Mosquitoes

Is it true that if you keep a small pond in your garden with toads, frogs,that they will eat all the mosquitos?

When they usually start doing this and how they do this?

I have noticed since having the pond in the garden with the toads sitting on the lilly pads, I have not had much of a mosquito problem (SURPRISINGLY).

Get a couple of mosquito fish http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mosquitofis…

and you will have no mosquito problem at all. Yes, the toads eat many of them. Surprisingly enough, goldfish do not. They are essentially vegetarians.

You can also use Mosquito Dunks, a product that eliminates mosquitoes and does not harm your pond.

But toads and frogs eat mosquitoes as a main part of their food supply. But a few mosquitoes always escape to buzz you. Best to keep them at bay with another means.

Pond costs

How much does it cost to keep a pond?
It's just a small pond in our garden. It's gonna have a filter and stuff so I was just wondering how much (roughly) it would cost to 'keep'?



If you want to know how much it costs you to run your pond pump, here's the formula to find out: Amps x volts divided by 1000 x KWH cost x 24 hours-a-day x 30.4 days- per-month = cost per month. Depending on the pump, it can cost up to a dollar a day to run it.

If you factor in fertilizer, plants, etc., add that in. It costs very little to have a pond in your garden.

Ducks and mud

How do I clean a very muddy pond?

I have a pond (natural, not man-made) that has a very thick heavy layer of mud on the bottom and the water is brown. I have no fish in the pond, although It did have once many years ago. I now have ducks in the pond, and although they seem happy I would like to make it a bit cleaner for them, if possible.

You are right. The ducks love it the way it is.

If you want to clean it up a bit try some vegetation growing in pots or even at the sides. Irises work well as filters. There are flocculants that will clear up your water. Here's one:

http://www.pondscapedesigns.com/floccula…

To find more pond information, go to pondlady.com

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Raccoons!

What height should I build a fence to keep out Raccoons?

I put a pond in a few months ago and ever since I've lost tons of money in fish and plants, not to mention how hard the upkeep has been on my pond because of raccoons. Just last night I lost one 8" beautiful koi and one 6" butterfly! I've had it. I've tried all the home remedies.. cayenne pepper, ammonia and now I've decided to fence off the area where I think they are coming in from. Since I rent I want to spend as little as possible since I'm about $800 in with this pond as it is.

I had put up a 3 foot fence near some stairs because of my 2 year old but now would like to fence off a 20' section to try and keep them out. Any ideas on how high I should make it? I know the best would be maybe 5' or so but I would like to keep costs down. Does anyone know if they can climb over a 3 or 4' fence? I will be planting rose bushes along the back of it (I am moving them from another area of my yard) because I've read they hate thorny plants.

Any other ideas would be great. I cant use a scarecrow because of the size of my yard and location of my patio furniture.
Please help!




You could try planting prickly plant material around your pond. Burford Holly works well. So does asparagus fern. But if they want your fish, they WILL get it.
And you have to sink the fence as well because those critters will dig under it. Dig down under the fence and put chicken wire in so they can't dig through.

How to start a landscaping company

Question:

I would like to know how to legalize my landscaping company? I started a small landscaping company a couple of months ago and now I have many customers and a lot of work. I would like to make it legal meaning I would like to have a landscaping license and insurance for my workers. Where do I get this and how much does it cost? Also if anyone knows how this would look in my taxes meaning how would I report my profit?  Do I have to tell the IRS every job that I do? I am located in Maryland, Thanks!


Answer:
You need an occupational license in the city where you work/live and you must pass the state landscaping contractor test. After that, call any insurance agent to find out about worker's comp and liability. Buy it and start advertising.
You will fill out a schedule C for your income tax. Yes, you have to tell them how much you made.

Smelly pond

Question:

My water feature water smells after not being used can I add anything to the water to stop it smelling?


Answer:

If it has no plants or fish in it, use swimming pool chlorine to clean it up. If it is a pond with plants and fish, start the pump, add submerged and floating vegetation. Pump out 25% of the water and replace it. Don't forget to add dechlor.


Sediment in the pond

How to clear up pond?
I have a pond that is fed water from a swamp. the problem is that it turns brown as soon as the flow of water gets warmer. If i get a good rain the water turns clear, then after a couple of days it turns brown. Can I clear this up with something or do I have to make a new water source for the pond?


Answer:
You really need a better water source than a swamp if you want a clear pond. The brown water you see is caused by suspended material in the swamp water.
You can just fill your pond once and then top it off occasionally. You do not need a hose bib/water source near the pond except when you fill it up.
Or you could just make your pond an extension of the swamp and plant bog plants in it.

Ducks in the pond

How do I clean a very muddy pond?

