Water Gardening: Two part question- dirt issues and algae, 1 by texasgarden

texasgarden wrote:
Thanks! And you want pictures, oh I've got 'em! I posted these last year when I first started this project. It was a sess pool. We do have a sump pump, and drained it, patched the holes, refilled it, let it cycle for 30 days, and added the goldfish (no koi- not big enough).

To clarify-

1. I already DID drain, clean, and refill the pond. That was last weekend. Let me add here that I am now 5 1/2 months pregnant so my poor DH did the dirty work this time and he freaks out about me messing around out there. I am really clumsy these days and he thinks I will fall, hit my head and drown. :)

2. I do have a net nearby, but don't use it near as much as I should.

3. The roof water does NOT flow directly INTO the pond. The problem is, between the house and pond is about a foot of space that is ALL DIRT. Without gutters, the water runs off the roof and by hitting that dirt, the DIRT splashes into the pond. There is a concrete edging that keeps the water from just simply GUSHING in. It's the "drip, drip, drip" onto the dirt and into the pond. Gutters ARE on our list of things we need to do, it just hasn't been top priority.

4. I clean my pump once a week. This pond has been setup for over a year now so it isn't all new. I wash the foam really well, but just rinse the gunk off the bioballs. I understand that you WANT those bacteria to grow in there. The good kind that is.

5. We had about 16 bullfrogs last fall and they laid TONS of eggs. That pond was chalk full of tadpoles. Sooo what you heard was correct- they are some algae eating fools!!!! :)

Anyway, here is a picture. This is before we got started last year draining it for the first time. Previous owners had attempted to keep it drained by using a jackhammer to knock holes in the bottom. But all that did was create a sloooow drain anytime it rained so it was always just a little full of water. It was either renovate and use it, or fill it in. I can tell it was a professional job, and I think the shape is pretty and unique. I just hated to fill it in without trying to use it first. Also, our house is 80 years old and the sunroom at the back of the house is a new(ish) addition. I am pretty sure the pond was there first. So they just did a dumb thing (IMO) by building onto the house sooo close to the pond... and to a Southern Magnolia for that matter!

Edited to add that water lettuce is considered invasive in Texas so I can't purchase it locally nor order it. A DGer gave me some last year (shame on us) and it died out. So much for "invasive!" The pickerel weed does awesome and right now I also have a corkscrew rush and 2 umbrella plants actually IN the pond.

This message was edited May 24, 2006 10:22 PM