Subject: Re: water hyacinth
From: Matt Trahan <matttrahan@geocities.com>
Organization: CampusMCI
Date: Fri, 12 Dec 1997 02:00:41 -0500
Message-ID: <MOD$971212.22911@rec.gardens.ecosystems>
References: <MOD$971201.8323@rec.gardens.ecosystems> <MOD$971204.4462@rec.gardens.ecosystems>
Hiller SB wrote:
>
> Follow-up:
>
> When I said "WE" I meant my mother and I who work on the goat farm here. Mom's
> pond died and I was (and still am, actually) building mine in the process.
>
> I asked mom why the hyacinths died and she said that the "pond conditioner"
> that I mentioned earlier had a warning on the label: "Will kill water
> hyacinths." She was using it so I didn't question its use. She didn't read the
> label.
>
> So there's the answer, I'd like to know why that's poisonous. We have
> decomposed granite soil here which is highly acidic but yet my veggies thrive.
> Those water ecosystems are SO TOUCHY. Why do they call it pond conditioner when
> it eliminated the hyacinths?
>
> Vince
> Boulevard, CA
Where to begin?!
Our pond ph is 8.5, we toss water hyacinth about 3 times a summer,
after starting with 3 tiny plants in spring.
Stop dumping chemicals in your pond just because a chem manufacturer
told you it was a good idea.
By "conditioner", the manufacturer may have ment 'removes'(a very
incorrect term) algea/duckweed/green plants. If your mom didn't get
around to reading the warning concerning hyacinths, she also may not
have read the dosage directions. "One glug to a gallon" doesn't always
work real well.
The comment "Those water ecosystems are SO TOUCHY." possibly identifies
you as someone from another planet!
I'm sorry, I'm not trying to be incredibly rude, just trying to comment
on how incorrect you are. Using the right ratios, Water gardening is one
of the easiest forms of gardening there is!
The correct answer is usually "just leave it alone and stop messing it
up" to 3/4 of the common ornamental pond questions.
We have a small pond, only 1000 gallons, about 10 foot round and 2 foot
deep in the center. Lots of underwater 'oxygenating' plants (weeds),
some waterlilies, bog plants, and small koi, goldfish, and rosie red
minnows.
No 'constructed' mechanical or biological filters, the underwater weeds
complete the nessecary cycles with the fish.
If you want more fish than is recommended for a given volume of water,
you will need to add a biofilter and incorperate a mechanical filter
into it.
What was the original reason your mom was adding the 'conditioner'?
Hope this is some help
Matt Trahan
USDA zone 8, Sunset zone 31, AHS heat zone 7, northeastern N.C.