# Extremely Natural NPT - pond



## f1ea (Jul 7, 2009)

Hello all,

Here's a bit of sharing of our ongoing project at my father in law's mountain cabin:

- NATURAL pond (about 15,000 Gals). All we did was Dam it.
- All plants naturally occurring. Too many to mention right now, but I will update as i make/discover the species list.
- Filtration: natural SPRING water from an actual mountain spring. Released water ends up in the river downstream.
- Water Temperature: about 72F in summer, 65F in winter @ about 1,200 m a.s.l. (will have to check and confirm these numbers)
- Fish: Goldfish
- Climate: Tropical Rainforest ("Bosque Humedo Tropical"). It rains pretty much every day.
- pH, Ammonia, Nitrites: LOL
- More details to follow as things move on......

Here are pics of the pond and surroundings. 
Enjoy nature's aquascaping techniques!


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## Veloth (Jun 25, 2008)

Very nice pond.


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## Karebear (Oct 6, 2008)

Wow! I think I have found paradise, wonderful pond! Keep us updated


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## RoseyD (Jul 9, 2009)

Wow! who needs fishtanks when you can have that! 

Beautiful! Now that's a wonderful place to call home.  65-72 year round ... yeah - that's paradise.


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## f1ea (Jul 7, 2009)

Thanks for the replies... the truth is that place is wonderful. The climate and landscape are perfect! 
(by the way, water flows out from the spring a few degrees colder than ambient temperature. Ambient is like 76 F in the summer daytime and 68 F in Winter daytime). We try to go as often as posible, although its a couple of hours from home... but going there is instant stress-relief.

In a couple of weeks, we'll bring lots of Goldfish... and maybe some easy reproducing fellas to provide some food... Right now it only has about 10 Koi's/carps. Other adjustments will be adding some nice river rocks for hardscape, and planting some marginal plants around the banks to protect them from heavy rains. 

I'll post more pics as it evolves and hopefully we'll all learn a lot by watching nature do her job...

Regards


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## Tentacles (Jun 25, 2006)

It looks wonderful. 

You know, in NZ goldfish and carp have flooded out of so many closed systems they now compete with native fish and are a bit of a pest. It'd be nice if you could get some native species in your pond just from an environmental impact point of view, in case of a flood, and also, if you get too many, you could restock local waterways.


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## Karebear (Oct 6, 2008)

Tentacles said:


> It looks wonderful.
> 
> You know, in NZ goldfish and carp have flooded out of so many closed systems they now compete with native fish and are a bit of a pest. It'd be nice if you could get some native species in your pond just from an environmental impact point of view, in case of a flood, and also, if you get too many, you could restock local waterways.


I agree completly with tentacles, and you could go fishing in your back yard!


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## f1ea (Jul 7, 2009)

Tentacles said:


> It looks wonderful.
> 
> You know, in NZ goldfish and carp have flooded out of so many closed systems they now compete with native fish and are a bit of a pest. It'd be nice if you could get some native species in your pond just from an environmental impact point of view, in case of a flood, and also, if you get too many, you could restock local waterways.


Thanks. 
But I think the river downstream is way too fast for goldfish to thrive... Also, because the pond is high up in the mountains, it rarely floods (small catchment / fast draining system). One thing i could do is place a net concealed somewhere dowsntream before reaching the river, that way any fish that flow out could be transferred back to the pond...

And to be honest... i've never seen a fish in that part of the river!


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## tug (Jul 23, 2009)

I like the point Tentacles and Karebear make about the environmental impact of carp. There are natural/native choices for your area that might need looking at. Sorry, but its just a fish pond stocked with non-native species. However, the adjective "extreme" certainly fits.


f1ea said:


> And to be honest... i've never seen a fish in that part of the river!


Maybe your just the one to help bring back some long lost native fish species. :cheer2:


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## f1ea (Jul 7, 2009)

tug said:


> Sorry, but its just a fish pond stocked with non-native species. However, the adjective "extreme" certainly fits.Maybe your just the one to help bring back some long lost native fish species. :cheer2:


You mean it isnt an NPT?? out:
OK, it's a Naturally Planted Pond... an NPP 

About native species... it would make little point to make a natural pond 'themed' about it... why not just sit and watch them at the river? but like i said, i have never seen a native fish in over 4yrs in this area.

But here's a list about our native fish:
http://fish.mongabay.com/data/Dominican_Republic.htm

hmmm Maybe i'll start a Native biotope... good idea!  Research just started.

By the way... the pond is not immediately close to the river seen on the pictures. After the stream leaves leaves the pond, it seeps underground and re-surfaces at one of the river banks.


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## Karebear (Oct 6, 2008)

f1ea, I just looked at your link for native fish and. . . . 
Oh My Gosh!!!!!!!!!

You could have a pond of peacock bass????? Do you know how many people would give their eye teeth for that?

I honestly do not have any problem with goldfish in a pond, I would be more likely to put koi in a pond. I tried to have a goldfish pond but my hubby thwarted that by putting bass in it and telling me my goldfish would be just fine, yeah right. We did put a trout pond in and it has been more fun for us than I ever thought it would. The grandkids come over and fish in the pond and just have a great time.

Here is a link to one of our members who just put in a peacock bass pond:

http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/fish-planted-aquarium/63901-fish-pond.html


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## Tentacles (Jun 25, 2006)

I'm just saying, that in countries like NZ where conditions are ideal for carp and goldfish, and the wilderness is fairly pristine, they're running amok, little buggers. Carp and cockroaches they say will be the only things to survive a nuclear holocaust.

I didn't mean to detract from the obvious gorgeousness of your pond, sorry.

I think 4 years is probably long enough not to have seen a native fish. You should get some then you could point them out to all your visitors.


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## f1ea (Jul 7, 2009)

Tentacles said:


> I'm just saying, that in countries like NZ where conditions are ideal for carp and goldfish, and the wilderness is fairly pristine, they're running amok, little buggers. Carp and cockroaches they say will be the only things to survive a nuclear holocaust.
> 
> I didn't mean to detract from the obvious gorgeousness of your pond, sorry.
> 
> I think 4 years is probably long enough not to have seen a native fish. You should get some then you could point them out to all your visitors.


Don't worry about it... i understand your concern, specially with very resilient species. 
I am also paying attention to it, and for example i will not place any ultra invasive plants (such as Anacharis)...

For fish, there is 2 places i can go for some information. I will see what native fish/plants i can find... it would be interesting.

Regards!


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## S-KGray (Nov 29, 2008)

Very nice! I wish I had a pond like that!



Karebear said:


> f1ea, I just looked at your link for native fish and. . . .
> Oh My Gosh!!!!!!!!!
> 
> You could have a pond of peacock bass????? Do you know how many people would give their eye teeth for that?


It looks as if Peacock Bass are an introduced species in the DR, as they are in many areas. Probably not a good idea to have the possibility of introducing them into areas they haven't taken over already.



f1ea said:


> hmmm Maybe i'll start a Native biotope... good idea!  Research just started.


Doing a native biotope would be awesome, removing the possibility of accidentally introducing more non-native species. Lots of interesting species on that list you linked that are listed as native or endemic. Limia sp., Poecilia sp., and Nandopsis haitiensis just to mention a few. You gotta get at least one Carcharhinus leucas! Nah, just kidding 

Keep us posted!


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