Thank you for the good help and support. The situation is under control for the time being. I did a major-major water change, forgetting about temperature shock and basically just kept testing the water. I believe that the combination of relatively shallow water, a heat wave and the design of my pond are key. Some may recall I built a pond that was a "monument" to my background with stones and water, a pond and two streams with lots of falls and turning the water over about seven times an hour. My mantra was no fish, no plants, thus no particular filtration, etc. Lots of aeration. This was my pond until one day DW showed up with a bucket of fish and another of water lilies. So we ended up with a handsome comet and a lovely shubunkin. I enjoyed them almost right away and accepted the responsibility for their well-being (especially because they don't reproduce!). I always monitored water quality, did what I could to make a healthy home. It all changed this early summer. I have a leak that takes away a lot of water. By a process of elimination I discovered it is one stream or the pipe feeding it. The ground seems dry so I doubt it is the pipe but in stream curves where there is lots of water motion. I turned the water down all around with a good look to the falls but vastly reduced volume. My local pond place person recommended adding beneficial bacteria to break down whatever is on the bottom but I was leery of the advice. As I tested I noted that the higer readings were coming down. The water was really warm to the touch. So I cranked up the streams and the water cooled and the test results became perfect again. So I guess with how I am set up, no bottom drain, no bio-filter, just a skimmer with two pads and brushes and a good-size filter pond I am dependent on keeping a good flow to maintain the health of the pond. I guess this is an odd situation but I got what I got. So off to repair the stream banks. There is nothing wet along the stream so I can only hope this is the right choice as digging up the pipe is not a choice! A long post, sorry, I just needed to sort of "think aloud" and let you all know how it is going. Thanks - Mike

I've kept aquariums for decades and I just use distilled water for topping up tanks. It doesn't add any minerals like tap water would. I'm not a huge believer in water changes because I keep a very uncrowded tank -- I rarely (maybe 2-3 times a year) replace 10-20% of the water (mostly because so many people say I should rather than because I see any real need for it) and my fish and plants are always strong and healthy. I use a standard hang-on-the-back filter with the usual pad/sack containing charcoal, but I've found that the type of charcoal makes all the difference in the world. I saw a dramatic change in my water's appearance when I switched to Kent Marine Reef Carbon (made for saltwater tanks, which have fantastically more critical water quality standards than freshwater tanks.) The water was clear before, I thought -- now it's like looking into a polished crystal. This kind of carbon is pricey compared to ordinary "activated carbon" but it's well worth the extra $$, I think. The fish were happy before, but now I'm happy too!

Lehua: Thanks for the welcome mat. I do have an extensive horticulture background including school, gardening, vegetable crop nutrition research and greenhouse ornamentals production. For the past 7 years I've branched out into tree fruits, mostly apple, pear and peach in addition to small fruits. It is becoming obvious that perennials are a whole new ball game! My schooling was in CO so the soils education certainly leaned to western soils, hence the familiarity with western soils and water issues. The bad news is much of what I've learned has to be re-learned but that's OK. I'll be happy to give a coherent account of the bicarbonates issue when I have it all in my head clearly enough to explain it to others. Having read a number of your responses in threads, it is obvious you have a great deal of experience with irrigation systems and know the difference between knowing something well enough to put it to use and knowing it well enough to be able to explain it to someone else. I once tried to explain the "Florida Weave" trellising system to someone, having done many, many hundreds of feet of it myself and found it challenging putting to words what my body can do without thinking. Had to look up the meaning of Aloha, thank you. Michael

Our problem is that the toilets, sinks, etc. don't stay clean for more than a day or two before crud starts re-developing. It wouldn't surprise me if we need to do a re-pipe, given the age of the house, but we don't know how to determine if it's a supply issue or a pipe issue. Obviously a plumber has an incentive to say we need to re-pipe. I emailed our local supplier today to ask this same question. Hopefully they are willing to help us to figure out what's causing the problems.