Jayinflorida: How do you prevent your goldfish from eating the snails? I was thinking about trying to find some snails for the pond that came with the house we just bought, but read pretty much everywhere that goldfish would eat them. I'm also having trouble finding snails that won't be invasive and will last the winters (I'm in New England). Any suggestions? The reason is because of the pond sludge problem that I'm hoping snails would help with. We do have a (mechanical) filter, and some water flow that we hope to turn back into a waterfall soon. We currently have 7 goldfish in about a 500 gal pond, and from reading this forum, some of the plants are apparently water lilies. Not sure what the others are, yet. :) Thanks! Suzanne, new to this forum, but not as new to GW

I use blue dye in my pond. The kind I use also has beneficial bacteria. You can adjust the degree of blue color- it's best to add some to a bucket of water, then add the water to the pond. You can repeat this until you get the color you like. The first time I used the dye, I didn't do this and made the water very dark. My pond is clear, and I can still see my fish. The color gradually fades within 1-3 weeks until it is no longer noticeable. The color is most noticeable in waterfalls.

LOL, chas. You are correct, the initials do stand for Dept. of Natural Resources. As can be expected there are a lot of those alphabet agencies out there that may or may not be helpful. Which one has helpful info. in your area varies in the extreme. Some are identical to other agencies that have totally different objectives. Then there are private companies that want to sell you something. Mokitty, there is no reason in the world why a holding pond, retention pond, dew pond cannot be ornamental. From what I see in the photos, someone has tried to do that in the past and has recently let it go. Recently being totally subjective. The grasses around the pond can be cut back, the old bridge removed or replaced, wild shrubs and other plants identified and volunteer saplings removed. That should keep you busy for a while. Cutting back the grasses will help control the number of migratory ducks that use the pond.I wouldn't mention the ducks to anyone but the Extention service and would be cautious even there. They might prevent you from doing anything that might change the current function of the pond including cutting the grass. The Environmental Protection Agency is well known for that. Avoid them if possible. Here are some sites that look like they can give you decent info on the purpose of your pond. http://www.gotalgae.com/retention_ponds.htm coastalwaterwatch.com/product2121.htm http://www.co.monmouth.nj.us/documents/61/Stormwater%20Management%20Basins.pdf Call the DNR and the Extension service and specifically ask "Do you have any material related to small retention ponds or dewponds and wildlife habitat?" This is one of those projects that may or may not require lots of planning and/or physical intervention. For now, look for traces of a previous pathway to the pond and improve that. Starting at the bridge may go faster. Observe what the weather does to the water level. Keep track of water levels for as long as you can, months are better than weeks and compare them with rainfall. See what happens to the pond and the surrounding area during and after a heavy/light rain. Locate and clear any over/outflow. Identify grasses and other plants. They may have been chosen for specific purposes such as erosion control, wildlife cover, food source, etc. Tall grasses may prevent debris from overwhelming the pond. Search for electric hookups. Do they even exist? Is there a bad odor like sewage that would indicate dredging for organic matter is needed and the pond is deficient in oxygen. Float something on the surface to see if there is any sort of water movement. You might find that overflow where your float ends up. Check the soil on the outside of the pond and on the inside of the pond to see if it is the same. Are there lots of rocks on the sides of the pond? How deep is the mulm/debris on the bottom? Did the former owners leave any pond equipment behind? Get the water tested or get a testing kit and do it yourself. No strips. They just don't give good readings. There are people out there who can do the hard work of cleaning out the pond for a hefty price. Before you hire them, know enough about what the pond does that it will be you in charge. Ask questions. There are enough posters here to answer most questions or who will send you where you can get the right answers. I hope this has not overwhelmed you.

Cost....there were many extra bells and whistles that I wanted specifically added. I told myself that I wanted everything ready now. The original project was for a 20k pond with floating rocks, upper pond, 2 bottom drains, pump, uv filter , and the large filter. The price of the project was escalated by the fact that most pond companies run when you mention a bottom drain. Most pond installation companies only know how to install an aquascape system. I already have a 2000 gallon pond with that system. I wanted a koi pond, not a garden pond. Please understand I love my garden pond. So to find a company to do what I wanted, i had to pay hotel fees since they were out of town. I didn't like it either, but the closest company that did what I wanted was 2 hours away in Allentown Pennsylvania. I heard about them through my koi club. So to give you an estimated cost, I said in a past thread I could of bought a brand new truck with the money spent on this. The end project, I increase the pond to 45 k gallons. Why? Because I'm single with no kids and I can. I added another filter, another drain to the top pond, unforeseen drainage plumbing under the pond, electric and water ran directly to the pond for another 10k including labor. I giggle when I think about having this pond in my back yard. I became the most popular person in my neighborhood over night. I wonder how much they would of noticed if I bought a brand new truck.