"Gareee©" wrote in message
...

brevity snip

Tried adding potassium last year, and I do already have several water
lillies.. they are getting larger each year, so maybe they'll offer enough
coverage this year.

I also added about 40 marginals last year of variosu types, and iris seem
to do particularly well.

I got a ph test kit, and other then adding some additional baking soda
last year, everything look right.. the problem I think is just full sun
exposure, and not enough plant coverage. Hopefull since I;'m getting an
eary spring this year, the 3 year plants will have grown enough to finally
bo doing thie rjob.

My filter system was just way too small last year.. a rubbermaid storage
tub. I'm considering a large rubbermaid trashcan system this year,
possibly doubled, but since it's all in the middle of the yard, it becomes
a tradeoff using those, and having that eyesore, or having a green pond
instead.

You can buy several yards of that camouflage material hunter use or plain
black and cover the filters. Just drape it over them and they'll be less
obvious.

The filter worked last year, but it became almost solid muck after a few
weeks, and th esame happened with the upper pondlet, with it's plants
hardly doing anything at all to cut the greenwater.

My settling tank-veggie filter mucks up and must be flushed several times
over the summer depending on the fish load.

Over population is the issue this year.. we started out with 7 goldfish,
and after the first year, had about 20... we sold off more then 1/2 of
them, and last year ended up with a ballpark number around 35-40!

Time to sell a few more........ ;-) We have to drain down both ponds
and remove loads of koi fry from last summer.

In addition we have newts in the pond, and of course a ton of frogs as
well.

Obviously the life is thriving in the pond, just too much so.

It sure sounds that way. It must be a healthy environment for them.
--
RM....
Frugal ponding since 1995.
rec.ponder since late 1996.
My Pond & Aquarium Pages:
http://tinyurl.com/9do58
Zone 6. USA
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