mess in pond

We are new to this pond stuff. So any and all help greatly appreciated.
I just went into the pond to bring up the plants we sunk for the winter and
found most of my kitty litter that we used in pots is on the bottom of the
pond. Guess fish somehow got in and moved it out of pots. Any way to keep
them from doing this?
So I am trying to scoop it out, and also finding lots of guck. Think algae
and waste. Water is now so stirred up and bad can't even see 1/2" into it.
What can I do to get it cleaned up now?? We have 4 pumps that we put
filter material around and we just set in the pond and they pump the water
up to a water fall. I am running one now to keep fish alive ( I hope).
Should I run or them or let every thing settle out.
Thanks for the help.

--
Greg &/or Kellie Meyer

"G & K Meyer" wrote in message
...
We are new to this pond stuff. So any and all help greatly appreciated.
I just went into the pond to bring up the plants we sunk for the winter and
found most of my kitty litter that we used in pots is on the bottom of the
pond. Guess fish somehow got in and moved it out of pots. Any way to keep
them from doing this?
So I am trying to scoop it out, and also finding lots of guck. Think algae
and waste. Water is now so stirred up and bad can't even see 1/2" into it.
What can I do to get it cleaned up now?? We have 4 pumps that we put
filter material around and we just set in the pond and they pump the water
up to a water fall. I am running one now to keep fish alive ( I hope).
Should I run or them or let every thing settle out.
Thanks for the help.

--
Greg &/or Kellie Meyer


Read my response to Lemmonie's post. You should add beneficial bacteria to your
water to eat up all of that gunk. There is a product called "microlift" that
works well. It is liquid, however, and smells really bad when you put it in. I
like a powdered product called "Aquazyme". It works as good, if not better than
anything else I've used. As for the kiddie litter, don't use it. And you are
going to have to scoop it out if you want to get rid of it. And just placing
filter matting around the pumps is not going to go you much good. It only
provides mechanical filtration, when you really need biological filtration. You
need to build (or buy) a good gravel filter (or other biological filter). Once
you install it, the bacterial you've added to the water will colonize itand
provide you with clear water. I built one out of an old jacuzzi swimming pool
filter (but yuo can use a twenty gallon plastic container, as long as you can
seal it with an airtight lid. I gutted it, added a basket strainer to the
bottom, filled it half-full with washed peah gravel, added the pump at the top,
and sealed it with a specially-made lexan cover. All of the fittings and
electrical go out the lexan cover via special fittings. The entire filter is
submerged beneath my waterfall,. below water line. The intake is a hose
connected at the bottom. This hose is also connected to a pre-filter sitting in
the bottom of the pond. It provides mechanical filtration prior to the water
going into the pre-filter. I pull it out once or twice a month and clean it.
If you have algae problems, see my post to Lemmonie.

"G & K Meyer" wrote in message
...
I do have a uv light that the water goes though. Oh the pond is maybe about
1000gal.. Also use pond balance and sometimes microlift. I have a water
fall that two of the pumps feed, so don't that act as a filter? Thought the
more rock surface the water hit the better?

That is true. The more surface area that beneficial bacteria have to colonize,
the better the filtration will work. But, like I said before, UV light kills
bacteria as well as algae, so I am not a big believer in it. I prefer to
balance the natural cleaning system of the pond rather than resort to major
surgery with a UV filter. On the other hand, UV also kills pathogens, so it is
something to consider. Microlift is good, but I find that the powder (aquazyme)
works at least as good if not better, and is cheaper (no I don't have stock in
that company).

Also what I am going to do is use a milk crate put filter material then
varied sized rock around the pumps. Is this the bio type filter that I hear
about using?

It depends on the type of filter media. If you are referring to fiber material,
that is really more of a mechanical filter than a biological filter. By the
time bacteria colonize the fiber filter media, it gets clogged, and requires
cleaning, which invariably disrupts the filter. Read my recent post to
"destroyallx" about biological filtration. Even with a biological filter, it is
a good idea to have mechanical filtration as well. You should always have
something to pre-filter the water with before it enters the pump. You don't
want lines and pumps clogging with gunk. It is always a pain. Just make sure
that however you do it that it is easy to maintain. Since my system finally
balanced out this spring, I've only had to clean the pre-filter once.

We do have five pumps but only use 3 most of the time. The other two are
to just add more sound and volume once and awhile.
Thanks for the help.

If you have filtration, make sure the pump that supplies water to it stays on
all the time. If it doesn't, the bacteria in the filter will die, making it
pretty much useless. Oh, by the way, great picture. I like my pond better
(only because I can get really close to the fish to feed them - to the point
that my catfish will thoroughly soak me if I spook him while I'm feeding him -
he's about 2 feet long, or so), but your water course and all the rocks, and the
high drop is really a fabulous touch, especially the red rock. Unfortunately, I
don't have room for that kind of thing. You really spent a lot of money on that
one. You don't sleep in the dog house these days, do you? lol