The pond saga!

hi lulu you have been busy with the pond, i would scoop quite a bit of the mud out but leave some in, it will settle to the bottom again once you have topped the pond up, we may still have some frost so any wildlife in the pond and fishies will eat anything lurking in there till you start feeding them again, thats my view anyway, see if anyone says different,also put some of that pond clear in which will help the oily look :o)

Might just do that Sanbaz, there is only an inch or two of mud in the bottom and I do have various treatments I could put in. I haven't left too much of the old water in because it was so mankey! Have you ever heard of putting in chalk powder?

I dont touch my pond till late March early April as even though you get warmish day the fish are not fully active and feeding or disturbing them can kill them.

I don't know Lulu. I would go with San's advice...that's just my instinct. My pond in my first garden was like yours, same shape and size. It was murder to keep clean because it was too small . If I had your space I would get that digger back, buy a butyl pond liner, and get a much bigger pond in there that actually has a chance to balance itself out with nature and the solar pump. However, I know that's easier said than done! Hope it all turns out ok for you! :))

lulu you could google some addvice or ask a question on here in the question section, some good advice to be had there, good luck lulu :o)

Thanks girls, I must admit I was surprised to find a fish alive, hope it's going to be ok? Maybe that digger idea is a good idea, as you say, the pond is too small. I have a solar fountain but not a pump. What I worry about a bigger pond is that the heron can get to it easier!

Just get a heron scarer. They work a treat!

What kind of heron scarer!!

Ooops, sorry, clicked too soon! Apparently a Heron won't approach a pond where another heron is already feeding, so you need a pretend heron and then you should have no problem with the herons.

I think they get wise to that lol, a friend caught a Heron trying to mate her pretend Heron!!

Lulu you have to be careful when clearing your pond because stirring up the sludge whilst you have fish in there can actually kill them, you are in danger of them suffocating through lack of oxygen in the water.
It is a bit early as Clarice says........

Thanks for all your info. My fishie is out of the pond in a bucket, can't find the poor toad though. Know it's early but I just knew there were a dozen or so dead toads at the bottom that had to be got out. may have been a mistake, oh dear.

you did the right things getting the dead frogs out and im sure the fishies will be fine lulu, just get it back to normal as soon as poss,

Fingers crossed for your live-stock, Lulu.
Last year my partner installed a fountain+filter unit which has considerably improved the quality of the water in my pond, despite the addition of six fish (transferred from my late Mother's pond). The pond has been in the garden for about six years. Apart from dividing or thinning the plants and topping up the water level in warm spells it has had little maintenance each year. It is certainly a fine balancing act to keep the water perfectly clear in a pond.

If you're fish is in a bucket of fresh water it will have plenty of oxygen. People say fish are very sensitive, but any that I've had seemed to be indestructible! I bet your fish will be fine. I agree with San, a pond full of mud and dead bodies is no pond at all! If you'd left it any longer you would have had problems with frogspawn and whatnot. Chin up Lulu, it will be fine!

It's so nice to have all this help and positive thinking! I was discussing the pond with david just now regarding borrowing the studs diggerman again!!! He said, well I told you you would want a bigger pond! Well only if it's easier! Our neighbours Lab may be a problem with a liner, so hubby says well we will concrete it.....Ok says I. It won't have electrics though and will be in full sun until I can create some shade with new planting, eeks, I see expense here! I can also stop herons from my small pond with fishing wire (not good for dogs if they jump in though) We will have to watch this space and see what happens.........!!

Oooh! exciting times!

It's not a nice job at all - did it a month back - drained it and got in it and scrubbed - the smell of stagnant water is close to making me sick - very much like sewers :( cleaned it all now - if you want a good algae cleaner blagdon algae killer is great I use it now and keeps it clear :) hope it helps - nice pics of the frogs :)

Oh that seems a tough job to tackle and I bet it was chilly too in spite of the sunshine. Hope it works out OK.

I hope you can get your pond back in good shape for the summer. Pitty about the dead frogs etc. The winter might have killed them. Maybe you'll have lots of tadpoles in the spring and then some more frogs.

Thanks Paul, will hunt that one out! And yes, the smell, awful. Wasn't too chilly has I was working quickly. Just been out with a torch and found my toad and checked on my wee fishie who is still alive thank goodness!

I had to do a complete pond re-fresh a while back & we bagged up over 50 frogs from this small plastic preformed pond. Very messy job isnt it? We released the frogs into a healthy drain.

International Pond Rescue given plenty of advice here Lulu and I cant add any technical knowledge to whats been said..i have once been told though to 'wet vacuum' the pond base so it runs with clear water??

my pond story is a disaster saying this..one day early in the life of me being here i had a particulary difficult day with business..frustrated i came home and set about digging by hand a hole 8ft x 4ft x 3ft deep in the place i call the orchard..lined it and filled it and the next day bought a load of expensive plants and various things that look like they do something..then realised id dug this too close to a crab apple tree and some other trees and so inevitably it gets packed with all sorts of debris..god knows whats in there now..i now it resembles nothing like a pond though..good luck with yours

Oh dear Skip, I think there 9 bad luck stories in every ten in the life of ponds!! Well I'm back olut there in a min to take out more of the mud, wash it, keep the gravelly bits and fingers crossed eh! This time next year it may have turned into a bog garden though, which may be a good idea for yours!

Lulu, I've no experience of ponds but it seems you have lots of helpful advice from others. It is quite a big and dirty job sorting it all out but you are determined and I'm sure you'll have a wonderful, clear pond very soon. :)

Glad your fish is surviving so far and that you've located your frog.