I probably won't be able to help you. Don't know nuthin' about skimmers or fancy filters. I'm a simple girl and I like simple things. What about some filtration involving the plastic mesh basket that's over the bottom drain? You can take some stalkings or other breathable fabric to make some carbon bags and stick them in there also. I'd leave the pump running throughout the day. You could even line the mesh basket with a thin layer of quilt batting to catch some of the smaller debris. Tannis will stain the water, but it doesn't muck it up. Typically you should be able to see through blackwater pretty clearly. If you can't see more than a few inches beneath the surface, I'd be more apt to blame improper filtration and stirring of silt and dirt than tannins. And by the sound of it, you might even be surprised how much flow you're getting. I've read on this forum recently, that a garden hose *may* be equivilent to approximately 500gph. It struck me when I read it because I'd always thought the garden hose matched the flow and velocity of my 600gph pump pretty closely. And my past "falls" at that point was quite gentle. You have a pair of those, you said... So you might be getting more flow than you realize. As per the leaves, short of a skimmer there's just no way to deal with them except to net them out once a week. But they sink pretty quickly, even when I net daily I still get that wonderful stenchy brew each Spring. That being said, I'm banking on someone here being a bit smarter than me and having a better solution for you. Can you show any pics? Sounds like a pretty nice set up!

Kyponder, You can't really tell from these pics but my pond is 3 tiered- the beach area is 0-10", 2nd levels- 18-20", and the center is 32". I have stone in the beach area with sand in between, and stone also on the next level in spots.I too have heard mostly negative about using rocks but the pond just wouldn't look the same without them. The pond is in its' third year and you do get muck that collects between the rock. The nice thing though, most of my plants are sending out roots into the muck and I think this will make them healthier plants. The grasses and parrots feather have taken root in the muck and are starting to spread. I've read that this 'muck' can create an anaerobic problem in the winter when the pond is iced over, but I do keep an opening in the ice with a 'Thermo-pond' deicer for gas exchange. I did lose all my bullfrogs last winter, but I'm not sure if that had anything to do with it, I don't know. The deepest part of my pond doesn't have any stone, that way, when necessary, I can clean the bottom with a 'ShopVac'. Most of your debris will 'migrate' towards the deepest part. I don't like using chemicals in the pond unless I absolutely have to, but this spring I did break down and bought a quart of a product called 'Microbe Lift/SA' (sludge away). It dissolved about half of the sludge that was in the pond and, as advertised, didn't harm any of the fish, goldfish and shubunkins. They recommended regular treatments with it but I was happy with what it had already done and let it go at that. I don't want to remove it all, because, like I said, my plant roots seem to enjoy it. I may use it every couple years to keep the stone in the pond showing. I think the main thing is to try and keep as much debris as possible out of the pond. Being in northern Illinois I have to net my pond towards the end of October, but it's still almost impossible to keep everything out. The pond is one of my best investments. The little maintenance that I have to do is well worth it. Many nights on the deck, after all the dogs have gone to bed, with the floods on the waterfall. Happy Ponding, Witz

Put a check valve in the line. That should stop the back-flow. Don't divide the lotus now. If you do it while it's not dormate, you could break the tender eyes off which may kill it. I always divide in late winter before they start growing.

Hello everyone! I just purchased a home with an older pool (1970s). The skimmer is just a square concrete hole in the ground. I’ve never seen a skimmer look like this. It doesn’t have any plastic, or a weir/flap. It doesn’t even have a basket. Is this normal for older pools? Am I missing something. If so, what am I missing. Water level is low in pics for repairs