.
It can be done but it’s much harder to predict the results. I have a video on tips for a pond with no pump. Low fish numbers (even better no fish) and tons of plants.
ok i live in england we have 3 gold fish and frogs in a 1 metre by 1 metre pond and it was clear for around a year then it got murkyer and murkyer and i have plenty of pebbles and medium sized rocks in it and a pump and 2 plants that is souler powerd with a sponge in it do you know why the pond aint getting cleaner thank you
The amount of bacteria and organisms process the waste is no longer adequate. This maybe that the fish have grown, or there’s more debris breaking down inside the pond. Sometimes you’ve got adequate filtration for a few years then the biological or organic load increases and that same filter isn’t as effective. Hope that makes sense 👍
Do all ur vids apply to pool ponds
I’m not sure what you mean. My ponds are primarily fish ponds.
@@Ozponds pool pond are fish pond but instead of digging a hole in the ground u put it in a pool
Ok.
@@Ozponds but do u think that the majority of your vids could be applied to a pool pond
Absolutely.
do i need to add bacteria from another pond or will it occur naturally. i just filled my pond and want this process to happen faster
Naturally. I responded to your other comment 👍
Amazing great stuff
How do we know what to use /make /bulid.?
You watch my videos or other people’s videos on how to build pond filters. Every pond is different (size, amount of fish, etc) you’ll need to watch a few videos, do some research, if you want to save money. If you don’t want to do the research just purchase a complete pond kit or filter system. Unfortunately I can’t squeeze all the information I’ve learnt into a 5 or 10 minute video. Best of luck with your research or purchase 👍
@@Ozponds do you have the videos ? I am trying to build a bio filter. . I have made my Pond thar is 17 x 13 x3 feet deep. My self and for under 200 so far. . So I will do research. Just figured I would ask on how to do this .
Heaps of them👍 I’ve got videos on how to make bog filters, high flow filters, skimmers, intake bays, steams, how to size them, what kind of flow you’ll need, etc.. what videos will fill the gaps for you I’m not 100% sure. Just scroll through them and see what ones will help your personal situation. Best of luck with your build 👍
0:45 are those Murray River Rainbows?
Yes.
awesome. thanks for the input. following this style
Great to hear 😊👍
Great video well done
Thanks Anthony 👍
Really nice vid. The Brown tint to that pond is not caused by single cell algae. Single Cell algae gives a green tint. The Brown tint is caused by the nitrifying bacteria itself. For every amonia ion they break down they excreat organic waste, that is what caused that Brown tint.
The pond down the back is often green. It was just the sun and camera angle making it look brown.
@@Ozponds yea, camera not always gets the colour right. Check out my last vid. Some talk about the excellence of bog filters, but also the drawbacks of it.
Very nice. Because I’m all about being hands off (low maintenance) I never stock my ponds with lots of fish. I love the fish but for me the plants, sounds and other animals are just as important. Also I’m not allowed to keep koi in my state. So all my fish are pretty small with low bio load. Therefore if I have a well sized bog filter I never seem to have an issues. The pond down the back that started this conversation has no bog filter. There is no electricity down there. About 12 months ago I added the airline and am trying the David pagan butler style of filter (that is used in swim ponds). This pond will never be a swim pond as it receives lots of runoff from my plant nursery. So very heavy nutrient load. Im trying to filter the water as best I can before it leaves the pond. The filter has certainly made a difference and once I get more plant growth I’m hoping it just keeps getting better and better. It’s a fun hobby there is always more to learn at the moment I’m fascinated by anoxic filters and zones and how they can instantly process ammonia. Keep up the good work 👍
Excellent. Just subscribed.
😃 Welcome 👍
That's nice ,great video
Thanks guys 😊
Fab video of watch it more than once
I’m glad you found it helpful 😃
Have you completed the cycle or still doing partials?
No water changes if that’s what you are referring to. Never done one.👍
@@Ozponds what does your nitrates peak at? I keep turtles in decently planted stock tanks and still have to do a 20% monthly. Better than other keepers weekly 40% but I’m obsessed with completing the nitrogen cycle. It’s difficult due to having to run bare bottoms because turtles destroy everything including each other
Nitrates read zero on api test kit. I never overstock my ponds though so that helps. I’m lazy so for me everything needs to be simple otherwise I get annoyed. I would say that the bog filter is providing some anoxic filtration that is helping complete the cycle, also all the plants 🌱 in the bog filter and stream. Hope that helps, good luck 👍
Thanks for the post, how long will it generally take for the water to get crystal clear as I am going to build a bog filter that is more than 30 or 40 percent of the pond size, with elephant ears to plant in the bog. Also considering to plant mint in my other pond bog as I see that you have had success with yours using mint. Don't think I am going to find that bacopa monneiri you are using
I expect a green pond to become clear 2-3 weeks after adding a bog. Most of the time it happens quicker.
