What a good metaphor for the mess this weekend: a scummy pond. I commented in Macha's blog previously -- I bet the spate of postings (that's another good word: spate!) there were probably 4 people posting over and over and agreeing wholeheartedly with each other.

The INXS song was "Need You Tonight" -- Try not to hate! Love your mate!

I knew who Ron Jeremy was, but I haven't seen him in a porn either. My sister and her husband met him, funny enough -- Fayard Nicholas was a tap dancer from the 1920s on, really famous and they went to see him at a signing somewhere. So my sister and her husband are talking to him for a minute, and who should come up to shake his hand was Ron Jeremy! He was a big fan too and went to meet him. My sis said he was polite and very nice to talk to.

I give you extra points for using the word "wanker." Whenever I hear or read that word, it reminds me of "This is Spinal Tap."

Asshattery aside (that would make for an interesting store, no? "Snarky's Asshattery"... right up there with the "buy five minutes of insults and/or abuse" skit by Monty Python) I too have a scummy pond in my backyard!

It used to have goldfish, but the previous owner cleaned out the pond and the fish died almost immediately after being reintroduced. Between owners, the hose to the fountain got disconnected and the water got all gray and cloudy. I've reconnected the hose and the water is slowly impoving. Any pointers on how to make the pond habitable again?

And no, I wasn't speaking in elaborate metaphor (though now I'm wondering, who would be the goldfish? Who would the previous owner represent? How about the fountain pump?). We really do have a scummy pond!

It used to have goldfish, but the previous owner cleaned out the pond and the fish died almost immediately after being reintroduced. Between owners, the hose to the fountain got disconnected and the water got all gray and cloudy. I've reconnected the hose and the water is slowly impoving. Any pointers on how to make the pond habitable again?

 

And no, I wasn't speaking in elaborate metaphor (though now I'm wondering, who would be the goldfish? Who would the previous owner represent? How about the fountain pump?). We really do have a scummy pond!

I'd hazard a guess that the fish died after being reintroduced because the former owner used soap or some sort of cleaning product in the pond, if it has a plastic liner. The buckets I used to bail water have never had soap in them, and if I use a sponge with a scrubby side to clean the liner, it's a new one that's never seen soap.

So, bailing the water out might be a good idea, then swabbing it down with soap-free paper towels or sponges or even a mop. Then rise it down with water from a hose, just enough to get the grunge off the sides, then bail out that water and refill the pond. That should remove any lingering soap residue. Garden ponds are a lot of work in that regard, if you want to keep them habitable for fishies.

The fountain is really good for water circulation and that probably has helped clear the water, since it was no doubt really stagnant. There's also various kinds of floating water plants/flowers that help water quality, look nice and also provide something different for the fish to nibble on. There's also these little bales of straw that are sold in stores with water garden supplies that are supposed to help deter algae growth. They aren't exactly attractive and I think they're best used on larger ponds, where you can hide it.

Here's one of my favorite websites for water gardening stuff and general tips:

http://www.lilypons.com/

Really, once you get it started, it doesn't need that much work -- just futzing around with the fountain to make sure it's still working properly, feeding the fishies and maybe bailing it out once a year. My neighbors consider the sight of me bailing out the pond to be a sign that summer is on its way.

Yeah, after reading this , you're probably telling the Mister, "let's rip that bitch out and fill it it in!!!"