mussels

Hi Pepe,

At 120 ft by 40 ft by average of 4 ft deep
my best recommendation is to get this book:

EARTH PONDS SOURCEBOOK
The pond owner's manual and resource guide
by Tim Matson

It has just been updated (so I bought it ;-)
but haven't had a chance to read it yet.
But it deals with large ponds and their different
needs.

Mussels shouldn't hurt your pond. They are filter feeders
and they like cool, moving water which it sounds like your
pond has. We don't recommend them for garden ornamental
ponds but in your pond they should be fine.

Will they keep your pond clear?
They sure will try.
More importantly being able to keep silty runoff and fertilized
runoff out of your pond will keep it clear.
And reading Tim Matson's book ;-)

Your pond sounds wonderful!


kathy :-)
algae primer
http://hometown.aol.com/ka30p/myhomepage/garden.html

"Ridge Roofing, Inc." wrote:

I am a realtively new pond owner. I bought the property last fall and
this is my first summer caring for it. I've read almost all the posts
on keeping the water clear. The pond is approx 120 ft by 40 ft by
average of 4 ft deep, and I have stocked it with about 100 rainbow
trout. The pond is fed by two seperate springs so the water is always
cold, but it is always green also. I had a local farmer offer to give
me a bucket of fresh water mussels to put in the pond. He claims that
in 2-3 years there will be enough of them that the water will ALWAYS
be clear and that there are no downsides to this method. I've asked
him about "will there still be enough oxygen for the fish", "will they
eventually fill the pond", and a few other questions. I was wondering
if anyone here had any experiences with these to share before I go and
do it. Any info is appreciated. Thanks.
Pepe'

I don't know if mussels will do that, but just want to note, that since your
pond is spring fed, does water also exit your pond? If so, make sure those
mussels are native to your area.


San Diego Joe
4,000 - 5,000 Gallons.
Goldfish, a RES named Colombo and an Oscar.



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