Making the pond level

How can I raise the water level in my fish pond?

I dug a fish pond in my back yard but I didn't really do any calculations. one side of the pond is lower than the other. what can I put on the low side so i can raise the level of water up the higher side without it overflowing?

You can use bricks under the liner. Make them the height you need, then cover with soil. Now put the liner over them. I would also fold the liner over back toward the pond with flat rocks in between the two layers. If you do that all the way around the water will cover up all the liner and the pond looks completely natural.

To find more pond information, go to pondlady.com

Water hyacinth

When should I bring in my water hyacinth?
I have about 20 something water hyacinth in my koi pond. I want to keep them for next season also. When should I bring them indoors? I live in maryland.  Also what can I do to make them grow great, like what nutrients should I add to their water? Is it safe to pluck their nast,y mushy stem and leaves, or should I leave them be? 


Answer:
Take off all the mushy stems and leaves before you bring them in. Add only a dechlorinator to the water inside. Since they need full sun to grow, they may well go dormant before next spring, but they will come back. Bring them in when the nights begin reaching temps of 55º at night.

If the water they are in gets too unbearable, pack them in damp sand and leave them in the garage.

To find more pond information, go to pondlady.com

Pond needs

What do I need to know before making a pond?

I have a 15 gallon tank with 5 fish and they are all really small.  I know for a fact they are going to get really big so I was thinking about making a pound in out yard in a spot where there are no power or water lines and keeping the big fish out there and raising the smaller ones inside until they get big enough to go in the pond.  Keep in mind i'm only gonna make it 10ft long 7ft wide and the deepest part about 9ft.

Do you have any tips on a pond?

Answer:

First of all, you don't need a pond 9' deep. Depending on where you live, 18" to 3 feet is usually deep enough. Your frost line (You can find out how deep your frost line is by calling your county extension service), determines how deep your pond needs to be. You will want to dig deeper than yours is.

To find more pond information, go to pondlady.com

Clumping Bamboo

My clumping bamboo won't shoot. Do you think it ever will?


Answer:

If you mean it is not spreading, give it some time. It will. And keep spreading and spreading and spreading. Even if it is called clumping, that just means it does not spread as fast.

Cleaning discolored water

When we take yellow water from river to treat it for drinking, What I do to remove this color in water?
We use this water for drinking and we add to it chlorine, polymer and alum.

Answer:

Use an activated charcoal filter to remove the color. Not the charcoal you use in the barbecue, but the kind used in an aquarium. I have no idea if this will make the water safe to drink. It will only remove the color.

Homemade aphid killer

How do you make homemade algaecide for my pond?
I live on a channel on a lake and I have aphids on my plants.  Is there a book that would show homemade remedies I could use?


Answer:


Here's a homemade aphid killer:
• The following technique can be used to treat water lilies for aphid infestation without harm to your fish. Aphids and many other garden pests can be easily controlled with an inexpensive, homemade insecticide--according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
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• This recipe was developed after entomologists at the Agriculture Research Center in Phoenix, Arizona, discovered that a spray of soybean oil protected cotton from aphids and whiteflies. Home gardeners should mix one tablespoon of dishwashing detergent with one cup of cooking oil. When pests strike, mix one to two and one half teaspoons of the detergent oil mix with one cup of water. The detergent causes the oil to emulsify in the water. It can be sprayed on the water lilies every ten days. Besides aphids, the mixture works against whiteflies and spider mites. It has been successfully tested on eggplants, carrots, lettuce, celery, watermelon, peppers and cucumbers. It tends to burn the leaves of squash, cauliflower and red cabbage.
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• As far as an algaecide goes, getting rid of algae might not be possible. We can control it in an ornamental pond, but a channel/lake, there are so many elements out of your control. Your channel just has too much run off to properly balance the water so algae will not appear. If you try floating plant material, it will soon become an invasive, noxious weed.

Bleach in the pond

Will putting bleach in a small pond damage the pond's pump?
I've got a small pond with a waterfall feature. I recently took everything out (water, rocks, etc), cleaned it, and installed a new pump. After a week of hot weather the algae bloomed and took over the pond. I was able to scoop out the majority of it and killed the remaining algae with bleach.

