Newbie here. I have just a little waterfall pond and won't be getting
string algae. But can you tell me how the straw helps in your larger
ponds and does anything happen to the pond over years Straw is not
degradable is it?

Straw is degradeable.

As it rots, it realeases a small, steady amount of hydrogen peroxide,
which kills algae.

Nothing happens to the pond, other than being fairly algae free.

"Stephen M. Henning" wrote in message
news
"news.pcisys.net" wrote:

the slow release effect from the
barley straw provides a constant source of hydrogen peroxide. The
effects from barley straw will begin as early as one to two weeks after
installation, and will remain effective for between four and six months.

So can we kick the reaction into gear by adding H2O2 from a bottle?
(seriously . . .)
And will the fish turn blonde?
=
--
Crashj

"Stephen M. Henning" wrote in message
news
"news.pcisys.net" wrote:

the slow release effect from the
barley straw provides a constant source of hydrogen peroxide. The
effects from barley straw will begin as early as one to two weeks after
installation, and will remain effective for between four and six months.

So can we kick the reaction into gear by adding H2O2 from a bottle?
(seriously . . .)
And will the fish turn blonde?
=
--
Crashj

So can we kick the reaction into gear by adding H2O2 from a bottle?
(seriously . . .)

No. Unless you have some way to drip it minutely, constantly.

And will the fish turn blonde?

Hmmmm

So can we kick the reaction into gear by adding H2O2 from a bottle?
(seriously . . .)

No. Unless you have some way to drip it minutely, constantly.

And will the fish turn blonde?

Hmmmm

The best way to utilize barley straw is to place it in a mesh or net
bag, and allow it to float on your ponds surface. So not submerge it.
Once its wet and starts to degrade, it forms a peroxide which is not
harmfull to fish etc but devastating to algae. I used two bales of
barley straw one year in my pond and it virtually killed all of the
algae. Pond is approx 1 surface acre and I had a heap of straw pats
floating in mesh bags and you could definately see a difference in the
water around the bags slowly spreading outward till they all
overlapped. Of course water temp and sun has a lot to do on how fast
it works but it does work. Can't say if it will work if its submerged
or not, and I would not think it would have any detrimental effect on
a pond but I would remove it from a container or liner type pond after
it does its job, as any rotting material will eventually buildup stuff
thats not good for a small pond. A natural bottom (dirt) pond it
should not matter all that much if its of sufficient size.
Visit my website: http://www.frugalmachinist.com
Opinions expressed are those of my wife,
I had no input whatsoever.
Remove "nospam" from email addy.

The best way to utilize barley straw is to place it in a mesh or net
bag, and allow it to float on your ponds surface. So not submerge it.
Once its wet and starts to degrade, it forms a peroxide which is not
harmfull to fish etc but devastating to algae. I used two bales of
barley straw one year in my pond and it virtually killed all of the
algae. Pond is approx 1 surface acre and I had a heap of straw pats
floating in mesh bags and you could definately see a difference in the
water around the bags slowly spreading outward till they all
overlapped. Of course water temp and sun has a lot to do on how fast
it works but it does work. Can't say if it will work if its submerged
or not, and I would not think it would have any detrimental effect on
a pond but I would remove it from a container or liner type pond after
it does its job, as any rotting material will eventually buildup stuff
thats not good for a small pond. A natural bottom (dirt) pond it
should not matter all that much if its of sufficient size.
Visit my website: http://www.frugalmachinist.com
Opinions expressed are those of my wife,
I had no input whatsoever.
Remove "nospam" from email addy.

1 100 gallon stock tank (Rubber maid) and 2 70 gallon stock tanks.
These are my bio/mechanical filters. Filter media: black floor scrubber
pads (cut up) and white floor scrubber pads. Two Silent giant 4300
pumps. Last weekend I built a veggie filter; 24' X 1.9' X 18" deep. I
am waiting for the liner to come in. I should have it up and running by
this weekend. Pond is in full sun most of the day.
In the bio filters, I have just stuck some arrow head and mint in just
to see what would happen. I looks like the mint and arrowhead are
living, putting down roots and my live. This morning I noticed I could
see a few inches deeper in the pond. Maybe the clouds and cooler temps
down here have helped. Any suggestions? I have been assured by my
neighbors (both ponders) that I have "plenty of filtration" for my size
pond (19' X 21' X 4.5' Irregular shaped)
We just go a quick huge storm here in the Springs. Any weather up your way?
W. Dale

MattR wrote:
What kind of filter do you have now? Size, media, etc.

