My goldfish pond

[CometKeith]

This is the whole article I took the excerpt from regarding the oyster shells. They seem to know what they are talking about because they are wholesale growers of pond plants. Also I found it interesting that they say to never borrow filter media from someone else because you may be getting unwanted bacteria. http://www.woodbridg.../new-pond-abcs/

On another note I have identified 6 baby fish in my pond. They are as follows: silver with orange red head, white body with small orange speckles, orange and black spotted-this one is the most adventurous and the easiest to spot,all black with slightly grayish sides-this is the largest one. and two babys probably less than an inch. One has a little orange and the other is not showing any color yet. Also I'm throwing in the pond the special one we have inside that I found in a pot. Also I found a few baby fish with the tadpoles that I am keeping separate. The goldfish are still spawning so I don't know how many babys we will end up with! We are going to Door County for a few days so I hope our flowers don't all die and the fish don't get too hungry while we are gone.

 

[CountryEscape]

The fish will be fine, but if this heat keeps up, your plants may be hurting, unless they are all planted in the ground and well watered before you go. I have to water my hanging baskets daily! But, Sunday it is maybe going to ...., RAIN!!!! I sure hope so. Corn around here, not kidding, I've never seen it look this bad. Tassled, no ears, drying up and turning brown. It may be a total bust of a year around here if rain doesn't come in big supply soon.
Have fun in Door County! Heard of it many times, but never been there.
I hope Addy responds soon as to how she puts 2 - 50# bags of oyster shells in her bog every year! She must scatter it, and if that's the case, maybe I'll try that. I have about a half of a bag left over from what I put in nylons. Maybe that would help in my stream, keeping the algae at bay. In fact, I had some leftover kitty litter that I scattered over some algae in the goldfish pond bog, and meant to look at it tonight to see if it had any impact on the algae, but forgot. Will try to remember to do that in the a.m.

 

[CometKeith]

CE, I listened to this blog radio interview from the nursery that grows floating pond plants. They actually grow them in ph 5.5 so their water is slightly acidic so I don't think your ph is the problem. One thing they mentioned and i have read elsewhere is that certain trace minerals and metals are very important for plant growth. There might be some additives you can add to your well water to balance it out that would promote growth of your water hyacinths and water lettuce. You can probably skip the first 20 minutes of the blog to shorten it up. http://www.blogtalkradio.com/wm-aquaculture/2012/03/24/woodbridge-pond--plants-for-ponds

 

[koiguy1969]

Good shots 99! Can't even tell that's a tarp so no worries,lol!

would you believe it sounds like "Maxwell Smart"?

 

[CountryEscape]

KoiGuy, my PH is more like 8.5, not 5.5. I'm thinking that hyacinths like it much lower than what I have to offer. Maybe that's my main problem. I listened to the radio talk show (listening as I type, but got to the part you were talking about) and it seems they like kind of a neutral PH. I've put oyster shells in the bucket of hyacinths that I have in more shade. Also did a test and sprinkled oyster shells on top of the algae in part of the goldfish pond bog and in part of the stream. Will be interesting to see if it makes any difference. I should put the 2 nylon bags of oyster shells in the stream and see if that helps get rid of any algae ... can't even remember if oyster shells help with algae, or if they mainly help maintain PH. As I said, this will be a test!

 

[addy1]

Ce our well water does not even measure any hardness. The pond just filled was around 11 or so, or whatever the lowest reading is. With the shells the hardness went over 100. Last summer until this spring. With the rain and topping with the well water our hardness dropped to 50ish. I added the 100 lbs before we left will check the hardness when we get home.

I just scatter/dump it wherever there is good water flow in the bog. Which is almost everywhere.

 

[CountryEscape]

OK, so the oyster shells raise the PH and/or hardness, which is already high in my water, so they would not be something I need. That's what I was thinking I was getting out of reading about them. Nothing that anyone knows of to lower the PH either, except I think peat moss, but that makes your water green. My solution, don't get plants that need lower PH/hardness, settle for what can handle the harder water.

 

[CometKeith]

CE, I have read and seen in my own pond that with plants in a pond over time the ph will gradually go down by the second year. My pond ph went down from the low 9's to the low 8's after one year. Also you may want to see if there are any alkaline products coming in contact with your water. Anything made with Portland Cement is okay but pavers and cement products, or limestone can raise the ph.

 

[CountryEscape]

There is nothing in the water except for liner and plants and pea gravel. Would the pea gravel cause any PH problem? I wouldn't think so, but maybe where mine comes from it has more lime in it or something. The stones in the waterfall and on the edge are flagstone. Again, from the quarries in So. Illinois, so I would think they would be ok, maybe not?
Maybe by next year the PH will go down some. I've not checked it lately, but earlier this spring it was around 8.2-8.4. I see other people with parrots feather plants that are sooo thick and full (Addy's pics lately) and mine are long gangly stems, look healthy on the ends but not as full. Maybe they will get fuller next year, since this is first year for them. I'm learning as I go, though.

 

[addy1]

They are in a most of the time still pond ce, I have some in the big pond, anchored in the rocks along the side, looking pretty full, but doesn't grow as well as in the little pond. It overwintered in the small pond, but it was a mild winter, next winter who knows how well it will do.

Last time I check my ph was around 7.6

 

[CountryEscape]

Hey Addy, can you turn on your air pump, and tell me if it's loud? I e-mailed the guy I bought it from, and his response, "Maybe your deck is vibrating". Told him it is loud, sounds like something is wrong with it, if I hold it in my hands! No response. I think it needs to be returned, but I don't want to be embarrassed and find out that's normal! Putting insulation around the box over it helps, but it's still loud. Cannot carry on a conversation on the deck with that sucker running. I turned it on last weekend, and my friend looked shocked that I left it running! It was that bad. It tends to get quieter the longer it runs, but never what I would possibly consider "quiet operation" as the box says.

 

[j.w]

Do you have the AP air pump CE? I just bought one and I put it in a covered container and it seems pretty quiet. I mean I can hear it when I stand right over it but it's not loud at all. I think you have a problem w/ it IMHO! Especially if they say it is supposed to run quiet.

 

[addy1]

mine is no way that loud, I have to listen to hear it running when right next to it, it does not catch my attention. I can hear it but not real loud. Just covered with a plastic tote.

i will attempt to keep on the tip of my memory to go out and take a recording, put it on u tube for you of the sound.

 

[taherrmann4]

CE the air pumps should not be that loud. As the others have stated I can barely hear mine and that is only when the roof is up on the pump house where it is located.

Maybe you could record it and send the place where you bought it a video of how loud it is.

 

[CountryEscape]

OK, I'm convinced, there is something dreadfully wrong with my air pump! Yes, it is the Pondmaster AP 100 pump, and it's really loud. No way is it quiet in any way. I think if I put in on a piece of insulation board for cushioning, and put insulation board lined inside the tote, it would still be VERY loud. Like I said, you cannot talk while sitting 15' from it while it's running, it's that loud. I'm really upset now. That guy responded that maybe it was my deck vibrating. I told him nope, and it's the same way if I hold it, and he has not responded. So, I guess I have to return it to the company, which ticks me off, as I've not had it 3 months now. Will do some pushing with the seller, as he sells a LOT on E-Bay, see if I can push him some.