Backyard Aquaponics :: View topic - POND MUCK or POND MEDICINE

.......growing tired of dying fish and bacterial blooms clouding the water, I reasoned that none of the fish I had seen in nature were diseased and their water was usually quite clear. Perhaps the problem was that my aquarium had an overly simplified ecology and my fish were being fed processed, dead food when in nature the ecology was highly complex and the fish were eating living things. So I bravely attempted the most radical thing I could think of; I went to the country, found a small pond and from it brought home a quart of bottom muck and pond water that I dumped into my own aquarium. Instead of introducing countless diseases and wiping out my fish, I actually had introduced countless living things that began multiplying rapidly. The water soon became crystal clear. Soon the fish were refusing to eat the scientifically formulated food flakes I was supplying. The profuse variety of little critters now living in the tank's gravel ate it instead. The fish ate the critters and became perfectly healthy.

Author:	Cyara [ Oct 2nd, '08, 17:57 ]
Post subject:	POND MUCK or POND MEDICINE
A lovely online book "Organic Gardener's Composting" by Steve Solomon found here...... http://www.soilandhealth.org/03sov/0302 ... 10200.html In Chapter 2 on composting basics he said the following and I thought it might be of interest to us all....... Quote: .......growing tired of dying fish and bacterial blooms clouding the water, I reasoned that none of the fish I had seen in nature were diseased and their water was usually quite clear. Perhaps the problem was that my aquarium had an overly simplified ecology and my fish were being fed processed, dead food when in nature the ecology was highly complex and the fish were eating living things. So I bravely attempted the most radical thing I could think of; I went to the country, found a small pond and from it brought home a quart of bottom muck and pond water that I dumped into my own aquarium. Instead of introducing countless diseases and wiping out my fish, I actually had introduced countless living things that began multiplying rapidly. The water soon became crystal clear. Soon the fish were refusing to eat the scientifically formulated food flakes I was supplying. The profuse variety of little critters now living in the tank's gravel ate it instead. The fish ate the critters and became perfectly healthy.

Author:	King Erik the 14th [ Oct 2nd, '08, 18:44 ]
Post subject:	Re: POND MUCK or POND MEDICINE
Hmmmmm, I think I've heard of this principle somewhere else???

Author:	creative1 [ Oct 2nd, '08, 18:46 ]
Post subject:	Re: POND MUCK or POND MEDICINE
seems to do the trick

Author:	Dufflight [ Oct 2nd, '08, 19:12 ]
Post subject:	Re: POND MUCK or POND MEDICINE
In the lagoon where I nicked my duckweed I thought it was funny that the water was very clear. But this could of been because it was able to settle. In my saltwater tank there are a lot of bristle worms in the gravel. Live rock is a must for these systems and that is how you introduce the critters to your tank.

Author:	steve [ Oct 2nd, '08, 19:37 ]
Post subject:	Re: POND MUCK or POND MEDICINE
YAY, another saltwater man! find the marine aquarium thread and join in +1 on the diversity. i've never dipped my live rock nor interrogated my hitch-hikers Brstile worms have had an overly negative spin put on them. They have their place in my tank. I have a downdraft skimmer but due to a woefully inadequate pump on it i consider it an airator not a skimmer and collect bugger all. And i think tis has been the best thing for my tank. last week i had a copepod explosion, nice. my water does yellow quickly but it forces me to do partial water changes. have tested ammo once and ph once. thats all never dosed ANYTHING. have had it since about march, mucho corraline and i assume calcium and iodine are good as the coral banded shrimp have moulted about 7 times I should probably move this post, huh? LOL i'll reply to celle in a seperate post

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Author:	steve [ Oct 2nd, '08, 19:38 ]
Post subject:	Re: POND MUCK or POND MEDICINE
celle, +1 bio-diversity is the key IMHO. search back for a VERY lively debate on this a long time ago to make it easier to search a member called AquaAddict was very involved in the discussion

Author:	Cyara [ Oct 2nd, '08, 19:52 ]
Post subject:	Re: POND MUCK or POND MEDICINE
Hi Steve. Tried AquaAddict.....Came up no suitable matches. I would love to read the thread... anything else I could try?

Author:	steve [ Oct 2nd, '08, 21:21 ]
Post subject:	Re: POND MUCK or POND MEDICINE
LOL, well firstly i spelled his name wrong. then i had to search via 4 different key words before remembering that there was a poll on the thread, so searched for poll! here you go viewtopic.php?f=2&t=491&hilit=+poll

Author:	steve [ Oct 2nd, '08, 21:26 ]
Post subject:	Re: POND MUCK or POND MEDICINE
ahhhhh, memories.............

Author:	Cyara [ Oct 2nd, '08, 21:55 ]
Post subject:	Re: POND MUCK or POND MEDICINE
Neat! Thanks Steve! WIll check it out

Author:	Outbackozzie [ Oct 4th, '08, 20:30 ]
Post subject:	Re: POND MUCK or POND MEDICINE
LOL 9 Votes Was a happenin place back then

Author:	Cyara [ Oct 4th, '08, 22:26 ]
Post subject:	Re: POND MUCK or POND MEDICINE
Noticed the vote went GO FOR IT.... and the thread said... CAREFUL! I guess should go for it carefullly!

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