Settling Sediment

Question:

Why did my pond water change from a murky brown color to a transparent aqua overnight?

Answer:
Sounds like the suspended material, whatever it was, settled to the bottom. Many things can make that happen: The pond is now in balance ecologically; some enzyme you used finally worked. Most murky ponds fix themselves if we just have patience. I have often said that the pond teaches us patience. Glad for you. Whatever you have been doing, keep doing it.

Koi pond filtration

Our pond is a mess! What can we do?

Our koi pond is very dirty. What kind of filter can we get to keep our pond clean? It's about a 500 gallon pond. 

Answer

Koi are messy fish. And 500 gallons is really not big enough for koi. There is a filtration system you can try, but I think I would switch to goldfish.

• Bead/ultraviolet filters are expensive, but are the only ones I have found that work.
• http://www.underwaterwarehouse.com/Aqua-…

Submersible Vegatation

Question:

What is the best type of plant to fully submerge in a pond?
I am not going to keep fish in it, hoping for some frogs and newts to arrive and was wondering if anyone had any suggestions on the best type of pond plant? I want 1 either full or partially in the water for creatures to hide in. Thank you.


Answer:
Depending on where you live, a hardy water lily or a tropical water lily would be perfect. You can also use floating plants like parrots feather or even water hyacinth.


Swimming ponds

My step dad is going to remove are pond need ways to stop him.?

My stepdad wants to dig out the hole pond and make it just a swimming hole but my pond has tons of animals who make their homes in it such as trout, frogs, cranes, other birds, salamanders, beavers, bears,and many bugs and other animals. I love this pond because it allows me to observe the wildlife which is my passion. 

If he does this all of the animals will probably die that live there and i couldn't bear that happening. So i came up with an idea to see if there is an endangered animal or plant that might live in my pond that way i can get my pond protected by a wildlife conservation so he can't tear it down. I was wondering does anybody know and endangered plant or animals that might live in a New York freshwater pond.

Answer:

• 
  You can have both. Ask him to work with you to build a natural swimming pond. It can be a great project for the two of you and you will both be happy with the results:
• Here's how:
• http://www.pondlady.com/Articles/swimmin…
• and
• http://www.pondlady.com/Articles/swimmin…

Planting water lilies

Question:
New water lily advice?
Hi, i've just purchased an 'Attraction' water lily, which has a good root stock,4 pads, on 6" stems, and 3 new spurs growing from the roots.
I need to plant it in my pond, but want to plant it deeper than the 6" the current pads are at.
What would your advice be? Could i cut the pads off, plant it deeper, and let the new spurs work to the top?
Also, will it live a day with no soil in the pond, floating, as i'm working tomorrow, and can't get the soil/basket etc till Friday.

Thanks.


Answer:

It will be fine just floating in the pond. Plant it in anything you wish. You don't need soil even. You can use any planting media at all. Put the lily in the media and put it at any depth you wish. The pads will make their way to the top in a few days. You do not have to cut any off.
When they do reach the top, fertilize with aquatic plant fertilizer.

Green slime

Question:

What is the green film on my pond and does it come from trees?
Answer:

If it's yellowish green and seems to be just floating on the top, not able to be netted, it's pollen. If it green, it's algae. You can get rid of it easily by using submerged and floating vegetation.

Pond landscaping

Question:
I am making a small pond in my backyard around 100-150 gallons. I want to put a tree beside it and was wondering which trees would be the best. It needs to be a small tree preferably around the small size as a Japanese Maple. Any help would be great! Thanks!

Answer:
Dwarf Japanese maples look great. But remember that if a tree loses leaves in the winter, you have to scoop them out at least weekly.

ponds and sidewalks

Question:
How can pond liner be attached to a concrete sidewalk and house foundation?
I have a nice curved sidewalk on one side and the house on the other. I would like to attach the pond liner in some way so it looks like the side of the pond is the sidewalk. Any tips would be appreciated.


Answer:
Dig slightly under the sidewalk and use bricks or rocks to hold the liner in place. The biggest problem with this approach is that the pond is below grade and subject to run off daily from the sidewalk and surrounds.
There is a liquid epoxy spray/paint on liner that works well, but it's very expensive. Check that out.
Another way would be to stack rocks or bricks inside the liner from the bottom to the top of the liner. You would still have your runoff problems tho.

Pond Install Cost

Question:
How much would setting up a nice 2000 gallon pond cost?
One of my dreams once I get a my own house is to build a really nice, big pond and fill it with Koi.

How much would something like that cost? The pump, the rocks, what else would I need?

Answer:
If you do it yourself, probably 4 thousand bucks. A professional installer would cost perhaps twice that much. That includes planting around the edges as well.
See my website for how to DIY.

To find more pond information, go to pondlady.com

Natural Pond Pumps

Question:
If have a large drainage area on property that is half the time a "pond"..can fill this up and recycle water ?
How costly would it be to buy a pump large enough to recycle water in a pond that is say 100 feet wide and 100 feet long and 6 feet deep?

Where does the pump sit and how costly as well to have a thing that shoots the water up a bit in the middle to recycle this water?

How difficult to maintain this?

Can I grow lilly pads and lotus planets with this water shooting up a bit too?

Answer:
You can buy 'floating' pumps to move water in a pond that large. The cost will be determined by how large the pump is and how long you run it every day.
Yes you can grow water lilies and lotuses assuming the pond is in the sun. Be sure to keep them both away from the pump so water does not fall on them.
The pump sits in a ring like an inner tube. You can buy them already in the ring and must anchor them in the pond.
Be sure to keep your plants in pots and repot them often or they will take over the pond and you will have a full time job just keeping them from taking over.

