Nature can be gross.

[bagsmom]

I've had the big leaf net enclosing the pond since early September. I knew nothing was getting in there, so I wasn't checking the skimmer. Last weekend, we had a warm and sunny day, so I decided to get in under the net and cut back most of the plants for the winter. As expected, there were only about three leaves in the skimmer basket. Unfortunately, there was also a fish -- a fish who had been in the salad spinner for a long time. He was mostly skeleton and a bit of meat. The matala pad below the skimmer was the really gross part. Usually it just has some plant bits to hose off and maybe a little brownish scum. This time, the pad was so heavy and so full of green/brown scum, it was bulging out in blobs. There were hundreds of teeny worms in the scum, too. Blarrggghhhh! Nature was doing its thing to deal with the excess nutrients caused by Mr. Dead Fish. Yuck yuck yuck. I hosed the pad out on the grass, which took a long time. I got all the plants cut back and used the skimmer net to get any leaf bits out of the pond -- there wasn't much at all. All other pond residents seem great and I even saw some new babies in the bunch. I had lowered the pond level a few inches before I got in, just for easier access to trim things off. We've had some big rain showers come through and now the pond is back to full and beyond. Nature is often gross - but it is still pretty cool how things work to keep systems in balance.

 

[brokensword]

I've had the big leaf net enclosing the pond since early September. I knew nothing was getting in there, so I wasn't checking the skimmer. Last weekend, we had a warm and sunny day, so I decided to get in under the net and cut back most of the plants for the winter. As expected, there were only about three leaves in the skimmer basket. Unfortunately, there was also a fish -- a fish who had been in the salad spinner for a long time. He was mostly skeleton and a bit of meat. The matala pad below the skimmer was the really gross part. Usually it just has some plant bits to hose off and maybe a little brownish scum. This time, the pad was so heavy and so full of green/brown scum, it was bulging out in blobs. There were hundreds of teeny worms in the scum, too. Blarrggghhhh! Nature was doing its thing to deal with the excess nutrients caused by Mr. Dead Fish. Yuck yuck yuck. I hosed the pad out on the grass, which took a long time. I got all the plants cut back and used the skimmer net to get any leaf bits out of the pond -- there wasn't much at all. All other pond residents seem great and I even saw some new babies in the bunch. I had lowered the pond level a few inches before I got in, just for easier access to trim things off. We've had some big rain showers come through and now the pond is back to full and beyond. Nature is often gross - but it is still pretty cool how things work to keep systems in balance.

any way to keep the fish from getting in??? Glad I don't have a skimmer, now.

 

[bagsmom]

I have a Helix which allows the fish to swim in and out. I think it must have been a sickly fish.

 

[GBBUDD]

The helix i8s less than fool proof i had a fish get its long flowing fins get stuck in the tiny gap between the floating weir and the base

 

[Faebinder]

I love and hate skimmers. Consider putting a large mesh on the skimmer opening.