ON 20051013@4:23:29 PM at page: http://www.massmind.org/techref/other/pond/index.htm#38638.682974537 James Newton[JMN-EFP-786] Says The summer of 2005 has passed with the plants doing a bit better than last summer since the lovely peach tree we planted between the pond and the west fence is providing a bit of shade. We added two lilly plants which have been blooming very nicely. We did have some aphids on the pads, but I just push the pads under watter and the fish go nuts clearing the bugs off.

I've finalized the bamboo flue with about a 3 foot drop and that seems to do well for both aerating and circulating the water through the cistern. The algea grows nicely in the bottom half of the cistern and accumulates the "fish poop" and so on under it. I pull the algea to the side and scoop out the "black water" from time to time for the garden and fruit trees. I plan to add some media for the algea to grow into inorder to clean the water a little more.

The pump and siphon have been unreliable. Somehow, air always seems to get into the tubing or algea clogs it. I put a loop in the hose on the outlet of the pump and ran it up the side of the fence and back down to the flume. Then I added a cheap timer to turn the pump on and off every half hour. When the pump turns off, the water rushes back down the outlet hose, through the pump, and flushes out the inlet removing debris and air. This has improved the system, but it still requires flushing out every few weeks.

I've added a small air pump and stone bubbler to increase the aeration and fill in for possible failures of the pump / flume during the summer when the water is warm and O2 levels are likely to be critically low. So far, the mosquitoe eaters and the goldfish are doing fine, getting fat.

Talapia next spring!