Barrel pond gone stagnant

I recently purchased half an old barrel to create a pond. The barrel is
about 90cm in diameter. I originally stocked it with a few plants, some
oxygenating plants and added a small fountain.

However, within a few weeks the water started to smell. I also noticed
a number of small grubs in the water - some of which have grown to the
size of maggots. The water also has the oily surface that you get on
stagnant water.

I have drained the barrel and started all over again!

Does anyone know what I might have done wrong and how to avoid this
next time round? Also, are the plants OK to use again? Their soil seems
to contain a lot of the white grubs.

Thanks.
Colin E.

"Colin Eberhardt" wrote in message
oups.com...
I recently purchased half an old barrel to create a pond. The barrel is
about 90cm in diameter. I originally stocked it with a few plants, some
oxygenating plants and added a small fountain.

However, within a few weeks the water started to smell. I also noticed
a number of small grubs in the water - some of which have grown to the
size of maggots. The water also has the oily surface that you get on
stagnant water.

I have drained the barrel and started all over again!

Does anyone know what I might have done wrong and how to avoid this
next time round? Also, are the plants OK to use again? Their soil seems
to contain a lot of the white grubs.

Thanks.
Colin E.


Have you used garden soil in the pond? If so, get rid of it and change the
water again. Don't use garden soil in the pond

You can use pond soil if you want, purchased from an aquatic supplies
company, but I plant my water plants roots in small pebbles and don't use
any kind of soil. Pond soil is good though

Also, consider placing a small filter on the pump inlet, and leave the pump
running constantly

Pete

pedro the jackass wronte nothing but unadulterated bull****. Must be a
graduate of the Koi Lo school of assholes. What the **** is pond soil
dumbas care to fill us all in on this so called miracle sopil that is
onoly for pond use, and does a natural pond comprise of pond soil now
pr back when it was made it was only garden soil huh? Your a freaking
dumb dumb dumbass Pete......really ****ing dumb!


Oh and pete, lets clarify somethng ok..your a ****ing dumbass


On Tue, 27 Jun 2006 15:55:03 GMT, "Pete"
wrote:


"Colin Eberhardt" wrote in message
roups.com...
I recently purchased half an old barrel to create a pond. The barrel is
about 90cm in diameter. I originally stocked it with a few plants, some
oxygenating plants and added a small fountain.

However, within a few weeks the water started to smell. I also noticed
a number of small grubs in the water - some of which have grown to the
size of maggots. The water also has the oily surface that you get on
stagnant water.

I have drained the barrel and started all over again!

Does anyone know what I might have done wrong and how to avoid this
next time round? Also, are the plants OK to use again? Their soil seems
to contain a lot of the white grubs.

Thanks.
Colin E.


Have you used garden soil in the pond? If so, get rid of it and change the
water again. Don't use garden soil in the pond

You can use pond soil if you want, purchased from an aquatic supplies
company, but I plant my water plants roots in small pebbles and don't use
any kind of soil. Pond soil is good though

Also, consider placing a small filter on the pump inlet, and leave the pump
running constantly

Pete


You can reach -Ed Alston at

--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

On Tue, 27 Jun 2006 11:05:24 -0500,Everyone's Favorite Koi'Lo-aka-RoyHauer
of harmoneously whined in the
key of F:

pedro the jackass wronte nothing but unadulterated bull****. Must be a
graduate of the Koi Lo school of assholes. What the **** is pond soil
dumbas care to fill us all in on this so called miracle sopil that is
onoly for pond use, and does a natural pond comprise of pond soil now
pr back when it was made it was only garden soil huh? Your a freaking
dumb dumb dumbass Pete......really ****ing dumb!


Oh and pete, lets clarify somethng ok..your a ****ing dumbass


On Tue, 27 Jun 2006 15:55:03 GMT, "Pete"
wrote:


"Colin Eberhardt" wrote in message
oups.com...
I recently purchased half an old barrel to create a pond. The barrel is
about 90cm in diameter. I originally stocked it with a few plants, some
oxygenating plants and added a small fountain.

However, within a few weeks the water started to smell. I also noticed
a number of small grubs in the water - some of which have grown to the
size of maggots. The water also has the oily surface that you get on
stagnant water.

I have drained the barrel and started all over again!

Does anyone know what I might have done wrong and how to avoid this
next time round? Also, are the plants OK to use again? Their soil seems
to contain a lot of the white grubs.

Thanks.
Colin E.


Have you used garden soil in the pond? If so, get rid of it and change
the
water again. Don't use garden soil in the pond

You can use pond soil if you want, purchased from an aquatic supplies
company, but I plant my water plants roots in small pebbles and don't
use
any kind of soil. Pond soil is good though

Also, consider placing a small filter on the pump inlet, and leave the
pump
running constantly

Pete


You can reach me at or

--Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

hmmmmmm, sounds like carol gulley aka Koi-Lo is washing her ass in
your water feature. Probably wrecked everyting, melted the -ump
decayed the wood, and nuked the plants. The 'grubs" are offspring of
Koi Lo's she leaves them allover the place.


On 27 Jun 2006 08:45:33 -0700, "Colin Eberhardt"
wrote:

I recently purchased half an old barrel to create a pond. The barrel is
about 90cm in diameter. I originally stocked it with a few plants, some
oxygenating plants and added a small fountain.

However, within a few weeks the water started to smell. I also noticed
a number of small grubs in the water - some of which have grown to the
size of maggots. The water also has the oily surface that you get on
stagnant water.

I have drained the barrel and started all over again!

