dirt in pond

[Nicola B]

Question - and sorry for sounding clueless. That's because when it comes to
fish, I am.
However - I am wondering whether dirt that has escaped from my potted
aqautic plants onto the sand floor of the pond, can be harmful to the fish,
and can it raise nitrite levels? I don't have a clue how the dirt got out,
the fish must have done it somehow. Originally I potted the plants in
potting mix and then covered the top with 1/2 inch of sand before immersing.
Now there seem to be bits of dirt everywhere.

Thanks all
Nicola

[[email protected]]

why is there a sand floor to the pond? aquatic plants are generally potted into
clean soil, pesticide free and usually has some fish friendly fertilizer. Is that
what you used to repot? if you put some of that dirt into water does some of it
float? check your water parameters and dont worry.
yes, of course the fish are rooting around in the dirt. that is what they do for
food. I use big hand sized flat rocks on my water lilies and then large pea gravel.
they usually leave that alone (my koi). Ingrid

"Nicola B" > wrote:

>Question - and sorry for sounding clueless. That's because when it comes to
>fish, I am.
>However - I am wondering whether dirt that has escaped from my potted
>aqautic plants onto the sand floor of the pond, can be harmful to the fish,
>and can it raise nitrite levels? I don't have a clue how the dirt got out,
>the fish must have done it somehow. Originally I potted the plants in
>potting mix and then covered the top with 1/2 inch of sand before immersing.
>Now there seem to be bits of dirt everywhere.
>
>Thanks all
>Nicola
>



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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.

[Nicola B]

I was told by the people who sold me the aquatic plants, that there should
be river sand at the bottom of the tub/pond. They also told me regular
potting mix would be fine to pot the plants in. I read elsewhere to top the
soil with sand to stop the soil getting into the water which is why I did
that. So, I have about an inch of sand on the floor of the pond. Then the 3
little pots with plants in them - soil for the roots and topped with sand.

Clueless again - what do you mean by checking the water parameters? I know
my nitrite levels are too high, 1.0, so I am doing frequent water changes at
the moment. I also bought some new oxygenating plants today and planted them
straight in the sand floor - man at pet shop said that would be fine -
because I discovered the fish had eaten *all* the ones I had originally put
in there, in pots.

So do you recommend I put rocks on top of the plants' sand layer? I can do
that, if you say so! You seem to be the lists' resident helpful expert
Ingrid :)

Thanks
Nicola

> wrote in message
...
> why is there a sand floor to the pond? aquatic plants are generally
potted into
> clean soil, pesticide free and usually has some fish friendly fertilizer.
Is that
> what you used to repot? if you put some of that dirt into water does some
of it
> float? check your water parameters and dont worry.
> yes, of course the fish are rooting around in the dirt. that is what they
do for
> food. I use big hand sized flat rocks on my water lilies and then large
pea gravel.
> they usually leave that alone (my koi). Ingrid
>
> "Nicola B" > wrote:
>
> >Question - and sorry for sounding clueless. That's because when it comes
to
> >fish, I am.
> >However - I am wondering whether dirt that has escaped from my potted
> >aqautic plants onto the sand floor of the pond, can be harmful to the
fish,
> >and can it raise nitrite levels? I don't have a clue how the dirt got
out,
> >the fish must have done it somehow. Originally I potted the plants in
> >potting mix and then covered the top with 1/2 inch of sand before
immersing.
> >Now there seem to be bits of dirt everywhere.
> >
> >Thanks all
> >Nicola
> >
>
>
>
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> 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.

[Donald K]

Nicola B wrote:

> So do you recommend I put rocks on top of the plants' sand layer?

Two good sites...

http://www.vnwg.com/index.jsp
http://watergarden.com/tub/index.html

-D
--
"A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy
enough people to make it worth the effort." -Herm Albright

[[email protected]]

how big is this tub pond? yeah, gravel will stop most GF from flinging the sand
around while they look for food. But get large gravel so it doesnt get stuck in
their mouth. that is why I got the large flat stones.
do you have any other kind of filter in there? what about aeration?
you may want to post to rec.ponds .... place is loaded with pond experts. Ingrid

"Nicola B" > wrote:
>I was told by the people who sold me the aquatic plants, that there should
>be river sand at the bottom of the tub/pond. They also told me regular
>potting mix would be fine to pot the plants in. I read elsewhere to top the
>soil with sand to stop the soil getting into the water which is why I did
>that. So, I have about an inch of sand on the floor of the pond. Then the 3
>little pots with plants in them - soil for the roots and topped with sand.
>
>Clueless again - what do you mean by checking the water parameters? I know
>my nitrite levels are too high, 1.0, so I am doing frequent water changes at
>the moment. I also bought some new oxygenating plants today and planted them
>straight in the sand floor - man at pet shop said that would be fine -
>because I discovered the fish had eaten *all* the ones I had originally put
>in there, in pots.
>
>So do you recommend I put rocks on top of the plants' sand layer? I can do
>that, if you say so! You seem to be the lists' resident helpful expert
>Ingrid :)
>
>Thanks
>Nicola


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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.

