1/2 Barrel - gravel and plants question

wrote in message
oups.com...
Hi all, just started up a 1/2 barrel liner pond /w fountain pump after
reading the posts here, but have a few questions..

I did not put gravel at the bottom. Can you tell me what kind of
gravel is ideal? It is in a sunny location, I picked up 25 lbs of
aquarium gravel (epoxy coated or something like that), but I thought
was expensive. Can I get the small river pebbles from Lowes
landscaping section? It is alot cheaper more natural looking.\

## Yes, buy it at Lowe's or Home Depot. The pond and aquarium stores are a
real rip-off.

I got 3 plants: Anacharis, variegated Acorous, and sword plant, the
latter 2 have a small basket, Do I need soil or are they supposed to be
held in place by gravel?

## Just about all the pond plants do better planted in a good clay soil.
The anacharis can be left to float. It will root itself in a nearby pot.

the Anacharis have a metal ring on it. I
read the acrorous needs shallow planting and my liner is 16" deep.
What is a good way to install the plants higher?

## Anything you can fit in the barrel.

I saw some bareroot water lily in bags and instrutions calls for
gardening soil, I was wondering, You can put these with garden soil in
a basket and put in the pond? Wouldn't it make a mess? Do I get the
"aquatic soil" from the same section of the store?

## Use clean soil from your yard and a pot with holes in the bottom - or
line a large pond plant basket. Cover the soil with 1 to 2" of gravel. It
wont make a mess unless something knocks it over.

What kind of floating plants do you recommend beside dwarf water lily?
I have been to the gardening centers and have trouble finding floating
plants.

## Water lilies are rooted on the bottom. Just the leaves float. Water
lettuce and water hyacinth both float free in the water.

I am using tap water right now, bought a bottle of declorinator, but I
read the chlorine will disperes in a few days. Do I need to use this
or not?

## Not unless you plan to put fish in the barrel within a few days of
filling it.

Finally, when can I add a couple of gold fish?

## Don't add more than two. I replace the two I have in my barrels with
smaller fish each spring. Healthy well fed GF grow quickly.

