Emptying fish pond

[jules77]

Does anyone have experience of emptying a large fish pond and starting again? Unsure what water conditioners I need to add and how long to wait before reintroducing the fish to a new environment. I know we need to transfer as much of existing water as possible. We are not doing this through choice, but our neighbours are building an extension on the boundary line on which our fish pond is built, and the foundations need to go under the fish pond, so as a precaution we are going to move the fish to a temporary pond in case existing pond collapses..

[NazNomad]

Pump the water from your existing pond into a temporary one.

Move the fish.

When the work is completed, pump the water back into the original pond.

Move the fish back.


Same water = no problem.

(unless it does collapse, in which case, repair & refill the newly built old pond (?) and leave 'em in the temporary one for a couple of weeks.

[jules77]

Thanks, not sure the temporary pond is quite as big as the one in situ, and guess there is going to be a certain percentage of water we will need to replace. If it does collapse, the neighbours builder will have to put things right.

[NazNomad]

It probably depends on how temperamental your fish are ... and what type. Can you get some water-butts to store the excess water?

Saying that, a top-up with tap water won't kill most fish - I've refilled a whole pond with tap-water and put some huge ghost Koi straight into it with no problems.

[jules77]

I dont have any water butts, but I have spotted at least one in next doors garden, and we are doing him a favour by allowing him to carry out this work, so I will have a word. Good idea. Ta.

[snags]

My Mum has an approx. 8 long x 5ft wide x 4ft deep established garden pond that she periodically empties 60% of the water from (obsessed by green algae). She refills with mains water via her garden hose. The 60 or so goldfish in there suffer no ill effects and are happy/healthy enough to breed every year...

[paddywak]

When I refurbished my pond a few tears ago I borrowed a large blow up paddling pool and filled it from the pond afterthe work was done pumped back into the pond and topped up with tap water, as naznomad says you can usually put your fish straight into tap water with out having any problem

[jomifl]

If you put your fish straight in fresh tap water there is a good chance that they will die. Water companies chlorinate the water to kill off bacteria and they put enough in so that is still effective at the end of the pipe.(your tap)in the summer. In the winter the chlorine is not neutralised naturally so quickly and can be strong enough to kill fish especially small ones. If you can smell it it will kill the fish. If you leave it for 24hrs with an open top it will escape to the atmosphere as it is not very soluble in water. Alternatively you can neatralise it with sodium thiosulphate (obtainable from chemist or photography shop). One teaspoon full will be enough for several tons of water. Sodium thiosulphate is relatively harmless so a little overdose just to make sure won't do any harm. Failing all that you can top up gradually by adding about 25% per day.

[paddywak]

Don't like to argue with you

[NazNomad]

You're both right. It depends on the fish type / size / temperature of water, etc etc.

if it's a 10-bob fairground jobby, throw it in, if it's a 5 grand Koi, take all the precautions you can.

[jules77]

Thanks for answers, very helpful.

[paddywak]

Sorry about that I hit the wrong button,but to continue I've had a pond for many years and have never bothered with any additives to the tap water and I've on several occasions put the fish staight back into a pond full of tap water and I've NEVER lost fish through it

[jules77]

We have various fish, not the fairground type, but we have had them a long time and some are quite large. I will take all necessary precautions as I dont want any of them to die. They are being moved tomorrow, fingers crossed.

[mdenning]

I have the name address and telephone number of someone who does this for a living - whether he would travel to your area is another thing but he is excellent - looks after my terrapins when I go on holiday - reply if you want his details