Well, this year DH decided it is time to clean the pond!
At 3,000 gallons a pond can be very forgiving
for a long time, it was crystal clear the day before
the big project...

We rented a large 'trash' pump.
It emptied the pond in about an hour and a half.
We (DH, moi and three kids on and off) had already
emptied and cleaned the filter, a 150 gallon stock tank.
Filled it back up with pond water and this is where the
fish were placed with bubblers and parrot's feather on
top to keep them from jumping out.
DH estimates about five wheel barrels (about half full)
of gunk came out of the pond and trundled over into the
compost area. All this gunk was removed with these flat
edged nets DH found at a sporting store and buckets.
DH and youngest football playing son did this.
Two *floating* thermometers were found in the muck.
Several rocks that originally held water lilies down
in the muck (went back to baskets this year).
The waterfall was weeded of grasses that I had brought
back as seeds from the lake my MIL lives on.
The fish overnighted in the filter and watched very closely
by moi, DH and the two watergardening labradors.
The pond is continuing to refill this morning. In addtion to
dechlor we are running the water over rocks and have a
fountian going.
So far, so good.

Moral of this cleaning. A skimmer would help and a bottom
drain. All stuff we should have put more consideration into
when we built the pond. Netting is hard with this setup and two labradors but
I promise to be better about skimming out leaves next fall!



k30a

k30a
Wow what a chore! My pond is 2000 to 2500 gal, about 4 years old and has
never been cleaned out, except for the occasional netting of pine cones and
twigs that blow in. Even at that, I'd be hard pressed to scrape out a cupful
of any 'muck'. I just don't have the stuff. Even though the pond is 4 years
old, the only stuff that is on the bottom is a layer of fuzzy algae and a
few rocks. I credit this all to my filter, which I clean once a year, a 1
hour job. Then I replace the filter media, give the whole thing a shot of
BZT and it's good to go for another year.
I LOVE my filter.
Paul

and the name of this miracle Filter is ................???

Nedra

http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Pines/4836
http://community.webshots.com/user/nedra118
"Paul in Redland" wrote in message
...
k30a
Wow what a chore! My pond is 2000 to 2500 gal, about 4 years old and has
never been cleaned out, except for the occasional netting of pine cones
and
twigs that blow in. Even at that, I'd be hard pressed to scrape out a
cupful
of any 'muck'. I just don't have the stuff. Even though the pond is 4
years
old, the only stuff that is on the bottom is a layer of fuzzy algae and a
few rocks. I credit this all to my filter, which I clean once a year, a 1
hour job. Then I replace the filter media, give the whole thing a shot of
BZT and it's good to go for another year.
I LOVE my filter.
Paul

Kathy, Your pond sounds Ideal! How long has it been
since you last cleaned it? I think I would be tempted to
continue as you have been doing and just schedule a
clean out whenever.

Nedra

http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Pines/4836
http://community.webshots.com/user/nedra118

"K30a" wrote in message
...

Well, this year DH decided it is time to clean the pond!
At 3,000 gallons a pond can be very forgiving
for a long time, it was crystal clear the day before
the big project...

We rented a large 'trash' pump.
It emptied the pond in about an hour and a half.
We (DH, moi and three kids on and off) had already
emptied and cleaned the filter, a 150 gallon stock tank.
Filled it back up with pond water and this is where the
fish were placed with bubblers and parrot's feather on
top to keep them from jumping out.
DH estimates about five wheel barrels (about half full)
of gunk came out of the pond and trundled over into the
compost area. All this gunk was removed with these flat
edged nets DH found at a sporting store and buckets.
DH and youngest football playing son did this.
Two *floating* thermometers were found in the muck.
Several rocks that originally held water lilies down
in the muck (went back to baskets this year).
The waterfall was weeded of grasses that I had brought
back as seeds from the lake my MIL lives on.
The fish overnighted in the filter and watched very closely
by moi, DH and the two watergardening labradors.
The pond is continuing to refill this morning. In addtion to
dechlor we are running the water over rocks and have a
fountian going.
So far, so good.

