Pond advice

[mint]

Can someone please give me some advice about a static pondt (that's to say, not spring fed) and that is covered in green slime.

Is there an easy way to get rid of the slime (no, please don't say put on waders, roll up your sleeves and get to work), perhaps some treatment that will keep is nice and clear.

Also, if anyone has a pond like this, do you get a lot of mosquitoes?  This is a serious consideration for us as we are both allergic to mosquito bites and suffer nasty reactions.

Thank you.

[AnOther]

Sorry to say it sweets but initially at least I don't think you will be able to avoid getting a little 'down and dirty' to remove what you can by hand. Without adequate circulation and filtering it's not going to clear by itself, nor stay clear once you have got it that way. Think of it in almost the same way you would a swimming pool, it's only the chemicals and the filtering which keep those clear and, as a lot of people have discovered recently, if not kept on top of even they will very quickly get out of control and go green. Three people I know, all with with salt pools, have that problem.

Mosquitos need static water to breed so with a pond like that, even squeaky clean, I think you can almost guarantee them.

[just john]

try  hydra-quartz then stock with snails and fish, they love algae & mosquitos  [8-|]

 frenchtouristoffice.net/charente-holidays-dordogne-shopping.  - FREE FISH FOR PONDS:
Mike Molloy has a lot of fish available. You need to bring a good pond or keep net. Contact: 05 45 78 32 47
 pond_fish  -  Algae eating Black ramshorn snails and pond Assassin Snails

 

 

 

[andyh4]

As AO says you will need to clear it by hand to start with.

 

To minimise the return of the green sludge you should look to getting more oxygen into the water with oxygenating plants (but be careful in your choice since some can be as invasive as the algae).  and or a pump and fountain.

 

Once the gunge has been removed and the water oxygenated, think about adding fish - you don't say how big the pond is - bottom feeders like catfish and barbel will help keep mossie larvae under control. 

[cooperlola]

I have a "dirty water" pump with which we empty ours every couple of years then it's get in there and scoop out the remaining scum by hand as others have said.  Thereafter pond plants, snails and some chemical gunk as said above can help to keep the green slime at bay but never forever as it's just part of the natural turn of things.

Mosquitos - yes, I'm afraid you'll be plagued with them (as my face and hands will attest).

Since the heron ate all the fish (virtually the day after the dog died) I'm not sure I'd have one if I had the choice.  But I did love the fish and they bred like rabbits!  The frogs are lovely though, they still come around.[:)]

Oh - and I forgot the dragon flies - another added bonus of the pond - beautiful things.

[Pierre ZFP]

I have a small pond and I have to take a rake to it especially in the summer to remove the green blanket weed.  Strange stuff as when its out of the water it rapidly dries to a light almost fluffy pile so I chuck it on the compost.

I don't clear it out at this time of year as its full of frog's porn (quite what frogs do with porn I'm not sure [:-))]  )

I also heard that if you top up your pond, the more likely is the weed as you are adding nitrates etc.  This is certainly bourne out by my experience.

 

Coops, fish breeding like rabbits ??? Are they genetically modified??

[Edward Trunk]

Fish will eat mosquito larvae, but you can't chuck anti-algae chemicals in if there's fish. I nailed small tacks into a bamboo pole, then every day I twirl it in the water for a few minutes, and all the algae twists round it. I waive copyright on this handy little invention.

[woolybanana]

I use a grass rake which seems to get loads of it up.

[mint]

Thank you, everybody!  I guess it's a no-no after all as it all sounds like too much hard work!

That alone would defeat the purpose of living here in France, LOL!  NOT that I don't work, mind.  I have the house to clean and maintain, more cooking than I ever did, hedge cutting, log piling, etc. etc.

Pond cleaning is NOT one other chore I need!

Thank you for putting me right.

[pachapapa]

Your pond could serve as a complementary final phytoépuration stage in your fosse installation.[:)]

[mint]

Pacha, that's exactly what the present owners use it as.  She told me that, after the sand filter beds, the water goes into the pond!

[AnOther]

Now I understand your reluctance to get 'hands on' [+o(]

[Russethouse]

Could you drain it and turn it into a bog garden ? How big is it ?

[AnOther]

Sounds like it already is [blink]

[Pierre ZFP]

If it were big enough I suppose you could swim in it.