Thanks in advance
--
McKoi.... the frugal ponder...
My Pond Page http://tinyurl.com/cuq5b
~~~ }((((o ~~~ }{{{{o ~~~ }(((((o

Thanks for the replies so far.

It sounds like I can get either the small river rock pebbles or the pea
gravel from the construction section. Which one is better? Is the
pebble smooth surface preferred or gravel rough surface? Anything
related to beneficial bateria here?

Still debating about the sunken pots vs lining the bottom of the barrel
with soil, how thick a layer of soil do I need? Can I use regular
nursery pots instead of the aquatic pots (more holes). It might be
easier to plant with the bottom soil layed out than having about a
gallon pot for each plant, right?

I am thinking of using a regular nursery pot up side down and cutting a
door out for the fish to hide in the shade and also use as a "plant
shelf".

I have trouble locating a dwarf water lily. Can I get a regular water
lily? Where do I look for these because aquarium stores don't sell
floating plants.

I have read about they don't like ripples, the pump valve adjustable
and I am running it for aeration, I could make it very gentle if
needed.

I am in Northern California do you think I can run it during the winter
here? It might get to 32F at the coldest point of the year, but with
the fountain pump I don't think it would freeze.

Thanks again

I think it helps to look at the specific nature
of each plant.
Lilies like to be down about 18 inches and can
be down further.
Marginals are plants that like to grow on the edges
of ponds, you see them in water depth varying from
damp to several inches deep.
Your barrel only has one depth. If you want to mimic
a pond in a barrel you have to prop up the marginals
so it is best to plant them in containers and rest
those containers on bricks or an overturned plant
basket.

Aquatic plants really put on a lot of growth over
the summer and where you are at, into the fall.
They are going to need to be divided. Having them
in containers makes that a lot easier job.

I have a ten ft by ten ft, shallow pond, the Frog
Bog. The plants have quickly filled the entire
bog up and are marching out into the grass.
If we want to keep the bog viable for frog breeding
in the spring we have to get in every fall and
rip plants out from the middle. It is A LOT of work.
The plants are in rock (big mistake) and it takes
teenage boy power to get them out of the bog.
I would not do that again.

The nice thing about the rampant growth of aquatic
plants is that you will have divides to start another
barrel pond or an inground pond if you want.

kathy :-) www.blogfromthebog.com
this week's entry - aquatic snails
Pond 101 page for new pond keepers ~
http://hometown.aol.com/ka30p/myhomepage/garden.html

wrote in message
oups.com...
Thanks for the replies so far.

It sounds like I can get either the small river rock pebbles or the pea
gravel from the construction section. Which one is better?

## I use all sizes for different things but I don't use them in my barrels.
Why? Because they get foul very fast and are hard to clean. I leave the
bottom bare.

Is the
pebble smooth surface preferred or gravel rough surface? Anything
related to beneficial bateria here?

## I read that bacteria more easily colonize a rough surface.

Still debating about the sunken pots vs lining the bottom of the barrel
with soil, how thick a layer of soil do I need? Can I use regular
nursery pots instead of the aquatic pots (more holes).

## The plants will do best if you lined the barrel with soil and planted
them in that. Any pot can be used just make sure there are HOLES in and
around the bottom.

It might be
easier to plant with the bottom soil layed out than having about a
gallon pot for each plant, right?

## Easier? No matter how you do it there is maintenance involved.

I am thinking of using a regular nursery pot up side down and cutting a
door out for the fish to hide in the shade and also use as a "plant
shelf".

## Yep! I've done that! :-)

I have trouble locating a dwarf water lily. Can I get a regular water
lily? Where do I look for these because aquarium stores don't sell
floating plants.

## Skip the water lily if you already have other plants already - and
something to move the water.

I have read about they don't like ripples, the pump valve adjustable
and I am running it for aeration, I could make it very gentle if
needed.

## But a normal water lily (non mini) can get over 6' across. I find they
don't do all that well in barrels as the leaves start to fall over the edge,
break, burn and turn brown. They need a lot of surface area to thrive.

I am in Northern California do you think I can run it during the winter
here? It might get to 32F at the coldest point of the year, but with
the fountain pump I don't think it would freeze.

## Make sure what you buy are HARDY. Avoid the tropicals as few (none?)
will survive 32F even for one night. None of mine ever did. Hold the water
lilies until you can dig a regular pond of at least 300 to 500 gallons. Or
you can sink a 150 $9.99 kiddy pool from Wal*Mart. Line it with a black
drop cloth, add 4 or 5" of soil and plant the lily right in the bottom. :-)

Thanks again

--
McKoi.... the frugal ponder...
EVERYONE: "Please check people's headers for forgeries
before flushing." NAMES ARE BEING FORGED.
My Pond Page http://tinyurl.com/cuq5b
~~~ }((((o ~~~ }{{{{o ~~~ }(((((o
http://www.hyphenologist.co.uk/killf..._troll_faq.htm

Hi, I did more reading on plants, I have decided my "pond" is too small
and I will just leave the bottom bare as you suggested, just plants in
small herb pots for now. And keep the gravel to a minimum

What do you think if I just anchor the plant with gravel in pots and
soil in the tank at all? I think a bit of soil might likely cause a
big mess in my barrel, with the fountain pump running and small volume
of water, etc.

I was thinking water lily because I havn't got a floating plant of any
kind yet (but will continue to look for stores with hyacinth)
The pond get 6 hours of sun now and I think it will be too warm for
fish at certain hours without shading the surface quite well. And I
really want fish, even though can only support a couple of them.

BTW, any bigger pond is out of the question right now until I make this
barrel rather attractive, before approval for in-ground project will be
granted.

Next I have been wondering something else. If I add a small aquarium
filter to hang on there, would I be able to support more fishes?

Some folks like to use gravel to plant in.
I found it heck to work with when it came
time to divide the plants.

Now I use the black rigid mesh basket and
use the aquatic soil - which is a nice brown
colour. You can use plain, unscented kitty
litter (grey) and it is the same thing.

I flood the basket several times to rinse
off most of the dust and lower it gently
in. There will be some dust but it will
settle.

Or you can flood it (or garden soil) and
cover the top of the planting medium with
pebbles. This will keep the fish out of it.
Some fish like to pick up gravel, clay bits
and spit them out. Some fish have even
been known to get a rock stuck in their
mouths (they aren't that bright...)

You can put in an aquarium filter if you
want. Some people put in a pump in a
plant basket surround it with some kind
of filter media (I use plastic screening)
and filter the water that way with a small
spitter or bell fountain attached.

