DH and I finally cleaned up all around my inground stocktank ponds. I also thinned several water lilies. Found about 6 big juicy tadpoles that hopefully will turn into frogs that stay and don't get eaten by the snake that lives here too. My lotus bog has lots of debris in it, but the water is still clear, so I guess I won't worry too much about it. I planted about 6 various japanese iris around these 2 little ponds last year, so I can't wait to see how they're doing this year. No fish for me, except maybe some minnows I get from the creek. I dug up my marginals (I overwintered them in the ground)......calla lily, thalia, pickerill rush, rush, lobelia, and some others and will thin them another day. I was almost a cripple by the time we finished in the back yard yesterday! Need time to heal a bit, then I'll work some more. :) Happy Spring everyone!

Thank you all for the input - sounds like FILTRATION is indeed where I need to go with this. Actually I only have 4 large sarassas & 2 medium sized shubunkins in the pond right now Big Red (large red comet) and 3 small comets are still in the basement tank after the disaster I had earlier in the spring. I wasnt testing the water (didn�t need to before, I had many easy, trouble free years with 4-5 fish in a 150 gal pond) and when I finally did I did there were nitrates, nitrites AND some ammonia, which necessitated the first of several big emergency water changes . I had a lot of debris powdery brown stuff from the pine tree falling into the pond throughout April & 1/2 of May which I was told was pollen. The water turned into dark brown muck not clear tea colored water, but dark particles that couldnt be seen through Honestly, I would not want more fish than the 10. They are large enough that the pond doesnt look empty or sparse at all. I meant I would give away fish if I was to decide to reduce the size of the pond. Mike -thanks I think I may be taking a little road trip!! Well I guess Im learning - the whole mess earlier this spring was a wake up call - either take care of the fish properly. Or not, and pay the price. When I started, I thought oh well just replace the fish each spring. But when you have them as pets for 10 or 12 years it kinda changes your outlook. Besides, a few healthy active fish are much more pleasant to look at than a lot of them that are not doing well or lethargic because they are too crowded. Hmmm trickle tower - that could work. My original concept was more like a trickling, gurgling bubbling spring coming out of rocks �-rather than a sheet of water coming over a ledge like a waterfall. Or maybe something like a stack of plastic stacker trays with rocks in them inside a tall bin?

My first surprise was when I woke up to my pond down about a foot. I filled it back up and let it set without the pump running (wasn't leaking from the liner) and it didn't go down any. I then dug up the line from the skimmer to the water fall and it wasn't leaking. After that I tore the waterfall apart and discovered the water was going behind the falls because the water fall tub was slightly crooked. After that was fixed (6 weeks later)my pond pump quit and I had to buy a new pump. Then the dreaded algae bloom. I fixed that by filling a tall waste basket with filter material with rock and marbles in the bottom to keep it from falling over (like the last time I did that.) My pond was looking mighty clear and I looked out and thought I was seeing the bottom. I noticed both pumps had stopped and went out to reset the breaker. To my surprise the water was gone except maybe 2"x2' and my fish were dying. Three koi and three gold fish already dead. I ran and got a 40 gal. pond and ran the rain barrel water in it and put slime coat, water conditioner and peroxide. I put eleven goldies in that. I held up my white goldie till it started to recover. I discovered something had removed the tubing going from the extra pump to the home made filter. I then scrubbed down the pond took (5 hr's) and rinsed it a couple of times. Put goldies back in that evening. My pump and water falls are working and I haven't lost any more fish. I loved my koi and hated to see them go but I only have a 1400 gal. pond so think I will stay with only the goldies. I have had my pond about 4 years and this is the first time I lost any fish. Today I was emptying a rain barrel and discovered a goldie in it. Named it Lucky. I put it in the aquarium with my fantails. I feel blessed to have 12 goldies. I have learned some lesson's I won't repeat. It's been over a week now and thing's are looking brighter. If I had only remembered what GW member said about "never set a pump on the bottom of a pond".

Hi George. I am a new ponder myself, with my first pond made this year. This site is so informative and the people here are very helpful. I know it's hard to have patience when you are so excited about seeing your fish. I too got depressed when I went through the stinky, bug infested, thick, algae, pea soup syndrome. I got spoiled by the first week of my pond, when everything was new and the water was clear. But then when it got icky, and then disgusting looking, and it seemed like it was taking forever to see my lovely creatures that I paid for, I started to get impatient too. But I spent that impatient feeling reading up the articles on here, soaking up information like a sponge. Patience is mentioned over and over again. I eventually after reading up on how the ecosystem worked and balancing act of the pond, I realized I needed to look at the pond like a new science experiment and learn from other ponders as "experienced" scientists("experienced" by what they have tried, gone through, or what worked for them, as far as the ideas and experiences that they share on here). I learned to look at my pond for what it was, and what it was going through. You will see, when it does clear up, which it will "with patience" and mother nature, you will appreciate all the creatures, microscopic up to the the large critters and plants, including healthy algae, that makes the wonderful balancing act possible. From what I learned on here, the good stuff that your pond needs has to grow from the bad stuff to make its existence possible, to complete the cycle. Chemicals are only temporary. The right bacteria/s will help your pond for the long run and help maintain your water for you, like ponds of the lucky long time ponders on this site. Patience is free. It will be worth it in the end.. Happy Ponding : )