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#TheWeeklyRibbit

You have questions. We have answers. 

What do I do with my fish when cleaning my fish pond?

3/20/2018

4 Comments

 
It's spring time, you know your pond needs to be dumped and cleaned because it's a mess!  You've decided to do it yourself or maybe you even found the perfect pond professional to get this dirty job done for you.  Then that thought, that one thought of : "What am I going to do with these fish while the pond is drained and I'm cleaning it?"  Or it could even be: " I just hired this pond professional to clean my pond, but I love my fish and what are they going to do with my fish while they have my pond drained?"

Fish Holding Tank

You guessed it, we need a container for our fish.  Something large enough to house them for a few hours or sometimes a day or so.  We use a collapsable 500 gallon tank, maybe two or three if necessary depending on how many fish are in the pond.  Now we know if you're doing it yourself, investing in a $1000.00 collapsable fish tank doesn't really make sense.  In this case, you can get 100 gallon or even 300 gallon rubbermaid stock tanks that will do the job perfectly in most cases.   We certainly recommend a container that will hold at least 100 gallons and you may need more depending on the number of fish and the size of your fish.  
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These stock tanks can be purchased from many home and garden stores.  If you're in the Long Valley area you can purchase or order them from Hoffman's Supply.   Once you have a good holding tank ready, pump some of that pond water into the holding tank and you're about ready to move your fish.  

Fish Tank, Check!  Now what? 

You have your fish container, what else are you going to need to keep your fish safe during this yearly ritual of a pond cleaning? 
  1. Fish Net 
  2. Koi Sock (if you have fish 8-10" and Larger) 
  3. Aerator 
  4. Net to cover the Fish Holding Tank. 
  5. Water Conditioner/Pond Dechlor
You have all the items above, now we need to use them.  The fish net and the koi sock are going to help you move the fish from your pond to the holding tank.  In the holding tank the aerator needs to be running at all times.  This will provide the fish with the much needed oxygen.   The more oxygen the better.   Add the appropriate amount of Water Conditioner per label and the number of gallons your holding tank is holding. 

Last but not least, DO NOT FORGET THIS STEP!  Cover that holding tank with a pond net.  Trust me, this is a very important step.  I have made the mistake of not doing this and would hate to hear the story of you doing the same.  Fish will jump, and you guessed it, if they jump in the holding tank without a netting cover they will end up on the ground!   We certainly don't want our fish on the ground.  

Once your fish are all tucked away in their temporary home during the cleaning, it's time to get down and dirty and get that pond cleaned out.  

Related Links:
  • Spring Pond Cleaning Services
  • Why should I clean my fish pond or water feature in the spring?
  • How much does a fish pond cleaning cost?
  • My pond is open and cleaned, now what? ​

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A Frog’s Dream Aquatic Services is offering this pond blog as a personal information source to our website visitors. Pond services are performed in Morris County New Jersey (NJ) Hunterdon County New Jersey (NJ) Somerset County (NJ) and Warren County (NJ).Waterfall ponds, Streams, and Fountains are all in our wheelhouse of talent. Explore our website for more ideas. Like our Facebook page for daily inspiration. Receive our newsletter for monthly tips.
4 Comments
Edward Reeves
7/17/2022 08:51:20 am

Really one helpful piece or article right here! I was about to have my Pond contractor over here in Colorado Springs, https://purelyponds.com/pond-contractor/ do maintenance on my pond and I was wondering what I should do with the Koi and how I should contain them!

Reply
Best cleaner fish for oscar tank link
7/20/2022 12:59:33 pm

Thanks for your help!

Reply
Mia Evans link
1/5/2023 07:56:01 pm

Thanks for pointing out that it will depend on the number of fish you have in your pond when considering how many gallon tanks to get as their holding tank. I will keep that in mind when I hire a pond maintenance service so that I know what I need to provide for them to do their job well. Also, it will help me plan my budget well, since I want to make sure that I don't use up my savings.

Reply
Jessie Holloway link
3/13/2023 05:34:37 pm

Thanks so much for pointing out that a large holding tank is important when you need to move fish to clean your pond. My dad has a friend who's putting in a pond in his yard and he wants to make sure he's prepared before he actually buys the fish. We'll have to find a place that sells the type of fish he's looking to have so he can go get them when he's ready.

Reply



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    Author-Clayton Graba​

    Over the last 18 years, Clay has been involved in landscaping and aquascaping, which led him to his passion, POND BUILDING and opening A Frog’s Dream in 2006. His true passion is to create works of art for others to enjoy and marvel at in the privacy of their own backyards.

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  • Services
    • Water Feature Construction >
      • Ecosystem Fish Ponds
      • Pondless Waterfalls
      • Landscape Garden Fountains
      • Pond and Lake Aeration
      • Backyard Landscape Ideas
    • Pond Maintenance Services >
      • Scheduled Maintenance
      • Spring Maintenance
      • Fall Pond Netting and Winterization
      • Pond String Algae Solutions
    • Pond Repair and Renovations >
      • Pond Repair and Renovation
      • Pond Leak Repairs
  • Water Feature Packages
    • Build Your Dream Pond
    • Build Your Dream Waterfall
    • Build Your Backyard Fountain
  • Gallery
    • Ecosystem Fish and Koi Ponds
    • Pondless Waterfalls
    • FountainScapes
  • Learning Center
    • Service Pricing >
      • Cleaning Cost?
    • Events- "Frog" Talks
  • Contact
    • Meet the AFD Team >
      • Join our Team
      • Why Hire a CAC?
    • Business Affliate Program
  • AFD Pond Shop