Getting closer....

[JenH]

It's looking much beter now. Seeing as how I was pretty determined for it to look better before the inlaws got here I broke the rules and dosed the pond with AlgaeFix. I then got in there and pulled out all the dying algae. It looks a lot better now and that seems to have really helped. The plants have been doing better since too. I kinda wonder if killing the algae gave the plants a chance to start really getting some of those nutrients from the water now. I still have some in my bog and waterfall, which the peroxide does do well on the waterfall, but I'm out for now till I can get to the store. I also cleaned out my skimmer box too (a little overdue I think) I think you are right about some of the algae being the good kind. I seem tohave a couple different types in there. The string kind which I think is gone now. I have the fluffy stuff at the bottom like you mentioned, and I have another kind too in the waterfall that is really soft and thick. That kind reminds me of rabbit fur. It's really soft strait and fluffy, kind of a different shade of green too. Nonetheless, I'm pretty happy with how the pond is looking right now.

I think I have finally reached a point where I can relax a little and just watch everything grow! Finally! Lots of my plants are starting to bud and bloom. I really love my water lily from Menard's. It isn't as dark as expected but is still gorgeous, and its blooms really seem to last and they are open a lot longer during the day then the other lily. I can't wait till my lotus gets bigger. It has had new leaves emerge since I repotted it, bt none of it's leaves are above the water. Not sure if it jst needs to mature more or if I should add some lily tabs or what on that one.

Sorry I haven't been on as much here lately. It's been kinda crazy around here with my hubby's brothers in town, my dad is sick, we've been out of town a lot, and I've been working a lot of weddings too. Hopefully things witll start calming down and I can get back to my regular laid back routine after next week

 

[CountryEscape]

Laid back routine, middle of June, and you're a wedding planner??? Surely you jest!!! LOL Yes, glad your pond is looking better, makes it so much more enjoyable. Mine cleaned 3 days before my company and has remained that way. Been seeing little baby fish darting around. Still not sure if they are koi or goldfish, but doesn't matter. They are babies and fun to watch. About 1" so far. Enjoy your pond! That's what they are there for, and to keep us busy keeping them healthy and clean.

 

[JenH]

Haha....not a planner. I'd probably never have a free minute if I was. I'm a coordinator/decorator/caterer. Basically I get a call on Weds telling me where to be Friday and/or Saturday. I go, decorate the location, instruct and assist the wedding party and family through the ceremony to ensure it all goes smoothly, wrap and pin all their flowers, remove the decor after the ceremony, head over to their reception and assist with all the food prep, serving, etc. Show them how to cut their cake and after that I'm usually done. Occasionally I stay through the very end, then tear everything down. I loooovvee it! Except for last weekend when it was 100 out and the wedding was outside. Whew, that was rough! Then this coming Sunday I am leaving for Milwaukee for 4 days for the Lia Sophia national conference (yep, I sell jewelry too) But I think after I get back from that is when things will wind down. Heck I might even be able to catch my blog up with some finished projects and actually complete a couple that are still waiting to be done around here. Maybe even get to that garage sale I was gonna do too! Hmmmmm.....ok maybe not as laid back as I was imagining.

I wonder if my fish will ever have any babies. No babies and no tadpoles either. Maybe they are just eating up all the eggs.

 

[CountryEscape]

Jen, I never noticed any eggs or fry, just all of a sudden noticed 2" babies! I have babies again this year. If you look around your lilies or any other stuff IN your pond at evening time, that is when I usually will see them out and about, usually hiding among the lily stems. You have to look close and quietly. When I would pull leaves off of the lilies, hand in the water, that is when I spotted them, swimming around, not afraid necessarily, just noticing that I'm there. Good luck!

 

[buckry]

I didn't realize pond dye had any actual purpose. I thought it was just for lazy people who didn't want to take care of their water and wanted to cover up their mistakes. But blocking out light makes some sense, I'm not surprised it doesn't totally work, but I can see it having some effect. Of course, you won't ever see me dying my pond, that's just crazy, I want to see my fish after all.

 

[callingcolleen1]

I don't use dyes but I know people who do, they don't block the view of the fish, they only color the water a little, they don't last long, and you see the fish all the time, unless you over dye the pond. The caterpillars are mostly done eating and now my water is clear again. Dyes are good for some people who have non stop sun, they are like sunglasses, you still see just fine with them, they only filter out the strongest spectrum of sun, kinda like sunglasses, and help stop the algae from taking over some ponds. It's not crazy, its natural, and many botanical gardens like in long wood Pennsylvania use the black water dye, and it does enhance the color of the fish, just look at the picture of my Koi that I posted earlier on this thread when the caterpillers were naturally dying my water black, you will see what I mean. I would be scared of using toxic stuff, not harmless natural dyes, that are also natural in nature... for example north of the 57 parallel you will find some of the rivers are naturally darkened from the hardwood trees that grow along the rivers edge. Been camping up there along the northern Alberta and BC border, its very nice there, sun does not really set that far north this time of year.

 

[buckry]

I guess the pond I'm thinking of as an example was over-dyed then, you couldn't see anything in it anywhere.

 

[callingcolleen1]

When you have a bottle of dye, its quite concentrated and someone thought more was better. The bottles of dye are quite concentrated, you only put a few drops in at a time, where the water flows well, to better mix in quick, and when you see the desired effect you stop. Some people use the dye when their water quality is poor, or pea green, and then mix the dye in to try to hide the pea green water, you can get a real nasty blue pea soup that is not the highly desired effect they were expecting!! The dyes work best when the water is crystal clear, a few drops JUST TO TINT the water lightly to help slow the string algae down. At least with this product if you screw up it won't kill the fish, and the color fades within a week or so. The bottles of dye should last most people with average sized ponds for quite a while, adding only a few drops at a time. The color is also good if you have preditors fishing in your pond, then you can add extra drops to dye the water a nice dark color so the fish can hide better.

 

[callingcolleen1]

Hey Jen, one of my favorite shows is My Big Fat Gypsy wedding, they have some major "bling" going on with their events, do you ever cater to Gypsy's?

 

[sissy]

my neighbor did that and what a mistake .Blue water reminded me of a toilet bowl and then the pump got clogged I had blue arms almost up to my shoulder for a week .I told her she does it again she will have to go to work with blue arms next time .

 

[j.w]

Laughing here sissy................I can see you now.......................I'm continuing my laughing!!!

I have never watched that show but Colleen you are the second person now that has said it was interesting to watch. I'll have to check it out on demand.

 

[don't ask]

i would guess dye could look kinda neat if you could get the look of say carribean waters

 

[balsamina]

Great results and beautiful fish :goldfish: Congratulations

 

[callingcolleen1]

Sissy your funny! tolite bowl and blue arms, trying to picture you in my head, ha ha ha