Messages

1

Pond Chat / Re: Hey everyone! Happy news, sad news

« on: April 25, 2014, 08:20:56 AM »

Did you leave behind all the Cope's gray tree frogs?

2

Koi Shows / pond tour chicago area

« on: July 27, 2010, 05:35:49 AM »

I am on the MPKS pond tour Sunday 8-1-10. Everybody is welcome. 916 E. Crockett Ave. Addison, IL 60101. Use mapquest.com for directions.

mike

3

Pond Chat / Re: Do algae chemicals KILL algae or simply "control" it?

« on: August 28, 2008, 08:48:15 AM »

I feel sorry for the wildlife drinking from the pond with the poison. It does kill birds and insects and DOGS etc. (just read the label) Salt will only harm the floating plants. just remove them for a week. Salt to .3 on a digital meter for 7 days and do some water changes.

4

Pond Chat / Re: Do algae chemicals KILL algae or simply "control" it?

« on: August 26, 2008, 05:10:39 AM »

Read the fine print and see what else it kills. Birds, Dogs, and don't get it on your hands......Causes cancer, not for use in CA etc. Keep that stuff out of the pond.

5

Pond Chat / Re: Koi and ponds

« on: August 25, 2008, 06:53:47 AM »

Use this chart for a reference

http://www.koiandponds.com/fishstockingtable.htm

6

Pond Chat / Re: Best Source for Pond Liner?

« on: August 25, 2008, 06:46:06 AM »

Firestone cleans their fishsafe liner before the stamp. They remove any oils and loose material from manufacturing.

7

Pond Chat / Re: I must be buying pumps at the wrong place

« on: August 25, 2008, 06:39:49 AM »

I use a Beckett pump. I change it every 2 years. That seems about the average for submersible pumbs.

8

Pond Chat / Me at the MPKS tour on Sunday

« on: July 23, 2008, 07:59:00 AM »

the online aquarist came by and snapped some pics.

http://onlineaquarist.com/index.php?title=Mike_and_Barb_Sounhein

9

Pond Chat / MPKS pond tour starts this weekend

« on: July 07, 2008, 09:48:00 AM »

I am at 916 E Crockett Addison IL 60101
I am on tour Sunday 7-13-08
Anybody in the area, stop by.

http://www.mpks.org/calendar/pond_tour.htm

10

Pond Chat / Chicago area fish and equipment auction

« on: June 04, 2008, 08:28:19 AM »

This Sunday June 8. Only members can sell, anybody can buy. Lots of big and small fish cheap.

http://www.mpks.org/

11

Pond Chat / Re: aquascape forum

« on: June 02, 2008, 09:29:47 AM »

Message board is for installers and net of dealers only last time I checked. There is a novice section but I don't remember how to get to it.

12

Pond Chat / Re: Does anyone know if bird house next to a pond is a problem?

« on: May 23, 2008, 11:21:30 AM »

If you have even one sparrow in the yard, you will not get the Martins to come. I am not sure what the problem is between the two. A guy I talked to last pond tour had purple martins in his bird house and he explained to me that he had to BB shoot every sparrow in the yard for a couple of years. Finally the martins moved in. I have a Martin house in my yard filled with other birds of every kind. I can't shoot any of the birds.

13

Pond Chat / Midwest Pond and Koi Trade Show

« on: May 21, 2008, 11:35:55 AM »

Lots of good stuff at the show. Everybody welcome.

Here's a link

http://www.mpks.org/

14

Pond Chat / Re: salt and plants

« on: May 19, 2008, 10:08:57 AM »

.03 on a digital meter is the threshold for killing the plants. If you don't have a digital meter, don't salt. In the spring I remove all the plants I want to keep and salt for 2 week at .03 and it kills all the agae and lots of fish critters. After 2 weeks I do a 50% water change and put the plants back in. I have a natural water source to bring the pond back to .0 in about another 2 weeks. The fish can take salt in much higher concentrations but it is not necessary. Plants like Lotus are very sensitive to salt and some of the common water lily are not very.

15

Pond Chat / Re: What do tadpoles eat?

« on: April 29, 2008, 10:43:43 AM »

Tadpole chow in a can.


http://cgi.ebay.com/HBH-Frog-Tadpole-Bites-Food-Pellets-1-2oz_W0QQitemZ200215582777QQihZ010QQcategoryZ20759QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1638Q2em118Q2el1247

16

Pond Chat / Re: What do tadpoles eat?

