Woke up this morning to the big waterfall doing the surge and stop it does when water level is low…
ran out to see that the little filter is leaking bigtime…clogged.
Ah, me, first filter-pass of the season. I’ll add more water and haul out the filter pads from the little filter, which will weigh a ton, and wash them, then restart, and may have to do this more than once. We’ve never started the pond with the little filter engaged: live and learn, eh?
On the other hand, it has cleared the water considerably. It would be very nice if this enabled us to dispense with chemicals to reduce the algae.
Is no chemicals a good thing? I suppose the chemicals must be safe for the fish in whatever concentration you have to use. Other than filters, is there nothing else that will reduce the algae? Is there anything alive you can add to eat the algae? You can tell I know absolutely nothing about ponds or their inhabitants/chemistry.
Thought I would check if I could still post after the issues you have been having with bots/spammers.
Totally off topic – but on topic for your books – just got an email from Bookdepository.co.uk where I purchase all of your books telling me that my pre-order for Peacemaker has been released by the publisher, is being processed and should ship any day. Are they allowed to do that when the publishing date is whatever date in April? Not that I mind at all, it is going to take 7-10 days to reach me here in NZ anyway. I won’t have it before it is “officially” published unless the mail is super fast. The fastest I have ever received a book from them is 7 days, working days, normally closer to 10. The wait is finally almost over. I am not the most patient of people. Really looking forward to reading Bren’s next/continuing adventure.
re chemicals. All of the chemicals that CJ and Jane use on the pond are approved for fish, and specifically for their koi. Since it’s a closed system, their pond doesn’t have a continuous supply of fresh water brought in through inflowing streams. The chemicals are not only for algae, but also to ensure that the water is the correct pH, has the proper mineral balance in it as well as buffers that help keep that balance. It’s the same idea as the use of chemicals in a swimming pool, or a spa, used in the pond to ensure the water remains clear, that invasive species such as algae don’t build up, and that the nutrients in any food the fish don’t eat as well as their wastes are broken down efficiently. There are still occasions when the water has to be changed, just like in an aquarium, to ensure the health of the inhabitants, if the water chemistry is too far out of whack.
NZreaderLyn, to answer about the book delivery: A few people are starting to receive their copies through one channel or another, such as advance readers and publisher outlets; that is, reviewers and people who work for bookstores. A few international fans have begun receiving their copies, from fans’ reports. So it wouldn’t be beyond possibility that you’ll get yours soon.
I pre-ordered via Amazon here in the US, and they are still saying April 1st for the release date (and pre-order delivery). They have not yet updated to say it’s shipped and on its way, but that should happen any time between now and the appointed day.
So I’d estimate you’ll get your copy any time between now and about April 10th, or the release date scheduled for New Zealand, which I’d imagine is very close. Less than 16 days, then, I’d think. Many cheers, I hope you’re enjoying the book sooner than that, perhaps by the 1st!
Water is a chemical—H20—but it contains other chemicals—minerals like Ca (calcium) mg (magnesium) etc. And if these get out of balance for optimal pond life, pest species can take advantage of it.
What comes out of the tap is already modified: chloramine is added precisely to do in algaes and bacteria…but unfortunately not friendly to fish, which breathe the water: it irritates their gills and sets up for infections. So we add a dechlorinator, which neutralizes the chlorine/chloramine—BUT we also get water at ph 11, which is equivalent to the ocean, but freshwater fish like it a little lower; so we may adjust that.
So yes, a lot of adjustment goes on.
But we also have to make it unfriendly for algae but friendly for lilies and fish. So you can put in an algae-killer that gums up algae and makes them die off. But THAT encourages bacteria that dispose of dead algae—and then those bacteria die back as their food diminishes.
It would be overall nicer just to keep the floating (greenwater) algae at a low enough concentration that they can’t turn the pond to green Jell-o, but not have to add the chemical—the pond, over all, has a great deal of microlife that wouldn’t appreciate that chemical bath. So — we encourage bacteria in the filters and run 2, the Matala, which is a storage-bin sized box with gradated filter pads, nearly filling the box, that, as well as hosting ‘good’ bacteria that break down waste, physically snarl and stop the algae, or most of it, and we pull those pads and wash them out with the garden hose, then replace them; and we run the big waterfall filter, which has yards and yards of a plastic tape that also hosts bacteria that break down fish waste, but it is NOT good at snagging algae. So—two types of filters. I think those of you who’ve seen the pond before will be surprised how crystal clear we can get that water! [We hope!] At least it did last year.
Wait, pH of 11? That’s a bit higher than the ocean, its normally somewhere just above 8… pH 11 is more like the pH of ammonia…
We did an early water change this year because of crazy weather, but I’m going to have to do another partial one soon. The algae is getting thick although it really isn’t visibly free floating – yet. Its just coating everything so a vacuuming is definitely due. Sigh… Pea soup isn’t far off.
I hate adding the chemicals, but this pond is so badly overcrowded there’s not much hope of keeping it under control without a lot of partial water changes and/or chemicals.
It’s actually often 7.9-8.3, depending on locale…I was brain-glitching. It is a nasty ph as it exits the tap.