Thanks

news.pcisys.net wrote:

I still have a 3/4 a bail of straw ("they" said it was barley straw)
from last year. Did not do much for the water, or so it would seem.
Maybe I had it placed improperly. From what I am reading now, it
should not be submerged all the way to the bottom and probably not
place in the bio filter either.
Maybe I will give it another try placed near the top of the water.
Water has been bright to dark green all summer with about two weeks of
partial clarity (could see maybe 2 feet down.) Veggie Filter should
come online in about 5 days (that is when the liner is supposed to
arrive.)
Nice to hear from other Coloradians! :-))))
W. Dale (Spring Ranch - Colorado Springs)

1 100 gallon stock tank (Rubber maid) and 2 70 gallon stock tanks.
These are my bio/mechanical filters. Filter media: black floor scrubber
pads (cut up) and white floor scrubber pads. Two Silent giant 4300
pumps. Last weekend I built a veggie filter; 24' X 1.9' X 18" deep. I
am waiting for the liner to come in. I should have it up and running by
this weekend. Pond is in full sun most of the day.
In the bio filters, I have just stuck some arrow head and mint in just
to see what would happen. I looks like the mint and arrowhead are
living, putting down roots and my live. This morning I noticed I could
see a few inches deeper in the pond. Maybe the clouds and cooler temps
down here have helped. Any suggestions? I have been assured by my
neighbors (both ponders) that I have "plenty of filtration" for my size
pond (19' X 21' X 4.5' Irregular shaped)
We just go a quick huge storm here in the Springs. Any weather up your way?
W. Dale

MattR wrote:
What kind of filter do you have now? Size, media, etc.

Thanks

news.pcisys.net wrote:

I still have a 3/4 a bail of straw ("they" said it was barley straw)
from last year. Did not do much for the water, or so it would seem.
Maybe I had it placed improperly. From what I am reading now, it
should not be submerged all the way to the bottom and probably not
place in the bio filter either.
Maybe I will give it another try placed near the top of the water.
Water has been bright to dark green all summer with about two weeks of
partial clarity (could see maybe 2 feet down.) Veggie Filter should
come online in about 5 days (that is when the liner is supposed to
arrive.)
Nice to hear from other Coloradians! :-))))
W. Dale (Spring Ranch - Colorado Springs)

I will give that a try. Thanks! Will let you know if things improve.
W. Dale

Stephen M. Henning wrote:

"news.pcisys.net" wrote:


I still have a 3/4 a bail of straw ("they" said it was barley straw)
from last year. Did not do much for the water, or so it would seem.
Maybe I had it placed improperly. From what I am reading now, it should
not be submerged all the way to the bottom and probably not place in
the bio filter either.
Maybe I will give it another try placed near the top of the water.


It needs to be at the surface. Place straw in return portion of the
bio-filter and/or anywhere in the pond where good water flow and current
occur. Sunlight and water flow are curcial elements in the decomposition
process. Make sure you use both elements in choosing the location for
your bag(s) to be placed.

When properly applied, naturally occurring microorganisms decompose the
lignins in the barley, releasing humic substances (dissolved organic
carbon) in the water. In the presence of sunlight and oxygen, these
compounds are converted into low levels of hydrogen peroxide. The
hydrogen peroxide is the component that modifies the pond chemistry to
improve pond clarity. Hydrogen peroxide itself is relatively unstable
and does not persist in water, but the slow release effect from the
barley straw provides a constant source of hydrogen peroxide. The
effects from barley straw will begin as early as one to two weeks after
installation, and will remain effective for between four and six months.

I will give that a try. Thanks! Will let you know if things improve.
W. Dale

Stephen M. Henning wrote:

"news.pcisys.net" wrote:


I still have a 3/4 a bail of straw ("they" said it was barley straw)
from last year. Did not do much for the water, or so it would seem.
Maybe I had it placed improperly. From what I am reading now, it should
not be submerged all the way to the bottom and probably not place in
the bio filter either.
Maybe I will give it another try placed near the top of the water.