Thank you
Hi Kev, I have question about fish. We built small patio pond following your recommendations. Pond looks great, but goldfish die. I checked ammonia and PH - is fine. Do you feed your fish in the pond? How often do you feed them? I have been told that algae in the pond is enough for fish, so I didn’t really feed them, very rarely worm from my worms hotel.
I personally think patio ponds are too small for goldfish. I’d go 1000L minimum and even then I’d only have 6-8 fish. And that’s young gold fish as they get bigger they’d need more space. In my outdoor ponds I don’t feed the fish. The patio ponds on the verandah I do, and they only have small fish (white clouds & rice fish).
@@Ozponds thank you for reply! very helpful
its my 4th day of no feeding the water is clear....My koi fish eats algae and my photos plant...My pond is 800 galloon with 21 koi but dont worry i will give some of my koi for free those who can give proper care.... i love watching ur chanel...Next project i want to install is a diy bog filter
Awesome 👍
I had a pond at the bottom of the garden no filter nothing at it was clear as tap water
Awesome 👍
I've got a 14x 14 x 5ft deep. Huge filter and pumps very hard to keep clear
The filter is either undersized or there are too many fish. That probably sounds oversimplified but it’s the truth.👍
I have a 36w uv light and my diy 450 lite tank filter but get tuns of string algae on the sides at the top of the pond any ideas on that, maby I should put stones in the bottom pond for more surfaces area pond is 11ft by 7 ft koi pond 4 Lilly s in there, small dark leafs this year think something is not right by that maby nitrates are high
Yeap so the UV filter will only prevent single cell algae not string algae. Even with more surface area the bacteria aren’t going to consume nitrate. Only way to remove the nitrate is through water changes or heaps of plants. I’m starting to do some research into anoxic filters. These actually somehow consume nitrate. I’m still very much learning about it but possibly something for you to explore as it would solve your current problems. Hopefully that helps you out a little 👍
Yer thanks I will have a look into that menny thanks
Think I will make one of them good idea, just had a look
I’d love to know how it goes. Keep us updated please. 👍
Get hold of some pond balance if you can. It alters the water chemistry making it hard for blanket weed thread algae to grow. Safe to use with fish and plants
Nice
Very nice
Awesome
Thanks - been looking at my aquarium as a nono pond. i think the ideas could be transferred/translated.
Absolutely 👍
Nice fish 🐠 x
Thanks 🙏
Way to go mate
iv tried all those methods only uv light was able to make my water crystal clear.
Whatever works👍 I’ve never used them. But yes they are effective.
This is probably gonna save me I just don't know it yet
😂🤞
Contracted!
i live in the tropics where it’s basically summer all year round and my pea soop algae is out of control😢
Plenty of people in the tropics with clean, clear water. It still boils down to filtration.
@@Ozponds is it possible to get clear water without a sun shade?
@@pottong2255 none of my ponds have shade sails. Many are in full sun to partially shaded. The water is clear in all of them.
I love your voice💓💓💓
😂 you might be the only one.
@@Ozponds hahaha😊😊💓
Don’t really understand. I have a small pond water is dirty and 2 of my koi died already
It’s all about filtration. I like bog filters but there are other options that might resonate better with you. Do the research and find a system you understand and then implement it.
nice🕊
Cheers 🍻
The explanation of the nitrogen cycle in ponds in this video is wrong. Ammonia (toxic) is excreted by fish, but the nitrogen in ammonia is inaccessible to either plants (or algae). Nitrifying bacteria convert ammonia to nitrite (also toxic and unusable by plants or algae). Fortunately, other species of nitrifying bacteria convert nitrite to nitrate. Nitrate is nontoxic, but it is also the major source of nitrogen for plant and algae growth. It is, in fact, fertilizer. Algae grows when the pond plants cannot keep up with the nitrate load, either because there are too many fish producing to much ammonia, or because there aren't enough pond plants to consume all the nitrate. In order to prevent algae, you need to either reduce the fish, increase the plants, or do frequent water changes. The nitrifying bacteria are essential, don't get me wrong. But the abundance of nitrifying bacteria is not lone going to keep the pond free of algae; it's the pond plants (or bog filter plants) that are keeping the nitrate levels low. Whatever, is good fro plant growth (nitrates and sunlight) is also good fro algae growth. You need to outcompete the algae with an abundance of plants,or you're going to have algae even in the presence of abundant nitrifying bacteria.