Does anyone know what I might have done wrong and how to avoid this
next time round? Also, are the plants OK to use again? Their soil seems
to contain a lot of the white grubs.

Thanks.
Colin E.

You can reach -Ed Alston at

--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

*Note: There are two "Koi-Lo's" on the pond and aquaria groups.*

"Colin Eberhardt" wrote in message
oups.com...
I recently purchased half an old barrel to create a pond. The barrel is
about 90cm in diameter. I originally stocked it with a few plants, some
oxygenating plants and added a small fountain.

However, within a few weeks the water started to smell. I also noticed
a number of small grubs in the water - some of which have grown to the
size of maggots. The water also has the oily surface that you get on
stagnant water.

The easiest remedy is to change the water. You may need to line the barrels
with a regular plastic barrel-liner or a rubber pond liner.

I have drained the barrel and started all over again!

That's what I would have done as well. But I would also LINE it with
something. ;-) You don't know what may be leaching into the water.

Does anyone know what I might have done wrong and how to avoid this
next time round? Also, are the plants OK to use again? Their soil seems
to contain a lot of the white grubs.

Repot them. I've never seen "grubs" in my 3 barrels, either in the water
or in the pots.
--
KL....
Frugal ponding since 1995.
Aquariums since 1952.
My Pond & Aquarium Pages:
http://tinyurl.com/9do58
*Note: There are two "Koi-Lo's" on the pond and aquaria groups.
~~~~ }((((* ~~~ }{{{{(ö ~~~~ }((((({*

On 27 Jun 2006 08:45:33 -0700, "Colin Eberhardt" wrote:

I recently purchased half an old barrel to create a pond. The barrel is
about 90cm in diameter. I originally stocked it with a few plants, some
oxygenating plants and added a small fountain.

However, within a few weeks the water started to smell. I also noticed
a number of small grubs in the water - some of which have grown to the
size of maggots. The water also has the oily surface that you get on
stagnant water.

Did the maggot look like this?
http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/course/ent5...ges/20_jpg.htm
If so, harmless, but still not pleasant to run into.

I have drained the barrel and started all over again!

Now what you need to do is add water movement or aeration with an air pump,
if you have power to it. If not, do a 25% water change once/week. The water
containers I don't have power to, either get hit by the sprinklers or have
drippers attached so the water fills and overflows, staying clear.

Also, are the plants OK to use again? Their soil seems
to contain a lot of the white grubs.

IMO, the grubs didn't come with the soil, a mature fly laid eggs and thus
they hatched. You can either add something that will eat them, mosquito
fish, tadpoles, or small goldfish or you can use a little bleach (2ppm
won't hurt plants and it will be gone in 24 hours, if not sooner as it
reacts to the organics in the tub).

Pete, I've always used garden soil w/my pond plants and never had a
problem. Do you sell aquatic soil by chance. ;-) ~ jan www.jjspond.us
-----------------
(Do you know where your water quality is?)

Also ponding troll free at:
http://groups.google.com/group/The-Freshwater-Aquarium

On Tue, 27 Jun 2006 15:57:35 -0700, ~ janj
wrote:

snip

I just olove how Jan has a ocme back 99% of the time. SHe has old Pete
read though.Pete probably does sell "pond soil" the dumbass that he
is thinks there is garden soil and pond soil.dumbass pete......I bet
he is a very guliable twit and a big sucker to boot! A typcal
scammers dream.........

Pete, I've always used garden soil w/my pond plants and never had a
problem. Do you sell aquatic soil by chance. ;-) ~ jan www.jjspond.us
-----------------
(Do you know where your water quality is?)

Hell Pete probably does not even know where his water is at, but I bet
he knows where his bag of pond soil is at! hahahahaha



You can reach -Ed Alston at

--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

Hi Janj

[..]

However, within a few weeks the water started to smell. I also noticed
a number of small grubs in the water - some of which have grown to the
size of maggots. The water also has the oily surface that you get on
stagnant water.

Did the maggot look like this?
http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/course/ent5...ges/20_jpg.htm
If so, harmless, but still not pleasant to run into.

Yep - that's the critter.

[...]

IMO, the grubs didn't come with the soil, a mature fly laid eggs and thus
they hatched. You can either add something that will eat them, mosquito
fish, tadpoles, or small goldfish or you can use a little bleach (2ppm
won't hurt plants and it will be gone in 24 hours, if not sooner as it
reacts to the organics in the tub).

Thanks for the tip - a few drops of bleach have sent them all floating
to the surface.

Regards,
Colin E.

Carol Gulley is gonna be ****ed off with you killing off her maggots
and grubs like that.
Hey colin do you ever get that feeling your a dumbass? Perhaps its
from the water you drink in your area.

On 29 Jun 2006 12:57:15 -0700, "Colin Eberhardt"
wrote:

Hi Janj

[..]

However, within a few weeks the water started to smell. I also noticed
a number of small grubs in the water - some of which have grown to the
size of maggots. The water also has the oily surface that you get on
stagnant water.

Did the maggot look like this?
http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/course/ent5...ges/20_jpg.htm
If so, harmless, but still not pleasant to run into.

Yep - that's the critter.

[...]

IMO, the grubs didn't come with the soil, a mature fly laid eggs and thus
they hatched. You can either add something that will eat them, mosquito
fish, tadpoles, or small goldfish or you can use a little bleach (2ppm
won't hurt plants and it will be gone in 24 hours, if not sooner as it
reacts to the organics in the tub).

Thanks for the tip - a few drops of bleach have sent them all floating
to the surface.

Regards,
Colin E.


--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com