Is it true that cattails will clear up a pond?
Jansdream
19 years ago
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fredsbog
19 years agoRelated Discussions
Hand dredge a pond area?
Comments (3)Thanks to folks commenting so far. Well, the area I want to clear up isn't too large, just a few feet wide going a few feet out. Perhaps about four feet to six feet wide going out three to four feet at max. So more like a couple dozen square feet rather than thousands, though the math is good to know. And I just want to clean it out enough to drop in a tiny floating dock again. The algae isn't too bad really, I think it's because the area is so overshadowed by the willow. Looks like most of the gunk is plant debris. Don't want to use chemicals- we have flourishing wildlife I don't want to risk with chemicals and I don't want to kill all the cattails, just clear out a thin spot of them. I think the original owners had this spot cleaned open a lot more than I'm planning on. You can tell it was cleaned out nicely at one time. And it really hasn't grown in much in the three years I've been living here. But I want to start tending this spot now before it gets any more grown in. Start maintaining it before dropping in the little dock. The little dock I'm planning on will be one barrel wide, about 3 feet. Probably using 12' long boards. Just enough to stick out into the water a little bit for one person to walk out onto. No boat launching or anything like that. More of a wildlife watching spot....See MoreThe difference between a liner pond and a REAL pond
Comments (40)dang it....I had a really well though out response all done, and my internet explorer crashed. So I'll try again...lol!! First...a few comments regarding how koi ponds compare to aquariums. Normally, aquariums are lightly stocked with small fish. It's really easy to keep the ammonia/nitrite/nitrate cycle operating perfectly in a correctly stocked environment. Same as a rock bottom pond...lightly stocked and properly maintanied it can work. In a pond's bio filter, ammonia is converted to nitrite and then to nitrate. Nitrate is most easily removed froma koi pond by way of regular water changes. Ever try to keep an aquarium with goldfish? Many goldie keepers I know keep no gravel in the tank at all, because of maintenance. That gravel gets really filthy very fast. I had a lovely goldie tank once....and gave it up. the maintenance was a nightmare! I'd rather deal with a huge koi pond any day of the week. Some people are reporting sucess with rock bottom ponds and no maintenance. Again...it is directly related to stocking levels. I hope these ponds continue to perform well for years to come, but for the vast majority of people, they will not. Most watergardeners install their ponds (and rocks) and then run out and buy a bunch of adorable little 5" long koi. The koi grow.....fast. They produce mountains of fish waste, which all gets trapped in the rocks. But because the pond looks clean, the owner is lulled into a false sense of security and does not think that there is a thing wrong, until the fish start dying or the fins start rotting off. Then they do one of two thing....they learn where they went wrong and correct their mistakes, or they just buy new fish (which is unfortunatly what most people do). Matt...you are on the right track with your new pond. You certainly can install your bottom drain now and add the rest of the system later. But instead of using a pipe cap, install a 4" ball valve on the end of the line. The water can't be permitted to sit stagnant in the unused drain line for too long or it will start developing the dreaded hydrogen sulphide gas. Opening that valve every couple of weeks and allowing the water to flow out for a couple of minutes will prevent the problems. I am attaching a link to the Atlanta Koi Club's web site. They have an excellent pdf that explains a lot about how a koi pond works, water quality, stocking levels, how much biofiltration is needed and many other wonderful facts. Cindy...See Moresafe grass/weed control at pond edge
Comments (8)I recently heard a negative article on glyophosphate, which is the active ingredient in roundup and those type products. Apparently research has shown that it lasts longer than advertised in soils and affects organisms of many types. There might even have been something about ground water contamination. Search on glyophosphate and see what you get. Though I will still use these products on occasion, it will be very limited, and NOT around the pond. Hand pulling after rain, weed barriers, mulches, and careful plant selection of as many natives as possible are my preferred methods of weed control. Please use any chemicals according to label directions and heed cautions. Use them sparingly, and be aware of not only where you are putting it, but also where it will end up. Thanks! -TT...See MoreQuestions about a troublesome farm pond
Comments (2)The long fish you are describing sounds like small largemouth bass. 1) clarity. Clarity was probably impacted by removing cattails. They pull nutrients out of the water and they capture sediment from rain. Skip the fountain and go straight for aeration. It's a very small pond (1/10th acre) and a 1/8hp blower should suffice. 2)Cattails. Cattails are great habitat and filtration. I can understand why you would want to remove them but they are also quite useful. They should be cut back in the fall and the brown matter removed to be composted or used as mulch. You can keep some areas clear with pond safe herbicides. No, there are no fish or plants that will control or outcompete it. Muskrat eat cattails but that cure can be worse than the cattails if you have a dam. 3) string algae. String algae happens, but reducing the nutrients load in the pond will go a long way towards controlling algae outbreaks. Remove all dead plant matter in the fall. Cattails don't grow in water over 2' deep. So one method of keeping shoreline areas clear is to restructure the pond edge so that it is not a gradual slope. Riprap can slow it down and create a clear delineation of where to spray to control the cattails....See Morewebfeeet
19 years agokverzani
19 years agowebfeeet
19 years agoJansdream
19 years agodendy
19 years agoGina Pierce-Holmes
6 years agoMike McGarvey
6 years ago
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