I’m not sure where we disagree on the nitrogen cycle. I talk about ammonia to nitrite to nitrate. My background is horticulture (I own a wholesale nursery) plants can most definitely use ammonia for growth especially single celled algae, not that I cultivate that for sale 😉. But you are right that nitrate is also a good food source for plants. I’m not sure that I’ve ever disputed that. You state that nitrate isn’t dangerous for fish but it is in higher levels that’s why people conduct water changes on aquariums, ponds, etc. I mean my aquariums can read nitrate levels and still not have any visible algae. I attribute this to the bacteria’s doing their thing. Bacteria and algae are much more adaptable to influxes of nutrients and therefore more able to quickly take up those nutrients than more complex plant systems. Anyways that’s just what I’ve found in my learning and my experience. If you want to leave a link to your own UA-cam channel or research papers feel free. 👍
@@Ozponds I think the primary reason your outdoor ponds are so clear is that you don’t feed you outdoor fish. Fish food is the primary source of most of the nitrogen entering ponds. In the absence of fish food there will be very low levels of nitrate in the water. And what little nitrate there is the pond plants will gobble up. I think you may be correct that no feeding is needed for outdoor pond fish (as long as there aren’t too many fish). I also notice that you use gravel rather than soil for planting your pond plant (except water lilies). This will also keep nitrate levels quite low. With such low nitrogen input, the nitrifying bacteria in the filters can easily keep up. I would imagine your ammonia and nitrite levels are undetectable. I didn’t mean to give you a hard time. It’s just that it’s wrong for people to think that they can overfeed fish and under plant. And still have an algae free pond. Notifying bacteria or not, if you nitrogen input is too high, you will get algae. You have a good channel. I like your videos. It’s just that I thought novices would misinterpret what you were saying about notifying bacteria. Nitrifying bacteria are not a panacea for dealing with algae problems.
From first hand experience the feeding or lack thereof didn’t seem to make any difference. The pond was green for 12 months before I added the bog, I didn’t feed the fish then either. Within 6 weeks of adding the bog clear water. Granted I did plant the bog immediately. So not a perfect test for bacteria vs plants. But in my aquarium no plants just bacteria keeping the water clean and clear (yes I have lights, just in case you thought the lack of light was preventing algae). But I would always advocate people use plants as it helps the cycle complete, is natural and looks great. I’m glad you enjoy the channel all I want to do is help people and I’m still learning all the time so over time things may change as does my understanding and knowledge. By no means do i claim to know everything and I’m more than happy for different opinions and experience to be expressed in the community. It’s up to the individual viewers to decide and trail what works best for them 👍
Shut up and listen. This is simple.
MMMMMM.. no. Lesson for all, check the difference between his 'clear' pond and the others. Massive difference there...what is it though!? hm, it's that yellow thing, in the sky. Sun. Sun makes the soup green water.
So Mr smarty pants…Why are my ponds in full sun clear? No UV lights, no copper ionisers, no algaecide, no barley straw, no water changes! Just plenty of biological filtration. But if you want to believe that a pond in the sun will always be green soup….go for it👍
@@Ozponds Check your vid. Your pond is in no sun.
Check all my vids. I have many ponds in full sun 👍 and the pond in this video is in the sun right now (I’m looking at it in person) just cause the sun had gone past the house during recording doesn’t mean much…. Maybe you think the sun doesn’t move? That pond gets 6-8 hrs of sun a day, depending on the season.
Sun can contribute to it yes, but if you stock different types of plants, floaters like azolla or salvina, bottom growers like water snowflake lillies and bog plants like papyrus, you'll have a very clear pond. A good filter with healthy bacteria that is turning the water over sufficiently will also make an immense difference.
Remember, it's a balance of both. Mimick nature, don't think that man made solutions are more effective. The planet has been evolving for billions of years. Nature knows what to do, you just need to give it the right conditions to get started, then it's low maintenance.
Do that right and you will never need a water change, unless you're really overstocking.
Wasted my time
😂 if it makes you feel any better I’ve wasted mine replying to you 😉👍
@@Ozponds that’s awesome bro😂😂... great work on your channel👍👍
Thanks mate, appreciate it 👍