On Tue, 24 Aug 2004 13:36:47 -0400, Hal wrote:

===On Mon, 23 Aug 2004 21:12:53 GMT, (Roy)
===wrote:
===
===
===snip
=== It takes about 6 weeks to get the biofilter up to speed.
snip
===BTW if you are considering buying a starter for the beneficial aerobic
===filter bacteria, consider throwing a hand full of dirt into the pond.
===That same bacteria are in the soil, and the last I heard it couldn't
===be dried out and bottled.
===
===Regards,
===
===Hal

I have dirt in the container already from the plants I planted, added
two snails, and I agree, odds are fish should be able to handle it by
now. Its been running three or so days already full blast, my water
is not exactly clear, but its due to my screwing up and using a clay
from my pond to plant some of the plants in. The clay is a heavy blue
clay and it made the water a bit cloudy. I left the water in that I
had originally started with as I was pretty sure by now it was free of
chlorine etc, and have been told not to use chlorinated water on
lillies etc, so I did not take the chance.It will eventually settle
out and get clear, and probably tomorrow I may pickup 2 feeders or may
just go and get the wife her two shubunkins that she wants to put in
it.

Is it a good idea or bad to have pea gravel or larger gravel on the
containers bottom or am I better off leaving it bare or does it not
matter much one way or the other?
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