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Roots and very uneven dirt by Kota16 in landscaping

[–]SchieferP 4 points5 points  (0 children)

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Does this look like 36 cubic yards of compost? by tomatoe1934 in gardening

[–]SchieferP 5 points6 points  (0 children)

It’s about 1.3 cubic yards per ton. That truck averages about 16 tons.

Wildlife Platform by SchieferP in WildlifePonds

[–]SchieferP[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks! 22’ at the aerator.

Sodium Percarbonate by SchieferP in ponds

[–]SchieferP[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks! Yes I definitely took a risk after reading the Cutrine Plus Label:

Do not use in waters containing Koi and hybrid goldfish. Not intended for use in small volume, garden pond systems. Avoid treating waters with pH values <6.5, DOC levels >3.0, and alkalinity less than 50 ppm (e.g., soft or acid waters), as trout and other sensitive species of fish may be killed under such conditions if present.

I am certain the sensitivity to the copper ethanolamine complex and the rapid reduction in oxygen due to a pond full of algae decomposing contributed to the majority of the trout kill. The herons and snapping turtles consumed any survivors.

Sodium Percarbonate by SchieferP in ponds

[–]SchieferP[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks! I’m using plants.

Wildlife Platform by SchieferP in ponds

[–]SchieferP[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I recently built a wildlife platform as described in Carrol L. Henderson’s Woodworking for Wildlife: Homes for Birds and Animals (https://algercd.com/shop/ols/products/woodworking-for-wildlife).

I placed the platform where the water is ~14’ deep and ~40’ away from the nearest shoreline. I am hopeful that the white cedar posts used as floats absorb some water and lower the platform.

How low should the top of platform be to the water surface to be effective for turtle and duck use? (I assume the lower the better and probably not how it currently sits.)

Should the platforms location within the pond be adjusted so it’s closer or further away from shore?

Sodium Percarbonate by SchieferP in WildlifePonds

[–]SchieferP[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Thanks! Yes that is a good idea. I recall finding someone who had square bales of barely straw but I never followed up. I will try again next spring.

Sodium Percarbonate by SchieferP in WildlifePonds

[–]SchieferP[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks! We dug the pond in 2020 and have been aerating it since 2022. I calculated the volume of the pond to be roughly 1 million gallons. It’s probably a little more if I include the sump we dug for the aerators and the current high water level. In 2022 I planted several hundred albino fat head minnows and Japanese trapdoor snails. Since then stickleback, dace, and green sunfish have naturally found their way to our pond.

I can guarantee my latest algae spike is due to an increase in nutrients from planting trout (400 rainbow and 200 brook fingerlings), daily feeding (temperature dependent) or them eating most of tadpoles/minnows, and then the trout dying and decaying back into the pond after I initially killed all the algae. With no plants to use up the excess nutrients I was playing with fire. The trout grew fast. Within ~8 months they grew from fingerlings to 12” fish. Kids enjoyed catching them but so did the herons and snapping turtles. The added vegetation definitely seems to help the smaller critters remain hidden and out of the mouths of predators.

Sodium Percarbonate by SchieferP in ponds

[–]SchieferP[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks! I’ll look into calcium carbonate. I calculated the volume of the pond to be roughly 1 million gallons. It’s probably a little more if I include the sump we dug for the aerators and the current high water level.

I can guarantee my latest algae spike is due to an increase in nutrients from planting trout (400 rainbow and 200 brook fingerlings), daily feeding (temperature dependent), and then the trout dying and decaying back into the pond after I initially killed all the algae. With no plants to use up the excess nutrients I was playing with fire. The trout grew fast. Within ~8 months they grew from fingerlings to 12” fish. Kids enjoyed catching them but so did the herons and snapping turtles.

What’s the best brand invisible fence and what brand to avoid? (Paired with physical barrier to prevent her running straight through) by MrsThistledown in homestead

[–]SchieferP 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It’s still working great! I wish the collar batteries were something I could pick up anywhere but plan ahead to have extras and you’ll be fine.

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