Question about maintaining a non-filtered pond

[Emma]

I live in the UK and I'm new to this, so I hope
someone here can help me.

I have a garden pond which I've decided to try to maintain without
the filter. Basically, the filter is very old and was hardly
doing anything, and the fish have all been fine since I turned
it off.
Anyway, up one end of the pond, thick green slimey stuff has
settled on the surface. I know you're supposed to remove this
(but I don't know why), so I took some of it off, and I
found several young frogs in amongst it. Worried about disturbing
their development, I stopped taking the green slime off the
pond. I now seem to have loads of frogs, which is great, but...
My question is:
Will the green slime harm the fish? Why are we supposed to
remove it?

Sorry, this is probably very basic, but I hope someone will
be kind enough to answer. Thanks!


--
***Emma***
http://www.findmadeleine.com/

[A. Paul. Ing]

No the green slime will not harm fish, its algae........The problem if
yu do not have a filter and yu have a fish load that is too much for
the pond setup with quanity of water and plants etc is it can get
toxic with fish waste buildup. Lots of folks have ponds without
filters, and most do not get gin clear water, but they do plant the
pond pretty heavy so they can use the buildup of nutreints from the
fish waste. I have seen folks ponds with high end big bucks filters
look like like a cess pool and I have seen small bodies of water in
full sun without a filter look great. I would aerate the water somehow
though, but given enough shade, and aquatic plants and if the pond is
not overloaded it can thrive just fine without a filter...In that case
I would advise doiung a 25% at least water change weekly or bi monthly
of the ponds water so you do not get a buildup of toic junk from fish
waste. Too much waste from fish also adds to th growth of that green
slime (algae) which in of itself is not bad..its just unsightly to
most ponders who strive for gin clear waters......There is a water way
(actually like a moat) in Japan, that is loaded with
goldfish........no circulation of any kind, no filters, no pumps just
stagnant thick slimey green water in a circular ditch grossly
overlaoded wth goldfish. The fish were placed there by people loooking
to find a place to get rid of their pet fish over the
years........Folks dump popcorn, and allkinds of food into the water,
and those fish in that stagnant green water are the picture of
health......are they happy fish, heck I do not know, and no one else
really does either, but they spawn, they appear healthy and no humans
are intervening on the fishes account since they are doing just
fine......and Japanese people love goldies and koi......

Personally I would buy and use a filter or provide aeration and water
changes at a minimum...and provide shade if needed.

On 25 Jun 2007 13:21:11 -0700, Emma > wrote:

<<>>
<<>>I live in the UK and I'm new to this, so I hope
<<>>someone here can help me.
<<>>
<<>>I have a garden pond which I've decided to try to maintain without
<<>>the filter. Basically, the filter is very old and was hardly
<<>>doing anything, and the fish have all been fine since I turned
<<>>it off.
<<>>Anyway, up one end of the pond, thick green slimey stuff has
<<>>settled on the surface. I know you're supposed to remove this
<<>>(but I don't know why), so I took some of it off, and I
<<>>found several young frogs in amongst it. Worried about disturbing
<<>>their development, I stopped taking the green slime off the
<<>>pond. I now seem to have loads of frogs, which is great, but...
<<>>My question is:
<<>>Will the green slime harm the fish? Why are we supposed to
<<>>remove it?
<<>>
<<>>Sorry, this is probably very basic, but I hope someone will
<<>>be kind enough to answer. Thanks!

[Emma]

