I don't know what kind of algaecide you're using, I assume you're dosing correctly. Most algaecides are tricky. Too much and the fish die, not enough and the algae doesn't die. When you say white foam and white globs it makes me think it is killing some algae. That doesn't mean it disappears. Like when you mow the lawn the grass clippings are "dead" but they still look like grass for days. Algae can stay looking like algae for weeks. Algaecide only kills some species. Mat algae and non-green algae seem to do OK. Algaecide isn't like chlorine in a pool. You can buy other chemicals like oxidizers to "burn up" organic matter. But again they're not magic. It's kind of a lot of work to get good results. To me in a 3000 gal pond vacuuming/scooping out algae and waste is way easier. My web page on vacuums. I consider Microlift type products to be a scam. The idea that bacteria have to be introduced into a pond is not something I can imagine. In this case you also have a bog where waste collects and extremely low (like zero) O2 so very slow to decompose. A bog can hold a lot of waste too so that's just a lot to handle even if you believe in such products. It's just way more effective to remove the waste from the pond than trying to somehow break it all down into nothing in the pond. Kind of a losing battle. But I know there are lots of people who swear by these products. And even if you do you dissolved organic compounds shoot way up which gives you other problems. The only thing I can think of is it must be expectations. Another person could have the same results as you and say the bacteria in a bottle worked great. Don't know what the deal is. Here is a link that might be useful: Bacteria in a bottle myth

Neopyte, I had my dh make my hole reducers, he has a drill press?? at work and used cedar. However I know you can purchase them also, hopefully someone else here will chime in with the where on that one. I had chickadees building last year but was a day late on the hole reducer, the HOPS ran them off. The box they had chosen wasn't one I could put a van ert in and I didn't, at the time, have a spare nestbox to use as a trapbox. Luckily the dees didn't get harmed but I was sad to see them not nest there, coincindentally the Blues ended up nesting in that same box, by that time the HOSP had either been eliminated or left the yard. They usually say to not put the reducer on until the chickadee lays the first egg as they don't care for the 1/8 hole as much but can get into it fine. If you have HOSP around though, I would do it before and hope for the best. Better to be safe than sorry. As far as seed the chickadees love sunflower seeds, hearts and chip or BOSS, the also like peanuts and suet around here. Also it isn't a good idea to put a nestbox near the birdfeeders, too much bird traffic that way. The closest nestbox I have to a feeder is about 50ft, the rest are much further away than that. It is best to point the hole of the nestbox away from prevailing winds, preferabbly towards a tree but away from the way the direction the rain usually blows during the summer months. Donna

LOL I just reread what I wrote and my grammar isn't very good. LOL I had fun opening the boxes to see what Martha had sent. I knew of some of the items like the books and the dessert set and crystal and I knew she was sending me some Christmas decorations but not as many as she sent. LOL Except for the glassware I have to hoist all this stuff up to the attic tomorrow. I still have my Christmas decorations up but I think I will take them down now because the rooms look so cluttered with all this extra stuff. I can pack away the decorations with my own decorations. I'm not sure where or if I want to hang the prints yet and may wait until Spring to decide. I also have 2 stitched pieces I inherited and I just received in December so have to decide where to hang them too. I am very sentimental. My Grandma had all kinds of Royal Doulton figurines and Royal Doulton Toby Jugs and I would sit and look at them and let my imagination take me away. I would think of stories that told tales of the Balloon Lady, Ribbon Lady and the Pot Maker and the Rug Seller selling their wares in the market. I had stories of the Robin Hood and Beefeater Toby Jugs along with many others whose faces I didn't know. Grandma also had a Royal Doulton BullDog with a Union Jack on his back which represented Winston Churchill and a little white bone china dog who stood playfully looking at the ladybug on its tail. I imagined all the pretty lady figurines dancing away and their children - Hummel kids swinging on their tree branches. I drank tea from the finest china with tiny shamrocks on them and lined up the highball and shot glasses of men in their tartan kilts. Whenever I gazed upon the 2 dimensional large plates on Grandma's kitchen wall I used my fingers to cross the drawbridge and climb the steep stone palace stairs and I would stop next to the man in armour who stood guarding the palace door. I so wanted to see his face - my knight in shining armour you know. LOL My Grandma's things are priceless to me. My cousin only visited once or twice a year so has no attachment to these things and it is her right to sell them if she wishes or give them away. I can still have my memories of the things and the stories they told. LOL I was just tickled to received some of the things she did decide to part with. Anne

Homebody, In the opposite white wall situation from you. Just moved in to an empty, all white walled townhouse/apartment. It has lovely wood floors and architectural details (like yours), and I hope to keep the light bright feel by decorating with pops of color. Different style than what you are going for, as I am going eclectic furnishings from flea markets and Mexico. But I think the color combos and other concepts might be similar. I only have a camera on my phone, so the pictures are a bit grainy. The dining area is complete, but there is a photo of my bedroom & living room that need help if any one has any suggestions. Here is a link that might be useful: My house