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Post by lindasahandir on May 2, 2007 19:42:09 GMT
The water in our pond is evaporating at an alarming rate. I was wondering, how do pond owners here go about topping them up?
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Post by BjornTobyStomped on May 2, 2007 20:12:33 GMT
The water in our pond is evaporating at an alarming rate. I was wondering, how do pond owners here go about topping them up? Best way to do this is to get your hose with a sprayer on the end and have it gently sprinkling into the pond from a short height so I was told the other day as it allows some of the 'nasties' to disapate. As long as you don't constantly top up your pond you should be fine. Tap water has 'nasties' in it such as Chlorine which I guess you already know Linda.
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Post by Fi on May 2, 2007 22:41:08 GMT
It depends on what sort of pond it is - if it's a formal pond then tapwater is fine - it won't harm any planting. If it's a wildlife pond, Toby's right about the nasties in the water like chlorine. We have the same problem with evaporation. Little but often seems, so far, to be the thing. Chlorine does dissipate after a week or so. We do have a tank full of rainwater, which will get used if necessary.
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Post by Whitbywoof on May 3, 2007 5:29:31 GMT
The chlorine attacks the protective mucus membrane on fish skin (If you stroke a fish, it should feel silky-smooth, sort of velvety), leaving them prone to infections which can lead to ulcers and death - and a very unpleasant death at that. Toby's spray method does two things - it breaks down the chlorine molecules before the water hits the pond surface, making your tap water as good as rain water as far as fish health is concerned, and secondly in introduces extra oxygen into the water, which is always a good thing.
Better not to do this when it's windy though as a lot of water will be lost on the breeze.
There are chemical dechlorinators available but a) they're expensive and b) I don't really want to fill my pond with chemicals when I can sit and watch a pretty spray for an hour.
Evaporation is normal - a normal nuiscance! Incidentally, topping up a fish pond is not 'illegal' when hosepipe bans come into force as livestock is involved. I need to top my pond up once a week at this time of year.
Of course, if you have a rain water butt, that would be the ideal water to use in the pond - both because it's clean and because it's not 'wasting' tap water.
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Post by lindasahandir on May 3, 2007 6:01:46 GMT
Thanks, guys! I think I shall try the spray method and see what happens. I know evaporation is normal, but I wasn't expecting so much so soon!
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Post by revmichael on May 3, 2007 6:44:28 GMT
Does anyone know any proven way of getting rid of the annoying duck weed from the surface of a pond? I spend ages scraping it all off and then, a week later there's just as much as there was before. I've tried the straw on a brick lark and various green liquids that are suppose to get rid of algae and stuff.
Help needed - please.
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Post by Whitbywoof on May 3, 2007 7:36:40 GMT
Does anyone know any proven way of getting rid of the annoying duck weed from the surface of a pond? I spend ages scraping it all off and then, a week later there's just as much as there was before. I've tried the straw on a brick lark and various green liquids that are suppose to get rid of algae and stuff. Help needed - please. Sorry rev, just keep picking it out by hand. I quite like the look of a little bit of it around the rocks, but it does tend to take over and must therefore be cleared regularly.
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Post by revmichael on May 3, 2007 8:00:56 GMT
Does anyone know any proven way of getting rid of the annoying duck weed from the surface of a pond? I spend ages scraping it all off and then, a week later there's just as much as there was before. I've tried the straw on a brick lark and various green liquids that are suppose to get rid of algae and stuff. Help needed - please. Sorry rev, just keep picking it out by hand. I quite like the look of a little bit of it around the rocks, but it does tend to take over and must therefore be cleared regularly. I do find that when I top up the pond from the garden hose (which we can now use; except that I'm now on a water metre) I can squirt it so that it drives all of the duck weed to one end of the pond. This makes it easier to get out. But unlike Charlie Drake's boomerang it keeps coming back.
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Post by BjornTobyStomped on May 3, 2007 9:28:56 GMT
Sorry rev, just keep picking it out by hand. I quite like the look of a little bit of it around the rocks, but it does tend to take over and must therefore be cleared regularly. I do find that when I top up the pond from the garden hose (which we can now use; except that I'm now on a water metre) I can squirt it so that it drives all of the duck weed to one end of the pond. This makes it easier to get out. But unlike Charlie Drake's boomerang it keeps coming back. Aye Duckweed is one of those that are a pain to get rid of. I've bought a net to control such things which makes it a bit easier to control. Not that I've got a problem with said Duckweed.
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Post by revmichael on May 3, 2007 9:44:59 GMT
I do find that when I top up the pond from the garden hose (which we can now use; except that I'm now on a water metre) I can squirt it so that it drives all of the duck weed to one end of the pond. This makes it easier to get out. But unlike Charlie Drake's boomerang it keeps coming back. Aye Duckweed is one of those that are a pain to get rid of. I've bought a net to control such things which makes it a bit easier to control. Doesn't a net get in the way of tadpoles and all those other interesting creatures that inhabit garden ponds? Not that I've got a problem with said Duckweed.
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Post by Fi on May 3, 2007 14:55:04 GMT
Does anyone know any proven way of getting rid of the annoying duck weed from the surface of a pond? I spend ages scraping it all off and then, a week later there's just as much as there was before. I've tried the straw on a brick lark and various green liquids that are suppose to get rid of algae and stuff. Help needed - please. If you can get hold of some greater Pond snails they'll eat the lot in time, along with the hosrrible green algae. I got my stock from approaching a very nice lady at Leith Hall and asking if I could take a few net fulls of gunk from the bottom of the small lakes on the estate. Once she was assured that I wouldn't fall in or damage the water lilies, she said yes. My idea was to have an instantly established natural fauna for the pond - the snail's contribution towards keeping it clear of unwanted weeds was an wonderful surprise.
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Post by revmichael on May 3, 2007 15:16:39 GMT
Does anyone know any proven way of getting rid of the annoying duck weed from the surface of a pond? I spend ages scraping it all off and then, a week later there's just as much as there was before. I've tried the straw on a brick lark and various green liquids that are suppose to get rid of algae and stuff. Help needed - please. If you can get hold of some greater Pond snails they'll eat the lot in time, along with the hosrrible green algae. I got my stock from approaching a very nice lady at Leith Hall and asking if I could take a few net fulls of gunk from the bottom of the small lakes on the estate. Once she was assured that I wouldn't fall in or damage the water lilies, she said yes. My idea was to have an instantly established natural fauna for the pond - the snail's contribution towards keeping it clear of unwanted weeds was an wonderful surprise. Thanks Fi but I've read that you have to watch out with snails. Apparently the whelk shaped ones can do a lot of harm. I think we need the ones with round flattish shells.
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