OMG, Advice from a FaceBook group!

[Mmathis]

I follow several pond-oriented groups on FB (as well as a couple of box turtle groups). Forgive me for not recalling details here, but I think you will get the picture. Someone posted about a sudden overgrowth of string algae, and was asking for advice. There were dozens of answers, which I stopped looking at after about the first dozen. OK, first of all, there wasn’t a lot of information about the pond, set-up, etc. given by the op. But I swear there as many different answers given as I have toes and fingers! Most involved nuking the pond

No one asked about the pond! Likewise, no one addressed the cause of the algae!

 

[pondering_life]

I have seen similar things myself on facebook groups
One of the perils of online advice I suppose, although conflicting the majority of what you read is well founded and helpful from peoples experiences. Yet there will always be that element you have to be careful of
At least we have this forum to rely on when it comes to good advice

 

[addy1]

Someone posted about a sudden overgrowth of string algae, and was asking for advice.

Post a link to here and say there is some good information to be had!

 

[Lisak1]

The sad thing is, once someone reads it on the internet it becomes "fact" - no matter if it's true or false. When we were planning our pond, the amount of conflicting information I read was incredible. Even the information we got by mouth from experienced pond people was all over the board. At some point we just had to start reasoning things out. THANK GOODNESS for the GPF! This is where one big light bulb went on when I realized you can't use the terms "koi pond" and "eco-pond' interchangeably.

I've sent so many pond people or wanna be ponders here to read and learn. Best pond forum on the internet!

 

[pondering_life]

THANK GOODNESS for the GPF! This is where one big light bulb went on when I realized you can't use the terms "koi pond" and "eco-pond' interchangeably.

I've sent so many pond people or wanna be ponders here to read and learn. Best pond forum on the internet!

100% this having kept fish tanks for a good few years I assumed a pond set up would be easy but reading through the pages on this forum has certainly helped me avoid making some rookie mistakes

 

[Mmathis]

Post a link to here and say there is some good information to be had!

I have actually done that before! Also on a site called Quora! My standard answer has been that, “You might have better information if you post to an online forum such as xyz (sometimes I give them KOIPHEN if it’s mostly koi-related). No one knows the entire story of your pond/problem, and there are many questions to be asked,” Something like that. Sort of the standard thing we tell people here. And my rationale is that on forums there is more give and take, discussions, and it is easier to pin down a problem and run with it — continuity, so to speak.

 

[Mmathis]

@Lisak1 Agree! I joined GPF a year before we started any work. Back then we had Fishn4cars (I am friended with him on FB — he still gives great advice!), and 2 other guys — don’t recall names, but one was an out of the box thinker, which lead one to “think before doing,” and just can’t recall the 3rd guy. But they tended to give advice based on the “every pond is different“ theory, and their advice wasn’t cookie-cutter advice. From them, I learned to be open minded and think through an idea with its potential repercussions, as well as to take some advice with a grain of salt, obtain as much info as possible and NOT follow something unless it made sense for MY pond!

And of course, all of you guys like @addy1 and everyone else.

 

[Mmathis]

I have seen similar things myself on facebook groups
One of the perils of online advice I suppose, although conflicting the majority of what you read is well founded and helpful from peoples experiences. Yet there will always be that element you have to be careful of
At least we have this forum to rely on when it comes to good advice

my least favorites are the box turtle groups! Grrrrr! While I own and know a good bit about them, I would never call myself an expert. But this content is about 90% non-experts giving advice to clueless novices!