Leaving your pond for a week?? prior maintenance?

Boo! · 28-07-2011, 03:37 PM

Hi Guys

Due to go away for a week (first holiday that Ash and i will ever of had together - even if it is a caravan park lol!), never ever have we left the pond before and just wondered about filter maintenance prior to going away? What can we to try and make sure the pond parameters stay ok for that week?

Pond is pump fed to a nexus 300 / plus pump fed to bakki shower and skimmer line to seive - 3300 galls with approx 20 koi.

Growing on tank is 400 galls and bottom drain to nexus pod and over grog shower - with approx 9 lil uns. Growing on tank has an autofeeder hooked up?

any advice from anyone?

Lx

Gazfish · 28-07-2011, 04:09 PM

Hi Guys,

I normally slow the feeding down when I go away and make sure I clean it all very well before going. They will be OK with little food for a week and if anything does go wrong there will be less chance of getting a high spike due to food.

You know where I am if I can be of assistance so if someone is looking after it for you and needs a hand just give me a call.

Ned · 28-07-2011, 07:48 PM

Boo I assume you have a neighbor coming in each day to feed your guard dogs, so give them the phone number of the nearest koi keeper you trust to call if there are any concerns.

Boo! · 28-07-2011, 09:18 PM

Hi Ned

There will actually be one or two members of the household left here, while we are away (the dog will make 3 lol cos she's staying here too!), it's just that those who will be staying are completely incompetent pond wise and i wouldnt even trust then with a goldfish in a bowl let alone our koi pond!

So the house and dog will be ok - i'm just worried about our babies!!

Lx

Boo! · 28-07-2011, 09:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gazfish

Hi Guys,

I normally slow the feeding down when I go away and make sure I clean it all very well before going. They will be OK with little food for a week and if anything does go wrong there will be less chance of getting a high spike due to food.

You know where I am if I can be of assistance so if someone is looking after it for you and needs a hand just give me a call.

Thanks for the offer of being our "phone a friend" if it all goes pear shaped whilst we are away - Gaz.

You know we will repay the favour wherever and whenever we can - you only need ask.

Lx

Doghouse Riley · 28-07-2011, 09:40 PM

That's the problem with leaving the care to someone unfamiliar with koi. It's noticing the development of any symptoms that can be the problem.
Twenty years ago, when our youngest son was working but still at home, he offered to look after the pool whilst we were away.
As well as instructions, I made a couple of long distant phone calls from Majorca just ensure everything was OK.
Yes the pump was working OK, the water was trickle changing, they were getting the right quantity of food, they were all active etc., so I felt reassured.

When we got home I found the water had gone completely green, it had been exceptionally sunny and he'd accidentally turned off the UV and hadn't notice the slow change in the water clarity, but apart from that everything was fine.

Davej · 28-07-2011, 10:25 PM

Hiya

First of all dont broadcast to anyone that you are going away!!

Turn off the feeders, hide the food.

Clean the filters the day before, just so you can double check Ash closed the drain valve.

Get someone to stop in every other day to check the fish are alive with a number to call if anything is amiss.

Enjoy your hols and dont fret

Dave

Mr f · 29-07-2011, 04:45 PM

Very easy solution...

Take me away and leave ash at home . You will have fun and fish will be kept safe !

From the mad world of Mr F

timmy · 30-07-2011, 12:33 AM

when i go away i always clean the filters out the day that i go or the evening before, i do a 1 3rd water change and make sure all is running right....i then call my dad and ask him to spend the week at my house coz even though i done all i can i still worry my arse off...ha ha...anyway out of all the years that i been holidaying away from my fish nothing has ever gone wrong..so dont worry go on your hols and enjoy yourself. ps where you going..

Doghouse Riley · 30-07-2011, 12:42 AM

Each to their own and I wouldn't want to tell anyone how to run their systems, but whenever I hear the words "one third water change" I get a little concerned.
In a natural environment fish wouldn't experience such a drastic change in water conditions.
Just put half a bag of salt in a pool and fish recognise the change immediately and move away from it, they are very sensitive to any change in water quality.
I've always been of the opinion that water changes should be done slowly, even if a high nitrate/nitrite/amonia or whatever is detected.
I'm a firm believer in a constant trickle change so that the fish aren't stressed in any way and any chlorine is dissipated naturally, without having to add any treatment to the water to get rid of it.