Messages

1

Pond Chat / Re: String algea soloutions I need one!

« on: April 17, 2014, 08:36:29 AM »

I have been using large bundles of barley straw in nylon bags, like they use for swim fins, in my "Skippy" type filters for 7 or 8 years and I think it works for me...  Water is always very clear and minimal string except under the 2 falls where there is a lot of oxygen, I guess.  I picked up a bale of barley straw from the local feed store for 12 bucks and it has lasted me for 3 years now and I've still got a third of it left. Got the first batches from the fields in Eastern Washington and Montana when I was traveling frequently.  I know there is much disagreement on this subject, but I'm not going to stop using it now, as prior to usage I had bad infestations of string.  Could be my pond has reached an equilibrium and the straw just keeps it there.  It wasn't a quick fix, but after a few months it seemed to help.  They eventually break down after 6 or 7 months and then I refill the bags with fresh stuff.

Dave

2

Pond Construction & Filtration / Re: Need help with piping a Aquadyne 4.4 C filter

« on: December 11, 2013, 04:10:17 PM »

Sorry don't have that particular filter, but one bit of advice for any piping, unions, or connections is to use rubber sleeves with O clamps to join them, instead of gluing them together.  Unless you have a tremendous amount of pressure these work very well and allow you some "slop" and wiggle room to maneuver them around.  Also very easy to undo when you need to move or remove a pump or filter.  This allows for vibration dampening too.

Dave

3

Pond Chat / Re: Mayla from Turtlemike and Pond Pics

« on: August 28, 2013, 09:05:15 PM »

Thanks Sean...

I'll take some additional photos this weekend and post them..
Dave

4

Pond Chat / Re: Mayla from Turtlemike and Pond Pics

« on: July 12, 2013, 01:37:06 PM »

Thanks for the compliments, everyone...

5

Pond Chat / Re: Mayla from Turtlemike and Pond Pics (Joey Tomocik added)

« on: July 11, 2013, 03:19:24 PM »

 

And sure enough here's the Joey Tomocik!!! With another pond shot....







Dave

6

Pond Chat / Re: Mayla from Turtlemike and Pond Pics

« on: July 09, 2013, 09:24:08 PM »

Thanks Gary... Have had the pond going on 10 years and it changes every single year, it seems... Physical and mental therapy for me!!!
Dave

7

Pond Chat / Mayla from Turtlemike and Pond Pics

« on: July 09, 2013, 03:48:56 PM »

 
Finally have some summer here in the Pacific NW!!!  First blooms from the Mayla and WOW what a color... Picture doesn't do it justice.

Now waiting for Turtlemike's Joey Tomocik to throw a yellow for me...





[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v143/finnpond/Pond7-8-13026.jpg[img/]

Take Care... Dave

8

Dealer Deals / Re: Turtlemike's waterlilies are for sale !

« on: May 13, 2013, 04:54:50 PM »

   Doggone... I missed the coupon!!!   Turtlemike's two waterlilies arrived in great condition and I immediately potted them up and they are looking good in the pond...  Mayla and Joey Tomicik!!!

Dave

9

Aquatic and Terrestrial Plant Exchange / Re: want to trade lotus for blooming size tropical/ tropicals...a few for postage

« on: May 07, 2013, 09:50:35 AM »

Hi Tink,

Do you have any lotus left?  I'd be interested in a larger one not a mini...  Thanks, Dave

10

Pond Chat / Re: filter media for skippy

« on: May 01, 2013, 12:38:13 PM »

I use the green tulle? they sell at Joanne's fabric...  The stuff they use for slips and such.  Like 100 yards of it..  It goes on sale pretty often.  I have pictures of it on my photobucket album below.

Dave

11

Pond Chat / Re: Let pond freeze over or not?

« on: November 16, 2011, 06:12:26 PM »

    FYI... 

Fish, lilies, etc., made it OK through all this...  I did keep Sequence pump going, so both waterfalls were functioning as were Savio skimmer and DIY Skippy-type filters...



Take care,
Dave

12

Pond Chat / Re: Pond in East Olympia, Wa. 9-11

« on: September 17, 2011, 10:22:57 AM »

Julles...  The turtle is not real, just a good luck charm  !!  We have a couple of them...  Pond is 32' long X 14" wide at the widest... 

