I have a question that I'd like information and
opinions on (better yet!! like I'm sure I'll get here,
very informed, or at a minimum, semi-informed!!)

I removed a lot of the old gunk or muck from the
bottom of my ponds (this time with the wet/dry vac.,
boy, does not take long to suck 16 gallons!)

It is quite dark brown, fine silty stuff.
Can it go directly onto the ready to mine compost,
or best in the bins to age for a year?

And, while I'm at it, a related question.
In the silt / gunk/muck, I've found little
white things/'bugs'. Ohh about 1/16" long,
thicker than a hair, some seem to wiggle,
maybe some crawl, when I poured a bit onto the
top of a 'to be aged' compost bin.
Any good guesses on what they are?

Water temp. now about 54 degrees.

a425couple wrote:
I have a question that I'd like information and
opinions on (better yet!! like I'm sure I'll get here,
very informed, or at a minimum, semi-informed!!)

I removed a lot of the old gunk or muck from the
bottom of my ponds (this time with the wet/dry vac.,
boy, does not take long to suck 16 gallons!)

It is quite dark brown, fine silty stuff.
Can it go directly onto the ready to mine compost,
or best in the bins to age for a year?

And, while I'm at it, a related question.
In the silt / gunk/muck, I've found little
white things/'bugs'. Ohh about 1/16" long,
thicker than a hair, some seem to wiggle,
maybe some crawl, when I poured a bit onto the
top of a 'to be aged' compost bin.
Any good guesses on what they are?

Water temp. now about 54 degrees.

Don't 'know' the answer, bur FWIW, I'd stick it straight on the garden.
--
Pete C
London UK

good to go the minute you pull it out. just spread it around. wigglers are larvae of
midges, etc. Ingrid

On Thu, 2 Oct 2008 14:32:59 EDT, "a425couple" wrote:

I have a question that I'd like information and
opinions on (better yet!! like I'm sure I'll get here,
very informed, or at a minimum, semi-informed!!)

I removed a lot of the old gunk or muck from the
bottom of my ponds (this time with the wet/dry vac.,
boy, does not take long to suck 16 gallons!)

It is quite dark brown, fine silty stuff.
Can it go directly onto the ready to mine compost,
or best in the bins to age for a year?

And, while I'm at it, a related question.
In the silt / gunk/muck, I've found little
white things/'bugs'. Ohh about 1/16" long,
thicker than a hair, some seem to wiggle,
maybe some crawl, when I poured a bit onto the
top of a 'to be aged' compost bin.
Any good guesses on what they are?

Water temp. now about 54 degrees.

Our muck is great for fertilizer. I don't think it needs to be
composted. We drain the berm ponds annually and take about 2" of muck
out of each 4 x 8 pond.

Jim

"a425couple" wrote in message
. ..
I have a question that I'd like information and opinions on (better yet!
!
like I'm sure I'll get here, very informed, or at a minimum,
semi-informed!!)

I removed a lot of the old gunk or muck from the bottom of my ponds (th
is
time with the wet/dry vac., boy, does not take long to suck 16 gallons!
)

It is quite dark brown, fine silty stuff.
Can it go directly onto the ready to mine compost, or best in the bins
to
age for a year?

And, while I'm at it, a related question.
In the silt / gunk/muck, I've found little white things/'bugs'. Ohh ab
out
1/16" long, thicker than a hair, some seem to wiggle, maybe some crawl,

when I poured a bit onto the top of a 'to be aged' compost bin.
Any good guesses on what they are?

Water temp. now about 54 degrees.
============================I dump it right in the gardens, wiggly white things and all. :-)
--
RM....
Frugal ponding since 1995.
rec.ponder since late 1996.
Zone 6. Middle TN USA
~~~~ }((((* ~~~ }{{{{(ö

wrote in ...
"a425couple" wrote:
I removed a lot of the old gunk or muck from the
bottom of my ponds --
Can it go directly onto the ready to mine compost,
or best in the bins to age for a year?
good to go the minute you pull it out. just spread it around.

Thank you Pete, Ingrid, Phylls & Jim, and ReelMcKoi.

And, while I'm at it, a related question.
In the silt / gunk/muck, I've found little
white things/'bugs'. Ohh about 1/16" long,
thicker than a hair,

wigglers are larvae of midges, etc. Ingrid

Interesting.
So, you figure their life cycle takes them from
the bottom muck, up through the water to
the surface, then they sprout wings and fly?

(I'd of wrongly guessed they stayed as some
sort of 'muck worms'.)

Even more evidence those fish were not doing their job!

"Less being hand fed Koi food for you!
Plow that silt, eat them wigglers!
Back to basics of a natural diet,
work hard and live longer - less heart disease!
Less obesity and diabeties."

a425couple wrote:

And, while I'm at it, a related question.
In the silt / gunk/muck, I've found little
white things/'bugs'. Ohh about 1/16" long,
thicker than a hair,

wigglers are larvae of midges, etc. Ingrid

I love that "etc" :-) I _should_ be able to remember what the white ones
would likely be, but the best I can come up with is also "midges, etc".

Interesting.
So, you figure their life cycle takes them from
the bottom muck, up through the water to
the surface, then they sprout wings and fly?

Pretty much. Some insects go through more than one stage before the
sprouting wings part.

(I'd of wrongly guessed they stayed as some
sort of 'muck worms'.)

There are "muck worms" - flat worms, nematodes and I think even relatives of
earthworms (though actual earthworms drown), but ime when you find
significant quantities of one type of worm they're insect larvae. Of
course, there are also leeches...

Even more evidence those fish were not doing their job!

Well, yes and no. The worms are generally not harmful.

"Less being hand fed Koi food for you!
Plow that silt, eat them wigglers!

They certainly _will_ do that - I only ever feed my fish for my own
enjoyment.

Back to basics of a natural diet,
work hard and live longer - less heart disease!
Less obesity and diabeties."

Yes, I just hate to see my Koi get diabetes - their legs fall right off,
doncha know...
--
derek

"Derek Broughton" wrote ...
a425couple wrote:
"Less being hand fed Koi food for you!
Plow that silt, eat them wigglers!

They certainly _will_ do that - I only ever feed my fish
for my own enjoyment.

I like your attitude!
Think We should call it a "Bubbles up economic plan"!

Back to basics of a natural diet,
work hard and live longer - less heart disease!
Less obesity and diabeties."

Yes, I just hate to see my Koi get diabetes - their
legs fall right off, doncha know... derek

Oh Yeah! That makes sense!
And although it may seem the cost of the crutches
and wheelchairs may not be too bad, but when they
start needing and expecting 24 hour a day
nursing care, sheesh, could bankrupt our
entire pond budget!
And, if that goes astray, dike repairs get deferred,
and lotsa homes, - entire communities, could
get flooded away!

Even more evidence those fish were not doing their job!

Well, yes and no. The worms are generally not harmful.

Fur sure... they can be so plentiful the fish can't keep up. DS had a crop
in his one aquarium, he had to put platys in to finally control them, as
the fish in residence couldn't eat them all and they went to the midge
mode. They were so bad he always had a crop of dead midges in the window
well till the platys did their thing.

Yes, I just hate to see my Koi get diabetes - their legs fall right off,
doncha know...

LOL! If that's the case, mine are already in trouble. Good thing they have
aqua support. ~ jan
------------
Zone 7a, SE Washington State
Ponds: www.jjspond.us