How Much Maintenance?

When I went at my pond design, I purposely included concepts like a bottom
drain and a shallow VF to reduce my maintenance. I have A LOT of plants, and
do not intend to feed my fish, in the hopes that I can strike a balance of
plants and animals. So far, my first season, things are going well.

I often read in this group of people adding potash, salt, baking soda,
fertilizer tabs, etc. They test the water every 10 minutes, change water, do
this, do that.

I realize this is not a pass/fail, yes/no answer but how much is really
necessary? I think if my pond ever gets to the point where I must spend time
every day maintaining it, and not just sitting by it...I may fill it in.

--
BenignVanilla
Pond Site: www.darofamily.com/jeff/links/mypond

That would be entirely up to you, BV. I have
always fussed around with my pond. I don't add Baking
Soda until the fish slow down to a small crawl... then I test
the KH and son-of-a-gun! KH is very low ... add the Baking
Soda and its fixed. Takes all of 10 minutes from the test to
the addition of BS... I do the maintenance dosages of Koi
Clay ... the fish love - LOVE this stuff. I know it must make
them feel really good! Ever seen a Koi Smile? ;-)
This takes 5 minutes.
I don't have a bottom drain... Yet (!) so I do have to add the BZT. That
takes 5 minutes... Add it all together and you have about 30
minutes of 'work' .... only it isn't work for me because I interact
with the fish all the while.

Nedra
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Pines/4836
http://community.webshots.com/user/nedra118

"BenignVanilla" wrote in message
...
When I went at my pond design, I purposely included concepts like a bottom
drain and a shallow VF to reduce my maintenance. I have A LOT of plants,
and
do not intend to feed my fish, in the hopes that I can strike a balance of
plants and animals. So far, my first season, things are going well.

I often read in this group of people adding potash, salt, baking soda,
fertilizer tabs, etc. They test the water every 10 minutes, change water,
do
this, do that.

I realize this is not a pass/fail, yes/no answer but how much is really
necessary? I think if my pond ever gets to the point where I must spend
time
every day maintaining it, and not just sitting by it...I may fill it in.

--
BenignVanilla
Pond Site: www.darofamily.com/jeff/links/mypond

Ahhh, BV: the way to achieve your dream is with MINIMAL stocking levels and
lots of plants. Then you will be able to sit by the side with a tall, cool
one in your hand and survey your domain.

Or, you could get stupid, like me: I like the fishies. I like them toooo
much. I have taken to avoiding the sales areas as much as possible when
forced into a store, just so one doesn't jump to the side of the pond,
splash me with a tail, and scream TAKE ME HOME!!!! Being your basic impulse
buyer, I've done that a lot. And back when I began this hobby, no one
mentioned that if you don't kill them from ignorance or negligence, they
grow. And BREED!! And now I have too many: *way* too many. Now what?

Well, "now what?" entails learning more about fish than you ever dreamed
existed; it means chasing numbers; it means keeping a constant watchful eye
on your domain, testing for this and that to ensure that nothing goes the
"slightest" bit out of whack, or if it does, you know immediately and can
take appropriate action. The plants come out, because they could become
disease vectors. Added filtration goes in to take up what the plants aren't
doing. Even if you leave the plants in, you may notice that they're not as
nice or healthy looking as someone else's. You begin to pout and say, "I
want that, TOO!" Then out comes the fertilizers and the potash, and the
"this and that" until you achieve the lush greens and bright flowers you're
looking for.

BV, Dahling - I don't know if it IS possible to ignore and enjoy: Half the
fun - shoot, maybe MORE than half the fun - is in the learning process. It's
a creation made in the image of your mind's eye: your own little piece of
the world, something that would not exist if you had not created it. And
you're reponsible for it. The planning, the implementation; the mistakes and
corrections; the life forms - their nurturing and well-being: sorry, Dude.
You signed on for a learning experience beyond most. It's a lot of fun. It
keeps your mind working and agile. And I can practically guarantee that you
will *never* sit by the pond, with the tall, cold one in your hand and not
be able to see *something* that needs just a teensy bit of tweaking! So many
things in this world are out of our control; however, in our little created
world, we *have* the control. And if we don't, then we have to learn how to
get it back. It's kinda cool GBG

Lee





"BenignVanilla" wrote in message
...
When I went at my pond design, I purposely included concepts like a bottom
drain and a shallow VF to reduce my maintenance. I have A LOT of plants,
and
do not intend to feed my fish, in the hopes that I can strike a balance of
plants and animals. So far, my first season, things are going well.

I often read in this group of people adding potash, salt, baking soda,
fertilizer tabs, etc. They test the water every 10 minutes, change water,
do
this, do that.

I realize this is not a pass/fail, yes/no answer but how much is really
necessary? I think if my pond ever gets to the point where I must spend
time
every day maintaining it, and not just sitting by it...I may fill it in.

