I've decided that I'm probably going to go ahead and get a pump in the
near future. A fish is pretty active and eating, but I wanted to make
both of them a little more livlier and healthier. I could use some
recommendations since I'm clueless even with web and newsgroup
searches. They don't look to be near the surface gasping for oxygen
and I don't often see them.

Again, I'm the fellow who has set up a container water garden in a
whiskey barrel. Seems to be doing ok. My local pond supplier seems
to go out of anacharis quickly which is disheartening--I was a day
late today when I called which is similar to last time.

I would like to keep the water lily that's in there, though, and was
wondering to what extent they can tolerate circulation from a pump.

1) I've read that they don't like violent water. Should I just stay
with a trickler, or can I actually go ahead and get a standard pump?
Would the overturned pot in the middle with a plant on it give a
buffer to keep the water movement where the lily is in check?

2) Can I place the pump directly on the bottom or must I level it? How
would I situate the hose so that it acts sort of like a fountain? If
there's any other stuff that I should make sure my pump comes with,
please let me know whether they're required or not.

Here's a water quality timeline--I've been trying to keep decomposable
mess from infiltrating the water:

4/18/04
Afternoon test: 8.0 PH, .25 ammonia

4/19/04
Green algae

4/20/04
Night test: 9.0 PH, .25 ammonia, .25 nitrites

4/23/04
Afternoon test: 9.0 PH, .25 ammonia, 0 nitrates

No luck trying to get mosquito fish--the local government agencies
responsible for them tend to close far too early. I thought I saw
mosquito eggs in there on the 20th, but they seem to have vanished
after the rain this week. Maybe just gases similar to what I saw in a
swamp last weekend. No larvae that I see, although a puddle down the
street that has been there as long as my water garden has black
larvae. Along with a bunch of other interesting bugs. Other than
beetles, stray ants on the side, the occaisional spider, and drowning
insects, my water garden seems bugless.

Daniel Phillips

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