I tried to post here earlier but the danged timeouts hit and I lost it all. I thought we had solved that problem. I am trying to figure out why my lotus seedling are not doing the same things yours are doing. I soaked about 30 of them for weeks at 76oF and nothing happened so I got out the Dremel and cut through the seed case down to the cream colored cotyledon. After about a week and a half they finally started to grow but it was not the root I expected. Now the first stems are 6 to 10 inches long and no longer stand upright. Their own weight has caused the seed body to turn on it's side and the stems float under the surface and they are starting to get tangled. I finally removed the seed casing because it was still very hard. Second and even third stems are beginning to grow and I am wondering if a root is ever going to show up. The leave are still tightly rolled. Should I put these in separate containers? I was going to use plain kitty clay litter in clear plastic glasses until the weather gets warmer. The bowl is under an Ott light 18 hours a day and I change the water daily by running tepid water in until the color from the liquid fertilizer disappears. Then I add a little fresh fertilizer. I think I see the slime you are talking about. It seems to be some sloughed off matter from the cotyledon. As long as it doesn't start turning bad or stinky I don't think it is going to be a problem. What am I doing wrong? Sandy

Yup, what Sandy said. I keep a toilet scrubber on hand, and catch the string algae in that and twist it like I'm rolling cotton candy. Hydrogen peroxide or barley bails, pellets, or extract also help. Don't use chemical algaecides, though, as they deplete oxygen levels in the pond and have been known to kill fish.

Thanks, Gilroy! I wonder if anyone has success posting images from their libraries directly to gardenweb? We've gone back and forth--from making the pond into a firepit--which would mean somehow making it drain snow melt and rainwater, to reviving the pond, which means a bigger financial and time committment, plus lots more to learn (just trying to figure out the GPH and the lift and the head height and immersible vs external and direct drives vs mag drives...! Yikes!) We've also talked about making it a firepit surrounded by a pond or somehow making it into a hot tub or outdoor pizza oven. It's the focal point of our backyard and letting it fill up with algae and Mosquitos and weeds every summer just isn't working. Our neighbor put in a swimming pool and all the noisy equipment sits atop the hill just above the pond's retaining wall and behind a hideous chain link fence. We're hoping to cover up the noise with the waterfall sounds and eventually put up our own wooden fence to hide the chain link. But, wow, what a lot of work and expense. I love old houses and am glad you're trying to stay true to the design of your home's era. Have you posted any photos of your home and where the pond is sited in relation to the house? Good luck!

I just started a 7x7 koi pond with three levels. I thought all I needed was the liner, and a pump with a fountain. I eventually got some plants, but I couldn't find pond plants. Luckily I looked on line and knew what to look for. The nurseries I went to didn't have "pond plants", but I noticed they had the plants I needed listed under "tropical plants". I found a few aquatic plants from the pet store. I have 3 koi and 2 goldfish so far. But a week after setting up my pond it turned into pea soup. After trying out different products on the shelf and nothing seem to be getting better, I looked up different pumps and filters. The biological filters were so expensive, so I checked out how they were made and had my husband help me make one ourselves instead. I think it's prettier, and heavier duty. The fountain sucks up the water and shoots up at the top so you can see the water above the vase (which was green but has gotten really lighter..lol), then it falls back into the vase met by a layer of those barley squares, a two inch thick wide webbed filter, then another thick tight webbed filter, and at the bottom of the vase are bags of charcoal filter rocks. There is a contrast between the green water shooting up at the top, and the clear water spitting out from the bottom of the vase. The pond so far is getting cleaner every day. I am just waiting for it to get clearer like it was when we first started the pond. Luckily I didn't give up and kept trying, or I wouldn't have come up with that convenient and money saving idea. I would love to hear more about money saving ideas. Or if there is anything else I am missing in my vase to filter. Oh, I also added a scoop of that enzyme powder with algae. I think that is everything other than getting a UV light filter. Any suggestions or tips that won't harm my plants or my fish?