Pond Question for Helen or anyone

13 years ago

I know I can ask at the pond forum but I found another post from Aug and you have a pond. I'm having an awful time with my pump filter. I have an old bath tub half burried in the ground with waterlilies in it as well as some gold fish. I keep buying snails but they die. Don't now who can't keep snails except me! For some reason I thought I was suppose to have a filter around the pump, I may of gotten that idea from the ponds forum. Everything I've tried this year cloggs up and shuts the water flow in a day or two. Last year I used the plastic scrubbies and it worked great but I haven't been able to find them this year. Do you have any ideas? I'm about to say bye bye to the pond if I can't get it fixed. Kathy

Comments (4)

helenh
13 years ago
Kathy, the people on the pond forum would laugh at my set up. Have you tried Dollar General for the scrubbies? I bought two black plastic plant holders at Lowes (they aren't solid - are like a screen and put my pump in them. They are wired tops together somehow to make a box. This has been going a couple years so I forget. There is no other filter under water. The plastic hose from this is connected sometimes to a spitter sometimes it just comes out of a rock. I change that part. The spitter at the present is spitting into a crock with part of a pillow in it. That is my filter. My water is green but I have many gold fish and frogs and I like it anyway. I don't run the pump all the time but I do most of the summer. When it gets to 100 the fish need the oxygen and my "filter" does get dirt and algae out. I think it would be easier to find the scrubbies and do what you did your successful year. I have a lounge cushion that was in the dog house because someone chewed it when they were a pup. It was made of foam and a layer that is similar to scrubbies; I don't know what you call the stuff but I have used it instead of scrubbies. It could be you have more plants and muck accumulated and scrubbies may not work either this year. I don't clean my pond much but the water lilies lose leaves and a muck accumulates. That is not so bad, I think it may be a home for dragonfly nymphs. Good luck, water gardens are fun.
ladycraft
Original Author
13 years ago
Thanks Helen, Sorry I have been so slow in checking back. I think they would laugh about my set up over there too. I tried quilt batting and it lasted about 4 days. Last year I had the pump and scrubbies in a cottage cheese container. I tried the Dollar Store and the Dollar tree and they were the metal kind. Maybe I need to check more often.
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helenh
13 years ago
The black plant holders are especially for water plants; I think they are about 4 dollars each at Lowes. Two tied together is probably too big for your bathtub, but you might make a box out of something similar. If I had a fine filter under water, it would be clogging up in 4 days too. The box that my pump is in is just to keep the leaves out. Small things go right through and shoot out from the spitter.
ladycraft
Original Author
13 years ago
Maybe I shouldn't worry about a filter then except for something for the leaves. Sure would be easier.