Not sure if this is an original idea or not, but I am pretty impressed with
results, so I thought I would post it. I decided not to net my pond last
fall so I could see how bad it would get, and to see how bad the cleaning
would be. I have TONS of leaves in the pond, as would be expected. The
cleaning as not been too difficult, but it will be some work. I have gotten
a lot out so far, and the water is just about gin clear already. Yesterday,
I decided to take a smallish (200 gph or so) pump...I placed it in the
shallows of the pond with the output pointing towards the edge of the pond.
This very quickly got a small whirlpool going in the pond. The minnows love
the current, BTW. Anyway, all of the debris, leaves, etc. are all collecting
behind one of the containers I have plants in, and they are all at the
bottom of the pond! Instead of cleaning Everywhere, I now have a small area
where the leaves and such are all densely piled. It's making cleaning a lot
easier.


--
BenignVanilla
www.iheartmypond.com

Do you want to supplement your income
with a stay at home job, AND help the
environment?

Check www.AMothersDream.com

Great idea you WHIPPED UP. It works in a swimming pool, but never
thought of it for the pond. Hmmmm?
"BenignVanilla" wrote in message
...
Not sure if this is an original idea or not, but I am pretty
impressed with
results, so I thought I would post it. I decided not to net my pond
last
fall so I could see how bad it would get, and to see how bad the
cleaning
would be. I have TONS of leaves in the pond, as would be expected.
The
cleaning as not been too difficult, but it will be some work. I have
gotten
a lot out so far, and the water is just about gin clear already.
Yesterday,
I decided to take a smallish (200 gph or so) pump...I placed it in
the
shallows of the pond with the output pointing towards the edge of
the pond.
This very quickly got a small whirlpool going in the pond. The
minnows love
the current, BTW. Anyway, all of the debris, leaves, etc. are all
collecting
behind one of the containers I have plants in, and they are all at
the
bottom of the pond! Instead of cleaning Everywhere, I now have a
small area
where the leaves and such are all densely piled. It's making
cleaning a lot
easier.


--
BenignVanilla
www.iheartmypond.com

Do you want to supplement your income
with a stay at home job, AND help the
environment?

Check www.AMothersDream.com

Congratulations on your vortex pond idea! Our pond is not shaped for that
technique (looks like a tooth...two legs). Our 'deep well' (read old septic
tank!) gathers the junk as the koi brush it along and the pump is in the
bottom of the deep well. We did drain the berm veggie filters. Lots of
muck in the first, some inthe second, almost none in the third. Easy with
2" bottom drains.

May your pond stay clear, BV.

Jim

--
______________________________________________
See our pond at: home.bellsouth.net\p\pwp-jameshurley
Check out Jog-A-Thon fundraiser (clears $140+ per child) at: jogathon.net
______________________________________________
"BenignVanilla" wrote in message
...
Not sure if this is an original idea or not, but I am pretty impressed
with
results, so I thought I would post it. I decided not to net my pond last
fall so I could see how bad it would get, and to see how bad the cleaning
would be. I have TONS of leaves in the pond, as would be expected. The
cleaning as not been too difficult, but it will be some work. I have
gotten
a lot out so far, and the water is just about gin clear already.
Yesterday,
I decided to take a smallish (200 gph or so) pump...I placed it in the
shallows of the pond with the output pointing towards the edge of the
pond.
This very quickly got a small whirlpool going in the pond. The minnows
love
the current, BTW. Anyway, all of the debris, leaves, etc. are all
collecting
behind one of the containers I have plants in, and they are all at the
bottom of the pond! Instead of cleaning Everywhere, I now have a small
area
where the leaves and such are all densely piled. It's making cleaning a
lot
easier.


--
BenignVanilla
www.iheartmypond.com

Do you want to supplement your income
with a stay at home job, AND help the
environment?

Check www.AMothersDream.com

Here in the Northeast, I think your plan would result in many deceased fish.
We had over 20 inches of ice over our pond in the middle of the coldest part
of winter. I had to cut holes using an ice auger just to allow the pond to
vent.

I would be very concerned that the decomposing leaves would substantially
elevate the poisons in the water. I used a leaf vac in the fall before the
serious leaf drop, then built a hoop house and suspended leaf netting over
that. It worked great at keeping the leaves off. I am happy to report that
all of my fish survived (unlike last winter when I had a half dozen fish
pops).