In article >, A. Paul. Ing says...
>
>
>No the green slime will not harm fish, its algae........The problem if
>yu do not have a filter and yu have a fish load that is too much for
>the pond setup with quanity of water and plants etc is it can get
>toxic with fish waste buildup. Lots of folks have ponds without
>filters, and most do not get gin clear water, but they do plant the
>pond pretty heavy so they can use the buildup of nutreints from the
>fish waste. I have seen folks ponds with high end big bucks filters
>look like like a cess pool and I have seen small bodies of water in
>full sun without a filter look great. I would aerate the water somehow
>though, but given enough shade, and aquatic plants and if the pond is
>not overloaded it can thrive just fine without a filter...In that case
>I would advise doiung a 25% at least water change weekly or bi monthly
>of the ponds water so you do not get a buildup of toic junk from fish
>waste. Too much waste from fish also adds to th growth of that green
>slime (algae) which in of itself is not bad..its just unsightly to
>most ponders who strive for gin clear waters......There is a water way
>(actually like a moat) in Japan, that is loaded with
>goldfish........no circulation of any kind, no filters, no pumps just
>stagnant thick slimey green water in a circular ditch grossly
>overlaoded wth goldfish. The fish were placed there by people loooking
>to find a place to get rid of their pet fish over the
>years........Folks dump popcorn, and allkinds of food into the water,
>and those fish in that stagnant green water are the picture of
>health......are they happy fish, heck I do not know, and no one else
>really does either, but they spawn, they appear healthy and no humans
>are intervening on the fishes account since they are doing just
>fine......and Japanese people love goldies and koi......
>
>Personally I would buy and use a filter or provide aeration and water
>changes at a minimum...and provide shade if needed.
>

Thank you so much for your very helpful reply.

I'm glad the algae won't harm the fish. I have lots
of plants in the pond (about 60% covered in plants), but
I'll have to think about aerating it though. I've got a
solar powered aerator in my other pond, and that seems
to work well.

The water way in Japan sounds very interesting.
Goldfish must be able to survive just about anything!

I have lots of goldfish, some sort of speckled fish, one
huge black fish and two huge grey-ish fish. So I'm
not very knowledgeable about fish! :-) I don't even know
what they are!


--
***Emma***
http://www.findmadeleine.com/

[Reel McKoi[_7_]]

"Emma" > wrote in message
...
>
> I have lots of goldfish, some sort of speckled fish, one
> huge black fish and two huge grey-ish fish. So I'm
> not very knowledgeable about fish! :-) I don't even know
> what they are!
=======================
If you Google pond fish, goldfish and koi you may spot the fish you have.
You will also find literally thousands of pages of information on ponds and
pond fish. :-)
--
RM....
Frugal ponding since 1995.
rec.ponder since late 1996.
My Pond & Aquarium Pages:
http://tinyurl.com/9do58
Zone 6. Middle TN USA
~~~~ }<((((*> ~~~ }<{{{{(ö>

[Emma]

In article >, Reel McKoi says...
>
>
>"Emma" > wrote in message
...
>>
>> I have lots of goldfish, some sort of speckled fish, one
>> huge black fish and two huge grey-ish fish. So I'm
>> not very knowledgeable about fish! :-) I don't even know
>> what they are!
>=======================
>If you Google pond fish, goldfish and koi you may spot the fish you have.
>You will also find literally thousands of pages of information on ponds and
>pond fish. :-)

Yes, good idea. Thank you.
I was being a bit lazy because I decided to come
straight here to ask the experts :-) Although
I see this group has been hijacked by people
who have no interest in ponds. That must be
very frustrating for the rest of you.


--
***Emma***
http://www.findmadeleine.com/

[A. Paul. Ing]

No actually the ones that really do know about ponds are still here
and giving answers. The ones that formed a new group only think they
know about ponds, and the trolls are just entertainment inbetween
questions. MOst of the trolls if not aLL ARE ACTUALLY SPONSORED BY THE
NEW MODERATED GROUP IN AN ATTEMPT TO DRIVE FOLKS AWAY FROM THIS GROUP
AND INTO THEIR CONTROLLED GROUP....opps sorry about the cap lock I fat
fingered on.


On 26 Jun 2007 01:11:08 -0700, Emma > wrote:

<<>>In article >, Reel McKoi says...
<<>>>
<<>>>
<<>>>"Emma" > wrote in message
...
<<>>>>
<<>>>> I have lots of goldfish, some sort of speckled fish, one
<<>>>> huge black fish and two huge grey-ish fish. So I'm
<<>>>> not very knowledgeable about fish! :-) I don't even know
<<>>>> what they are!
<<>>>=======================
<<>>>If you Google pond fish, goldfish and koi you may spot the fish you have.
<<>>>You will also find literally thousands of pages of information on ponds and
<<>>>pond fish. :-)
<<>>
<<>>Yes, good idea. Thank you.
<<>>I was being a bit lazy because I decided to come
<<>>straight here to ask the experts :-) Although
<<>>I see this group has been hijacked by people
<<>>who have no interest in ponds. That must be
<<>>very frustrating for the rest of you.