My question, is this harmful to the $70 pump that I just bought from Home Depot? I know that algaecide is a better solution, but bleach is very inexpensive and seems to work. Please let me know your opinion. Thanks in advance.

Answer:

Bleach will not hurt your pump at all. Keep using it as long as it works.

Fencing off the pond

What material should I use to make a fence around the pond?

I need to build a fence around a pond in my garden. The kidney-shaped duck pond is quite large. I need to do this so that my dog(labrador) and cat don't disturb the ducks. 

points to note:-

I live in a place where we have hot, cold and wet weather - all for about 4 months each.

The garden's soil is a hideout for ants and termites - so wooden fence is out of the question.

The dog is pretty naughty so the material should be a bit heavy else he will tear it down.

The pond is under the shade of the mango tree.

The fence should be such that the ducks and pond is not hidden from our view.

Please consider the cost factor as well. It shouldn't be too expensive and I know the metal fence would be.

• Answer:
  
  A chain link fence is about the cheapest you can find. Vinyl can work, but it is probably the most expensive. You could try an electric invisible fence. http://www.invisibleelectricdogfence.com…
• That would fill all your needs.

My pond is losing water

Urgent, lives at stake, fish lives at stake.
My best mates have gone away to America for two weeks and have paid me to go round to their house and water the plants until they come back.

I've been watering the plants for about 3 days and when I went to their garden I noticed the fish pond had drained to an alarmingly low level.

It is one of the ponds with that black lining and has a filter in the form of a little fountain.

The fountain is a little blocked but the pipes don't' leave the water so i don't know how it is losing water.

Help!
Answer:
The little holes in the fountain head got blocked, but one or two remained open and the water just spurted out of the pond. Open the holes on the fountain head with a tooth pick OR just remove the top until your friends get home. Refill the pond and don't forget the dechlor.

f your pond is concrete, liner, anything but a natural bottom, you could use chlorine to clean it.  That will kill the duckweed. Then you could add extra dechlor when you refill.

To find more pond information, go to pondlady.com

Getting rid of duckweed

I've drained my old pond in order to clear it of pollution and duckweed. Can I use weedkiller to eradicate it?

Or will this harm the fish when I refill it? Obviously I would rinse it off afterwards, so there could only be trace amounts of the stuff left, but is it safe to use at all? The duckweed can grow to cover the entire pond's surface from just a few seeds, so it's VITAL that I completely destroy it now while the pond is empty of water and fish.

Alternatively, as the weed seems to be dying off and turning brown now that the pond is empty, will that prevent any chances of it returning?

Answer:

If your pond is concrete, liner, anything but a natural bottom, you could use chlorine to clean it.  That will kill the duckweed. Then you could add extra dechlor when you refill.

Bead filter

I need a really good filter for my pond?
i have a 44,000 gallon pond and i want to know for a good filter for it.


Answer:
I think a bead filter, albeit expensive, will be your best bet. You may need more than one for that size pond.

Pool to pond

Can you use a 24' round pool as a pond?

Wondering if anyone tried using their pool as a fish pond instead

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• Answer:
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  You sure can. It's gonna be a big one, but you can use the same pump. Be sure to add a dechlorinator and follow all there rest of the pond guidelines. Read about them here:

Foamy water

How to get rid of foam in a Koi pond?
I have 1000gal pond that has been very clear for a long time. for the last few months, It is not as clear and has started getting foam on the surface. I use the same pump, uv bulb and pressure filter. I changed the uv bulb, but no better.


Answer:
Several things can cause that. Excess protein, fish mating. It will go away in a few days on its own. It won't hurt anything, so don't worry.


To find more pond information, go to pondlady.com

Doubling a pond liner

Can i use 2 pond liners for my water garden/pond?
I just want to make sure that my pond will not leak and that it will last a long time. Other than costs, are there any disadvantages of having 2 pond liners for a pond that is about 8 ft long x 5.3 ft wide by 2.5 ft deep?