Starting small is a great way to learn.
I used a old sandbox when I was waiting for
the big pond to be dug.


kathy :-) www.blogfromthebog.com
this week's entry - aquatic snails
Pond 101 page for new pond keepers ~
http://hometown.aol.com/ka30p/myhomepage/garden.html

OK, my sword plant is ported in a 4" herb pot for now, Acrorus is in a
6" pot near the top.

Now my question about the filter. I asked about adding an aquarium
filter, but my fountain pump already has a big sponge cylinder over the
intake. 600 GPH per hour, this is already providing pretty good
filtration, right? I can just take it out and wash the sponge
regularly?

Would the goldfish die from the heat? I checked temperature it gets
to over 80 around 5pm. 1pm-5pm would probably be the worse times.
The fountain is on a bubbler nozzle I don't think there will be a lack
of oxygen.

I was under the impression the goldfish will eat anything when they are
hungry enough, like the Anacharis and other plants to support
themselves.

On 23 Aug 2005 10:02:28 -0700, wrote:

OK, my sword plant is ported in a 4" herb pot for now, Acrorus is in a
6" pot near the top.

Now my question about the filter. I asked about adding an aquarium
filter, but my fountain pump already has a big sponge cylinder over the
intake. 600 GPH per hour, this is already providing pretty good
filtration, right? I can just take it out and wash the sponge
regularly?

Would the goldfish die from the heat? I checked temperature it gets
to over 80 around 5pm. 1pm-5pm would probably be the worse times.
The fountain is on a bubbler nozzle I don't think there will be a lack
of oxygen.

I was under the impression the goldfish will eat anything when they are
hungry enough, like the Anacharis and other plants to support
themselves.


The temperature swing might be bad for the goldfish, 80F by itself
would not be too bad, but the variation day to night might be. Is
there some way you can shade the container so the sud doesn't hit the
sides?

I left my goldfish for over two years without feeding them, they lived
on what they found in the pond. They did alright.

wrote in message
oups.com...
OK, my sword plant is ported in a 4" herb pot for now, Acrorus is in a
6" pot near the top.

Now my question about the filter. I asked about adding an aquarium
filter, but my fountain pump already has a big sponge cylinder over the
intake. 600 GPH per hour, this is already providing pretty good
filtration, right? I can just take it out and wash the sponge
regularly?

$$ 600 GPH is quite a strong pump for a 30 gal barrel. Doesn't it make a
lot of current or water turbulence? This current can be exhausting to fish.

Would the goldfish die from the heat? I checked temperature it gets
to over 80 around 5pm. 1pm-5pm would probably be the worse times.
The fountain is on a bubbler nozzle I don't think there will be a lack
of oxygen.

$$ My ponds reached 94F and all koi and GF lived through it. They remained
at the bottom of the ponds under the lilies until sundown. I didn't check
the temp of the barrels but the fish in them are fine.

I was under the impression the goldfish will eat anything when they are
hungry enough, like the Anacharis and other plants to support
themselves.

$$ If the pond is big enough that is true. What can they find in barrels
besides some algae and a few bugs? Hardly a complete and balanced diet.
Surely you can manage to feed them some fish food at least a few times a
week.
--
McKoi.... the frugal ponder...
EVERYONE: "Please check people's headers for forgeries
before flushing." NAMES ARE BEING FORGED.
My Pond Page http://tinyurl.com/cuq5b
~~~ }((((o ~~~ }{{{{o ~~~ }(((((o

On 23 Aug 2005 10:02:28 -0700, wrote:

Now my question about the filter. I asked about adding an aquarium
filter, but my fountain pump already has a big sponge cylinder over the
intake. 600 GPH per hour, this is already providing pretty good
filtration, right? I can just take it out and wash the sponge
regularly?

Rinse in pond or dechlorinated water so you don't kill off the bio-bugs,
or.... if you would like less maintenance you can take off the sponge
filter and set the pump in one of the black mesh baskets for pond plants,
add filter media and top with screen or weed fabric. This makes for a large
surface area and doesn't clog as readily as the small sponge filter pumps
come with. I've had one going in a stock tank all summer and haven't
cleaned it once.

Would the goldfish die from the heat? I checked temperature it gets
to over 80 around 5pm. 1pm-5pm would probably be the worse times.
The fountain is on a bubbler nozzle I don't think there will be a lack
of oxygen.

I've had goldfish in worst, including temperature swings. You just have to
watch out for ich on them if the swing is too great. ~ jan


See my ponds and filter design:
www.jjspond.us

~Keep 'em Wet!~
Tri-Cities WA Zone 7a
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