pond lacking in oxygen

Hi

could someone please help me. My pond needs some oxygen and I'd like a water feature. I'd like to build a mini pond (40cm across), 80 cm from the main pond and elevated by 40 cm.
Water would be pumped by solar energy from the pond up through pipes into the mini pond (reservoir) and would run along a mini river into the pond, creating sound and movement and oxygenating the pond.
What do I need to buy and where can I get it? The technology (size of solar panel, cables, pipes) is far beyond me. PLEASE HELP - my pond and I are desperate. THANK YOU!!

what size outlet will there be from the mini pond

pond pumps move a certain volume of water per hour so for example if the pump moved 1000liters per hour then the waterfall would need to be able to dispense 1000liters of water per hourt into the main pond

how big is the main pond and what is your budget

the issue with solar powered is that at night there will be no oxygenation 

its a good idea but i think a regular pond pund will work better

http://www.primrose.co.uk/libel-xtra-600lph-fountainwater-feature-pump-p-764.html?src=list_name&cPath=1_213_131

that is a link to a regular pump this could be used with extra piping or tubing that will fit on the outlet purchased separatly to use your idea however i would probobly use this as a regular fountain pump to add surface agitation and oxygen although your idea is possible and would work 

How makes you think, your pond needs oxygen ????

Hi Guppy

thank you for your reply. The pond is 2.3 x 2.3 m but only a bit over 30cm deep. What makes me think - Marshmello - that it needs oxygen is that it is too shallow (we didn't put it in) to have a healthy ecosystem without help. It has plants and beasties in it but also lots of duck weed and green algae.

I'd rather go for solar, as I think that even a few hours a day would make a difference and I'll only sit outside to listen to the water (but not a noisy pump hopefully) if its nice anyway.

So, what can I do Guppy?

Thanks again

Konia

"To shallow to have a healthy ecosystem without help". Thats a new one on me.

For 30 years I've been dealing with ponds, and the first one I had was approx 50cm by 1m and 30cm deep, oval shaped with crystal clear water. It had 1 fish, 2 frogs and a bullrush, and no filter of any kind. The reason being it was 1980 and mostly in the shade.

Duck weed is a matter of preference, but I like it. When it gets too much, I just scoop it off. For me, it provides shelter for my wildlife and stops the water from turning green, kinda acts like a sunblock, if you like. Green water is generally caused by having a pond in full sun without enough shade. As an result, the water heats up,  suspended green aglae think its their birthday, nitrates build up, and..... BAM - problems !!! Ponds, especially ones which are man-made and small, need at least half their water suface in shade but just enough so that plants can photosynthesis and grow. Plenty of oxygenating weed under the water with a balance of marginal and deep plants. The water needs to be kept cool especially in the summer because it heats up more quickly and evaporates more quickly, thus making the water hotter and hotter, therefore carrying less and less oxygen. By fitting a water feature in such a small pond, your going to lose a lot of water to evaporation due to the heat. And less water means a bigger concentration of nasties, more time spent filling it up and an ecosystem that has to spend more time in recovery has it re-adjusts to the imbalance.

IMO a water feature is not your answer. But, if thats what you want, i have seen the kits your looking to buy in B&Q and in plant nurserys.

Can I further add, I have a pond at the allotment which is smaller then yours, converted from an old bath. Half of its contents are plants and the other half is water, I can see to the bottom and its teeming with wildlife. How ? I keep its surface water in shade and out of the sun. My pond has a perfect and healthy ecosystem even though its the size of the average bath !!

I took these the other day.....

 The black mass below are tadpoles....

Hi Marshmello

thank you for that - oh, I just love tadpoles.

Ok - the pond is in a sunny spot, so thats my problem. I need to plant more shade giving plants nearby (I've planted some already).

Water evaporation wouldn' t be a problem, as I live near Inverness and there is usually too much water if anything. I've certainly never had to top up the pond.

To keep the water clear I have oxygenating plants (and waterlilies) and barley straw bundles.

I'll take your advice and plant some more shrubs to shade the pond more - but would still like a wee trickle of a water feature. I do scoop out the green algae and duck weed when it gets too much, but I worry about taking out tadpoles/beasties etc. (I leave it at the side of the pond, but I don't think they all manage to get out of the green slime once on land).

So, what do I get for the waterfeature? BnQ don't sell solar powered ones and the local nurseries don't either.

Thanks again

K. / L.

- sorry - I had a name change -

Water features look lush. They look even better in a pond under control.