Answer:


No, that doesn't work. If the liner is not thick enough, it will fail. The second one usually fails at the same time. Even if it doesn't water gets between the two and soon the upper one is floating at the water's surface. Use a 40 mil butyl liner that comes with at least a 20 year warranty.

To find more pond information, go to pondlady.com

Help, there's a hole in my pond

Help! I think there is a hole in my pond?

Since my parents separated, my mother left me with the care of her backyard pond. I can't exactly tell you how big it is, but it's built in a very large kidney shape. It has a blue liner and is also stocked with plants and fish.

However, yesterday I went outside to check on it and I found the water VERY low. I have the pond built on levels, almost like steps. But the first level of the pond was completely dry and the water was very low. So I filled it with a hose since I don't have a pump running. And then I left it go - it didn't seem to be draining anywhere. I looked around the pond and didn't find any grass wet. So I thought it just evaporated because of the hot weather. 

Then I went outside earlier this morning and found the water low again - but not as low as it was yesterday.

Is that a sign of a hole or do you think it's just the hot weather? It's such a big pond and a hole seems to be a real hard thing to find. . .

Help please?

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  I doubt it's a hole. The water went out too fast for that. Did you have the pump turned on? Turn off all pumps and look at the pond tomorrow morning. If the water level goes down with the pump off, you have a leak. 
• If that liner is a swimming pool liner and it sounds like it is, perhaps you can find some patching material for it. I'm sure it can be bought at any swimming pool place.
• Check here for directions on how to find a leak. 
• http://www.pondlady.com/Articles/pondlea…

• To find more pond information, go to pondlady.com

Cleaning a Muddy Pond

How can I properly remove thick, swampy mud from the bottom of my garden pond?
All the water from my garden pond has gone, it is now quarter-full with a green-black, thick mud. What is the best way to get rid of this, so i can either remove my pond, or refill it with water?
Thanks.

Answer:
If you don't want your pond anymore, just fill it up with sand and soil. If you do want to keep your pond, you can shovel it out. You can also try this which may work. Fill the pond up with water, then using a utility pump, start pumping. Keep filling it with water as the pump keeps working. You can probably get much of the muddy water out. Then use a wet vacuum to get the rest.

To find more pond information, go to pondlady.com

Cranes and Egrets Eating Fish

I have problems with my pond.  Help?

There is a crane that eats all the fish.  I was told I could put a fence right under the surface.  What fence would I get or are there any other options? thanks.

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  Try a motion activated scarer like Scarecrow. Or a floating alligator called Gator Guard. 
• Both work extremely well.
• Scarecrow: http://www.absolutebirdcontrol.com/produ…
• Gator Guard: http://www.bird-x.com/gatorgard-p-14.htm…

• To find more pond information, go to pondlady.com

Yucky Sludge Stuff on the Pond Bottom

Can I scoop out the sludge out of the bottom of my pond?

I have a fountain/filter in my 550 gal pond and I have been having to rinse the filter every other day because it gets clogged from the yucky sludge stuff on the bottom. Can I scoop it out with a net?

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  You can try, but it probably will just stir it up. Cleaning out the pond is a good idea. Here's how:
• http://www.pondlady.com/Articles/cleanin…
• Or you could try using a swimming pool vacuum, like this:
• http://store.poolcenter.com/shared/Store…
• Attach a panty hose leg to the discharge. Don't buy the net that comes with the vac. It doesn't work because the netting is not tight enough.

• To find more pond information, go to pondlady.com
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• And to meet a great community of gardeners, join us at  Gardeners  Gumbo

Black pond water. Help.

Tetra pond algae control turned my pond water black, is that normal?

My 550 gallon pond was getting really green to the point where I couldn't even see my fish until they came to the surface to eat. Yesterday, I went to the pet store and purchased TetraPond Algae control and used it as directed. I diluted it in a bucket of water then poured it into the pond along the edges. When I woke up this morning the pond water was really dark. Is that normal? and will it eventually clear up?

Also, on another note, last week I put in TetraPond Barley and Peat stuff, I don't Know if it was okay to put in the algae stuff ontop of the barley and peat stuff. It wasn't clearing my water so I put in the algae stuff.

