Rebuilding Process (with Fish & Turtle Handling)
Well, your Koi pond liner has been in there for more than a decade and is starting to show its age now. You may also have a few patches that you put on it. Some of them may have worked well while the others may not have served their purpose. Hence, it is high time that you think of replacing the pond liner. But how are you going to do it without breaking your neck in the process? Without the right kind of planning, you may find yourself in a great mess. Certainly you may have better things to do with your time. So, let’s take a closer look at how we are going to do this. Questions? Feel free to reach out to Koi Pros
Initial Question – What to do with the Fish and Turtles when you rebuild?
How many fish are there in your pond? Where are you going to keep the fish until you replace the pond liner? Most likely, it may take more than a day to complete the process and you should consider hiring a company who can handle such a large task. You might expect the items to arrive on time, but they may delay, who knows! If this happens, you may need to store the Koi a lot longer than you expected. This may affect their health. Hence, you need to be on your toes – if you don’t have proper storage, consider calling a local water feature repair service vs risking the lives of your fish or turtles.
When rebuilding your water feature, we offer storage and transport of your fish and wildlife
Water gardening is a type of gardening which deals with the growing of aquatic plants adapted to the pools and ponds. Even though water gardens can be any size or depth, they are mostly small and shallow. They generally measure less than 20 inches in depth. This is supported by the fact that most aquatic plants are depth sensitive and need a specific depth of water in order to grow. The surface area and depth is determined by the species inhabiting the water garden.
1. If you do have a fish storage tank, here are a few reminders:
Although storing the Koi can be a bit tricky, they should survive the temporary time they are in the holding tank as long as you follow these simple rules.
- Use the original pond water when filling up the holding tank
- Aerate the water to supply the fish with air and filter the water
- Make sure to have filtration setup to allow water movement
- Make sure to store the fish indoors or cover them as they might be prone to predator issues
Just because the fish and turtles are in a holding tank, doesn’t mean they don’t require airflow, filtration, and protection. A portion of the water might need to be changed regularly to assist in the filtration process if you don’t have a filter setup. A few days without food will not harm the fish, and overfeeding them won’t do the holding tank ecosystem and good either.
Not overfeeding them will prevent the extra waste in a smaller environment which would essentially only serve to overwork the filtration system if left unattended to.
If the holding tank is shallow, make sure to place a net over it. It will prevent the fish from jumping out as well as keep away the predators in search of a free meal.
2. Make sure you take pictures of the water feature before disassembling
There are a lot of plants and rocks around the pond that gave it a natural look. The last thing you want is to try to remember how your pond looked before. Most of the time, we take something apart and assemble it again, only to find a handful of extra parts left with you. Such a situation is no fun at all.
3. Inspection your liner when you remove material
This is the time to check for any plumbing issues you might have. Remember the time you first assembled the pond? You did everything right, filled the pond with water and put the fish in the pond. Finally, you saw that one darned pipe! Yes, that pipe that should have been there instead of being here. Now is the time to put it right. Inspect all the plumbing for any sort of wear and tear. In fact, freeze/thaw cycles can play havoc with plastic pipes. Check all the visible joints for any repairs.
Consider Replacing
4. Undergarment if you Replace the Liner Entirely
Make sure you check the undergarment. You may not only require a new liner but find the undergarment deteriorated as well. Since you are replacing the pond liner, why not replace the underlayment too? Do not use old carpets as underlayment. It is quite messy and unprofessional in one way, and it is not the right product for the pond.
5. When in Doubt – Consider Replacing Entirely
Do not shortcut any process. In fact, the rock that holds the outer edge of the liner in place needs to be removed so that the new liner could be installed properly. Although this type of task is not done that often, we recommend any liner over 10+ years to be restored/ replaced completely. You can lay a new liner ontop of the old if needed, just make sure to order the appropriate amount. If you cheat yourself by skipping these important steps, you may have to soon get back to the yard fixing what should have been done correctly in the first place. Take pride in your work since it will be something that you enjoy day after day. Performing the task right the first time around will help you relax in that lawn chair for longer, instead of toting a shovel later.
REACH US
529 W Blueridge Ave #F110 Orange, CA 92865
(714) 613-0123
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