This is a fourth season with this pond & the first season since we installed a new biological filter. We found the plans on an internet site & it has performed better than we could have hoped. With the help of the violet-black pond dye we use & the filter the water is clear & beautiful. Here are a couple of pictures of the pond today.
Loretta
The best I can estimate this pond is about 14,000 gallons. We also use Hydrogen peroxide to control the string algae.
Loretta
I would think that once the pond gets balanced with the biological filter you shouldn't need to use peroxide or dye anymore. Just my opinion from my pond knowledge though :~) It's a beautiful pond. Love the natural setting with the trees behind it.
Lana
Oh my, absolutely lovely!
It is a gorgeous pond. How do you have the elephant ears sitting in the middle? I would love to see more pics of your pond, Loretta.
Lana
WVDaisy
I still like to put a few drops of dye in mine sometimes for the blue effect you get with VERY small amounts of dye. The string algae is a ongoing thing, especially after a rain. It is not necessarily controlled like the green water algae is by the bacteria in the filter.
Shadowgirl
What filter are you using now? I got plans from Koi Country in Tulsa OK and built their filter last year, I love it and have been very happy with it. I am amazed at how much gunk the settling chamber catches and I am able to remove that way. I did add a drain to the bottom of the barrel though for ease in cleaning. I can clean the settling chamber in about 10 mins now versus an hr on the previous sponge filter.
Even when I change the stock tank part I can turn it off and suck the water out with the shop vac and rinse the bio balls and be ready to turn it all back on in about 30 mins.
How much and how do you add the hydrogen pyroxide to your pond? I would rather do that if I can do it safely than do the barley straw stuff. I have about a 9000 gallon full sun pond.
PeggyP
Peggy-We installed the bio-filter that is on this site.
http://www.skippysstuff.com/biofiltr.htm
Because we already had a 50 gallon filter, we made the new filter with a 100 gallon Rubbermade stock tank. We have a 5000 gph pump that the flow is divided half to the waterfall filter and half to the stock tank filter which then empties into the waterfall filter to flow into the pond. Eventually 20% of the flow will be diverted to a bog filter we are installing. The new bio-filter has been in operation for six weeks and we are thrilled with the results. The scrubber pads that we are using now as a filter media are awesome. As for the peroxide I wish I could be more precise but I add about two pints every three to four weeks. The parrot's feather seems to resent the addition of H2O and I love the parrot's feather so use it sparingly.
Lana-Thanks! The EE's are in a large container that is sitting on a milk crate. I put them in the GH in the winter and let them go dormant. I love the look of the black dye in the pond. It gives the illusion of very deep water and the plants reflect so wonderfully off the surface in photos. Here is a picture of one of the decks we built at the pond's edge. It's where I sit every evening with a glass of wine to feed my fish and admire my garden. lol
Loretta
Dh and I sat on the back porch by the pond(the pond edge is within 2' of the porch) this evening and ate dinner. I was already sitting out there reading a book when he got home.
Hmm on a milk crate, I never thought of that :~) Looks like a new project for this summer and I do have a plastic milk crate!
Lana
Some people put their pumps up on milk crates to keep them out of the gunk in the bottom. I have used them in the past to sit plants on but they take up lots of room I would rather have for the fish.
My pond has plenty of room for the fish so no worries there. The pump on it would be a great idea but in the summer I want it closer to the bottom to circulate more of the water. It would keep it more gunk and salamander free in the winter/early spring when I have it closer to the surface so there's a cold thermal layer in the bottom for the fish. Hmmm, will think on that one. May try it next winter.
Lana
I too am in my first season and am using Skippy's filter system. My water at present is crystal clear. I have a feeling the fish like it a bit more cloudy as they hide more when they are out there in the open for all the world to see. I know they see me as I walk by. They must be forever vigilant as to what goes on outside the water.