MSK

"BenignVanilla" wrote in message
...
Not sure if this is an original idea or not, but I am pretty impressed
with
results, so I thought I would post it. I decided not to net my pond last
fall so I could see how bad it would get, and to see how bad the cleaning
would be. I have TONS of leaves in the pond, as would be expected. The
cleaning as not been too difficult, but it will be some work. I have
gotten
a lot out so far, and the water is just about gin clear already.
Yesterday,
I decided to take a smallish (200 gph or so) pump...I placed it in the
shallows of the pond with the output pointing towards the edge of the
pond.
This very quickly got a small whirlpool going in the pond. The minnows
love
the current, BTW. Anyway, all of the debris, leaves, etc. are all
collecting
behind one of the containers I have plants in, and they are all at the
bottom of the pond! Instead of cleaning Everywhere, I now have a small
area
where the leaves and such are all densely piled. It's making cleaning a
lot
easier.


--
BenignVanilla
www.iheartmypond.com

Do you want to supplement your income
with a stay at home job, AND help the
environment?

Check www.AMothersDream.com

"Remydog" wrote in message
news:t1o9c.19452$w54.139094@attbi_s01...
Here in the Northeast, I think your plan would result in many deceased
fish.
We had over 20 inches of ice over our pond in the middle of the coldest
part
of winter. I had to cut holes using an ice auger just to allow the pond to
vent.

I would be very concerned that the decomposing leaves would substantially
elevate the poisons in the water. I used a leaf vac in the fall before the
serious leaf drop, then built a hoop house and suspended leaf netting over
that. It worked great at keeping the leaves off. I am happy to report that
all of my fish survived (unlike last winter when I had a half dozen fish
pops).
snip

I am near Baltimore, so I'd consider myself a NE'er. I too had to work to
keep a hole in the ice this winter. I used a pump, squirting straight up in
the shallows of the pond to achieve this.

I am considering netting the pond next year, but for this year, I wanted to
see what kind of leaf load I would get. It was a lot, but surprisingly not
as bad as I expected.

*shrug*

For now, the whirlpool effect is making it easier to collect the leaves. One
of these days, I'll have to get in there and do it by hand, but not for
another few degrees or so.


--
BV.
www.iheartmypond.com

"Remydog" wrote in message
news:t1o9c.19452$w54.139094@attbi_s01...
Here in the Northeast, I think your plan would result in many deceased
fish.
We had over 20 inches of ice over our pond in the middle of the coldest
part
of winter. I had to cut holes using an ice auger just to allow the pond to
vent.

I would be very concerned that the decomposing leaves would substantially
elevate the poisons in the water. I used a leaf vac in the fall before the
serious leaf drop, then built a hoop house and suspended leaf netting over
that. It worked great at keeping the leaves off. I am happy to report that
all of my fish survived (unlike last winter when I had a half dozen fish
pops).
snip

I am near Baltimore, so I'd consider myself a NE'er. I too had to work to
keep a hole in the ice this winter. I used a pump, squirting straight up in
the shallows of the pond to achieve this.

I am considering netting the pond next year, but for this year, I wanted to
see what kind of leaf load I would get. It was a lot, but surprisingly not
as bad as I expected.

*shrug*

For now, the whirlpool effect is making it easier to collect the leaves. One
of these days, I'll have to get in there and do it by hand, but not for
another few degrees or so.


--
BV.
www.iheartmypond.com

"Remydog" wrote in message
news:t1o9c.19452$w54.139094@attbi_s01...
Here in the Northeast, I think your plan would result in many deceased
fish.
We had over 20 inches of ice over our pond in the middle of the coldest
part
of winter. I had to cut holes using an ice auger just to allow the pond to
vent.

I would be very concerned that the decomposing leaves would substantially
elevate the poisons in the water. I used a leaf vac in the fall before the
serious leaf drop, then built a hoop house and suspended leaf netting over
that. It worked great at keeping the leaves off. I am happy to report that
all of my fish survived (unlike last winter when I had a half dozen fish
pops).
snip

I am near Baltimore, so I'd consider myself a NE'er. I too had to work to
keep a hole in the ice this winter. I used a pump, squirting straight up in
the shallows of the pond to achieve this.

I am considering netting the pond next year, but for this year, I wanted to
see what kind of leaf load I would get. It was a lot, but surprisingly not
as bad as I expected.

*shrug*

For now, the whirlpool effect is making it easier to collect the leaves. One
of these days, I'll have to get in there and do it by hand, but not for
another few degrees or so.


--
BV.
www.iheartmypond.com