Spring had its challenges with debris and algae making the water difficult to see through. The fish have grown to about 24-30 inches and have gotten fat. All still have good coloration and good clear markings. I lost two fish in the last year for unknown reasons.
There was an issue of the pump not maintaining suction so I dug up the piping and resealed everything and set the pump lower so it would be below water line when full. While figuring out the suction issue I also realized that roots had grown through one of the bulkheads and was contributing to water loss. I dug out the roots and patched the EPDM liner but now a month later the patch is pulling away and I am likely losing water there again. It has been raining daily so it is difficult to know for sure. I also replaced the old performance pro pump last year with a newer no name but I can already tell it doesn’t have the same quality and longevity.
I also added a temporary barrel filter with bioflow9 media. This barrel operates from a small pump in the skimmer as an upflow mechanical filter and will hopefully establish a good bacterial colony. The output is gravity fed back to the pond. I plan to make this more permanent after a couple more weeks of testing. Cost to build the filter including all the bulkheads, barrel, media, and pvc valves was around $200 which is far cheaper than most of the large filters being sold today. I will warn you not to use uniseals on a round flexible barrel, it will leak. Note the bucket supports are temporary until I determine final pipe lengths and plumbing.
Maintenance on the Airpump was required this year after 10+ years of running 24×7. I replaced the diaphragm and inner seals with a $7 kit from Danner. I also replaced the UV lights which seemed to help begin to kill the algae. I also added some small barley bails to the main filter and added some starter bacteria. Within a week the pond was much clearer.
This summer will be the year I finally get around to landscaping the pond. I have finally found a surround fencing material I like that will not only protect the fish but allow me to use fine netting to keep out the herons and other critters. I have had some success with ferns growing out of the rocks and an explosion of pond lettuce this year. Last year I had lettuce and hyacinth but the hyacinth took over and had to be thinned regularly. Next year I might try Parrot Feather. The plants are doing a great job of keeping Nitrates near zero. The big Bradford Pear tree above the pond finally split and had to be removed. This is giving me a larger sunlit area that now needs some planting.
Happy Ponding
