Re: Fish pond

Well, I'm hoping so. Thanks.

Re: Fish pond

Are we? I wasn't sure, but I take your word for it.
Sounds like you have your pond maintenance all sorted out!

Re: Fish pond

If you're still worried, sticking a solar powered aerator in it will always help for this, and indeed many other things.

Not too dear. Had a cheapo one for around £15 from Amazon which ran well until we got a spate of duckweed; at which point I upgraded to a mains fed one which had a higher output and operates a couple of blocks 24/7.

Apparently it helps shifting some of the stuff in the sludge which duckweed likes, up and out into the atmosphere. Seems to be doing it's stuff this year.

Could also lend you a pond vacuum cleaner, but this would involve direct contact which I can fully understand might not float your boat.

Re: Fish pond

Why not divert one of your house downpipes to the pond then have the overflow from the pond directed to the stormwater system? Shouldn't be too hard to arrange.

You would never have to worry about topping up the pond then and it will never get chlorinated water.

Re: Fish pond

Did think about this, with an intermediate water butt and a ball valve in the pond so it wouldn't overflow. . In the end, couldn't be ar$ed with all that, so went with my cheap and cheerful alternative.

Re: Fish pond

Blimey, water butt, ball valve? What were you building? Snowy Hydro Scheme Mark 2

Anyway my suggestion was for JBR who had the original problem perhaps I should have made that clearer when I replied

Re: Fish pond

Ah. My bad


In the grand plan of things, my pond is little more than a puddle.

Re: Fish pond

Weirdly enough, rain water isn't that great for fish either, depending on how acidic it is. Fish can often get sick after heavy downpours. Of course, most survive the rain but I'm not sure I would want to divert it into the pond the whole time. I did actually consider this once but changed my mind.

Re: Fish pond

That's very kind of you to offer. However, we already have one, electrically powered, which Marge's auntie gave us some time ago. I've only used it once, when we emptied out the pond a few years ago to start afresh, as it's a bit of a job to set it all up. We had it spewing the stuff out on to Marge's garden!

Having said that, I didn't know that duckweed likes the sludge. How does that work then? The sludge is about a foot and a half down and the duckweed is on the surface of course. If this is actually the case, then I'll try to suck out some of the sludge from the bottom. I don't mind some duckweed, as it happens, as it gives the fish somewhere to hide especially when herons come calling! On the other hand, it does spread and I need to use a net to pull most of it out from time to time.

As for an aerator, I don't think we need such a thing as we have a fountain working from a filter which operates 24-7. I'm sure that keeps the water aerated.

Thanks very much for your advice, Dex.

Re: Fish pond

Yep, the pond vac can be messy JBR.

Think it's the enzymes or something that's within the sludge layer that feeds the water that feeds the duckweed.

An aerator gives you the chance to move the bubbling stone around at will and no effort and oxygenate deeper into the pool that a pump/fountain. It will also create a bit or turbulence down deep, which is no bad thing in terms of not having a stagnant later of water which rarely moves, other than by convection currents I guess.

Your choice JBR. Don't shoot the messenger.

Edit: If the plants are happy, fish are happy, and you are happy, then no real need for it.