String algae/blanketweed

To get rid of string algae or blanketweed, add about 1 quart of hydrogen peroxide per 1000 gallons of water.  When the algae grows, clean out as much as you can and just pour the peroxide in.  It gets rid of all of the algae.

Lotus, water lilies and catfish

Question:

How well will lilly pads and Lotus plants grow in a small pond that contains lots of catfish?
Is it possible to grow these in a small catfish pond? please explain.

Also, if you happen to know how big does a catfish pond need to be really and how many catfish you can put in a 200 square foot pond? How deep should dig it and how quickly will they reproduce catfish?





Answer:

You cannot grow lilies or lotuses with catfish. Growing catfish is aquaculture and needs special tanks, aeration, food and more. Fish farming is common in Louisiana.
Check with your local extension service to find out where to learn about aquaculture. Some community colleges offer courses in it.

Choosing a pond pump

Question:
How do you pick a garden pond water pump?
I bought a house that has a three-tiered water fall pond in the backyard. The pump that was previously in there died and now I have to buy another one. My question is, how do I know which pump to purchase?

The pump would need to pump the water about 20 feet horizontally and 5 feet vertically. Other than that, I don't know what other information would be needed to answer this question.

I'm looking for a low-cost solution pump if its possible. To replace the exact pump that was in there would cost nearly $600.

Thanks for any help any of you can offer!
The one like you had would be the best one. A good pump for you would have a head of 10' at least and be able to be attached to a manifold to spread out the water.
Oase makes a good pump. So does Little Giant. Check them out and look for a pump that pumps at least 5000 gph.
Remember that the more expensive the pump usually is the least expensive to operate and therefore is the best buy.

Pond Pump Stopping and Starting

Question:

My pond pump runs for 20mins then cuts out?

Answer:

Most pond pumps have a safety mechanism that turns them off when they get too hot. That is probably what is happening to yours. It means that your pump's life is ending. Might as well get a new one now. If your pump is under warranty, you can get it replaced for free. When you buy a pump, consider the length of warranty as part of the purchase price. More expensive pumps usually have a longer warranty and it can be worth it to buy a more expensive one.

Planting media

Question:
Do ogon sweet flag, oenanthe fist, and pontederia cordata pond plants, need soil?
I purchased these plants in soil but don't really want to introduce soil to my patio pond. Is it necessary or can I rinse the soil off and place the roots with stones, in a basket?


Answer:

You can plant in any media from rockwool to kitty litter. Little stones will work just fine.

Water Lilies and Frogs

Question:

What water lily is best for frogs?
the pond is 1 metre and a half long 1 metre wide.


Answer:
The frog does not care. He just wants a lily pad to sit on. Pick the lily you like best and enjoy it.

Pond Pump Size

Question:

IF I HAVE A 12 X 6 FT POND THAT IS 2 FT DEEP.  WHAT SIZE POND PUMP DO I NEED?
ALSO IF I'M  GOING TO HAVE KOI FISH, FOUNTAIN AND WATERFALL WITH THE 12X6 FT POND WOULD I NEED A PUMP FOR FOUNTAIN AND PUMP FOR POND?

Answer:

I would use at least a 3500 gph pump with a bio filter. I would probably buy a smaller pump for the fountain....maybe 450gph depending on the height of the fountain.
Koi like a deeper pond than 2', so consider that in your digging. You might want to stick with goldfish. Having koi means massive filtration systems and lots of maintenance.

Pond losing water

Question:
My water level dropped really fast in my pond.
My pond is abot 800 gallons and this morning.  I woke up to find that there was a 6 inch loss of water.  (BTW it rained really hard that night) and after I came back from school there was about the same amount, so i know it's not a leak. The day before the water level was stable.  I have never had this happen before, so could you kindly tell my why this happened and if it is normal ?

Thank you for your time.

 Answer:
First turn off your pump, then fill the pond. Watch it for 24 hours. Then turn on your pump and see if you can see where the water is leaking off the back.
If you have a fountain, the water can be blowing out if you had a storm. If you have spitters, the water can be drooling out of that. No water leaks that fast, so it's the pump.
Check all connections, but chances are a rock tipped and water is falling off the back or the side.

Dividing water lilies

Question:

I cleaned my pond.  The roots on my lily are massive.  Can i cut them back without killing or damaging it?


Answer: 
Sounds like they need dividing and now is a perfect time to do it. Remove the pot from the pond and then remove the lily. It probably has jumped out of the pot by now. If you have to, cut the pot off. Now hose the soil off the roots until you can see tubers. Start separating them. You will most likely have dozens of them. Choose the largest and repot them in something like a dishpan or that size. Trim off the dead pads. Fertilize and put them back in the water. If you want to save corms for friends, just throw them in the pond unpotted and they will be fine until you give them away. They won't grow, but they won't die. The lilies will now flower better and be healthier.
Put this on your to do list for every spring.

Aquatic Plants

Question:
Plants for in and around water.?
If I have a small garden pond, like, 2ft wide by 4 ft long, 1 and 1/2 to 2 feet deep, in an area that gets partial sunlight, what are the best plants to put in the water that will not get to big or take over? What about plants for around the pond (partial sunlight also.)
Answer:
Most aquatic plants are invasive. After all, they are only swamp weeds.
Try some Louisiana irises and dwarf papyrus. Horsetail fern can work as well. Be sure they are in pots and keep them trimmed back. Cut them back at least once a year.
You can plant irises around the pond as well. It makes the pond look bigger. Cannas work both in and out of the pond as well, but can get 4' tall.
Dwarf acorus is a great variegated grass that doesn't misbehave.