Fertilizing mistake in pond = overabundance of string algae due to phosphates 5/15/09
Hello, WWM Crew!
<Anita>
I really need some help with a "newbie" ponding mistake.
<Ok>
My 500 gallon pond is just under 1 year old and contains goldfish and plants. I live in zone 5, Northeast Ohio.
I planted a few new marginal plants about 3 weeks ago in aquatic planting media (NOT clay) and fabric planters. Well, the string algae starting growing and showing up like crazy, taking over the pond and choking out the submerged plants (hornwort, anacharis).
<Happens in such settings... newly unestablished ponds...>
I found out (the hard way!) that you cannot fertilize plants that are planted in aquatic media and fabric planters, as the fertilizer tabs leech into the pond, resulting in SUPER HIGH phosphate levels, which string algae just love!
<Ah yes>
Here is my dilemma: My phosphate levels are at least 10 ppm
<Yowzah!>
(the test kit tops out at this level). 2 days ago I added 1 dose of Phos-Out, and the level did not change. Yesterday afternoon, I performed a 30% water change and added another dose of Phos-Out. I tested the water again this
morning, and the phosphate level is still 10 ppm.
<... time to...>
What is the best, safest and quickest way to lower the phosphates?
<Take some water out, remove the fishes, dump all and re-pot the plants>
I did take the fertilized plants out of the pond, and I was planning on flushing them with water to (hopefully) get rid of the remaining fertilizer tab.
<Oh! Good>
On a positive note, I hope posting my mistake keeps someone else from making it.
<I as well>
Thanks very much in advance for your help!
Sincerely,
Anita
<As stated, the best course of action here is to simply dump, rinse, re-fill the basin... and change out the potting medium, use less soluble source of nutrient for your plants. Bob Fenner>  

Pond gravel  4/28/09
We have an outside pond and my wife and I cannot agree if we should leave the bottom just natural using the liner or should be put a layer of pea gravel down.
<No on the gravel... is more than just a mess... becomes a bio-hazard in time...>
We will have different pond plants
<Put these in blind pots... per what is archived on WWM>
as well as goldfish. My wife read that it is a bad idea to have gravel and I say it is just the owners preference. Please advise. thanks.
<It's a poor idea I assure you... mulm, detritus, gunk gets in and over... makes cleaning a very much harder chore. I strongly encourage you to skip.
Bob Fenner> <<Mmmm, RMF may have mis-read... I would not put gravel down, but something "softer" as an underlainment... Carpet is best, but there are commercial products made as well to place twixt the ground and liner... At any length, sharp rock and roots need to be removed that may come into contact with the liner.>>

Mesh baskets for pond plants?
Hi WWM crew, thanks for your past advice.
<Howdy>
I have two ponds with water lilies and a few other plants.  What is your opinion on using a mesh baskets?   Some people say that it leads to healthier plants since the roots have easier access to nutrients in the water, but I have also heard that the soil just leaches out into the pond in a very short time.   What is the truth?
<I have seen and on a few occasions used these, but by and large am not a big fan for exactly the reason you state... they leak whatever mix of soil et al. is in them. Consider the circumstances that these plants live in "in the wild"... no mesh baskets, no ready flow of water through their root areas. Bob Fenner>
Thanks.  Jeff