NFR: Pond Sludge

[Berserker]

No I don't mean Millwall fans ;)

I've been trying to get the muddy sludge out of the bottom of my pond without empting it. In the end I kept scooping it out with my pond net, empting the gunk on my flower beds.

What do you other pond owners do?

Mr B thinks I am disgusting by the way,  he says I have deposited mud with rotting pond life in around the garden

[grandad]

Fill it in & dig a new one with a pool liner to make it easier to clean.

[CincyFulham1]

Berserker, what is the bottom of the pond made of and how deep is it?  If it's concrete and not very deep put on your wellies and climb in and dig it out with a shovel.  Could a be a task for Mr.Berserker.

[Me-ate-Live, innit??]

Mr B  is right you are disgusting !!!!
get your deck chair out and a long stick.  Get yourself a large gin and tonic with unwaxed lemons and ice  ( didn't we teach you nothing on that other thread ???)


/...................................... Make him clean it out  the pond ............................................ the swine ( Felix voice)  

[Berserker]

Ha ha ha, Mr B doesn't do gardening at all or DIY,  his fingers are not green what so ever, mind you he did help me did the hole for the pond 10 years ago.

The pond is lined with flexible rubber. I shall peer into it's depths tomorrow to try and locate my ill water lily now that I  some of the sludge is removed. I think I will have to get into the pond eventually to save the lily.

[Me-ate-Live, innit??]

No No No !!!!....what do you think the long stick is for   ?????


It allows you to sit and point out to Mr B   the bits he missed while cleaning the pond .................. and the sick lilly

[Lighthouse]

For years we had a lovely water fall into a pond with all the right water lilly and plants and some happy fish. Scum and gunk appeared every year and blocked off the pipes and we spent ages cleaning it up. After twenty odd years and several burnt out fountains I had had enough. So last year it was filled in. Left to nature anything nice and attractive is overgrown with filth and gunk. Fill it in and save years of heartache and backache.

[epsomraver]

No I don't mean Millwall fans ;)

I've been trying to get the muddy sludge out of the bottom of my pond without empting it. In the end I kept scooping it out with my pond net, empting the gunk on my flower beds.

What do you other pond owners do?

Mr B thinks I am disgusting by the way,  he says I have deposited mud with rotting pond life in around the garden

pm sent

[ron]

For years we had a lovely water fall into a pond with all the right water lilly and plants and some happy fish. Scum and gunk appeared every year and blocked off the pipes and we spent ages cleaning it up. After twenty odd years and several burnt out fountains I had had enough. So last year it was filled in. Left to nature anything nice and attractive is overgrown with filth and gunk. Fill it in and save years of heartache and backache.

I'm reaching the same conclusion with my pond....at the moment I think it is just about worth all the hassle of cleaning filters and constantly battling blanket weed with remedies that cost the earth and of which I am told.."Don't worry, with this one, the blanket weed will be gone without trace in a fortnight...."

I think the best chance of having a relatively trouble-free pond is to have it almost the size of a lake, where a kind of self cleansing equilibrium builds up. Anything smaller where the temperature of the water fluctuates really does bring on the backache and heartache as you say....

[rogerpbackinMidEastUS]

No I don't mean Millwall fans ;)

I've been trying to get the muddy sludge out of the bottom of my pond without empting it. In the end I kept scooping it out with my pond net, empting the gunk on my flower beds.

What do you other pond owners do?

Mr B thinks I am disgusting by the way,  he says I have deposited mud with rotting pond life in around the garden

Either move house or drill some holes into the bottom of the pond, let it drain through and
then fill the holes with chewing gum.
But first, put the goldfish in a bowl indoors.
Mud with rotting pond life is a great compost.......maybe

[Holders]

I think you're doing it the right way, you don't want to take all the sediment out as it contains so much life that's healthy for the pond as well as nice things like dragonfly larvae, newts etc. The house I've just moved from had a pond and I used to remove the duckweed and spirogyra and carefully sort out all of these and water beetles etc. before binning it.

Isn't it curious that we're discussing garden ponds on our forum while the Millwall fans are considering which pubs to force their way into and "plan up" in?

[Berserker]

I think you're doing it the right way, you don't want to take all the sediment out as it contains so much life that's healthy for the pond as well as nice things like dragonfly larvae, newts etc. The house I've just moved from had a pond and I used to remove the duckweed and spirogyra and carefully sort out all of these and water beetles etc. before binning it.

Yes I do all that as well.

I couldn't live without my pond as I love frogs. Even yesterday they were sat round the edges watching me clear out the muck. Then soon as I had finished they dived back in the water. I'd left clearing it out until now as most of the Tadpoles have transformed and gone

Love the stick idea KCat, thats a keeper for future needs

[Holders]

It's incredible how Nature responds to a pond. I've dug two now and dragonflies started laying in them almost as soon as they were filled and long before they looked anything like suitable to me. Water beetles arrive on their own but I do tend to "seed" a new pond with water from an established one to import all those essential little bugs. The important thing is not to have fish that eat the wildlife. Luckily the house I'm in the process of buying already has one so that will save work on that at least.

[epsomraver]

For years we had a lovely water fall into a pond with all the right water lilly and plants and some happy fish. Scum and gunk appeared every year and blocked off the pipes and we spent ages cleaning it up. After twenty odd years and several burnt out fountains I had had enough. So last year it was filled in. Left to nature anything nice and attractive is overgrown with filth and gunk. Fill it in and save years of heartache and backache.

I'm reaching the same conclusion with my pond....at the moment I think it is just about worth all the hassle of cleaning filters and constantly battling blanket weed with remedies that cost the earth and of which I am told.."Don't worry, with this one, the blanket weed will be gone without trace in a fortnight...."

I think the best chance of having a relatively trouble-free pond is to have it almost the size of a lake, where a kind of self cleansing equilibrium builds up. Anything smaller where the temperature of the water fluctuates really does bring on the backache and heartache as you say....

If you do it properly a pond is no trouble at all, most people make their own problems with overfeeding, constant topping up with tap water etc, long may it remain , it keeps me employed! :005:

[jeremyfulham]

Buy a Hozelock pond vac & basket.PS the sludge is good for the garden

[Burt]

Now shall I hijack this thread about how to deal with the moss and mould etc. I get on the water feature we have in our garden....?

[Burt]

No... That would be ungentlemanly...

[Berserker]

Ah I have underwater dark green/black moss growing on top of the sludge and the underwater pond sides, i have no idea what it is. I pull alot of it out but have to re-home tiny pea cockles back into the pond as I go as they love living in the moss.

Anyhow what is wrong with lovely green moss growing on features, I love it, very gothic

[Burt]

Ah I have underwater dark green/black moss growing on top of the sludge and the underwater pond sides, i have no idea what it is. I pull alot of it out but have to re-home tiny pea cockles back into the pond as I go as they love living in the moss.

Anyhow what is wrong with lovely green moss growing on features, I love it, very gothic

It offends my OCD  :dft011:

[Holders]

Ah I have underwater dark green/black moss growing on top of the sludge and the underwater pond sides, i have no idea what it is. I pull alot of it out but have to re-home tiny pea cockles back into the pond as I go as they love living in the moss.

Anyhow what is wrong with lovely green moss growing on features, I love it, very gothic

Gothic, perfect word.

You must love Wistman's Wood.