Moral of this cleaning. A skimmer would help and a bottom
drain. All stuff we should have put more consideration into
when we built the pond. Netting is hard with this setup and two labradors
but
I promise to be better about skimming out leaves next fall!



k30a

Gee, ugh, well, lets see. How about "Elmer". I never really thought about
naming my filter before!
Paul


"Nedra" wrote in message
rthlink.net...
and the name of this miracle Filter is ................???

Nedra

http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Pines/4836
http://community.webshots.com/user/nedra118
"Paul in Redland" wrote in message
...
k30a
Wow what a chore! My pond is 2000 to 2500 gal, about 4 years old and has
never been cleaned out, except for the occasional netting of pine cones
and
twigs that blow in. Even at that, I'd be hard pressed to scrape out a
cupful
of any 'muck'. I just don't have the stuff. Even though the pond is 4
years
old, the only stuff that is on the bottom is a layer of fuzzy algae and
a
few rocks. I credit this all to my filter, which I clean once a year, a
1
hour job. Then I replace the filter media, give the whole thing a shot
of
BZT and it's good to go for another year.
I LOVE my filter.
Paul

Nedra wrote How long has it been
since you last cleaned it?

That is a good question... we did
partial cleanings when we foolishly
thought we could get rid of the goldfish.
And then it got cleaned a bit when we
did the fish adoption last spring.
We've been using BZT (and whatever
it was before) and one year I had the
whole bottom planted with anacharis so I thought
that would work great!! But the fish ate all the
anacharis. Then I thought I'd get the lilies to
root in the bottom and they got kicked up in
the fish adoption.
May have been, at least, three years? Maybe more.
With the filter now back online the water ought to
be pretty clear tomorrow. Iris on the island should
be blooming soon!


k30a

Now this is what I'm talking about! You don't worry
about the muck on the bottom... iows - you guys aren't
clean-aholics and your fish do just fine.

My pond is strictly a koi pond... the stinkers
have uprooted every other living thing like Iris and such..
I keep all the plants in the veggie filter... but would like
a couple in the with the Koi. I've had these guys
and gals since 1994 so I guess there's no changing them...
sigh ....

Nedra.
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Pines/4836
http://community.webshots.com/user/nedra118

"K30a" wrote in message
...

Nedra wrote How long has it been
since you last cleaned it?

That is a good question... we did
partial cleanings when we foolishly
thought we could get rid of the goldfish.
And then it got cleaned a bit when we
did the fish adoption last spring.
We've been using BZT (and whatever
it was before) and one year I had the
whole bottom planted with anacharis so I thought
that would work great!! But the fish ate all the
anacharis. Then I thought I'd get the lilies to
root in the bottom and they got kicked up in
the fish adoption.
May have been, at least, three years? Maybe more.
With the filter now back online the water ought to
be pretty clear tomorrow. Iris on the island should
be blooming soon!


k30a

LMAO!!
Cathy

"Paul in Redland" wrote in message
...
Gee, ugh, well, lets see. How about "Elmer". I never really thought about
naming my filter before!
Paul


"Nedra" wrote in message
rthlink.net...
and the name of this miracle Filter is ................???

Nedra

http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Pines/4836
http://community.webshots.com/user/nedra118
"Paul in Redland" wrote in message
...
k30a
Wow what a chore! My pond is 2000 to 2500 gal, about 4 years old and
has
never been cleaned out, except for the occasional netting of pine
cones
and
twigs that blow in. Even at that, I'd be hard pressed to scrape out a
cupful
of any 'muck'. I just don't have the stuff. Even though the pond is 4
years
old, the only stuff that is on the bottom is a layer of fuzzy algae
and
a
few rocks. I credit this all to my filter, which I clean once a year,
a
1
hour job. Then I replace the filter media, give the whole thing a shot
of
BZT and it's good to go for another year.
I LOVE my filter.
Paul

I know Cathy!!! This is a scream trying to articulate what
the *L* I mean.

