Putting into practice what I've read here.

[chibae]

My "micro" barrel pond has been irking me this year. In the years past the water has always cleared up enough for me to see the bottom. this year, after I totally took it down and redid it (not plants or animals at the time) I added my water hyacinth, some parrot feather and patiently waited for the new pond syndrome to clear. Well the pea soup cleared but I still could not see down to the bottom (18" deep). There is no electric out there so I had only had a solar fountain going. On Thursday I did a 1/3 water change that made no difference. So, I bought a submersible pump/filter and ran it off an extension cord. Not something I would leave running unattended, such as overnight. It was plugged into an outdoor GFI receptacle, but it was a fairly long length of cord to run.

Yesterday I ran the filter for twelve hours. Every two hours I took it apart and rinsed out the filter sponge and activated charcoal. By the end, the water was still "cloudy" but there was very little matter for me to rinse out of the filter.

Today I searched the house and found some batting. But not enough to make a prefilter "in a box" out of it. However, my filter (made for aquariums, not ponds, on a budget here) has a "waterfall" tube that can be attached so the water exiting the filter comes out above the water line. The tube is about six inches ling and has five holes for the water to exit through. I took the batting I found and wrapped it around the tube, holding it in place with two rubber bands.

I ran the filter that way for six hour today, wasn't home for part of the day. Twice during that time I removed the batting and rinsed it . Not only did the batting turn green, in some places it was black. When I closed the filter down for the day I could actually see the bottom of my pond again.

Reminds me of my very early days of fish keeping. Those plastic filters inside our aquariums, filled with charcoal and floss. Followed by outside filters and finally under gravel ones.

Thanks everyone for putting another tool in my small toolbox. I will be looking for more batting and a small perforated container to do a mini version of the milk crate for when I need to do this again.

 

[sissy]

just needs more time . seems this year has had some really weird weather changes . Like here 80 close to 90 during the day and 40's and even some mid 30's at night also . . Batting always works but cleaning it can be a hassle . Is the pond in shade or sun and do you have water test kit . I use the reusable furnace filters in my pond stock tank filters . I buy them at lowes and they are blue and easy to wash off and reuse . Ponds are always the hardest in spring and then during fish spawning time . any plants or fish in your barrel pond

 

[chibae]

just needs more time . seems this year has had some really weird weather changes . Like here 80 close to 90 during the day and 40's and even some mid 30's at night also . . Batting always works but cleaning it can be a hassle . Is the pond in shade or sun and do you have water test kit . I use the reusable furnace filters in my pond stock tank filters . I buy them at lowes and they are blue and easy to wash off and reuse . Ponds are always the hardest in spring and then during fish spawning time . any plants or fish in your barrel pond

Full sun, the tree shading it came down this spring. It is covered about 60% with water hyacinth, floating lettuce and one parrot feather. it is home to two feeder comets (courtesy of a neighbor whose cat at my three year old goldie) and some snails. She has space to take the comets back if I don't have my bigger pond up by late summer.

 

[sissy]

I have 2 stray cats that i got fixed because they are great mouse hunters and they just like to chase the frogs in my lily pond . I just took 2 buckets of tadpols to a farm pond to help the farmer with mosquito control . . I kept some of my floating hyacinth in a fish tank in my basement but have not put it in the pond because of such swings in temperatures here . Been up to 90 during the day and can get down to low 40's and even higher 30's . It has been a really weird spring here VA weather is just terrible this year , dry no rain and now they say rain for 4 days . OH SO NOW YOU HAVE THE POND ADDICTION TOO