More Pondage

The recent cooler conditions with lower levels of sunlight have allowed the homemade box filter and UV system to get an edge over the algae in the pond. Hay and her sister have mentioned that it seems a lot clearer when swimming and have awarded me the accolade of "Pond Guy".

I've recently noticed black clumps floating on top of the pond and research has shown me that these clumps are dead algae - once the UV system has killed off algae, it tends to clump together on the surface. The slightest touch causes these clumps to dissipate, like a powder ball, and they have to be skimmed off the surface with a ladle.

Leaving them in the pond can cause further problems, as they eventually sink to the bottom, depleting the oxygen levels as they decompose. Skimming, aeration and adding beneficial bacteria prevents this. At least the UV system is working.

I'm learning so much about pond management after taking on the challenge of the algae bloom.

I've been looking around for the best place to put the Pond Shack - where I'll house the large filters I was given. These things are going to be very heavy when siller with water, so a concrete pad will be needed on which to build the shack. Also, if I end up using both filters, the shack is going to take up a rather large amount of square footage where I'll need power. It has to be done, however.

I got a composting bin which I was going to muck about with to create a stand for one of the filters (pictured upside down on a pallet), but on reflection it would buckle under the weight of the water in the filter, so a breezeblock base will be a must, unless I fill the composting bin with concrete and shape the top.

My intent will be to run the setup only during daylight hours in the spring and summer, when the algae runs away with itself. Not much point in having it running in winter, and there's the attendant risk of it freezing up.

This chap hasn't been getting much attention since I shifted my attention to the pond issue:

However, the weather hasn't been conducive to working on it and I'm still looking for a rotisserie so I can tackle the underside. Have managed to repaint the garage floor though and perform some tidying / stacking.