--
BenignVanilla
Pond Site: www.darofamily.com/jeff/links/mypond

BenignVanilla wrote:
When I went at my pond design, I purposely included concepts like a bottom
drain and a shallow VF to reduce my maintenance. I have A LOT of plants, and
do not intend to feed my fish, in the hopes that I can strike a balance of
plants and animals. So far, my first season, things are going well.

I often read in this group of people adding potash, salt, baking soda,
fertilizer tabs, etc. They test the water every 10 minutes, change water, do
this, do that.

I realize this is not a pass/fail, yes/no answer but how much is really
necessary? I think if my pond ever gets to the point where I must spend time
every day maintaining it, and not just sitting by it...I may fill it in.

--
BenignVanilla
Pond Site: www.darofamily.com/jeff/links/mypond




I do very little maintenance on my pond. I think once the
pond is established it will be easier, if the fish load
remains low. But it is always wise to keep an eye on the
ph, amonia and water level. I enjoy feeding my fish and
don't consider that part of the maintenance.

--
Bonnie
NJ
http://home.earthlink.net/~maebe43/

I don't touch my rec pond and it survives. Though I have roughly 16,000,000+
gallons of water so changes occur REALLY slow. Depending on how much water
you have vs. waste dictates what you have to do to a pond to keep it how you
like.


"BenignVanilla" wrote in message
...
When I went at my pond design, I purposely included concepts like a bottom
drain and a shallow VF to reduce my maintenance. I have A LOT of plants,
and
do not intend to feed my fish, in the hopes that I can strike a balance of
plants and animals. So far, my first season, things are going well.

I often read in this group of people adding potash, salt, baking soda,
fertilizer tabs, etc. They test the water every 10 minutes, change water,
do
this, do that.

I realize this is not a pass/fail, yes/no answer but how much is really
necessary? I think if my pond ever gets to the point where I must spend
time
every day maintaining it, and not just sitting by it...I may fill it in.

--
BenignVanilla
Pond Site: www.darofamily.com/jeff/links/mypond

I do a 10% water change each week (helps control nitrate levels, add trace
minerals back, etc, etc)
Backflush the bead filter twice a month.
Clean out skimmer basket twice each month
Add 3 doses of potash each season
Water test only if something changes... BUT I have low stocking levels, and
know my system, AND it is an established system
With new ponds I recommend regular testing first season, and then as needed,
but certainly following any major bioload additions (fish)
Happy ponding,
Greg
--


"BenignVanilla" wrote in message
...
When I went at my pond design, I purposely included concepts like a bottom
drain and a shallow VF to reduce my maintenance. I have A LOT of plants,
and
do not intend to feed my fish, in the hopes that I can strike a balance of
plants and animals. So far, my first season, things are going well.

I often read in this group of people adding potash, salt, baking soda,
fertilizer tabs, etc. They test the water every 10 minutes, change water,
do
this, do that.

I realize this is not a pass/fail, yes/no answer but how much is really
necessary? I think if my pond ever gets to the point where I must spend
time
every day maintaining it, and not just sitting by it...I may fill it in.

--
BenignVanilla
Pond Site: www.darofamily.com/jeff/links/mypond

BenignVanilla wrote:
When I went at my pond design, I purposely included concepts like a bottom
drain and a shallow VF to reduce my maintenance. I have A LOT of plants, and
do not intend to feed my fish, in the hopes that I can strike a balance of
plants and animals. So far, my first season, things are going well.

I often read in this group of people adding potash, salt, baking soda,
fertilizer tabs, etc. They test the water every 10 minutes, change water, do
this, do that.

I realize this is not a pass/fail, yes/no answer but how much is really
necessary? I think if my pond ever gets to the point where I must spend time
every day maintaining it, and not just sitting by it...I may fill it in.

--
BenignVanilla
Pond Site: www.darofamily.com/jeff/links/mypond





-- BV
Ill give you my personal take on that question

if you notice the ponds that require so much are the smaller ones with
med - hi fish loads they tend to go wonkers if one thing or another
gets out of sync and the big problem is they tend to change fast like
morning to nite

bigger ponds w low - med fish loads stay relativly ballanced changes
are slower to take effect takes days or if pond is big enough weeks
and tend to correct themselves befor things get critical

water changes are needed to dilute the amonia nitrite nitrate and to
keep mineral buildup down fer instance I have naturaly salty water
..01% w hi calcium
if I only added evaporative loss - over time both salt and calcium
would go up and i would go from realy hard water to OmG thats hard
salt water

the down side is those of us with bigger ponds tend to not do tests real
often ( i only test in the spring as the bio bugs are still dormant )
once they get going its prety much cool till fall BUT when a big pond
does go wonkers its dang near imposible to correct



John Rutz
Z5 New Mexico

never miss a good oportunity to shut up

see my pond at:

http://www.fuerjefe.com

I just got my koi clay.

