View Single Post
  #17   Report Post  
Old 20-06-2007, 09:44 PM posted to rec.ponds.moderated
Reel McKoi[_11_] Reel McKoi[_11_] is offline
external usenet poster
 
First recorded activity by GardenBanter: Apr 2007
Posts: 111
Default Question about irises

From Carol

"Kurt" wrote in message
...
In article ,
"Reel McKoi" wrote:
I think you're "screwed." Our largest pond is 2000 and unless we drain
it
down and remove all grunge the filter misses it clouds the water and
filters
almost daily. What we do is remove the old bird-net, drain it down to
the
largest koi's dorsal fin, net them out and drain it to the bottom. We
hose
the grunge off the algae on the sides and the plant pots left in place,
leaving the algae untouched. The last little bit of dirty water and
gravel
is sucked out with a shop vac. The settling tank is drained and hosed.
The
pond is then re-netted, refilled and "aerated" for 24 hours, then the
regular pumps/filters turned on and the fish are returned to it. It's a
dirty all day job.


How often do you do this? I'm trying to have a pond about that size that
only requires a "sediment suck" on a minimal basis - without removing
anything.

=============================
Since they started spawning, every spring. There were a few springs we
skipped when they were all young and small. We also remove all the unwanted
fry and any bullfrogs or turtles we find. Some predators get through the
nets as youngsters and then grow like mad. Sucking out the sediment alone
doesn't work for us. Too much goes into suspension and clouds the water.
That doesn't remove all the DTSs either. With a total water change
everything is removed; hormones, feces, urine, bits of this and that
including at least 20 to 30 gallons of black slop (mulm). The fish love it
and almost always spawn within a few days of these major water changes. :-)
--

RM....
Frugal ponding since 1995.
rec.ponder since late 1996.
My Pond & Aquarium Pages:
http://tinyurl.com/9do58
Zone 6. Middle TN USA
~~~~ }((((* ~~~ }{{{{(ö