[Tom La Bron]

Nicola,

On top of the soil that I plant my lilies in I use pea gravel to keep the
fish from pulling out the dirt. The other thing that you have to remember
that contributes to the dirt accumulation is the dirt in the rain and the
dirt in the air and settles in the pond. The bottoms of my ponds are white
and sometimes I have no lilies potted in a pond and the bottom still gets a
layer of dirt on it. It is in the air and ends up in your pond especially
during times when the wind is blowing things around.

HTH

Tom L.L.
----------------------------
"Nicola B" > wrote in message
...
> I was told by the people who sold me the aquatic plants, that there should
> be river sand at the bottom of the tub/pond. They also told me regular
> potting mix would be fine to pot the plants in. I read elsewhere to top
the
> soil with sand to stop the soil getting into the water which is why I did
> that. So, I have about an inch of sand on the floor of the pond. Then the
3
> little pots with plants in them - soil for the roots and topped with sand.
>
> Clueless again - what do you mean by checking the water parameters? I know
> my nitrite levels are too high, 1.0, so I am doing frequent water changes
at
> the moment. I also bought some new oxygenating plants today and planted
them
> straight in the sand floor - man at pet shop said that would be fine -
> because I discovered the fish had eaten *all* the ones I had originally
put
> in there, in pots.
>
> So do you recommend I put rocks on top of the plants' sand layer? I can do
> that, if you say so! You seem to be the lists' resident helpful expert
> Ingrid :)
>
> Thanks
> Nicola
>
> > wrote in message
> ...
> > why is there a sand floor to the pond? aquatic plants are generally
> potted into
> > clean soil, pesticide free and usually has some fish friendly
fertilizer.
> Is that
> > what you used to repot? if you put some of that dirt into water does
some
> of it
> > float? check your water parameters and dont worry.
> > yes, of course the fish are rooting around in the dirt. that is what
they
> do for
> > food. I use big hand sized flat rocks on my water lilies and then large
> pea gravel.
> > they usually leave that alone (my koi). Ingrid
> >
> > "Nicola B" > wrote:
> >
> > >Question - and sorry for sounding clueless. That's because when it
comes
> to
> > >fish, I am.
> > >However - I am wondering whether dirt that has escaped from my potted
> > >aqautic plants onto the sand floor of the pond, can be harmful to the
> fish,
> > >and can it raise nitrite levels? I don't have a clue how the dirt got
> out,
> > >the fish must have done it somehow. Originally I potted the plants in
> > >potting mix and then covered the top with 1/2 inch of sand before
> immersing.
> > >Now there seem to be bits of dirt everywhere.
> > >
> > >Thanks all
> > >Nicola
> > >
> >
> >
> >
> > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> > 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.
>
>

[Dark Phoenix]

"Nicola B" > wrote in message
...
> I was told by the people who sold me the aquatic plants, that there should
> be river sand at the bottom of the tub/pond. They also told me regular
> potting mix would be fine to pot the plants in. I read elsewhere to top
the
> soil with sand to stop the soil getting into the water which is why I did
> that. So, I have about an inch of sand on the floor of the pond. Then the
3
> little pots with plants in them - soil for the roots and topped with sand.
> Nicola

Regular potting soil? I would have thought it was too light weight for pond
use. Usually one uses regular garden dirt as it floats less, and a *little*
harder for the fish to dig up. ]

--
Laurie, Dark Phoenix

Here I am! Now, what were your other two wishes?

[Nicola B]

ok thanks Tom, that helps. - but what I'm not sure about is, does all that
dirt bother the fish? does it raise the level of nitrates or nitrites?


