Pond restoration

[marlin]

Aloha,
I have a pond that had enough difference in depth to have a thermal clime.
It had many hyacinths and I populated it with tilapia and some catfish.
Took out the plants as they were choking the pond and in doing so created a massive
algae bloom.
The tilapia have multiplied and there is a lot of debris that bubbles up in the heat of the day
and sinks overnight.
So ideas on how to deal with this? I do have a pump that circulates the water and sprays into
the pond and that will kill some of it. It the debris at the bottom...

Mahalo
Marlin


marlin

[Lee M-S]

Here's some things you can try:
1) get more plants. They outcompete the algae for nitrogen and sunlight.
2) have fewer fish. They're producing lots of nitrogen.
3) vacuum the pond to get rid of organic debris at the bottom.
4) empty the pond, clean off the bottom, change out the water completely. (Yeah, I know)

5) come to the Big Island Water Garden Club meeting and ask folks there for suggestions. It's every 3rd Tuesday (next is this Tuesday, 9/16), 7pm at the Kea'au Senior Center behind the police station. Visitors welcome, no charge to attend, friendly people, plant auction and giveaway, potluck pupus. This month's speaker will be talking about invasive insects.

><(((*> ~~~~ ><(("> ~~~~ ><'> ~~~~ >(>

[Carey]

Lee, or anyone else:
I will try to get to the meeting on Tues 9/16, but if I do not, the tidal ponds in Kapoha need some assistance, as their natural normals are totally out of whack due to the storm surge and heavy debris loads that have decomposed, send O2 levels way down...

If anyone from the BIWGC can assist the ponds, even to share ideas, vacuums & such, we are have a Coastal & debris cleanup in Kapoho on 9/21, and many of the pond owners have questions & need assistance in getting their ponds back up. Any help your group could provide would be greatly appreciated!

This link describes some of what we would like to do Sunday 9/21
http://www.projectaware.org/action/under...ebris-tide

Thanks!
Carey

[Tink]

Why not combine the two for a "show and tell"? Both those that have ponds, and those that are thinking about it would be able to learn using an actual pond and be able to be "shown how to read it" to evaluate its healthiness, and how to steer it back and keep it healthy would be great!

Community begins with Aloha

[Lee M-S]

Marlin and Carey, I emailed you both.

Sorry, Tink, got nothing for you. :-}

I can recommend http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/ponds/ --the gardenweb pond forum, lots of searchable info and helpful people.

><(((*< ~~~~ ><(("< ~~~~ ><('< ~~~~ >(>

[Tink]

Thanks for thinking of me, at least, thanks for the link! I have three ponds waiting for rain, then a lot more questions from me will arise.

Community begins with Aloha

[Ronni]

The debree you see is fish poop your supposed to scoop it out with a pond skimmer

veronica moore

[Carey]

Ronni, I know your response was not to our Kapoho ponds cleanup, oh, to have only fish poop to worry about in a pond!

Seriously, if you have any ideas on how to remove the storm surge pushed in house parts & debris we have, and esp. if you would like to help, see me in Kapoho on Sunday Sept. 21
Thanks!