LOL! Going to the bottom is normal behavior for fish that are in a panic. Sometimes they disappear for weeks. They may even temporarily lose all their colors. The dark color of the water is probably tannins but it is also possible there is debris in the water. To figure out which, scoop some water into a glass jar and let it sit undisturbed for a couple of hours. Any debris or free floating algae will settle out or float to the top. Tea colored water shows there are tannins or other organic compounds present. Some of the organic compounds are harmful to the fish. Tannins come from rotting leaves, peat moss in potting soil and any thing else organic that is rotting. It often has an odor like sewage that is unpleasant. Adequate filtration will eventually remove debris and some of the algae. To get rid of the rest of the algae you can use chemicals or a UV light. I like the UV since there has less chance to harm the fish and it doesn't bother the algae that grows on the sides of the pond. That is considered beneficial and the fish will graze on it. The UV can also kill some free floating parasites that show up every so often. I have never had the problem of green water. For tannins (tea colored water or tannic acid) you need Activated Carbon also known as Activated charcoal placed in a permeable bag in a place where there is an active water flow. The tannin molecules react and combine with the carbon molecules on the surface of the chunks. Odors in the water are also removed with AC. Zeolite will handle most other organic compounds. There are chemicals available for this but there is a chance they won't work as well. Try the Zeolite. You should test the water for nitrates and nitrites (organic compounds)regularly. The black liner is the best color to have. The colors of the fish pop out when you see them, so long as the water is clear. You will be able to see all the way to the bottom. Has anyone suggested you get a Pond Test Kit? It is an important thing to have. Did you remeasure the dimensions of the pond to get the volume of water? I used two sites to get the 588 gallon measurement. I can't hear the pond inside of the house. I have been looking for an inside-outside intercom to take care of that problem. The sound is one of the best things about the pond. I guess I must be a geek too.

Interesting subject. I have several old varieties of Rose of Sharon, a double white and a double blue...they are agressive in that they spread and have formed a hedge but I like that where they are. My newer varieties are not, Diana and a double pink, Lady something or the other. I do have a pink one that is a monster, cut it down with a chain saw and it still came back, finally poured diesel oil on top. I think it may be gone, but its seedlings keep popping up. I have Obedient Plant, but it is confined between the drive and a building in a narrow 18 inch wide bed. Then there is the lonicera purpurea, aka purple honeysuckle that I planted on the porch to vine up the railings....it has got to go! For one thing, it has maybe 10 tiny blooms that you can barely smell. I will just plant it in a fence row somewhere. It is covering the entire bed and trying to choke out the Jackmanii clematis. I will also move the more restrained red and gold honeysuckle....I have to keep it pruned so you can walk up the steps and that cuts back on the blossoms. I am going to put it on a trellis in full sun because the hummers love it. Lythrum I love and it certainly isn't even agressive here. I just have one plant of it; wish I had more. I had a Kolreuteria tree and loved it. Lost them due to an ice storm. They have little lanterns that contain the seeds. Lost the tree a few years ago but they are still coming up everywhere. I am actually letting some grow! I will live to regret it. But you get a nicely shaped 20 foot tree pretty quickly and we have lost so many so I succumbed to temptation. Cameron, if you are talking about eragrostis, I have it too and agree with you. It reseeds way too much for my taste. I have two by the front steps and they are going to be relocated out front.

Ok, because someone asked, below is the list. And I apologize for this long post - I thought it might help to know where I am & what I want. I do plan on buying/locating seed soon. If you have seed to sell/give/trade, let me know. I only have Black Krim, Black Cherry and Amish Paste. Also some F3 Sungold mutts. Have a few hornworms I can throw in as well. :) I live in Sacramento so the summers are long, hot & without rain. No problems with BER. Found out this year that hornworms will also eat eggplant, tomatillo & your fav. pepper plants (hey - I'm sorta new to the gardening thing!). Most of the tomatoes I had this year were from HD & started in 5gal containers & moved to homemade earthboxes in late June due to the plants wilting too much. Next year I plan on using the 12 'boxes again in my backyard, probably for the cherry & paste toms. In addition I have access to a field at the farm where I keep my horse. While space obviously isn't an issue next year, I don't have a need to grow 20 plants of each variety. :) I never even thought I liked tomatoes until I planted a Sungold last year. This year Black Cherry & Black Krim won me over. I'm really expanding next year. I'm not looking for big or just pretty tomatoes. I want sweet, complex, juicy & colorful tomatoes. So here is the list - if you have seed to share I would love that. Let it be known that I wasted hours of my employer's time researching this list. ;) Aunt Ruby's German Green Jumbo Jim Orange Kellog's Breakfast Stump of the World Sudduth Brandywine Caspian Pink Marianna's Peace Zogola Aunt Gertie's Gold Green Grape Sugary Snow White Garden Peach Kosovo Teton de Venus Opalka Principe Borghese Carbon Cherokee Green Cherokee Purple Cherokee Chocolate I am open to additions if it meets the criteria. Thanks :)

My Creatacard Gold does not work with Windows 7 there are some suggestions there including one about going to their website and getting the update for windows 7 this is that response "you will have to go to the creata card web site and download the version for 7 and install your serial number in place of the one you had for windows.As long as you enter your name and adress in the system it will auto update." Always check their website first then do as I just did and do a google search there is a lot of info there in the search that may help according to the microsoft compatibility list it is NOT compatible with 7 American Greetings Creatacard You never told us which version of creatacard you have that would likely matter. There may be a way to make it all work using xp compatibly mode? and also important are you dealing with 64bit now and not 32bit? which windows 7 do you have? Make older programs run in this version of Windows here is a lot of stuff to look at might find some help creatacard compatible with Windows7