Cleaning out a pond

[Printemps]

I've just had two back-breaking days cleaning out my garden pond, which was easily a couple of years overdue. Managed to relocate the dozen goldfish into a former dustbin using the water from the pond, so they are happy and alive.

I've two-thirds refilled the pond using tap water and have just reintroduced the divided (sawn!) plants, but how long should I leave the water to 'mature' before re-introducing the fish? It's only two-thirds full at the moment so that I could place the plants without my wellies getting full of water! Trouble is they are all floating in their pots right now!!

[TEB]

I used to do it immediately, I would put the fish in a plastic bag with some of the water that they are in now and leave it floating in the pond for about an hour for the temperature to stabilise and then release them.

[Printemps]

I'm more concerned about the chlorine in the tap water and how much time it will need to breakdown to levels that aren't harmful to the fish. I'll certainly use the plastic bag technique to acclimatise them to their renewed home.

[KTM250]

Goldfish are pretty tough fish, I have always put mine back in straight away and have never lost one.

[wellie]

Sorry for the intrusion, as I'm not 'A Pond Person' myself, but one of my clients was asking the other day if I knew anything about a kind of 'mud-ball product' that you stick in your pond and it clears it of blanket-weed and stuff?
Thankfully, I know her well enough to just stand there, shrug my shoulders and shake my head like a prize plonker. Her pond is completely and utter alive with frogs (no fish).

I take my hat off to you Pond creators and owners. You do a lot for wildlife gardening.
And I'd gladly take any advice you have to offer my client when you've sorted out your fishies?
X

[digthatchick]

It would be fine to put them back now, but as TEB says, put the in a plastic bag floating in the pond for about 1 hour (I leave it 30 mins!) and everything should be ok.