"Derek Broughton" wrote in message
...
Benign Vanilla wrote:


"Derek Broughton" wrote in message
...
snip
A backyard pond, as such, will _never_ properly balance. It's too
small
to
be a full ecosystem, but it'll be as close as it's likely to get much
sooner than a year. And I guarantee you that as soon as you add the
first fish, you're starting over in the balancing game.
snip

I disagree with this as well. I use only a vegetable filter system. It
is
oversized to the pond it is servicing, so I have struck a balance
quickly,
and easily. I suffer from extended algae blooms in the spring because it
takes time for the veggy filter to catch up, but aside from that all
water
params are perfect. I add nothing to adjust anything, except for dechlor
when I add new water.

You just acknowledged that it's rocky in spring. In fact (as I expect K30
still reposts occasionally), any pond is just a space that's in the
process
of filling in and becoming a meadow. Unless you have a really odd pond,
you must clean out your veggie filter - pulling overgrown plants and
composting the excess. You divide your lilies, don't you? There's no
stability in a pond.

I was refering to water quality, so I guess we were on two different topics.

My fish spawn every year. We have numerous frog species, toads, turtle,
snakes, etc.
BV.

My point exactly :-) A pond is never in balance, but that certainly
doesn't
mean it's unhealthy - or that you need to do much to keep it healthy.

Ya see, I don't agree that news species showing up means the pond is out of
balance. I think the reason my pond is so healthy and attractive to the many
species in there, is that it is well balanced.

BV.