IT has several ways to use IT. ( make into clay ball,toss into pond, mix
with feed)
which are your best was to use IT?


"Nedra" wrote in message
rthlink.net...
Bonnie .... You don't use Koi Clay? Gasp!!!!
Your fish will Love you even more if you add it to their
environment.

And that darn clay! BTW why can't I feed my Koi catfish food? :-)

--
_______________________________________
"The difference between 'involvement' and 'commitment' is
like an eggs-and-ham breakfast:
The chicken was 'involved' - the pig was 'committed'."

http://community.webshots.com/user/godwino

"BenignVanilla" wrote in message
...
Aww come on...let me be in denile for at least a little while...now...back
to those rocks...they're just not quite right...

BV.


"Lee Brouillet" wrote in message
...
Ahhh, BV: the way to achieve your dream is with MINIMAL stocking levels
and
lots of plants. Then you will be able to sit by the side with a tall,
cool
one in your hand and survey your domain.

Or, you could get stupid, like me: I like the fishies. I like them toooo
much. I have taken to avoiding the sales areas as much as possible when
forced into a store, just so one doesn't jump to the side of the pond,
splash me with a tail, and scream TAKE ME HOME!!!! Being your basic
impulse
buyer, I've done that a lot. And back when I began this hobby, no one
mentioned that if you don't kill them from ignorance or negligence, they
grow. And BREED!! And now I have too many: *way* too many. Now what?

Well, "now what?" entails learning more about fish than you ever dreamed
existed; it means chasing numbers; it means keeping a constant watchful
eye
on your domain, testing for this and that to ensure that nothing goes
the
"slightest" bit out of whack, or if it does, you know immediately and
can
take appropriate action. The plants come out, because they could become
disease vectors. Added filtration goes in to take up what the plants
aren't
doing. Even if you leave the plants in, you may notice that they're not
as
nice or healthy looking as someone else's. You begin to pout and say, "I
want that, TOO!" Then out comes the fertilizers and the potash, and the
"this and that" until you achieve the lush greens and bright flowers
you're
looking for.

BV, Dahling - I don't know if it IS possible to ignore and enjoy: Half
the
fun - shoot, maybe MORE than half the fun - is in the learning process.
It's
a creation made in the image of your mind's eye: your own little piece
of
the world, something that would not exist if you had not created it. And
you're reponsible for it. The planning, the implementation; the mistakes
and
corrections; the life forms - their nurturing and well-being: sorry,
Dude.
You signed on for a learning experience beyond most. It's a lot of fun.
It
keeps your mind working and agile. And I can practically guarantee that
you
will *never* sit by the pond, with the tall, cold one in your hand and
not
be able to see *something* that needs just a teensy bit of tweaking! So
many
things in this world are out of our control; however, in our little
created
world, we *have* the control. And if we don't, then we have to learn how
to
get it back. It's kinda cool GBG

Lee





"BenignVanilla" wrote in message
...
When I went at my pond design, I purposely included concepts like a
bottom
drain and a shallow VF to reduce my maintenance. I have A LOT of
plants,
and
do not intend to feed my fish, in the hopes that I can strike a
balance
of
plants and animals. So far, my first season, things are going well.

I often read in this group of people adding potash, salt, baking soda,
fertilizer tabs, etc. They test the water every 10 minutes, change
water,
do
this, do that.

I realize this is not a pass/fail, yes/no answer but how much is
really
necessary? I think if my pond ever gets to the point where I must
spend
time
every day maintaining it, and not just sitting by it...I may fill it
in.

--
BenignVanilla
Pond Site: www.darofamily.com/jeff/links/mypond

How cruel can you people get? For God's sake! Will you stop talking about
Clay in this sensual manner while BV is around! Jeez, the poor guy already
has Clay Dreams!

--
_______________________________________
"The difference between 'involvement' and 'commitment' is
like an eggs-and-ham breakfast:
The chicken was 'involved' - the pig was 'committed'."

http://community.webshots.com/user/godwino

"Nedra" wrote in message
thlink.net...
I just mix about 3 heaping tablespoons full in a plastic 2 cup glass..
fill with water from veggie filter.... then spread it all
about the pond. They know the minute it hits the water...
must have a softer feel??? just kiddn...Anyway, they
do love the stuff. Turns the water a charcoal color for a couple
of minutes... then fades into the pond. I haven't tried it in the
food yet.

Nedra
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Pines/4836
http://community.webshots.com/user/nedra118
"*muffin*" wrote in message
...
I just got my koi clay.

IT has several ways to use IT. ( make into clay ball,toss into pond, mix
with feed)
which are your best was to use IT?


"Nedra" wrote in message
rthlink.net...
Bonnie .... You don't use Koi Clay? Gasp!!!!
Your fish will Love you even more if you add it to their
environment.