Nedra
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Pines/4836
http://community.webshots.com/user/nedra118

"Russ and Cathy" wrote in message
...
LMAO!!
Cathy

"Paul in Redland" wrote in message
...
Gee, ugh, well, lets see. How about "Elmer". I never really thought
about
naming my filter before!
Paul


"Nedra" wrote in message
rthlink.net...
and the name of this miracle Filter is ................???

Nedra

http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Pines/4836
http://community.webshots.com/user/nedra118
"Paul in Redland" wrote in message
...
k30a
Wow what a chore! My pond is 2000 to 2500 gal, about 4 years old and
has
never been cleaned out, except for the occasional netting of pine
cones
and
twigs that blow in. Even at that, I'd be hard pressed to scrape out
a
cupful
of any 'muck'. I just don't have the stuff. Even though the pond is
4
years
old, the only stuff that is on the bottom is a layer of fuzzy algae
and
a
few rocks. I credit this all to my filter, which I clean once a
year,
a
1
hour job. Then I replace the filter media, give the whole thing a
shot
of
BZT and it's good to go for another year.
I LOVE my filter.
Paul

Oh! Well, it's a DIY filter. Homemade from a 300 gallon Rubbermaid stock
tank and 2 rolls of polyester furnace filter.
Paul

"Nedra" wrote in message
rthlink.net...
LOL! You silly thing!!! I mean is it one you made yourself
or a brand name... like
Tetra? Or a Bead Filter? You know, the name that
is one it???

Nedra
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Pines/4836
http://community.webshots.com/user/nedra118

"Paul in Redland" wrote in message
...
Gee, ugh, well, lets see. How about "Elmer". I never really thought
about
naming my filter before!
Paul


"Nedra" wrote in message
rthlink.net...
and the name of this miracle Filter is ................???

Nedra

http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Pines/4836
http://community.webshots.com/user/nedra118
"Paul in Redland" wrote in message
...
k30a
Wow what a chore! My pond is 2000 to 2500 gal, about 4 years old and
has
never been cleaned out, except for the occasional netting of pine
cones
and
twigs that blow in. Even at that, I'd be hard pressed to scrape out
a
cupful
of any 'muck'. I just don't have the stuff. Even though the pond is
4
years
old, the only stuff that is on the bottom is a layer of fuzzy algae
and
a
few rocks. I credit this all to my filter, which I clean once a
year,
a
1
hour job. Then I replace the filter media, give the whole thing a
shot
of
BZT and it's good to go for another year.
I LOVE my filter.
Paul

Thanks for the info, Paul!! What I thought ... a terrific one
you built .....

Nedra
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Pines/4836
http://community.webshots.com/user/nedra118

"Paul in Redland" wrote in message
...
Oh! Well, it's a DIY filter. Homemade from a 300 gallon Rubbermaid stock
tank and 2 rolls of polyester furnace filter.
Paul

"Nedra" wrote in message
rthlink.net...
LOL! You silly thing!!! I mean is it one you made yourself
or a brand name... like
Tetra? Or a Bead Filter? You know, the name that
is one it???

Nedra
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Pines/4836
http://community.webshots.com/user/nedra118

"Paul in Redland" wrote in message
...
Gee, ugh, well, lets see. How about "Elmer". I never really thought
about
naming my filter before!
Paul


"Nedra" wrote in message
rthlink.net...
and the name of this miracle Filter is ................???

Nedra

http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Pines/4836
http://community.webshots.com/user/nedra118
"Paul in Redland" wrote in message
...
k30a
Wow what a chore! My pond is 2000 to 2500 gal, about 4 years old
and
has
never been cleaned out, except for the occasional netting of pine
cones
and
twigs that blow in. Even at that, I'd be hard pressed to scrape
out
a
cupful
of any 'muck'. I just don't have the stuff. Even though the pond
is
4
years
old, the only stuff that is on the bottom is a layer of fuzzy
algae
and
a
few rocks. I credit this all to my filter, which I clean once a
year,
a
1
hour job. Then I replace the filter media, give the whole thing a
shot
of
BZT and it's good to go for another year.
I LOVE my filter.
Paul