Hamstermann's pond build

[GBBUDD]

Any plant that is on the invasive list is there for a reason some more so then others. Creeping jennynwhile it has exploded here some have a hard time getting it to grow. However it is also pretty easy to remove it is very shallow rooted and does not require ANY back breaking work to remove it. Creeping Charlie I'd just stay away from all together . Just like mint . That's a no go in my book.
Penny wart also easy to pull but it spreads like wild fire.
Water crest is a great plant it grows extremely fast great at removing nutrients but does not do well in the heat. So in the spring when the bacteria is struggling the watercress lends a hand.

 

[addy1]

Like your water spitter

 

[hamstermann]

Like your water spitter

Thanks! We love him and have already broken him once, but super glue is holding okay. My wife and kids named him Squirtle.

 

[hamstermann]

anyone recognize these worms? should I be worried about parasites?

 

[GBBUDD]

anyone recognize these worms? should I be worried about parasites?

You can't see parasites. lice, and worms you can see. but not all worms are bad you will find all kinds of critters in your pond / it is a POND after all. we have not seen you all winter or spring for that matter how are you liking being a ponder

 

[GBBUDD]

Not a clue as to what they are if you see one attached to a fish then i'd say yes but i severely doubt that will happen. The worms you need to look for are generally as thin as hair on the fish

 

[hamstermann]

Not a clue as to what they are if you see one attached to a fish then i'd say yes but i severely doubt that will happen. The worms you need to look for are generally as thin as hair on the fish

Thanks. I don't know much about worms and bugs - the last thing we need is hook worm or ring worm or tapeworm or leeches or something like that.

 

[hamstermann]

You can't see parasites. lice, and worms you can see. but not all worms are bad you will find all kinds of critters in your pond / it is a POND after all. we have not seen you all winter or spring for that matter how are you liking being a ponder

Yeah, I've been crazy busy with other projects and family life.

I'm enjoying it. It's hard to keep ahead of the algae but I think that's to be expected because it's the pond's first spring and I've heard it takes a few years for things to balance out. I'm scrubbing it once every 10 days or so, I'd say, and that's not frequently enough. I did get the County mosquito abatement program to drop some free gambusia in there the other day so I'm hoping they settle in fast and put their voracious appetites to work on the algae, the snail eggs, and whatever those worms are.

I'm also finding that with the algae, the cracks between the blocks in the walls of my intake bay have sealed up and the pumps are pumping more water than is replaced quickly so the water level in there drops easily. I'm hoping to figure out a new lid for the pump vault because the old lid wasn't rigid enough and warped under the weight of the gravel. until then, there is no lid on the pump vault so anything that manages to sink gets stuck to the cages around the intake ports on the pumps. I'm going to try drilling pipe sized holes in a thick plastic lid to cover the pump vault. if that doesn't work, I'll buy a bunch of matala mats, cut them to shape, and just layer those on top of the pumps. I'd have to clean those more often than I've been cleaning the intake bay, but maybe that's a good thing anyway.

 

[GBBUDD]

Yeah, I've been crazy busy with other projects and family life.

I'm enjoying it. It's hard to keep ahead of the algae but I think that's to be expected because it's the pond's first spring and I've heard it takes a few years for things to balance out. I'm scrubbing it once every 10 days or so, I'd say, and that's not frequently enough. I did get the County mosquito abatement program to drop some free gambusia in there the other day so I'm hoping they settle in fast and put their voracious appetites to work on the algae, the snail eggs, and whatever those worms are.

I'm also finding that with the algae, the cracks between the blocks in the walls of my intake bay have sealed up and the pumps are pumping more water than is replaced quickly so the water level in there drops easily. I'm hoping to figure out a new lid for the pump vault because the old lid wasn't rigid enough and warped under the weight of the gravel. until then, there is no lid on the pump vault so anything that manages to sink gets stuck to the cages around the intake ports on the pumps. I'm going to try drilling pipe sized holes in a thick plastic lid to cover the pump vault. if that doesn't work, I'll buy a bunch of matala mats, cut them to shape, and just layer those on top of the pumps. I'd have to clean those more often than I've been cleaning the intake bay, but maybe that's a good thing anyway.

The mats are great I'd make it so you can have two covers so as one clogs you can slip a clean one in.

Hint use a hose or pressure washer to clean them but don't go crazy. Hitting them against a tree or even the ground helps alot and then let it dry and hit it again before using it the next time

 

[GBBUDD]

Well make sure you post some pics and lessons learned . There will be someone seeing your post and saying that's what I want to do. As you did so post what worked and what you'd change

 

[j.w]

anyone recognize these worms? should I be worried about parasites?

Looks like Black Fly larvae:

Black fly eggs are laid in running water, and when the larvae hatch they attach themselves to rocks. They use tiny hooks at the ends of their abdomens to hold on to the slippery surface of the rocks, allowing them to thrive in moderate to fast currents, which would explain how they were living underneath a waterfall. They eat by expanding a fan-like appendage that surrounds their mouth, catching passing debris like small organic particles, algae, and bacteria. They rely on the current to bring them food, and they are extremely sensitive to water pollution. Black fly larvae generally do well in ponds because of the high levels of organic content. The larvae pupate underwater and emerge as adult flies. Some adult species are known to transmit diseases, such as river blindness, but the larvae are harmless and are actually very beneficial to the environment.

 

[GBBUDD]

I have black fly eggs by the hundreds they are 1/4 that size. Here on the east cost of your carymeaway flies as we call them in Maine at 4 times the size no wonder you west coaster have gone batty.

 

[hamstermann]

Looks like Black Fly larvae:

Black fly eggs are laid in running water, and when the larvae hatch they attach themselves to rocks. They use tiny hooks at the ends of their abdomens to hold on to the slippery surface of the rocks, allowing them to thrive in moderate to fast currents, which would explain how they were living underneath a waterfall. They eat by expanding a fan-like appendage that surrounds their mouth, catching passing debris like small organic particles, algae, and bacteria. They rely on the current to bring them food, and they are extremely sensitive to water pollution. Black fly larvae generally do well in ponds because of the high levels of organic content. The larvae pupate underwater and emerge as adult flies. Some adult species are known to transmit diseases, such as river blindness, but the larvae are harmless and are actually very beneficial to the environment.

View attachment 168068

yikes. thanks!

Get to work, Gambusia!!

 

[sissy]

Best idea my son ever came up with was putting different switchs on my electrical outlets at my pond in my master bedroom closet . If something goes wrong and weather is bad I can just go into the closet and turn off the switch . I am 71 years old and those switchs have saved me many times from ruining a pump or areator . I guess the new horse farmer here spraying for his show horses have cut down on bug invasions here . He warns me when he is spraying . I can only see the horses when I walk thruogh the woods between his property and mine . Snakes keep me out of there this time of year

 

[j.w]

Best idea my son ever came up with was putting different switchs on my electrical outlets at my pond in my master bedroom closet . If something goes wrong and weather is bad I can just go into the closet and turn off the switch . I am 71 years old and those switchs have saved me many times from ruining a pump or areator . I guess the new horse farmer here spraying for his show horses have cut down on bug invasions here . He warns me when he is spraying . I can only see the horses when I walk thruogh the woods between his property and mine . Snakes keep me out of there this time of year

Yes you have had issues w/a certain large snake in the past! I remember it well, yikes!