floating planter rings

[j.w]

They are looking and floating good glee and oh that's a pretty bloom on that lotus!

 

[koiguy1969]

your welcome GLEE....they'll likely fill those rings in a few weeks.

 

[ellisr63]

I went to the 99 cent store and got a basket for my attempt... I used some irrigation tubing I had laying around and then bought a connector for it. I zip tied it to the basket and then I decided to try a little something extra... I added a fountain pump.

I think I need to try something just a little more buoyant though as the weight of the pump sinks a little too much for my taste. I am having a connection problem with my phone right now so I will edit later to include a overhead shot of the pump running.

 

[ellisr63]

Here it is in action...

 

[ellisr63]

Question... My gf seems to think that the water feature over the hyacinth is not a good idea. She says it should not be constantly showered with water. Is this true?

 

[addy1]

This is just a heads up warning, since I messed up lol

I made some floating lily pot squares to put some lilies in the deep 5 foot end of the pond. I recalled someone saying using the small netting caused a lot of debris and algae to collect. So I made the error of using bird netting, multiple layers, thinking the muck will go through the fish will be safe. Did not think they would try to wiggle through, but they are fish lol. Nope one little fish got stuck and died. If they can wiggle their nose into the netting they will get stuck, like a gill net.

The lily floaters are low in the water so the fish can swim in and out of them, I did not build them to keep fish from the plants.

so long story short I changed out the bird netting for door screening. What we do for our fish, 100 heat index 90 actual climbing by the minute, dropped 4 lbs out there just in water loss and I was in the shade lol. But the fish are safe.

This is the floater before I swapped out the netting, you can see the bird netting slightly above the water level. I put a rock in it with the lily to sink the frame below the water line, then yanked it out and changed out the netting.

 

[sissy]

I found an easier way to connect pool noodles I use a 3/4 or 1 inch straight barb piece and put a piece of hose on each end of the barb and cram the noodle on it and zip tie .I did have to heat the hose a little with one of those small butane fire starters and then the piece of hose just slipped on and when it cooled it did not come apart .First one I tied a rope in the center to help hold it together but found if I made the hose on the barb long enough and then zip tied it I did not need the rope and then used window screening for the bottom .There are different mesh openings on screening and was only 5.95 here for 10 feet of it .

 

[addy1]

I used the pvc since I could paint it, sink it a little and it doesn't really show. But those pool noodles do work well, neat way to hook them together

 

[sissy]

I even got zip ties at dollar store same colors as the noodles and after i get done i will put them in the pond with the fairy moss in them .Screening should keep it safe since it is so small .

 

[buckry]

So my hyacinths are growing at a fairly decent rate, it makes me wonder do we really even need to protect them from koi? Seems like the plants grow faster than a school of koi could eat/destroy. I've taken all of my hyacinths out of baskets and let them free float, the only ones I'm putting in the baskets are the tiny new ones to give them a chance to grow and keep them out of the skimmer. Am I the only one seeing this? I feel like there are plenty of hyacinths to eat and still keep tons untouched.

 

[addy1]

So my hyacinths are growing at a fairly decent rate, it makes me wonder do we really even need to protect them from koi? Seems like the plants grow faster than a school of koi could eat/destroy. I've taken all of my hyacinths out of baskets and let them free float, the only ones I'm putting in the baskets are the tiny new ones to give them a chance to grow and keep them out of the skimmer. Am I the only one seeing this? I feel like there are plenty of hyacinths to eat and still keep tons untouched.

Don't have koi, but the hyacinths like to be bundled, if you want them to float free take a floating rope wrap it around the plants. and then let them float.

 

[sissy]

not so much they eat them but when they get playful they rip them to shreds and clog up your pump .They get bored at night and seems to be the biggest time for destruction .The bigger they get the worse they get .

 

[j.w]

May I ask ...what is a barb?

 

[addy1]

May I ask ...what is a barb?

That piping with the little edges on it, stick it in, does not come out easy if at all. Barbs to the left

 

[j.w]

Oh ok thanks addy, have seen and used a version in plastic but didn't know they were called barbs.............just looked and bought,lol!