Andrewtfw
Global Moderators
The school where I teach has a pond in the courtyard. The pond has not been maintained for a couple of years. Since I have a 125g in my classroom, the administration thought this would be a good project for me. I have no experience working with ponds.
The pond is 12" at its deepest point and is approximately 10 feet around. It is filled with 8-10 inches of mud and leaf litter. The filter is full of mud and I am currently unable to access the pump. There are a few types of plants in the pond. The roots are intertwined and dense, making it difficult to remove the mud.
My plan is:
1) Cut the plants bordering the pond to about 3" in height.
2) Cut the plants in the pond (except the lillies) down to their base and remove the roots as much as possible to ensure the plants do not grow back.
3) Step into the pond (I found it full of leech-like creatures today, so I am not thrilled with this part).
4) Use collanders to scoop out the mud.
5) Pour the mud into 5g buckets and cart the buckets out of the courtyard and dump them in the tree line in the rear of the school.
6) Try to get the pump to work (I know the 5w uv bulb is blown)
7) Place the pump/filter into a planter basket to serve as an additional pre-filter.
8) Fill the pond as needed (adding Pond-Prime).
9) Reconstruct the border of rocks around the pond.
Does this plan seem realistic to you?
The pond is 12" at its deepest point and is approximately 10 feet around. It is filled with 8-10 inches of mud and leaf litter. The filter is full of mud and I am currently unable to access the pump. There are a few types of plants in the pond. The roots are intertwined and dense, making it difficult to remove the mud.
My plan is:
1) Cut the plants bordering the pond to about 3" in height.
2) Cut the plants in the pond (except the lillies) down to their base and remove the roots as much as possible to ensure the plants do not grow back.
3) Step into the pond (I found it full of leech-like creatures today, so I am not thrilled with this part).
4) Use collanders to scoop out the mud.
5) Pour the mud into 5g buckets and cart the buckets out of the courtyard and dump them in the tree line in the rear of the school.
6) Try to get the pump to work (I know the 5w uv bulb is blown)
7) Place the pump/filter into a planter basket to serve as an additional pre-filter.
8) Fill the pond as needed (adding Pond-Prime).
9) Reconstruct the border of rocks around the pond.
Does this plan seem realistic to you?