" George" wrote in message
news:jc7Ne.40258$084.8415@attbi_s22...

"rc" wrote in message
ups.com...
What about snails or the catfish that are sold as algae eaters ?

As far as I know, there are no species of temperate catfish that would do
the job of cleaning the bottom of a pond.

$$ There is no species of catfish or snail that eats rotten broken down
plant matter and fish feces, the matter that makes up mulm.

This is the same problem that
Marine aquarium enthusiasts experience, since the only salt water algae
eaters besides snails are usually not suitable for a marine aquarium
because of size or other factors. However, if you live in the tropics,
you can always add a plecostomas or two. :-)

$$ I've had these and they do not eat mulm or fish feces either. They
scarfed some algae but mostly lived on the pellets fed the goldfish.

(oh, if someone would only
create such a critter for use in a temperate environment). Snails are
good as scavangers, but considering the surface area of most ponds, you
would need a whole lot of snails. Unfortunately for this purpose, they
also make a tasty treat for most pond fish.

$$ And they don't eat mulm.

My pond has snails, but they are very
small, and nearly of of them are hidden in the rocks of the waterfall
where the fish cannot get to them. And at any rate, bottom feeders
produce their own waste so while they are eating the algae, they are also
adding to the nutrient load, which will feed the next generation algae
bloom.

$$ And dead algae falls to the bottom and adds to the mulm layer......
--
McKoi.... the frugal ponder...
My Pond Page http://tinyurl.com/cuq5b
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