@!~~#! $%**@£ BLANKET WEED!!!!!!!

[pjholybloke]

Overfeeding, as previously mentioned, is one major contributor. Have you also tried a phosphate remover?

Why don't you want a UV filter btw?

I have cut the feed down to once a day in the evening when the sun's off the pond, so I'll wait and see on that one. I'm also changing pellets which are supposed to be less algae friendly.

I'm thinking of using a product from Bionetix called Aquaclean, it's a bacteria based organic treatment which is supposed to be effective at removing nitrates, do you have a phosphate remover you could reccommend?

It's not that I don't want a UV filter because I'm anti-UV, it's purely a logistical problem. Without digging a hole there really isn't anywhere suitable for a decent-sized filter. Because of where the pond is the nearest place for a hole would be in the lawn and "the boss" just wouldn't wear it!

 

[breezer]

picture, picture.

there is always somewhere for a filter and uv?

some companies make filter, uv and fountain all in one

 

[pjholybloke]

Don't have a digital camera but will post some from my phone later when I've figured out how to upload - will RTFM.

Already have a fountain in the middle of the pond - it's where all this pond business started. Inherited the "fountain" with the house, but every time I put it on it emptied in 10mins as the water sprayed indiscriminately over 6foot area. So I dug a big hole, filled it with water and plonked it in the middle.

Have wondered since if I should've left it, but I can't resist a challenge. Think we may have that trait in common Breezer, but am dubious about being able to locate filter.

 

[Maxxy]

I tried something (see another post further down) and had good results for about a week. Then woosh the pond turned green again.

Is there any way you can shade your pond a bit? Thats my next plan because mine is in the sun all day. My pond is only about 1.5m squared though, so im planning to shade half, and and the other half is about 1/2 covered by plants. So in effect only a quarter of my ponds surface water will get sun for most of the day, but the plants will also get the sun all day still to keep them soaking up the nutrients

 

[pjholybloke]

I tried something (see another post further down) and had good results for about a week. Then woosh the pond turned green again.

Is there any way you can shade your pond a bit?

Thanks Maxxy, found the post but don't want to use anything that isn't totally organic. I used a TetraPond product last year that was supposed to be harmless to fish and plants. Fish were fine but all of the plants were stripped of foliage within three weeks of beginning treatment - did get rid of the weed though.

The pond gets light on various parts of it for about 9-10 hours a day at this time of year, but when I upload the photos later you'll see that I've built a framework over the top of it, and I'm pursuading Virginia Ivy and Passiflora to grow over it and produce a natural canopy. Hopefully this will still allow sunlight to filter through to plants.

Also have about 40% coverage of floaters, although every time I strip more blanket weed out, more floaters come with it!!

Thanks for feedback - photos this evening.

 

[pjholybloke]

Now that's what I call a mission! Gonna change my laptop OS to XP - Vista is sh**e.

Here goes, but I'll be absolutely stunned if you actually see anything... (ok couple of edits later and I can see 'em maybe.... just maybe.....)

http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/aa208/pjholybloke/DSC00052.jpg

http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/aa208/pjholybloke/DSC00051_edited.jpg

http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/aa208/pjholybloke/DSC00050.jpg

http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/aa208/pjholybloke/DSC00049.jpg

http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/aa208/pjholybloke/DSC00045.jpg

The two pics of the bench are'nt random, I've scraped a bit of the stone back to show the two sewerage inspection covers.

Any help appreciated.

 

[breezer]

I can see the pics now

dont have much surface area coverage do you? you may want to buy some water lilies, but as i first said, there is no 100% cure that works for everyone everytime, but lilies look nice, specialy the pink /cerease ones.

as for pool emptying there is a rule about that, clicky

 

[pjholybloke]

I almost gave up with the pics.

Like I said, 40% approx coverage. It's not clear enough to see in the photos but the entire right hand side of the pool is covered with Crispes.

Thanks for the tip on fountain height, I actually dug the pond to accommodate the fountain, it used to stand on it's own in the middle of the gravel patch, pump in the bottom dish, water up to the top dish - all over the gravel.

I think you're suggesting I didn't dig it deep enough, I think you ain't wrong.

100% cure? Think you're right again, but being an impatient git, I WANT A CURE NOW!!!

What I want & what I get are rarely the same, no change here then.

thanks again.

 

[breezer]

no worries.

another odd thing about my tiny pond, it went green (as you would expect) but then almost clear again, there are no plants of fish in it what so ever, only a frog from time to time.

Point being ponds are funny like that

 

[pjholybloke]

OK - How much for the frog?

 

[breezer]

he's not for sale, havent seen him for a few days now that you ask, but then again thats what happens ,dont see him / her for a while then pops up for a day then off again for a while.

Perhaps its a long hop to the shops?

 

[pjholybloke]

Possibly croaked? Maybe ribbited to a book? Found another pad?

 

[Maxxy]

How about fixing something to the underside of the framework for the time being until the ivy grows? Not sure how quick the coverage would happen from the ivy, but i can imagine it would be a few months. What about putting cross braces in aswell for the ivy to wrap around?

Just got to be careful you dont shade the corner too much (depending on where the sun comes from) or the grass etc may die and the corner becomes a bit manky

 

[pjholybloke]

How about fixing something to the underside of the framework for the time being until the ivy grows? Not sure how quick the coverage would happen from the ivy, but i can imagine it would be a few months. What about putting cross braces in aswell for the ivy to wrap around?

Yeah, that might be an option. I don't think the sun is too much of an issue to the lawn, if you're looking at the pond with the intersection of the two fences directly in front, the sun rises on your right swings round behind you to set behind the stone bench.

What about cross-braces and a net? The ivy is deciduous (yeah should have checked that first) so autumn is a nightmare. I was considering throwing a net over the pond this autumn, but now I'm thinking maybe slinging it underneath the beams.

Whatdyathink?

 

[breezer]

i put a "frame" with small mesh over my "other pond" around autumn to catch all falling leaves etc

during non use (like now) it sits to one side where you dont notice it