About the brown sludge...does an additive help or does it need to be vacuumed? Since I don't have a vacuum now, something else would help...I have experience some dirt getting in after a really hard rain (dug the pond bigger, hence the mud surrounding it). I have stones and gravel, but a little dirt got in. Suggestions? Does it go away or does algae eventually grow over it?
Small pond, big results
- Thread starter SnaF
- Start date
I just vacuumed my pond using an aquarium gravel cleaner adapted to a garden hose. I started a siphon and it was sufficient to suck up leaves and small particles that were on the bottom.
The gravel vacuum tube is clear and much larger than the hose, so occasionally it would jam up. I just put my hand over the bottom, held it over a bucket, removed my hand long enough for the stuff to drop into the bucket, put my hand back over so I would not lose the siphon and went back to cleaning the bottom.
I spent about 1/2 hour and got most all the loose debries out of the pond.
Two pain pills later my back felt better.
This requires going into your pond, which does not bother me. But then my pond is nice and clear and I can see "Jaws" coming.
The gravel vacuum tube is clear and much larger than the hose, so occasionally it would jam up. I just put my hand over the bottom, held it over a bucket, removed my hand long enough for the stuff to drop into the bucket, put my hand back over so I would not lose the siphon and went back to cleaning the bottom.
I spent about 1/2 hour and got most all the loose debries out of the pond.
Two pain pills later my back felt better.
This requires going into your pond, which does not bother me. But then my pond is nice and clear and I can see "Jaws" coming.
Full pic, as promised. As for vacuums, I prefer the Laguna Pond Vacuum Kit.
You can see the monofilament that I strung around the pond. The crane returned, and couldn't find his way into the pond. Funnily enough he walked away and started pacing in circles in my yard.
You can see the monofilament that I strung around the pond. The crane returned, and couldn't find his way into the pond. Funnily enough he walked away and started pacing in circles in my yard.
I used a similar arrangement for a while. The raccoons got around it and it was always in the way, so I made removable nets using PVC and plastic fencing from Home Depot.
DenniMac
Dogs, Cattle, Horses, Cats, & Fish? (Oh My)!
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Hey everyone, I figured I'd share the above ground pond I just installed in my parents' backyard. It's only 160 gallons but it very much enhances the mood of the backyard.
It hosts three koi (there were 4, but one was eaten by a crane), a tropical lily, dwarf lily, lilly, water hyacinth, grasses, cannalily and other flowering plants, and as the days go by, more and more life such as butterflies, dragonflies and various pollen gathering insects, and even a lizard.
I've been keeping aquariums for nearly 20 years now, so this wasn't the hardest thing to do for me. My pump does 350gph, which was sufficient to clear an algae bloom in a little less than 3 days, once the bacteria were sufficiently established.
as you can see, everything is in a cycle of blooming. The dwarf lilly has a white flower, but it's not pictured here, as I didn't find time to photograph it when it did bloom.
Hope you guys enjoy the macro photography.
Here's a few more images from my pond.
I’d very much like to see your photos, but all I have is a line of boxes, w/a red X over them, that isn’t a link! (I’m online via my iPhone)....
Mmathis
TurtleMommy
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These posts are from 12 years ago. I don’t think this member has been active any time recently.