For quite a while I had tea colored water and on occasion even murky water. Several weeks ago I added a bag of barley into each bio filter. I have two 150 gallon jobs. Other then that I only added a whole bunch of water hyacinths into an upper pond. Maybe they create the super clear water? Or maybe everything is now finally in its natural state. I really can't figure this out. Very hot weather, lots of sun, no UV lights and no algae.
Fred
Fred-It's great is'nt it. Last year the pond was brownish / green and cloudy, now it looks pristine as you said. You must have a really big pond to have two 150 gallon filters. We decided start out at 100 gallon since we already had a 50 gallon filter and it seems to work well. My DH suggested that fish will changed colors according to their environment so maybe that is happening. My large blue (14") was much darker and now she has lightened up dramatically. I put parrot's feather in my filter and now it is beginning to spill over the side camoflageing the filter quite nicely. I would love to see some pictures of your pond.
Lana & Daisy-My pump is on a milk crate in the deep part so it is still circulates very good.
Loretta
Beautiful pond!!! Do you have problems with herons?? Bellie
Thanks Bellie, No heron problems although I have seen a green heron sitting in a tree nearby. I live very close to lots of undeveloped land that is owned by The Wolf River Conservatory or absentee owners of large tracts of acerage. At least 5000 acres around me is river bottom that is pristine. In my pond there is really no place for a heron to position themselves to nab the fish. So it seems most of the herons are happier in the river bottom. The fish seem to fare well, the poultry is a whole other story, a flock of 25 can be picked off in about a month or so if not protected. Even protected it is tough on the poultry. The hawks and owls are murder on them.
Loretta
Shadowgirl,
haven't seen you in these parts until recently. There are lots of pics of my pond under various threads. Look for some of mine. I just took a shot this afternoon which shows some of the pond.
Fred
Fred-That is lovely, it looks like a tropical paradise. Those must be tropical water lilies Do they bloom year round down in your part of the world?
As for me, I have been around for years mostly hanging out on the Midsouth Forum, but felt like spreading my horizons lately. My pond is something I really enjoy so I like to chat and see what other water gardeners are doing and there are'nt a lot of ponders over on my home forum.
Loretta
Loretta,
I even have a sign out back proclaiming paradise. :-) Yes, the lilies are tropicals. The ones I bought which are hardy don't seem to be able to wake up and bloom. Don't know if it's too hot for them here or what. The others grow like crazy and bloom and bloom. I'm new at this having just designed and then had the pond constructed this year. I'm in my third year here and still have plenty of work left to make this into a real park like athmosphere. I have 2.5 acres to play with. :-) I started with a jungle.
See my other happenings for the month of May. I keep a running visula log. http://fredrump.phanfare.com/album/283909#imageID=17131857
Fred
You look well on your way to getting there with the park. Just beautiful and I can tell it is a labor of love. Need to check out your log a little better after I do my chores or could sit here all day goofing off.
You are correct that hardy WL will not do anything down in your climate. But heck with all the beautiful tropicals you are so fortunateto be able to keep them in the pond year-round. I truly envy that especially right now when my corms are struggling to get going.
Loretta
Fred,
Isn't that funny, you have trouble getting your hardy lilies to grow and those of us north have to baby our tropicals along and either treat them as annuals or take them indoors for winter. Are your tropicals not hardy there, I didn't think it got cold enough there to have to care for them in the "winter".
I'm on the road and have been in Indiana for a week now. Just saw this post. I don't know what's wrong with my hardy lilies. Maybe the water is just too warm for them. As to tropicals being hardy here, of course they are but I bought the hardy ones before I knew there was a difference at wall mart or someplace like that. I was quite anxious to get some plants into the water.
At home I hope all is well. I have a neighbor check the pond every once in a while. The automatic feeder needs a refill every three weeks or so. I bought a big bag for him.
Saw a number of ponds and some waterfalls here in the Nappanee area. Soul is highly clay and water just sits if you dig a hole.
Fred
PS I'll check in here every once in a while. Next week it's off to MIchigan.
