Tom , I have just relocated from the east coast to southern California , which meant breaking down three tanks on which I was doing EI with CO2 injection and giving away their inhabitants and contents . The upside is that I have just yesterday finished digging and filling a pond that is about 1000 gallons . I have read up as much as possible on doing planted ponds , but I respect your opinion much more than the contradictory information that I get from the authors of whom I have never heard . I will try to keep the questions to a minimum , but for the time being , what substrate would you recommend ( I love the ADA Aqua Soil that you recommend , but that may be prohibitively expensive in this monster ) , and looking at previous posts , it seems you recommend a light version of EI due to smaller water change percentages , but what about CO2 requirements ? I can't imagine doing a tank without CO2 and I can't stand BBA . Lastly , I may have to leave this pond I just filled for 2 weeks to wrap up business on the east coast so my question is should I leave it empty , filled without any declorinator added , or throw in a bunch of plants and see what I come back to ? Thank you in advance and the new website design looks great .
New pond advice
- Thread starter Brian
- Start date
Pond? As in outside?
I'd personally use pots and keep larger cobble on the bottom.
Depends on what you want.
Need a bit more details about in or outside and shape and goals etc.
Most use Hyacinth, pondweeds, Najas, Chara, Egeria and the like.
Regards,
Tom Barr
I'd personally use pots and keep larger cobble on the bottom.
Depends on what you want.
Need a bit more details about in or outside and shape and goals etc.
Most use Hyacinth, pondweeds, Najas, Chara, Egeria and the like.
Regards,
Tom Barr
Tom , sorry for not being more clear on the details . The pond is outside and is something close to a circle with a 10-12 inch wide shelf for pots at about 10 inches deep which drops off to a bottom depth of 2 feet deep . My significant other is an incredible gardener who will no doubt have some say in the plant selection , which means that flowering plants will be used as much as possible . I am wondering if Shultz Aquatic Plant Soil would be good for filling the pots as it is readily available . I also am curious as to how the submersed plants would get enough CO2 in an outdoor pond without CO2 injection . I am trying to keep the fish stocking level to a minimum , but I have a 6 and an 8 year old to contend with on that one , so that may be a losing battle . Lastly , would the cobble stones raise the hardness , or is that not something to be concerned about ? Thanks again
The deeper the pond, the better, Racoons are vermin that should all die and so are Herons, they will both eat and trash your pond if they can get at the fish.
A dog is a wise idea sometimes.
Or a .177 cal. air gun (bad with kids unless you lock the guns up!)
Anyway, pack the pond with marginals all around except for a few spots, [pack plants and a few floaters in there as well.
Do not use the SAPS.
Use a good top soil.
Them mix 25% if this with 2-3 mm sand, lapis lustar etc.
Add this to the pots.
No need for CO2.
The marginals and the floaters will do the job and look great.
The remaining submereed plants will do fine.
Regards,
Tom Barr
A dog is a wise idea sometimes.
Or a .177 cal. air gun (bad with kids unless you lock the guns up!)
Anyway, pack the pond with marginals all around except for a few spots, [pack plants and a few floaters in there as well.
Do not use the SAPS.
Use a good top soil.
Them mix 25% if this with 2-3 mm sand, lapis lustar etc.
Add this to the pots.
No need for CO2.
The marginals and the floaters will do the job and look great.
The remaining submereed plants will do fine.
Regards,
Tom Barr