I have a pond (natural, not man-made) that has a very thick heavy layer of mud on the bottom and the water is brown. I have no fish in the pond, although It did have once many years ago. I now have ducks in the pond, and although they seem happy I would like to make it a bit cleaner for them, if possible.

• 
  
  You are right. The ducks love it the way it is.
• If you want to clean it up a bit try some vegetation growing in pots or even at the sides. Irises work well as filters. There are flocculants that will clear up your water. Here's one:
• http://www.pondscapedesigns.com/floccula…

Choosing the right pond pump

My pond is about 5'x 5' and its 2' deep. I want a pump that makes the water noise. Now I have a cheap solar one. Is 700 gph good? I think so. Will it overflow, cause I want to put it going down 3 tier rocks?

Do pumps come with the tubing?

Answer:

700 gph is not a very strong pump. If you are trying to pump the water up three tiers and from a depth of 2', it may not pump up that high. The biggest problem you are likely to run into is the water splashing out if the drop is higher than 1/2 the width of the pond.
• Most pumps do not come with tubing, but tubing is very cheap and available at hardware stores and most big box DIY stores, so you can get as much or as little as you want.
•
• Look at the 'head' specifications of any pump you wish to buy and make sure it will pump as high as you wish. The head specs will be on the box and tell you how high the pond will pump water. Get one that has more head than your waterfall is high.

Clear pond?

Pond is more clear after it rains? How to keep it clear?

My house was built in the 50s with a koi pond on the front patio before koi ponds were trendy. There is no filtration or waterfall. The electric outlet outside the pond is broken. The only thing we have to filter the pond is a pipe in the pond that acts as a slow drain. There are 12 fish in the pond and they are very healthy. They've been there for 2 years and have had 3 babies. Even though I scrape the bottom of the pond for debris and skim the top once a week, the water is brown and murky. I add new water to keep the drain going and I use a water treater and a barley/health bacteria treatment. There is some minor algae build-up on the sides, but no plants. However, when it rained last week, the pond was clear for about 3 days. Why was the pond clear after it rained and how can I keep it clear?

I should clarify that there are 9 adult comet goldfish and 3 babies, not full-sized koi.

• 
  
  Read and heed this article that I wrote and you will have clear water. Feeding your fish is what is making the water murky.
• http://www.pondlady.com/modules.php?name…
• 
  

Choosing a pond pump

Question

Difference between Pond Pumps & Waterfall Pumps?

I've researching pond pumps for sometime and I've finally found one that right around my budget. My ponds gonna be right around 3000G and I found a pump rated at 5000GPH. but the pump says it's a waterfall pump. I will have a waterfall but I was planning on having the Pump I chose pump water to the Bio-Filter and then out the filter to the Waterfall. So is there a difference or are they all the same. I'm a newbie who needs a bit of guidance please and thanks.

Answer

• 
  The difference is probably the 'head' if there is any difference at all. Large pumps like yours are built for waterfalls, but that doesn't mean you have to use them for that.
• Be aware that there are great, good and rotten brands of pumps. Factor in the warranty length.
•  Some pumps have 3 years some 2, some 1. The pumps with longer warranties are more expensive, but worth it. 
• Cheaper pumps also cost more to run, sometimes twice as much. 
• Here's an article I wrote on how to choose a pump:
• http://www.pondlady.com/Articles/choose_…

What are these small black insects living in my pond and eating the algae ? Scotland question.?

these little black insects are living on top of the pond theres a group of them eating the algie that and they can swim down to the bottom of the pond they kind of wriggle and dart about and go upside down occasionally when they move and it looks like they are white underneath, these insects are really small about 1 centimetre in length and very thin about the thickness of a thick pin for sewing, im just wondering what these are as i only cleaned the pond out, re sealed it and put new water in 3 weeks ago and there is algie growing inside it, white pond slugs and allsorts in it alread ytho i have never noticed these little black things in the pond before, then again iv never really noticed having algae in the pond either. I live in Scotland if thats any help.

• Answerer
  Do they look anything like these?
• http://www.nationalinsectweek.co.uk/caug…

When to put the fish in

Question

Fish in garden ponds?
When is it ok to put fish in a garden pond? The waters just gone in.

Answer:
If you put a dechlorinator in the water, you can put fish in instantly. Put the submerged and floating vegetation in at the same time.

Terrarium pond

Question:
I want to make a little pond in my terrarium, and my terrarium is covered all in substrate,?
How can I make a little pond without it mixing with the substrate, my tank is 20g Wide.
Answer:
It depends on how big you want the pond to be. If it is to be small, you can just sink a jar lid in. If you want it bigger, use a flat plastic or glass saucer. I have used the saucers that go under flower pots and found that they work well. I put bits of flat stones around the edges, so it all looks natural.

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.