It needs to be at the surface. Place straw in return portion of the
bio-filter and/or anywhere in the pond where good water flow and current
occur. Sunlight and water flow are curcial elements in the decomposition
process. Make sure you use both elements in choosing the location for
your bag(s) to be placed.

When properly applied, naturally occurring microorganisms decompose the
lignins in the barley, releasing humic substances (dissolved organic
carbon) in the water. In the presence of sunlight and oxygen, these
compounds are converted into low levels of hydrogen peroxide. The
hydrogen peroxide is the component that modifies the pond chemistry to
improve pond clarity. Hydrogen peroxide itself is relatively unstable
and does not persist in water, but the slow release effect from the
barley straw provides a constant source of hydrogen peroxide. The
effects from barley straw will begin as early as one to two weeks after
installation, and will remain effective for between four and six months.

I have a big stock tank, too. Something like 3' x 4'. Not sure how many
gallons. But my pond is only 1300 gallons (roughly 13' x 8'). Your pond
sounds huge, should look nice when it's all done. My media is a bunch
of cut up drinking straws. Odd thing is the straws got pushed to the
side so the water basically goes around the media. But it works! I
think I just have a vegie filter without the vegies. Or it's just a
green muck filter. I might just turn it into a vegie filter so let me
know how yours works.

The comment by your neighbors that you have plenty of filtration is
probably true for reducing ammonia but probably not for reducing pea
soup. I'm thinking your vegie filter will work fine. Unfortunately
you're starting late in the season and it might not start working until
it gets cold.

Weather up this way? If I could catch all the rain water I wouldn't
have to top my pond off for a year. It dumped up here. So my pond is
full but the water lillies still look ripped up from the hail. And it's
still dumping. And I'm going camping this weekend.

Matt


news.pcisys.net wrote:
1 100 gallon stock tank (Rubber maid) and 2 70 gallon stock tanks. These
are my bio/mechanical filters. Filter media: black floor scrubber pads
(cut up) and white floor scrubber pads. Two Silent giant 4300 pumps.
Last weekend I built a veggie filter; 24' X 1.9' X 18" deep. I am
waiting for the liner to come in. I should have it up and running by
this weekend. Pond is in full sun most of the day.
In the bio filters, I have just stuck some arrow head and mint in just
to see what would happen. I looks like the mint and arrowhead are
living, putting down roots and my live. This morning I noticed I could
see a few inches deeper in the pond. Maybe the clouds and cooler temps
down here have helped. Any suggestions? I have been assured by my
neighbors (both ponders) that I have "plenty of filtration" for my size
pond (19' X 21' X 4.5' Irregular shaped)
We just go a quick huge storm here in the Springs. Any weather up your
way?
W. Dale

Morning, Matt!
Have a great time camping! I hear the weather should be beautiful! I
also see that we got some snow on the Peak last night.
Yeah, I agree that I am starting late. At least it will be ready to go
next season and I might have some clear water most of the 2005 season.
And my plants are shredded too! They look more like doilies! LOL. I
will be pruning today as some of the lilies have nice new leaves up
already. One looks to be at least 9 inches across. I will measure and
let you know.
I will keep you posted on the filter. If we get some warm weather, it
might kick in sooner than I expect. That would be nice for the last few
weeks of the season. Might even try covering the pond this winter.
Just a thought.
Take care and be safe!
W. Dale

MattR wrote:
I have a big stock tank, too. Something like 3' x 4'. Not sure how many
gallons. But my pond is only 1300 gallons (roughly 13' x 8'). Your pond
sounds huge, should look nice when it's all done. My media is a bunch
of cut up drinking straws. Odd thing is the straws got pushed to the
side so the water basically goes around the media. But it works! I
think I just have a vegie filter without the vegies. Or it's just a
green muck filter. I might just turn it into a vegie filter so let me
know how yours works.

The comment by your neighbors that you have plenty of filtration is
probably true for reducing ammonia but probably not for reducing pea
soup. I'm thinking your vegie filter will work fine. Unfortunately
you're starting late in the season and it might not start working until
it gets cold.

Weather up this way? If I could catch all the rain water I wouldn't
have to top my pond off for a year. It dumped up here. So my pond is
full but the water lillies still look ripped up from the hail. And it's
still dumping. And I'm going camping this weekend.

