kklady, you might find something of interest doing a search (box at the first page of the forum) but in general, sand filters are not recommended for ponds. That is because they can't handle the amount of fish poo and plant debris you get with a pond. There are lots of other options.

Thanks a lot, missa. I guess I was thinking that the Xylon would be safe for in the pond, but maybe the Krylon would be okay too. I will read the label really well and see if it gives me a clue. By the way, I made a filter out of dollar store baskets (as I've read soooo many times in this forum) on Monday, filled it with scrubbies and those net shower (?)scrubs . I had to rinse it out on Tuesday and so far I haven't had to hose it out again. It was an every day, if not twice a day, thing before. Last night I could really see a difference in how clear the water was becoming. How nice is that? So for all the advice from everyone I really thank you. I was ready to have a load of dirt dumped in the hole. But, not anymore. BT

Ammonia is a very bad thing for fish but good thing for algae and bacteria that eat it. In the context of "cycling" a bio filter ammonia is needed to grow the bacteria. The bacteria require ammonia to reproduce and stay alive. You can't "cycle" a bio filter without ammonia. If you used a UV to kill the green water then ammonia from fish would be available to bacteria, which would reproduce to a level where they were consuming all available ammonia. At that point the bio filter would be called "cycled". And again, bio filter can just be the sides of the pond. Currently you could say the green water is your "bio filter" and that it is cycled because it, I assume, is consuming all available ammonia. When a pond clears that bio filter is gone as well. Cycling is a very general term that really has little meaning by itself. Certainly confusing when used by itself. If the hornwort you're talking about is the underwater kind then green water algae can kill it by settling on it, blocking light and taking up all available nitrate. Water lettuce can have a difficult time getting any nitrates as well because the green water algae are always first in the buffet line. People often say higher plants starve green water algae but the opposite it true. Lack of nitrate doesn't kill plants, they just can't grow without the certain nutrients. Your goldfish can also nibble the roots which doesn't help either.

Yes there is Nancy. Go to Home Depot or some other hardware store and purchase a roll of rubber sealing tape [ also called self-amalgamating tape by electricians, but the plumbers saw the value of it to fix leaking pipes and stole the idea!!!] As you apply this tape you stretch it, and 'sticks" to it's self, [self-amalgamates] sealing against water penetration in or out. Stretch the tape well, so that it goes into the corrugations of your hose, then apply enough pressure to allow the rubber tape to adhere to it's self. Do about a two inch wide wrap, covering either side of the hole in the hose. You can finish the repair off with a lap or two of electricians vinyl tape, to make it look pretty. You can if you wish, dry off the leaking area and smear a dab of Plumbing Goop over and around the hole. Then allow it to cure, before applying the tape. That would give you a Cadillac job or leak repair! "Horton"