But you first need to find out what is causing your problems in your existing pond. Get this balance right, it does not have to be perfect, then consider a water feature to enhance your pond. A trickle of water is not going to suddenly oxygenate your pond.

Green slime ??? ......are we talking blanket weed here...

Do have any fish in your pond or is it just for wildlife ??

first of all i would remove asmuch of the blanket weed as possible by hand

second add some shade either with plants which are the best option or artificially with a opaque tarpaulin for a temparary measure ensuring the shaded half of the pond is open water and the planted half in the sun

third add more fast growing plants to the planted half

then excavate the top pond in a T shape to the old pond esureing that the I part is the old pond and the - part of the t is the new pond excavate the new pond with a slope in depth from one end to the other

purchase a solar pump by shopping online type in search engine will give lots of results

go to b and q and purchases some clear plastic tubing to fit the outlet of the pump(they have it on rolls ask a member of staff)

position the pump in the bottom pond and add the tubing to the outlet and lead it to the top pond you want the outlet to be at the shallow end of the new pond hide the outlet with rocks and there you have a waterffeature gravels and pebels can be added for finishing touches

then fill the top pond to the waterfall level with rainwater

turn the pump on and ensure that the level of water in either pond stays stable making sure that the top pond does not flood valves can be purchased to adjust the water flow nfrom the pump

the reason for putting the waterfall in the shallow end ensures that when the pump is off minimal the water from the top pond will discharge into the bottom so this shouldnt cause the bottom pond to overflow

hi Marshmello

I have wildlife - not fish in the pond.

So what I am going to do is plant more plants for shade and then build my water feature. (PS just noticed on the RHS page that they recommend a water feature and shade for blanket weed)

Hi Guppy

what 'strength' solar panel do I need?

Thanks very much

K/L

i would recomend this then some hose from band q 10mm i think for the outlet

http://www.primrose.co.uk/180lph-solar-water-pump-kit-with-battery-backup-p-11192.html?src=list_img&cPath=1_213_1297

What causes blanket weed....

....a pond which is high in nitrates and phosphates plus sun.

How to prevent blanket weed...

.....expel nitrates, reduce phosphates and sun.

If they are no fish in the pond which can be a strong factor in the cause of blanket weed, then something which is high in nutrients most be leaching into the water.

The worse thing you can do is pull it out, unless it is seriously severe, because everytime you do so releases more spores back into the water, further adding to the problem.

Until you get on top of the blanket weed, there is a real possibly that your water feature is going to spend more time blocked.

Yes, a water feature may help, but what I reckon it means is, a water feature helps to stop it appearing in the first place. Not, as a way of a cure to your present problem !!!

by outcompeting the blanket weed with fast growing plants over time there will be a decrease in the blanket weed as gradualy there will be increased competition for the phos and nitrates i would mybe sugest a scrape of the bottom to see if there is a large build up of organic matter

http://www.koimag.co.uk/forum    My advice is to join there forum wether you keep Koi,fish or not,You will learn more about water quality from these guys than anyone.

Trust me,I started off with a 1000 lt pond then jumped to a 10,000 lt Koi pond,had probs at first then learnt a lot from this magazine and forum,as a fish keeper especially Koi you learn its not fish keeping,its water keeping..i.e water quality,its the foremost important thing to learn before even considering keeping Koi.I know you dont have Koi or fish for that matter but DO join and explore there forum as you wont learn more about water quality,pumps waterfalls,pond plants etc etc any where else...

good luck

i agree that this forum could be good for advice i have a ND in fisheris management and it really is about the keeping the water not the fish +1 to the above comment

I have an allotment and when I took it over found an old enamel bath which I made into a pond ( I lined it with pond liner as it had a small hole in the base!) I bought a couple of pond plants at a local garden centre and put a few heavy rocks on the base of the pond - my very first attempt at anything like that ! This was 3 years ago and every year since I have had frogs spawn, tadpoles, froglets, water snails ( I don't keep fish). I don't use any fancy pumps and although in the summer I have to clear the weed sometimes, all in all it just looks after itself, the water is always clear as a bell! I love watching the wildlife in it and Im very protective of my frogs! Not bad for a new allotment holder, and a woman at that!!!  

thanks to everyone for the feedback. The point about the pump blocking has made me think - I'll go and investigate the bottom of the pond and check again whether anything can leach into the pond, as it is greener than ever, yuk. I don't want the wildlife to suffer though - that's why I've got the pond in the first place.

I'll check this when I get back from work next month. All the best L.