Dave

13

Pond Chat / Re: Pond in East Olympia, Wa. 9-11

« on: September 12, 2011, 09:43:30 PM »

Thank you ladies... 

Rehabing from rotator cuff surgery... So I've had some extra yard/pond time!!!  My pond is still my physical and mental therapy!!!  If you have the choice to not have this operation, please take it....  One of the worst (pain) and longest recovery things I've been thru (I also have a titanium knee)...  I now have all kinds of metal implanted that make airports and security checks not one of my favorite things to do..

Off to Anchorage, Alaska in the morning for my sister-in-laws funeral... Bone cancer... 

Nuff griping about stuff, plenty of people have it way worse than I do...

Take care,
Dave 

14

Pond Chat / Re: Pond in East Olympia, Wa. 9-11

« on: September 12, 2011, 08:31:05 AM »

Just a couple more...







Dave

15

Pond Chat / Pond in East Olympia, Wa. 9-11

« on: September 12, 2011, 08:24:31 AM »

  It was such a beautiful day here in the Pacific NW!!!  Here are some pond pictures...









Dave

16

Chit Chat / Re: Tri-tip

« on: May 27, 2011, 09:12:33 PM »

Oh C'mon...  I need the "Rub" ingredients!!!!!!!  Looks soooooo Delicious....  Gotta be some sugar to get that blackness ... 

Thanks....   Dave

17

Chit Chat / Re: Question for Tennessee residents re: Rhodendrons

« on: May 14, 2011, 07:04:23 PM »

Hmmm... 

The Pacific NorthWest is Rhody heaven, and we are Zone 7/8...  I'm not sure there is a "Rhody bloom time", except that it is late Winter to Early Summer, as we have them that bloom from mid-March to early June. and it can depend on how the winter treated them and the variety planted...  Cold wet winter/later bloom...  I planted so that I have Rhody's blooming all Spring and early Summer...

Dave

18

Pond Chat / Re: Surepro 5500 pump

« on: May 12, 2011, 07:49:52 PM »

Howdy...

Is this a submerged style or an external (out of the pond) pump? 

Dve

19

Pond Chat / Re: 2 pond shots yesterday

« on: May 01, 2011, 09:24:07 AM »

Wow!!! Your Taro are huge already...  Or do they stay like that all year in your climate?  I've just taken mine out of the garage and they look pitiful...  Need some warmth up here in the Pacific NW...

Nice Photos, looks very beautiful...
Dave

20

Pond Chat / Re: Barley?

« on: April 10, 2011, 09:24:09 AM »

I've used it for the last 3 years and the only string algae I get is in the waterfall...  I bought a bale of it at the feed and grain store, so I make large sackfuls of it in nylon mesh bags and put them in my two Skippy-type garbage can filters...  I see the small little bags they sell at the pond stores, and I didn't think that was enough for my sized pond (14X32)...  The bale I bought was 12 bucks and I probably have enough for 3 years... 

Wouldn't testify in court that it works, but I'm not gonna stop using it, because I used to have alot of string, now none at all...  Could be my pond has balanced out, or my plantings are taking care of the water...  But, just saying.......

Dave

21

Pond Chat / Re: Almost ready for liner!! (photo)

« on: March 18, 2011, 11:51:42 AM »

Oooooooooooo!!!!  Nice!!!!!  Hard work too, I bet......

Dave

22

Chit Chat / Re: I can't believe i am posting a commercial! This is spectacular though!

« on: February 11, 2011, 05:58:03 PM »

I love that kind of stuff....  Thanks...  Dave

23

Pond Chat / Re: Koi in the skimmer

« on: February 03, 2011, 05:48:42 PM »

Howdy... 

Could something be scaring them in there?  Or are they maybe "mating" and the females are trying to get away from those "pesky" males?  Seems kinda early for that but you never know what the cycle for that kind of thing is with all the different parameters ponds can produce...

Dave

24

Pond Chat / Re: Barley straw

« on: November 10, 2010, 02:03:11 PM »

Hello...

