[Bombalurina]

It's not exactly for bettas, but it does come under the habit/accessories bit.
I'm building a filter for my pond in an attempt to save myself $300 (especially since I have to pay roughly that much for the pump anyway).

My plan is to get a 5 gallon bucket. I will cut an inflow hole at the top and an outflow hole near the bottom. I will put a brick at the bottom of the bucket, covered by a grate, to create a space for the water.
Over the grate I will place a fat fat layer of sponge, then a layer of ceramic noodles, then a layer of filter wool.

The pond is 500 litres and will house 3 goldfish (2 comets and a shubunkin). At first I will just have a couple of silk plants, but I hope to introduce some real aquatic ones soon after.

I have some questions:

1) How many litres per hour should the pump move? 5000 (10x the capacity of the pond? Less? More?)
2) What sort of aquatic plants are good for a pond? It will have a large river stone substrate, but the pond has ledges on which I can put pots. I may be able to do some semi-aquatics, too, on the higher ledges, like violet (which I love).
3) Goldfish people, is my stocking ok? I love shubunkins and I really want one, but if it would be better to get three comets I will. I want the fish to be happy.

Íf anyone can answer any of these questions I'll be very grateful. I'll keep y'all updated on my project!

 

[thekoimaiden]

For those of us derps who like to work with imperial, you've got about 125 gallons (I can get distance measurements down, but it's something about metric volume that I just don't get). That's pretty good for 3 goldfish. That's about the same size tank I would recommend for them. I'm not sure about adding a 4th. Maybe see how the plants effect water quality before making that decision. You might also get some spawning as goldfish are known to do in ponds.

Your plan to make your own filter sounds really neat. I'd like to see how it comes out.

Have you set down the dimensions of your pond yet?

Filtration: for a pond you don't need as much filtration as a tank if your filter holds between 5% and 10% of the total pond volume. This is because in a larger filter there is more room for BB to grow. This means you need less GPH (it can save money there). So for your pond you are looking at a 500 LPH filter. You will also need to take into account how far above the pond, your pump will be lifting the water. The higher it needs to go, the more head pressure you're going to need. So if you want a big, noisy waterfall then you're going to need an expensive pump.

Floating plants are best! Water lettuce and water hyacinth are my favorites. They absorb nutrients like crazy and help block out the sun/algae. I've also got iris around the edges for a nice look. If you have a lot of direct sun you could do lily pads; my pond is too shaded for them. Cattails and rushes are good if you have a bog-like area. For submerged plants I've heard of people using anarcharis and hornwort, but we all know how goldfish can have a tendency to uproot things. You could try those but don't be surprised if they don't take off.

Comets, shubunkins, and commons are basically the same fish with some slight differences in tails and color. The two big goldfish combo no-no's are fancies and single-tails and sight-imparied with faster varieties (like celestial eye with ryukin). Getting one shubunkin to break up the red and white of the comets is a great idea! I would just keep the stocking at 3 until you see how the plants grow. I would also aim for all one gender if you don't want any spawns.

I can't wait to see pictures!!

 

[Bombalurina]

Thanks for replying, KoiMaiden - I opened the thread then had to close it and go to uni, then totally forgot you'd replied...silly me.

The pond is a pre-formed plastic one (the ground is too hard to do much digging). http://www.urbanponds.com.au/index....d=55&vmcchk=1&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=68 This one.

I only want 3 goldies, so a fourth isn't an option. Not sure what I'll do if they spawn...hopefully they won't (although baby goldfish would be cute).

I definitely don't want a noisy waterfall as this pond is just below my window! I don't want to wake up desperate for the loo...
500 LPH. That's nice and small. Do you think I should bother adding a UV steriliser to my filter?

I'll probably chuck some anacharis in for the fish to eat anyway. I know Fishy (the current comet) loves to snack on it. I'll definitely get some of those floating plants...I'll have to check which ones are on the allowable import list, though. I know frogbit is already in the country, so that may be an option. I might put in some floating hornwort, too.

I'm getting very excited for this project. I can't wait to get it up and running! We need to get the pond in the ground ASAP because winter is coming and we need to introduce Fishy whilst it is still warm. He can't afford to spend another year in his tank.

 

[thekoimaiden]

That pond looks like a good size for 3 goldfish. You'll get some monsters!

Goldfish do spawn in outdoor ponds, but many times they eat the eggs. I don't think you'll have to worry too much about baby goldies as adorable as they would be.

I don't know about the UV sterilizer. I don't have one and I've never had a problem with green water. But then again, my pond doesn't get much direct sunlight. I would hold off on it, to save a little bit of money. If you find yourself having a lot of problems, then it might be worth it to invest.

If frogbit can survive, I'd go ahead an try it. Basically you want to grow as many plants in there as you can. It will help keep the algae down and help with water quality. Speaking of that, how much does it rain where you live? Rain for a pond is like a water change. The pond overflows and sends out old water while new water is coming in. If you don't get a lot of rain, then you might want to think about water changes.

I forgot! You're on the other side of the earth lol! Pond season is just starting here. Hope you can get Fishy in the pond fast enough.