"K30a" wrote in message
...
Hello Chris,
Welcome to rec.ponds!

Thanks!

Big problem. Decomposing leaves can feed a pea soup algae problem. Lead to
all
sorts of fish problems. But not to despair.
You can make a physical barrier with netting, probably in a tent fashion
or put
in a nice large skimmer.

That would be a big tent in my case (over 400 square feet). Hmm.. perhaps I
could build a pergola/deck at one end of the pond, and use that to anchor
one end of a screen. I could anchor the far end at ground level. It (the
tent) would probably be ugly, but I would only have to look at it for a
couple of months every year. I will have to think about that..
By large skimmer, you are obviously not talking in swimming pool terms.. the
pool skimmer is about 1 square foot, and holds a couple of handfuls of
leaves. So I guess I would need something that was 5-10 square feet (?)

Don't toss the broken patio in the pool. You'll have a heck of mess gather
under the rubble. Bad for fish.

I thought I read somewhere that it was a good idea to have a layer of rocks
or gravel in the bottom of the pond, for beneficial algae to live on? Are
you saying that in a koi pond I should leave the pond "clean"?

Chris