I have kept 2 very large chunks in my garbage can "skippy-type" filters for the last three years, 24/7/365, and only experience string algae in places that get alot of air movement/oxygenation, (my small creek and waterfall)...  Prior to that I got string all thru my pond and it was a pain keeping it collected and out of the pond..  Have to admit all my marginals and pondside plants that creep into the pond around the perimeter have matured much over the years, and definitely suck up nutrients, but for now I am keeping the barley straw in the filters...  It is very cheap for a bale of it at the local feed store and doesn't require any maintenance, except to fill the plastic onion bags every year...  Tried Koi-Clay but didn't see much effect...  Have heard it works for some, however...

I've never tried the Algae-Fix or any other of the soluble chemical products...

Take Care...
Dave

25

Pond Chat / Re: Olympia Pond 8-21-10

« on: August 23, 2010, 09:04:32 PM »

Thanks everyone...  As I've said before ....  Mental and Physical therapy for me...  Yep, the Joe Pye made it through the single digit weather, so I don't think it needs real warm temps...  Although we are Zone 8 here, you wouldn't believe it some winters...

Dave

26

Pond Chat / Olympia Pond 8-21-10

« on: August 22, 2010, 03:43:20 PM »

 

Here are some pictures from yesterday...  Beautiful day here in the Pacific NW...  Some of you may remember my 12 ft tall Dracaena from previous posts...  The single digit temperatures for 8 days in December 09 did it in so we replaced it with a Boulevard Pom Pom tree...  We also planted Joe Pye Weed after asking about it here and it is doing quite well!!!  Pickerel is having the best year yet...  and my Taro patch is finally filling in, after a very cool Spring... 

Tinkster's generous sharing of lotus came to naught, because of the mallards and my one koi messing with them...  Oh well, I'll still give them a try, but not this year...

Take Care...  Dave

27

Chit Chat / Re: EDIT: I got the Job!!! Interviewed today for position in the OR

« on: July 21, 2010, 09:28:00 PM »

 

Way to go, Sean!!!!  Very happy for you....   Dave

And I also appreciate all you do for this website...........

28

Pond Construction & Filtration / Re: Pond Skimmer and Pump Problems - Help!

« on: July 04, 2010, 10:09:42 AM »

Sounds like you are on your way!!!!!  Everybody does what they have to, to get them by...

I eventually got tired of pulling the pump from the skimmer and the continual cleaning ritual involved and went with an external Sequence pump...  Dug a hole lower than the skimmer (Savio) bottom, plumbed a pipe to the hole, dropped a box in the hole, installed the pump so that it was gravity fed/flooded suction, installed some ball valves,and hooked it up to my garbage can filters...  Much easier maintenance, lower power costs and it has been running 24/7/365 for 5+ years...  I've pulled it twice to clean impellers (frog ingestion!!) and that's it...  I have also now installed a large mesh screen around the Savio output, so I don't have the frog problem...

I would still recommend a biofilter to you and a good location is at your waterfall site...

Take Care...  Happy Fourth!!!

29

Pond Construction & Filtration / Re: Pond Skimmer and Pump Problems - Help!

« on: July 03, 2010, 08:26:28 AM »

I agree with Jerry...  For a short term fix, you may want to put polyester batting in you waterfall where it enters your pond and rinse often.  Sounds like either the input to your skimmer is too small (what type is it?) (Pictures?) not allowing it to fill properly... Can you make it larger? Another solution would be to put a valve in the Pump to Waterfall fall line, close it down a notch, so that the pump is not draining your skimmer.  This would weaken the amount water going over your falls, of course.  Is the skimmer the only source of input into your pump?  Filling the skimmer with filter material seems like it would only exacerbate your problem.....

I made a "skippy"-type bio-filter out of garbage cans you can look at in my early pictures below, they work great... and are similar to the real Skippy, Jerry and many others here have built...

Dave

30

Pond Construction & Filtration / Re: Pond liner sources in Western Washington?

« on: June 28, 2010, 08:28:14 PM »

Western Supply on 4th or 6th Ave. South down by the stadiums is where I bought my Firestone 45 mil roofing membrane...  I bought a 50X20 foot piece 8 years ago for about 36 cents per sq.ft.....

Dave