1/2 Barrel - gravel and plants question

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.

"Charles" wrote in message
...
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.
====================
How large was the pond? A few fish in a good size pond wouldn't need to be
fed - but a lot of fish in a smaller pond would not fare too well.

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 Tue, 23 Aug 2005 13:51:31 -0500, "Reel Mckoi"
wrote:


"Charles" wrote in message
.. .
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.
====================
How large was the pond? A few fish in a good size pond wouldn't need to be
fed - but a lot of fish in a smaller pond would not fare too well.

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


Small, 350 gallons.

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

The barrel fountain kit (20 gal) came with the 600 GPH fountain pump,
it has a valve and I didn't set it to max, doesn't seem to suck in the
plants so I think it is fine. Nozzle is 2 ft high so there is some
head loss.

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
To e-mail see website

wrote in message
oups.com...
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.

## You can try it but I've never had anything but eel grass (vellisneria ?)
do well in nothing but a fine gravel. It doesn't supply the micronutrients
the plants need. You can try adding liquid plant food and see if that
works.

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)

## Remember that floating plants will shade out anything UNDER the water.

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.

## Use a thermometer. I have 3 barrels and they are in the sun most of the
day. They are shaded by water lilies and stay cooler than the air (mid 90s
here in summer). But as I said only the mini's really do well and look good
in barrels. I'm just overrun with lilies so stuck a few in the barrels. My
barrels have plastic liners so the wood insulates the water from the sun and
heat I believe. The small goldfish do fine.

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.

## Uh oh,... :-)))

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?

## Yes. These barrels hold something like 30 gallons of water so 3 or 4
smallish goldfish would do ok, or about 8 rosy reds. Remember that the GF
will not utilize the bottom of the barrels. It's wasted water as far as
they're concerned. They will mainly stay around the surface - at least
that's what mine always do. I think the bottom is too dark and lacks
oxygen.
--
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