Oh good! It wasn’t MY brain glitch! 🙂 Yeah, with that pH out of the tap water chemistry would be a pain!
What most people want is an agreeable environment, what they get is an ecology, always. 😉
If you look at healthy pond water under a microscope, you see a teeming wealth of tiny animacules and plants. The koi suck these in along with every breath.
Thank you all very much for the informative posts about the ecosystem of ponds.
Caro-ji -if I can be so familiar without causing offence – I do follow the fish blog posts because they are interesting until they get too technical. I only studied Science up to High School, many years ago. I am still fascinated though in not just your pond but also other posters’ ponds that get mentioned. It certainly sounds like a labour of love. On the clear water front, the pictures over on Harmonies show how clear you have managed to get the water in the past. You have my admiration for such an enthralling hobby. You have it majorly for your writing, but also now for this. The tiny animacules remind me of something I read about plankton in the sea that baleen whales eat.
Paul, I would call it an agreeable environment and an ecology. It must be so nice to sit and relax watching the pond. As long as the eagles stay away.
BCS thanks for the information about the book delivery. It was more the release date that I thought was firmly 1 April, because I had read that here on the blog and at the site I buy from. Funnily enough, that site still says 1 April but is also saying shipping now. Unfortunately I have not yet got the email to say it has shipped for me. Processing must take at least a day. Their warehouse is huge. The cost is easily half the bricks and mortar book retail stores here in NZ, so I will continue to mail order and wait for delivery. I am currently re-reading the series at my normal quick rate so I am still reading in the Foreigner universe. My husband will grab Peacemaker as soon as it arrives, but we can read the same book because we read at different times of the day/night.
Here in the states some providers such as Barnes & Noble are shipping now whereas Amazon sticks strictly to shipping for arrival on the day of release. I could get it faster but not more reliably, so in this town which does not have a real bricks and mortar bookstore anymore, I get everything in the mail or as an e-book of some type (or in the case of nand’ CJ I get both… and then get my hardbound copies personalized by nand’ CJ or by getting a signed bookplate).
Ready4more I saw your post and had an aha moment, or whatever. I think that is universal English. Maybe a “light bulb moment”. My online book seller has been bought by Amazon. Their policy may be shipping for arrival on the day of release, but shipping, well posting, to NZ isn’t that easy to fix on a date. I definitely shouldn’t receive it before 1 April, postal times being what they are. We have an excellent specialist bricks and mortar bookstore here in the city I live in that gets sci fi and fantasy in, but book prices here are really expensive. I would buy from them if it wasn’t so much cheaper to buy online. I would rather ensure I get the books I want without paying way too much and that way I can buy double the amount of books. That’s a win win for the authors and me because I buy more books.
Re my post of 11.48 that was a total fail. It shouldn’t be Caro-ji, should it? It is the last part of a name, not the first. Well, I will stick to our favourite excellent author or Ms CJ, if the Ms doesn’t cause offence?
We’re really lax on most things as not everyone is conversant with the atevi protocols. Nand’ or nandi is the title for a Lord and usually goes before a name or minimally as a substitue for the full name and rank (sort of like referring to someone as lord or lady). -Nadi is more like saying mister or miss but usually trails the name (again this can be used in an established conversation when it is obvious who the speaker is talking to, without the name). -Ji is an indicator of a closer relationship, such as for well-known associates of similar rank or within a household (what we would class as friends). It trails the name and is never (so far) used alone without a name, although it’s use with a shortened version or nickname in conjunction with -ji is appropriate. As members of the Wavy Navy we might refer to each other as lyn-ji and ready-ji. Usually in written form the lyn-nadi or ready-nadi would be short if appropriate. If one wanted to be formally correct and respectful to a lady to whom one has personal respect one could use -daja. Damiri is referred to sometimes as the Lily-daja. It might be appropriate to name nand’CJ and CJ-daja although that seems a bit remote and possibly fawning. The ultimate relationship within man’chiin is -ma used to show personal association (fealty) upward to a ruler. Bren variously has used Tabini-ma, and Dowager-ma (or ‘Sidi-ma) to indicate his personal recognition of their right to rule and make decisions for him and his household. It was a real revolution of thinking to refer to Nand’ Machigi as Machigi-ma while Bren was negotiating for him. Long story short, CJ would be in increasing order or association, respect and personal relationship, properly called: CJ-nadi, CJ-ji, Nand’CJ, CJ-daja (or Author-daja, etc.), and finally CJ-ma. Since I choose not to impose an association, I opt for the formal Nand’ CJ, when writing, although in my heart I regard her as CJ-ma. I am not on intimate enough terms to ever use her given name which is only used by close family and Jane.
By the way, I’m sure CJ would never ever object to a title or name used with respect and admiration or courtesy. She is a classy lady who has been very gracious with me during our few face-to-face meetings…
Thank you very much for your post Ready4more. I will stick with the known courtesies from now on. I definitely don’t want to seem to have a closer relationship with our aiji than exists. I just had a brain fail while posting, and it wasn’t even that late at night.