« on: April 29, 2008, 10:42:21 AM »

Even got a book on tadpoles


http://cgi.ebay.com/Quick-and-Easy-Tadpole-Care-Guidebook_W0QQitemZ120251489246QQihZ002QQcategoryZ3212QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

17

Pond Chat / Re: Snakes in the pond

« on: April 28, 2008, 07:14:51 AM »

Get yourself an Eagle. They eat snakes.

18

Pond Chat / Re: Pond and Landscape Plan Revised...

« on: April 24, 2008, 05:57:36 AM »

Lighter Pic?

19

Pond Chat / Re: HELP.....need skimmer questions answered soon

« on: April 23, 2008, 04:58:17 AM »

A 10" weir (opening) submerged 3-4" can handle 5000-6000 GPH. I would recommend brushes instead of filter pads. Once you switch you'll know why I say this.

20

Pond Chat / Re: salt

« on: April 23, 2008, 04:53:37 AM »

This is Doc Johnson's line on salt. I (meaning me models916) use it in the spring only. Before I add any surface plants.

http://www.koivet.com/html/articles/articles_results.php?article_id=41&category=13&search_term=salt

21

Pond Chat / Re: Why .......

« on: April 14, 2008, 07:15:06 AM »

.3% will kill a lot of harmful things in the pond. use it once in the spring for about a week or two and then change it out. Rock Salt only or solar salt 99.9 pure only. Stronger or later in the year will kill a lot of plants. The fish love a little salt.

22

Pond Chat / Re: ?? about cement pond

« on: April 11, 2008, 11:15:39 AM »

POLY ROLL ON TRUCK BED LINER WORKS GREAT AS A POND LINER. Safe for plants and fish, lasts forever. Walmart sells it in the auto dept.

23

Pond Chat / Re: I'm looking for some feedback..

« on: April 09, 2008, 09:48:31 AM »

Should have some sort of price list just in a general sense. Maybe $ per gallon or sq ft. or depth x length. Maybe ala carte on everything with a disclaimer.

24

Pond Chat / Re: Took some new pics of the new kids

« on: April 02, 2008, 08:12:30 AM »

Called Butterfly if they were hatched in the US. Long fin to the Japanese who disliked them until recently. Very hardy because of the new blood from Indoniasia. (spell?)

25

Pond Chat / Re: Another Filter Qu... Re Size Pump for Filter

« on: February 25, 2008, 09:11:18 AM »

Use the bigger one. It's easy to put a valve in-line and slow it down if necessary.

26

Pond Chat / Re: I CAUGHT THE CULPRIT!!

« on: February 20, 2008, 08:28:06 AM »

I use a Paint Ball gun on unwanted critters in Chicago area. Legal, Cheap, Leaves a paint mark, Stings, Never kills, Quiet.......
Get it a Walmart, air powered water cleanup if you miss. I don't want to kill any of the animals in the area, just make them keep their distance.

27

Pond Chat / Re: What to Do With Excess Liner - WithOUT Cutting It?

« on: February 19, 2008, 07:29:14 AM »

Just go deeper. An extra foot will use up 2 ft of liner on the sides.

28

Pond Chat / Re: Pumping Water Uphill - Question

« on: February 19, 2008, 07:27:56 AM »

Usually a chart on the box the pump came in to show how lift affects volume. 4 ft is not much, but will slow the pump down some. If the filter requires the full capacity of the pump, you will need a pump that pumps that capacity at the lift the filter is at. Turns in the pipe and diameter also affect the pump head.

29

Pond Chat / Re: anybody know anything about attracting purple martins??????

« on: January 03, 2008, 11:51:14 AM »

You will have to kill every sparrow in the area. They don't live or thrive in the same area.

30

Pond Chat / Re: In Pond Pump vs. Out of Pond Pump

« on: November 20, 2007, 12:04:02 PM »

I switched to this in skimmer/sump pump last year. 3 year warranty, extremely low power consumption, Home Depot availability, continous run ability. I use one in my basement sump and one in the pond. Both 1/2 HP and can run both during power failure with my 1000w generator. Check it out.


http://www.basementwatchdog.com/sump_pump.htm