[stufe35]

Hi, looking for a bit of advice. 

We have a pond, it's a fair size, without going out and measuring it I'd say about 25m x 25m. Thats roughly 75ft x 75ft in old money. 
I dug it out a bit deeper last summer because grass was growing in it,  so now it's about 2 -3 ft deep, but green algae type weed is growing. 

Is there any solution to stopping this happening eg. Putting fish in that will eat it. .?

[bloomer]

does it stay wet all year?


does it freeze solid?


grass carp (available from any good aquarium store) love pond weed...
 
but ideally the water needs to be deep enough that it doesn't freeze to the bottom and needs some flow in the summer to keep the oxygen levels up...


failing that bales of barley straw anchored in the water inhibits the growth of pond weed...

[stufe35]

Yes it stays wet all year, and doesn't freeze solid.

My house and out building roof water is piped to it, so it is kept topped up with fresh water that way.

Do you think that is enough fresh oxygenated water to support fish ?

[doganjo]

Minnows, Sticklebacks and frogs.  That's what I'm encouraging 

[stufe35]

There's plenty of frog span in there !

[bloomer]

in all but the hottest weather it would be fine...


keep the population low (10 or so) to start with and see how they go, they are relatively cheap so no great loss if it goes wrong...


in very hot long summers (cant remember one of them) it might need a little bit of additional water flow...


if you go that route some desirable pond plants added can also help maintain water quality, water lilies etc.

[stufe35]

Thanks for all your thoughts and advice folks,  I have realised what we have is blanket weed...and googling it brings up some interesting results.

 Seems like grass carp can be used successfully, but also part of it is to have other plants in there like water Lily's to help reduce light levels and use the nutrients up in the water. Eventually the pond will reach a natural Eco balance apparently.

Every days a school day .

[clydesdaleclopper]

If it is blanket weed than it can be used as feed for chickens as it is very nutritious.

[stufe35]

Hmmm. Sore point, had a visit from mr fox yesterday morning...gone from ten hens to four !
We don't usually get bothered with foxes except at this time of year when they stray a bit further to feed their cubs.

[doganjo]

Thanks for all your thoughts and advice folks,  I have realised what we have is blanket weed...and googling it brings up some interesting results.

 Seems like grass carp can be used successfully, but also part of it is to have other plants in there like water Lily's to help reduce light levels and use the nutrients up in the water. Eventually the pond will reach a natural Eco balance apparently.

Every days a school day .

I still get it and my pond has been there 3 years.  I've got loads of plants and it just strangles them.  I've tried the barley straw too. I don't know what to do next

[clydesdaleclopper]

And there's me wanting to find some to put in my pond so the ducks can eat it   

[doganjo]

You want duckweed for the ducks, mine wouldn't touch blanket weed.    I don't have much just now or I'd have brought some up with me next week

[Marches Farmer]

Just pull some long, twiggy branches across the surface a couple of times and it'll soon reduce.  If you put fish in there you can wave goodbye to much chance of newts, frogs, toads or dragonfly larvae living in it.  Our pond dries up most summers and is where the clay was dug out for the bricks that made the house 500 years ago.  The balance of plant life is different every year, depending on the temperature and rainfall - some years it's water forget-me-not, others flag iris, and so on. It still supports a healthy population of common and great crested newts, toads, pond skaters, great diving beetles, whirligig beetles, water fleas, water boatmen .... They arrive by themselves and their numbers also vary wildly from year to year.

[stufe35]

Very interesting, the brick thing would make perfect sence for our place as we know it is over 400 years old and we have real solid clay.

I won't need to twiggy branch as I will use my hay rake !

Have spent some great time with the kids through the bank holiday observing the pond ;we have loads of frogs, toads frog spawn and a load of toad spawn in there which I've never seen in my life before.

Also we have seen loads of newts, something else I've never seen water borne before...I can't see them well enough to work out what kind.

Considering at the end of last summer I completely drained it drove into it with my jcb and dug through all the silt leading it away and leaving a solid clay base I'm amazed at the wild life we have already.

I'm afraid without the cover of the grass it had previously we won't get the ducks and clutch of moor hens it supported last year,...but who knows, some areas of grass are re growing and I formed an island in the middle to give some protection for wildlife.

I am finding the whole thing fascinating.

[Lesley Silvester]

Can we see some photos? It sounds lovely.