Answer:

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  That is dead algae. Be sure you have enough oxygen getting in the water. Turn on more pumps if you have them. Add an airstone just to keep the water oxygenated enough for your fish. 
• Algaecides can be very dangerous. For easy ways to keep your pond clear, read this article I wrote:
• http://www.pondlady.com/Articles/pondalg…

• To find more pond information, go to pondlady.com

Ponds and Snakes.

Just witnessed a Brownish-Black snake with Red-Orange bands hanging around small pond with Comets and Goldfish?

What kind of snake is this? It's a small decorative pond in Southeast Texas. I've seen pictures of water snakes and they don't compare. Snake is about 2 1/2 feet long and about 2 inches thick.

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• Answer:
  
  It could be a coral snake and very dangerous:
• http://images.search.yahoo.com/images/vi…
• Or it could be a milk snake, not dangerous at all:
• http://images.search.yahoo.com/images/vi…
• A poisonous snake always has vertical pupils, although I am not sure I would get that close if I were unsure.

• To find more pond information, go to pondlady.com

Waterfall pumps, waterfall ideas

Waterfall Pump Question?

I just bought a tub for a pond for my back yard I want to build a water fall for it. Any Ideas also what size pump (gph) should I buy? Its very small pond its maybe 5 feet long 21/2 feet deep so nothing nuts, just something to keep the water circulating.

Any websites with pics of decorating ideas too??

• Answer:
• For pond ideas, see the photo gallery of my website: http://www.pondlady.com

• I would get a pump that was at least 1250 gph. You can't have a real tall waterfall because the water will splash out, so stick with the medium sized one.

• To find more pond information, go to pondlady.com

What to do with a neglected pond

I just bought a house that has a small backyard pond. The house has been vacant for 9 months or so... and the pond has been sitting stagnant all this time. Today, I used the pump to get the water out. I also attempted to get the millions of leaves out! There are still some in there that I am having a hard time reaching. Once this is all cleaned out, I won't know what to do next... besides fill it with water :)

It looks like they were using lava rock as a filter. This was sectioned off at one end of the pond with a hose to the waterfall on the other end of the pond. 

The lava rocks are all mixed with leaves... I need to clean this all out. Can I reuse the lava rocks or should I get some new ones? Or would you suggest a different filter plan?

Also, when I bought my house, the pump is just laying on the ground next to the pond. Not attached to anything! I'm not sure how it is supposed to be set up.

I'm going to attempt to clean out the rest of the leaves tonight after it gets cooler. (Oooh.. I hear thunder. A storm will cool things off!) The leaves were settled to the bottom of the pond, so I don't think adding water and using a net would work to get the leaves out...

What do I need to do??

(And I live in a warm climate! Tampa, Florida!)

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• Answer
  First, clean out the pond completely. http://www.pondlady.com/Articles/cleanin…

• Then refill it. Use the pump you have and the lava rock set up. It's a great filter. Clean it up and reuse it.
• Test the pump by putting it in the water and plugging it in. Often when pumps sit out of the water for a time, the seals dry out and ruin the pump.
• Good luck. You will love your pond.

• To find more pond information, go to pondlady.com

Pond cleaning cost?

What's a fair price to pay for getting your pool pumped out and debris cleaned out of it?

I need to add that the pool is only half full. It has about 3 feet of leaves in the bottom and lots of sticks and twigs. Water needs to be pumped out and leaves cleaned out. What's a fair price?

Answer:

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  I charged $250.00 most of the time if the pond was relatively small. It's a nasty job because all those leaves have decomposed and are pretty stinky. Here's an article I wrote about how to clean pond:

• http://www.pondlady.com/Articles/cleanin…
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• To find more pond information, go to pondlady.com

Used ponds??

How much is a used/secondhand 400 gallon pond?

Oh please don't give an exact amount give an estimate, since I don't know what brand it is.

Answer:
Ponds are not usually bought, but installed. If you are buying a preformed pond - hard shell, it depends on the size of the shell. I recommend a flexible liner as the preformed pond shells do not last very long.

To find more pond information, go to pondlady.com