Or would that just be going through the motions? [+o(]

 

[woolybanana]

It is a moat that goes right round the chateau!! No wonder the local kids didnt want to swim in it, even for coins. A chateau surrounded by a moat full of kaka!! Hmmmm, no wonder you wanna move Sweets!

[goose]

We have a pond it is quite large it has trees around the edge, our fosse

filter bed drains in to it (the water coming from the filter bed has

been tested and is drinkable, although I won't be the one to try it) we

have carp and some other fish in it, some quite large, at certain times

of the year it will turn green with algae but clears after a few days,

if it becomes a problem you can throw a small bale of barley straw in to

clear the algae. the fish eat most of the mosquito larva, I wont say we

don't have mosquitoes but they are usually about before 10am and after

4pm so your fairly safe between these times.

Our pond is a very attractive part of our property we have a bench by it

and love to take some stale bread to feed the fish and the wild ducks,

and keep an eye open for all sorts of wild life, dragonflies, newts,

frogs, toads, butterflies, pond skaters are just a few of species that

live in and around the pond,  we have spotted a kingfisher checking out

the pond,and even had a stag come for drink of water while we sat there,

really magical moments, no two days are the same the sunlight and

shadows on the water and the wind all have an affect on the appearance

of the pond.

You haven't said what size your pond  is,I assume it is large as your fosse filter bed drains into it, but if it is smaller garden

pond size then maybe you need to add a pump  a filter some

plants and of course some fish to eat the mosquito larva.

what every you decide good luck with it.

[mint]

I'm not going to join in the lavatorial humour but I wish to ask Goose how a bale of barley straw can get rid of the algae?

Does it need to be BARLEY straw, Goose?

[Russethouse]

http://www.bradshawsponds.co.uk/bradalgae/algaestraw.htm

We use a plant called water soldier, which initially cleared our pond in a couple of days, sadly our poor pond has been rather neglected of late, it needs a good clean out

[mint]

Actually, I have enjoyed all the jokes as my own sense of humour is pretty infantile.

There is a way to drain it as the land slopes and there is some sort of primitive weir further down.  But, with the fosse water being added to it, I am not sure how much drainage is possible.

There is a large willow tree near it and so I guess the land must be quite wet if not actually marshy.

That's a most interesting link, RH.  I am the ultimate townie so everything remotely relating to the country side has to be explained to me at a basic level.

I've been reading your posts to OH and he is now quite anxious that I don't tell the agent we aren't interested.  That is, not until we have looked at this pond thingy a bit more.

He guesses that it is perhaps 100 ft x 50ft but we will see if we can find it on Google Maps and scale it off.

Thanks again, everyone!

[pachapapa]

There you go a series of terraced ponds with different eco-environments; a rival to Virginia Water.[:)]

[Patf]

We have a pond about the same size. A few weeks ago it was half covered with green slime. I've just come back from 2 weeks in the UK and had a look at the pond and not a trace of slime now!

I think there's been a lot of rain while I was away, could be due to that. We never tried to remove the slime.

Another point not yet mentioned: frogs (I mean the little greeny brown sort [:)]  They also feed off the mosquito larvae, so can't say we've ever had many mosquitos.

As someone above said, it's a constant source of interest, and not much extra work.

Ours usually dries out in the summer, and I clear out any debris, broken branches from the overhanging trees mainly.

[mint]

Hi, Pat, hope you enjoyed yourself in the UK?  Just been eating your lentil bake (well, my own lentil bake really but your recipe!) and it really was tasty with baked potatoes and a green salad.

Yes, thank you to you and everyone else who have been so encouraging about the pond.

Think I'll make an offer tomorrow.  Now I have been reassured about the pond, I'll just look on it as an asset instead of a liability.

How about a pool party then, folks?  No, not the sort where you lounge around sipping a glass of bubbly and nibbling at canapes.  I mean one where you bring your waders, rakes, buckets and we get to clear out smelly green slime and then maybe we'll have some beer and pizzas?

[Thebiga]

It does need to be barley straw. As it rots down it does something that clears up the algae problem, How it does it I don't know but it does. In some canals they chuck bales & bales of the stuff in and it clears it no problem.

Some good pond shops/centres in the uk used to sell small bundles of the stuff wrapped in mesh which you then put in your pond. If you have a large pond and can get a bale then its a bargain.

[Théière]

[quote user="Thebiga"] In some canals they chuck bales & bales of the stuff in and it clears it no problem. [/quote]

And in some they chuck shopping trolleys do they work too? [Www][:D]