So this is THE weekend. I am putting my pump in, arranging the plants (except for what I ordered new this year of course), etc. My question is:

I knew my liner had a layer of algae on it, but last night I went out and scooped a few leaves out and then ran my net along the side and the algae is THICK! Probably a quarter inch thick. It isn't stringing or bothering anything else, so should I be considering a good cleaning or leave it as is? I am leaning more towards leaving it as is, at least for a few weeks after the filter gets running in the hopes that this will cut down on a spring cycling of the water, but at the same time I was surprised at how thick it was and am not sure if I should be worried about getting it out.

Any thoughts or suggestions?

Derrick

I leave it alone...I have the same thing. The fish eat it, supplements their flake foods. When the water is clear and the sun high...it looks like a velvet carpet lining the pond. :D soooo cool, and I never found it to hurt anything.

Leave it be, it is totaly benificial to your pond. The algea provides a place for the good bacteria to grow, and salad for your fish even string algae is good in certain amounts for the fish to eat when the weather is cold. If you clean all that out you are more likely to have the dreaded green water, then you will not be able to see your fishes. Do a decient water change along with the other things you mentioned and set back and have a beer cause your done! B)

Just the answers I wanted to hear!!! :D
Whenever someone tells me to sit back and have a beer and to leave something alone, I tend to follow those instructions! hahaha....Yeah, it is kind of what I was thinking, just wanted confirmation. As it is I will be knee deep in 55 degree water for awhile arranging the plants anyway! I may well need to go for rum to keep that cold out!!

Derrick

Does someone want to come move a rock for me? Like a knob, I put a 100 lb. slab of stone on the bottom of the pond last year and had plants sitting in it. It will be in the way this year, so it has to go....but I ain't looking forward to picking that puppy up and trying to toss it out over the side! LOL....I got it in there, so I guess I can get it out. Should have been thinking ahead more though! :blink:

I agree too. Leave the coating of algae.

I'm reminded of someone who asked me a question a few weeks ago. They said that no matter what they did, they kept having algae in their pond. What were they doing? Hand scrubbing thousands of pieces of large gravel in the bottom of their pond! Talk about time consuming and counter beneficial!

Derrick, I can't even lift 40 pounds so I'd be no help! I need help here! Is there anyway you could tie a rope to it and rig up a pulley system?

hmmm...probably could set up a pulley, but that would make Grog think, and Grog no like to think!! :D

I'll just take it as my punishment for being dumb and putting it in there, so to make ammends I have to take it out! The lifting it doesn't concern me so much, it is much more a concern of being able to keep my feet from slipping on the algae. Would just not do to have me feet go sliding out from under me just as I am trying to throw the thing over the side!! hahaha....end up sitting on the bottom on the pond with both legs broke! :o

It's a real nice looking almost perfectly rectangular piece of rock though, so I will have to find a good spot to use it for something. It's about 2 1/2 feet long, maybe 8 inches wide and deep.

The rock sounds ok where it is to me. I'd leave it there.

If you want to move it out, maybe you can grab two ropes and slide them underneath it.
Then have a buddy, or the wife if she's up for it, lift it out with the two of you on opposite sides of the pond.
Walk it sideways. That way you're mostly using your legs.

It still involves somebody (you) getting wet to place the ropes, but it might save a trip to the doctor! :)

Or just jump in and try the old He-e-e-e-e-a-ave-HO!! :D
If you do end up with a cast on your leg, you can draw some cool goldfish on it. :lol:
......... )<)))*>

Just kidding, be careful... the band needs a bass drum.

PG