"Tom La Bron" > wrote in message
...
> Nicola,
>
> On top of the soil that I plant my lilies in I use pea gravel to keep the
> fish from pulling out the dirt. The other thing that you have to remember
> that contributes to the dirt accumulation is the dirt in the rain and the
> dirt in the air and settles in the pond. The bottoms of my ponds are
white
> and sometimes I have no lilies potted in a pond and the bottom still gets
a
> layer of dirt on it. It is in the air and ends up in your pond especially
> during times when the wind is blowing things around.
>
> HTH
>
> Tom L.L.
> ----------------------------
> "Nicola B" > wrote in message
> ...
> > I was told by the people who sold me the aquatic plants, that there
should
> > be river sand at the bottom of the tub/pond. They also told me regular
> > potting mix would be fine to pot the plants in. I read elsewhere to top
> the
> > soil with sand to stop the soil getting into the water which is why I
did
> > that. So, I have about an inch of sand on the floor of the pond. Then
the
> 3
> > little pots with plants in them - soil for the roots and topped with
sand.
> >
> > Clueless again - what do you mean by checking the water parameters? I
know
> > my nitrite levels are too high, 1.0, so I am doing frequent water
changes
> at
> > the moment. I also bought some new oxygenating plants today and planted
> them
> > straight in the sand floor - man at pet shop said that would be fine -
> > because I discovered the fish had eaten *all* the ones I had originally
> put
> > in there, in pots.
> >
> > So do you recommend I put rocks on top of the plants' sand layer? I can
do
> > that, if you say so! You seem to be the lists' resident helpful expert
> > Ingrid :)
> >
> > Thanks
> > Nicola
> >
> > > wrote in message
> > ...
> > > why is there a sand floor to the pond? aquatic plants are generally
> > potted into
> > > clean soil, pesticide free and usually has some fish friendly
> fertilizer.
> > Is that
> > > what you used to repot? if you put some of that dirt into water does
> some
> > of it
> > > float? check your water parameters and dont worry.
> > > yes, of course the fish are rooting around in the dirt. that is what
> they
> > do for
> > > food. I use big hand sized flat rocks on my water lilies and then
large
> > pea gravel.
> > > they usually leave that alone (my koi). Ingrid
> > >
> > > "Nicola B" > wrote:
> > >
> > > >Question - and sorry for sounding clueless. That's because when it
> comes
> > to
> > > >fish, I am.
> > > >However - I am wondering whether dirt that has escaped from my potted
> > > >aqautic plants onto the sand floor of the pond, can be harmful to the
> > fish,
> > > >and can it raise nitrite levels? I don't have a clue how the dirt got
> > out,
> > > >the fish must have done it somehow. Originally I potted the plants in
> > > >potting mix and then covered the top with 1/2 inch of sand before
> > immersing.
> > > >Now there seem to be bits of dirt everywhere.
> > > >
> > > >Thanks all
> > > >Nicola
> > > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> > > 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.
> >
> >
>
>

[Charles]

Some potting mixes have fertilizer in them when they are sold.

That could raise the nitrate level, also ammonia, depending on what
they used.

I use regular dirt to plant my water plants.

On Fri, 27 Feb 2004 18:30:43 +1100, "Nicola B"
> wrote:

>ok thanks Tom, that helps. - but what I'm not sure about is, does all that
>dirt bother the fish? does it raise the level of nitrates or nitrites?
>
>
>"Tom La Bron" > wrote in message
...
>> Nicola,
>>
>> On top of the soil that I plant my lilies in I use pea gravel to keep the
>> fish from pulling out the dirt. The other thing that you have to remember
>> that contributes to the dirt accumulation is the dirt in the rain and the
>> dirt in the air and settles in the pond. The bottoms of my ponds are
>white
>> and sometimes I have no lilies potted in a pond and the bottom still gets
>a
>> layer of dirt on it. It is in the air and ends up in your pond especially
>> during times when the wind is blowing things around.
>>
>> HTH
>>
>> Tom L.L.
>> ----------------------------
>> "Nicola B" > wrote in message
>> ...
>> > I was told by the people who sold me the aquatic plants, that there
>should
>> > be river sand at the bottom of the tub/pond. They also told me regular
>> > potting mix would be fine to pot the plants in. I read elsewhere to top
>> the
>> > soil with sand to stop the soil getting into the water which is why I
>did
>> > that. So, I have about an inch of sand on the floor of the pond. Then
>the
>> 3
>> > little pots with plants in them - soil for the roots and topped with
>sand.
>> >
>> > Clueless again - what do you mean by checking the water parameters? I
>know
>> > my nitrite levels are too high, 1.0, so I am doing frequent water
>changes
>> at
>> > the moment. I also bought some new oxygenating plants today and planted
>> them
>> > straight in the sand floor - man at pet shop said that would be fine -
>> > because I discovered the fish had eaten *all* the ones I had originally
>> put
>> > in there, in pots.
>> >
>> > So do you recommend I put rocks on top of the plants' sand layer? I can
>do
>> > that, if you say so! You seem to be the lists' resident helpful expert
>> > Ingrid :)
>> >
>> > Thanks
>> > Nicola
>> >
>> > > wrote in message
>> > ...
>> > > why is there a sand floor to the pond? aquatic plants are generally
>> > potted into
>> > > clean soil, pesticide free and usually has some fish friendly
>> fertilizer.
>> > Is that
>> > > what you used to repot? if you put some of that dirt into water does
>> some
>> > of it
>> > > float? check your water parameters and dont worry.
>> > > yes, of course the fish are rooting around in the dirt. that is what
>> they
>> > do for
>> > > food. I use big hand sized flat rocks on my water lilies and then
>large
>> > pea gravel.
>> > > they usually leave that alone (my koi). Ingrid
>> > >
>> > > "Nicola B" > wrote:
>> > >
>> > > >Question - and sorry for sounding clueless. That's because when it
>> comes
>> > to
>> > > >fish, I am.
>> > > >However - I am wondering whether dirt that has escaped from my potted
>> > > >aqautic plants onto the sand floor of the pond, can be harmful to the
>> > fish,
>> > > >and can it raise nitrite levels? I don't have a clue how the dirt got
>> > out,
>> > > >the fish must have done it somehow. Originally I potted the plants in
>> > > >potting mix and then covered the top with 1/2 inch of sand before
>> > immersing.
>> > > >Now there seem to be bits of dirt everywhere.
>> > > >
>> > > >Thanks all
>> > > >Nicola
>> > > >
>> > >
>> > >
>> > >
>> > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>> > > 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.
>> >
>> >
>>
>>
>

--

- Charles
-
-does not play well with others

[[email protected]]

my friend the Pond Lady uses "good garden loam". it is not bagged dirt. no
additives. she fills the pot and then lets it sit in water until it is completely
soft and just push the plant down into the "mud". she plants thousands of water
lilies and other plants every year this way. Ingrid

"Dark Phoenix" > wrote:

>
>"Nicola B" > wrote in message
...
>> I was told by the people who sold me the aquatic plants, that there should
>> be river sand at the bottom of the tub/pond. They also told me regular
>> potting mix would be fine to pot the plants in. I read elsewhere to top
>the
>> soil with sand to stop the soil getting into the water which is why I did
>> that. So, I have about an inch of sand on the floor of the pond. Then the
>3
>> little pots with plants in them - soil for the roots and topped with sand.
>> Nicola
>
>Regular potting soil? I would have thought it was too light weight for pond
>use. Usually one uses regular garden dirt as it floats less, and a *little*
>harder for the fish to dig up. ]



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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.

[Tom La Bron]

Nicola,

Some potting soils do have fertilizers in them, I have used them before
myself when I was first starting out. They are really too light, so I added
clay to them from my yard. I live in Oklahoma and that is what most of my
soil is, clay.

When I repot my lilies I save the potting mix and use it over and over. I
put fertilizer tabs into the potting mix below the root system and fertilize
the plants every month.

The dirt it self doesn't bother the fish it just becomes part of their
environment. The nitrate levels are not affected by the dirt and the dirt
does not affect the nitrate levels.

HTH

Tom L.L.

==========================
"Nicola B" > wrote in message
...

> ok thanks Tom, that helps. - but what I'm not sure about is, does all that
> dirt bother the fish? does it raise the level of nitrates or nitrites?
>

[Nicola B]

Ok Tom that's really helpful. Thanks for telling me that about the nitrates,
I can relax now!

"Tom La Bron" > wrote in message
...
> Nicola,
>
> Some potting soils do have fertilizers in them, I have used them before
> myself when I was first starting out. They are really too light, so I
added
> clay to them from my yard. I live in Oklahoma and that is what most of my
> soil is, clay.
>
> When I repot my lilies I save the potting mix and use it over and over. I
> put fertilizer tabs into the potting mix below the root system and
fertilize
> the plants every month.
>
> The dirt it self doesn't bother the fish it just becomes part of their
> environment. The nitrate levels are not affected by the dirt and the
dirt
> does not affect the nitrate levels.
>
> HTH
>
> Tom L.L.
>
> ==========================
> "Nicola B" > wrote in message
> ...
>
> > ok thanks Tom, that helps. - but what I'm not sure about is, does all
that
> > dirt bother the fish? does it raise the level of nitrates or nitrites?
> >
>
>