Thanks to everyone for their quick input.

Let me clarify a few things:

1. I misstated my pH. It was OVER 8.0

2. Yes the pond got VERY warm for several days. I don't have a thermometer
but I commented to my wife that the water felt like bath water.

3. I've got a Cyprio Bioforce 250UVC filter, pondmaster 1000 prefilter. I
do have a filter that shoots to a water bell as well as circulates the
water.

4. I have lilies in my pond (3 pots of them). They were flourishing. But
now seem to be holding pace and possibly dying off. The larger pads are
yellowing and the smaller ones are turning brown around the edges.

It wouldn't surprise me that my ponds are too small. I suspected there was
a problem when the temperature shot up so quick. Unfortunately there isn't
any real shade for the pond. Its in full sun from the dawn till dusk.

So what is the solution? A larger, and deeper pond? Maybe expand it to 750
to 1000gal range? What kind of filtration is easy on the pocket book. I'm
going to back to school and that takes up a large portion of my budget
anymore.

Many of us have pH values around 8.4 and some as high as 9 with no effect on
the fish.

A larger pond would be helpful in many ways. More consistent water
parameters, slower swings in toxics, more room for oxygen for fish and
submerged plants. As for size, bigger is better, as big as you can afford.
Deeper is better than wider and longer. You can really add quantity of
water with a little depth, much more so than increasing surface area.

The veggie filter is very reasonable in price, just a little more liner and
some plants. One of my pond club members is growing leaf lettuce for the
table, spinach, collards, and is starting some herbs in her veggie filter.
Fewer bugs, cleaner plants, better growth are some of the benefits that she
mentioned as compared to soil grown.
--
RichToyBox
http://www.geocities.com/richtoybox/pondintro.html
"Pond Diver" wrote in message
news
Thanks to everyone for their quick input.

Let me clarify a few things:

1. I misstated my pH. It was OVER 8.0

2. Yes the pond got VERY warm for several days. I don't have a
thermometer
but I commented to my wife that the water felt like bath water.

3. I've got a Cyprio Bioforce 250UVC filter, pondmaster 1000 prefilter.
I
do have a filter that shoots to a water bell as well as circulates the
water.

4. I have lilies in my pond (3 pots of them). They were flourishing.
But
now seem to be holding pace and possibly dying off. The larger pads are
yellowing and the smaller ones are turning brown around the edges.

It wouldn't surprise me that my ponds are too small. I suspected there
was
a problem when the temperature shot up so quick. Unfortunately there
isn't
any real shade for the pond. Its in full sun from the dawn till dusk.

So what is the solution? A larger, and deeper pond? Maybe expand it to
750
to 1000gal range? What kind of filtration is easy on the pocket book.
I'm
going to back to school and that takes up a large portion of my budget
anymore.

Don't laugh but I created shade for 200 gallons of my pond anyway, by
sticking an umbrella ( the kind they sell now that you can just stick in
the ground) in the ground next to it.......the fish like it..lol Wish
that pinoak tree would grow faster.

Forgot.....you know those 10x10 foot tent looking things, but they have
no sides, just a roof to provide shade at parties...just a thought ..at
least when the temperatures are up there. They sell them in sporting
goods stores.

Rich.....that's fasinating what your club member is doing.....have to
make a note to try that.

get a pH kit tests that range, up to pH 8.6 is no problem.
get a floating thermometer (spa places)
get more aeration in there, the "bell" is not as suitable for aeration as waterfalls
or air stones on an air pump.
of course there is shade available.... shade cloth. and right after the 4th of July
all the shade cloth "tents" will be on sale at wally world, Kmart, etc etc.
put one of these over the pond, put a couple chairs and a table under the shade cloth
and you will be able to enjoy the pond even with the sun up.
of course make a deeper pond. nobody on this list will not recommend MORE POND.
the best filtration in the world is the cheapest and easiest. a veggie filter.
Ingrid

"Pond Diver" wrote:
1. I misstated my pH. It was OVER 8.0
2. Yes the pond got VERY warm for several days. I don't have a thermometer
but I commented to my wife that the water felt like bath water.
3. I've got a Cyprio Bioforce 250UVC filter, pondmaster 1000 prefilter. I
do have a filter that shoots to a water bell as well as circulates the
water.
Unfortunately there isn't
any real shade for the pond. Its in full sun from the dawn till dusk.

So what is the solution? A larger, and deeper pond? Maybe expand it to 750
to 1000gal range? What kind of filtration is easy on the pocket book. I'm
going to back to school and that takes up a large portion of my budget
anymore.




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List
http://puregold.aquaria.net/
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other
compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the
endorsements or recommendations I make.

why laugh... that is creative!

(Mary kate) wrote:

Don't laugh but I created shade for 200 gallons of my pond anyway, by
sticking an umbrella ( the kind they sell now that you can just stick in
the ground) in the ground next to it.......the fish like it..lol Wish
that pinoak tree would grow faster.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List
http://puregold.aquaria.net/
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other
compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the
endorsements or recommendations I make.

yeah... they got em everywhere now. menards, probably lowes, HD, etc

(Mary kate) wrote:

Forgot.....you know those 10x10 foot tent looking things, but they have
no sides, just a roof to provide shade at parties...just a thought ..at
least when the temperatures are up there. They sell them in sporting
goods stores.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List
http://puregold.aquaria.net/
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other
compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the
endorsements or recommendations I make.

Mary Kate that is a good alternative. Here in Oklahoma
in our pond group a number of people that have ponds
that are around 750 gallons in size and in full sun
have gotten those covers to cover their ponds. Around
here they were on sale for a while for $29.95, not the
highest quality, but they have worked year after year.

Tom L.L.
=================================

Mary kate wrote:

Forgot.....you know those 10x10 foot tent looking things, but they have
no sides, just a roof to provide shade at parties...just a thought ..at
least when the temperatures are up there. They sell them in sporting
goods stores.