Second season, but first spring

[pugle1]

Hi,

I'm new to this forum and this is the first spring season for my pond and waterfall. I spent a year preparing the area for my set-up (small feeder pond / waterfall / 600 to 800 gallon main pond). I just kind of "dove-in" and I think I got lucky with my set up, but me being me, I didn't do a lot of research first.

I used a fish friendly pond liner and built the main pond with steps. The deepest part is about 24 inches or knee deep. Potted water lilies are placed there, with some miniature bull rushes along the shallow sides at one end and a little bit of duckweed for good measure. I stocked the pond with some common minnows and a few feeder goldfish. This was last summer.

Over the winter, I shut off the waterfall and used a double air pump with defuser stones as I wasn't sure how deep the ice would get. I wanted to see if the fish and lilies would survive the winter and they did. The bubble stones kept the ice thin enough that I could keep a hole chopped in it just to watch the goings-on through the winter. Come spring thaw, I discovered a major string algae bloom. Barley straw and a bit of peat moss took care of that for me but the water is just a bit cloudy. I don't mind the slightly brownish tint due to tannins as it give the water a slightly more natural look. I still have yet to do my first water test, but so far, all seems well. The fish are happy and the plants are growing. Slightly foamy water too, but some bacteria should help with that ( phosphates I'm assuming). HEY! I even noticed a few water striders on the feeder pond a couple days ago too!

Okay... that's the background on my set-up.

Here's my question:

On the limestone and shale rocks in the waterfall, I've noticed some almost microscopic worms ( larvae? ). They're between 0.5mm and 1mm in size, and very thin. They look to be black to a reddish brown in colour and are in the running water of the falls. The current doesn't wash them off so they're clinging on somehow, and yet they move around as though the current has no effect on them. They're so small that I only noticed them by accident. Any idea what they might be, or if they're beneficial / harmful?

Thanks in advance.

Pugle1

Just a couple pics attatched

 

[j.w]

pugle

They could be these Black Fly larvae and the adult flies bite you:

http://insects.tamu....de/cimg222.html

Here are some black fly larvae on a waterfall

 

[addy1]

knock them off the fish will munch down on them.

Very nice set up, love your falls.

and

 

[pugle1]

Thanks for the nice welcome and the compliment J.W. and addy1

Still a long way to go with the final landscaping though. I need more rock and stone, and I want to place baltic ivy under the sumac trees.

Well, this is back fly territory, but I've never noticed these little critters before so I suppose that could be what they are.
J.W. In the photos you posted, that looks pretty much like what I'm seeing in the waterfall, but the ones in your pics may be a little more developed. I clicked on the link you provided and it was most helpful. What I read there makes sense.The one's I'm seeing in my waterfall are much thinner. I figured that they might be some kind of larvae though. Thanks for that. So... that answers my Q... ummmm harmful to us, but beneficial to the pond's food chain..... GO MINNOWS! Just wondering... the fact that I have some insect larvae thriving in the water, is that a good sign that I have things in balance?.. I know I should still test the water though.

Thanks again!

 

[addy1]

Its a good sign that the water is not deadly! but still check your levels, esp the ammonia levels.

 

[Sunshine]

Nice falls !!

 

[DrCase]

Welcome to the Forum
Nice water movement

 

[taherrmann4]

welcome to the forum.. how big is your pump, that looks like some serious water flow.

 

[pugle1]

Thanks for the advice on ammonia levels, and the compliments... I will be doing a test in the next week or so. The garden center I use offers water testing, and too, they teach how to do it yourself properly. As I said above though, I still have a long way to go with the landscaping around the pond. I didn't come close to ordering enough stone to finish it, so the bulk of the surrounding area is still exposed pond liner. Also, I like the look of the sumac over the feeder pond, but my gosh what a clean-up pain come autumn! out there daily picking all those leaves and stems out of the falls...lol

The pump is a 5000 gph unit, although I can't remember the brand name. It seems to do the trick. That's about the flow I was looking for ( visually any way ) when shopping for a pump. I was thinking a 1200 ghp unit would be good, but I saw the flow rate I was looking for at the garden center with one of their landscaped displays. I'm glad I asked what size their pump was or I think I'd have been really disappointed. That may seem like overkill for a not-so-big pond, but the last step of the falls is just slightly above the water level of the main pond, so although the water moves nicely in the main pond, it's a very gentle circulation. The fish often swim right under where the water comes down. I'm only guessing at the volume of 600 to 800 gallons based on the formula to find volume. It could be as much as 1500 gallons.

I'll try and post a few more pics if I can dig them out.

 

[j.w]

Start digging out those photo's pugle...............we are waiting,lol!

 

[pugle1]

Start digging out those photo's pugle...............we are waiting,lol!

I just did a massive search on the ol' puter.... but no luck. Must've gone to DVD already. I'm look'n, I'm look'n !!! LOL

If I can't find them, it's no trouble to take more. It's just that right now the trees are still bare, and the yard's a mess and just starting to come to life. We had a warm stretch there for a bit where it was actually summer-like, but we're back to normal April cold temps and still have the odd frost some nights.

I'll see what I can do

 

[j.w]

Well don't run yourself ragged pugle taring through your house looking for those pix, we'll hold off putting you in time out for now,lol! Our weather is still cool here also but no more frost anyways. Our trees are starting to bud out now and it won't be long for you either soon I'm thinkin
:sun_smiley:

 

[pugle1]

The cherry trees have already blossomed, and my magnolia ( but the frost got that ) all thanks to a warm 18 to 20 *C week we had in mid March. Then the the "normal" weather came back. Some trees already have their leaves, but again, way earlier than normal. Another frost warning for tonight.... sigh. Put it this way... most local garden experts say don't plant anything around here until the middle of May. We're zone 4 - 5 depending on whose charts you look at.

BTW ... any advice on winter hardy below water plants? I have water lilies as mentioned above, but I'd like to give the fishies something to hide in... and to help with water quality.

 

[addy1]

These make it here in our zone 6, floaters, root masses give good hiding spots


parrots feather
penny wort
creeping primrose
4 leaf water clover
fuzzy 4 leaf water clover
4 left water clover variegated

 

[pugle1]

Thanks addy, I'll look into those. I guess I'll need to wait for it to warm up a little more though. But I was wondering about some underwater plants, like you'd see in an aquarium. I guess those would mostly be more tropical. I have access to as much duckweed as I want for floating plants, but they like perfectly still water. I have some, and although it grows and survives in my pond, the water moves just a little to much for it to establish itself. At least it's hardy.

*edit* - I was looking at the examples you gave addy, and I really like that parrot feather and the fuzzy 4 leaf water clover. According to Agri-Canada, I'm in zone 5a. The page I was looking at said parrot feather can be brought in for the winter and container-grown in a place with lots of light.... perfect as I have a south facing window where I keep my indoor plants. The water clover looks like it could be hardy enough to survive here, but too, If it came down to it, I could try to over-winter it in the house as well. I'll need to research that a bit. Around here hardy lilies are recommended to to be brought in, bagged and refrigerated over the winter, unless they're deep enough that they won't freeze. I took a chance with mine and left them out. They're growing right now with leafs just under the water surface. I can do water lettuce and hyacinth here, but in Ontario, they're annuals and need to be replaced every year. Gets a bit expensive.