Algae at bottom of small waterfall/pond?
Desi P
8 years ago
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chas045
8 years agoRelated Discussions
Building new pond with 2 small waterfalls - pump help
Comments (15)Hi Frank, The filter I have is the kind that the pump goes inside it. It comes with the filter media and some plastic things for the bacteria to live in. Just set the pump inside the filter box, place the plastic things on top, put in the media, and close the lid. Drop slowly into the pond. As I said earlier though, I cut a piece of pond underlayment to fit, and sandwiched it between the 2 filter pads it comes with. To me, the holes were just too big to filter out really fine silt. The pump will dictate the size of the hose. The hose on mine is 5/8'. It's black, and in the pond sections at the hardware stores. Comes in 20' sections. about $9.00. The link at the bottom is the Beckett page, and the filter I have is the 2nd one on the list, which comes with the 325 pump. I think I remember seeing the whole thing for about $119.00(HD). Lowe's has the same thing, under a different name though. Just make sure to match up the size of hoses while you're there, because the pump hose fittings are all different. I had the smaller pump/kit until I expanded my pond, and changed out the pump for the 325 gph. You could put a valve in, but I don't know if you will find that easily. But that would be great if you did. I had a hard time finding anything in 5/8' in black, but if yours will be hidden, it doesn't matter if it's black or not. My T is a 1/2', connected under water, with the 5/8' hose, very very tight, with a black cable tie. If you use a cable tie, make sure it's really tight, or water will leak out, and you will lose flow. You can use a metal hose clamp, but eventually they rust. I'm actually taking out one of the waterfalls this weekend, because I want to put in a bog shelf across one end of the pond. My pond is only about 3' wide, so I need to make the most of it. I consider my pond more of a water garden/water feature, so I have the water flow really scaled back, because it does splash out, and it's next to a cracked tiled patio, which has grout.(water splashes out-grout gets green) It's as big as it's ever going to get though, because it's wedged in a corner, in the ground, inside a 40X18' screened enclosure. Believe me, you will change/expand this no matter what, several times down the road, if you're able, because once you have a pond, you'll want it bigger. ;-0) Here is a link that might be useful: Pond filter...See MoreWaterfall size for small pond
Comments (16)Thanks hardin and Liz, I have to giggle a little at the compliment, since it seems so puny to me, compared to so many larger ones! haha But I do appreciate it! The important thing for me was angling all the stones slightly forward and supporting the big one on the bottom with dirt at an angle. Also, my bottom rock is so big, I didn't want it resting right on the lip of the stocktank, so I set it on 2 smaller flat rocks. From the side, it looks a little tilted, but gravity keeps the water from going backwards. Plus, the flat rocks need to not have any big lumps/bumps in them that might hinder the forward motion of the water. I do have the liner pulled up behind the lower rocks, with soil holding it up, so if the water does flow backwards, it can drain back into the pond. I'm always just quickly glancing at the water level throughout the day too....in case the tube becomes dislodged. I use one of those rectangular box filters. I put the pump inside it, and then direct the tubing to the waterfall. The force was too much, so I used one of those little clamps to slow it down a little. As the filter gets a little clogged, I open up the clamp. I have the clamp on the tube behind the rocks, so I can easily get to it. Thanks again for the compliment Liz. My head's a little bigger now. :)...See MorePond Algae?
Comments (4)It sounds like string algae, but mine's green. Whenever I change the water in my pond I get it. It lives for a few months, then it seems to die all of a sudden, almost overnight. I believe it has exhausted all of the nutrients in the water and just gives it up. Since you have a natural source for your pond, different dynamics probably apply, but you can try shading the surface of the water with something to deprive the algae of sunlight. I recycle the large flat squares of packing styrofoam for this purpose. You may want to try a search on "string algae"....See MoreDeadly Algae on small ponds
Comments (14)I read the article and this toxin is prevalent in stagnant water. I've never seen any blue/green tinted scum on my pond. I'm assuming your pond water is constantly being filtered and is moving (waterfall, bubbler, etc.) so your chances of creating such a toxic environment are pretty slim as long as your plants don't create pockets of stagnant water. When that happens I immediately thin out the plants or move them. The water needs to flow freely to the skimmer. No one knows why that dog died of throat cancer, but letting my dog eat it is repugnant to me, so I would never let him do that for that reason alone. One of my older dogs used to eat poop if I didn't catch him in time and you can't tell me eating algae is worse than that! Our younger dog has been taking drinks out of our pond for 3 years with no ill results. However, every dog and pond is different, so it never hurts to pay close attention to both....See Morelmjk1221
8 years agoDesi P
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agochas045
8 years agoDebbie Downer
8 years agolast modified: 8 years agoDesi P
8 years agoChris Eaton
3 years ago
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