Matt


news.pcisys.net wrote:

1 100 gallon stock tank (Rubber maid) and 2 70 gallon stock tanks.
These are my bio/mechanical filters. Filter media: black floor
scrubber pads (cut up) and white floor scrubber pads. Two Silent
giant 4300 pumps. Last weekend I built a veggie filter; 24' X 1.9' X
18" deep. I am waiting for the liner to come in. I should have it up
and running by this weekend. Pond is in full sun most of the day.
In the bio filters, I have just stuck some arrow head and mint in just
to see what would happen. I looks like the mint and arrowhead are
living, putting down roots and my live. This morning I noticed I
could see a few inches deeper in the pond. Maybe the clouds and
cooler temps down here have helped. Any suggestions? I have been
assured by my neighbors (both ponders) that I have "plenty of
filtration" for my size pond (19' X 21' X 4.5' Irregular shaped)
We just go a quick huge storm here in the Springs. Any weather up
your way?
W. Dale

Morning, Matt!
Have a great time camping! I hear the weather should be beautiful! I
also see that we got some snow on the Peak last night.
Yeah, I agree that I am starting late. At least it will be ready to go
next season and I might have some clear water most of the 2005 season.
And my plants are shredded too! They look more like doilies! LOL. I
will be pruning today as some of the lilies have nice new leaves up
already. One looks to be at least 9 inches across. I will measure and
let you know.
I will keep you posted on the filter. If we get some warm weather, it
might kick in sooner than I expect. That would be nice for the last few
weeks of the season. Might even try covering the pond this winter.
Just a thought.
Take care and be safe!
W. Dale

MattR wrote:
I have a big stock tank, too. Something like 3' x 4'. Not sure how many
gallons. But my pond is only 1300 gallons (roughly 13' x 8'). Your pond
sounds huge, should look nice when it's all done. My media is a bunch
of cut up drinking straws. Odd thing is the straws got pushed to the
side so the water basically goes around the media. But it works! I
think I just have a vegie filter without the vegies. Or it's just a
green muck filter. I might just turn it into a vegie filter so let me
know how yours works.

The comment by your neighbors that you have plenty of filtration is
probably true for reducing ammonia but probably not for reducing pea
soup. I'm thinking your vegie filter will work fine. Unfortunately
you're starting late in the season and it might not start working until
it gets cold.

Weather up this way? If I could catch all the rain water I wouldn't
have to top my pond off for a year. It dumped up here. So my pond is
full but the water lillies still look ripped up from the hail. And it's
still dumping. And I'm going camping this weekend.

Matt


news.pcisys.net wrote:

1 100 gallon stock tank (Rubber maid) and 2 70 gallon stock tanks.
These are my bio/mechanical filters. Filter media: black floor
scrubber pads (cut up) and white floor scrubber pads. Two Silent
giant 4300 pumps. Last weekend I built a veggie filter; 24' X 1.9' X
18" deep. I am waiting for the liner to come in. I should have it up
and running by this weekend. Pond is in full sun most of the day.
In the bio filters, I have just stuck some arrow head and mint in just
to see what would happen. I looks like the mint and arrowhead are
living, putting down roots and my live. This morning I noticed I
could see a few inches deeper in the pond. Maybe the clouds and
cooler temps down here have helped. Any suggestions? I have been
assured by my neighbors (both ponders) that I have "plenty of
filtration" for my size pond (19' X 21' X 4.5' Irregular shaped)
We just go a quick huge storm here in the Springs. Any weather up
your way?
W. Dale

On Sat, 21 Aug 2004 07:16:07 -0600, lid wrote:

Have a great time camping! I hear the weather should be beautiful! I
also see that we got some snow on the Peak last night.

MattR wrote:
I have a big stock tank, too. Something like 3' x 4'. Not sure how many
gallons. But my pond is only 1300 gallons (roughly 13' x 8').

Weather up this way? If I could catch all the rain water I wouldn't
have to top my pond off for a year.

news.pcisys.net wrote:

1 100 gallon stock tank (Rubber maid) and 2 70 gallon stock tanks.
These are my bio/mechanical filters.

A: Because it messes up the order in which people normally read text.
Q: Why is top-posting such a bad thing?
A: Top-posting.
Q: What is the most annoying thing on usenet?
--
Crashj
--
Crashj