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Wednesday 25th 57F/4C [7.30] Bright, with a sunny day promised after early rain. Windy from the west, gusting to 12m/s.
Up at 6.15 after a busy night. Apple juice and coffee with/after dinner.
I have borrowed a well used filter from the indoor aquarium. To start the chemistry cycle of the greenhouse pond. The used filter had been left uncleaned for months to ensure a heavy bio load and hopefully, lots of beneficial bacteria. I dropped it into the pond right beside the Oase filter pump and plugged it in.
This way both pumps contribute to even distribution of bacteria throughout the pond. My new plumbing parts should be delivered to the village, parcel pickup point today. These should help to increase the pump water flow and movement throughout the pond. The fountain/waterfall tap must causes considerable water flow reduction due to its circuitous internal arrangements and restrictions.
In the absence of ceramic plant weights. I am using stainless steel washers to hold down my new plants. It seems the former lead strips are unavailable in Denmark. Not even made from the substitute metals used for roof flashing. The water plants from Plantorama have ceramic weights in the bottoms of their pots. Albeit in a very noticeable brick-red.
8.00 I should have gone for my walk by now.
8.30 Back from my walk. Rather windy. Two red kites and a black kite were soaring low over the fields. Though not together. Two hares were playing on the neighbours' embankment. They started running towards me but swerved away and dashed to the top of the hill. Lots of traffic today.
I have dismantled and cleaned the smaller aquarium filter in the pond water. To accelerate the mixing of the beneficial bacteria with the water. Most of the green-brown gunk will probably end up in the big pond filter material. Where it will work continuously on the water passing through it.The rest will settle on the gravel, walls of the container and plants. Within a minute the pond water was slightly cloudy. A good sign of even mixing of the water. The cleaned filter was returned to the indoor aquarium.
10.30 I have now cleaned and rinsed the filter sponges in the second aquarium filter. Using the pond water. The pond is now very murky. [Image right] It will be interesting to see how long it takes to clear with the only the pond filter working. The Oase Filtral 3000 is rated at about 1200l/hr maximum. So will achieve one complete water change per hour in the pond. The container is listed at 1500 liters but the water is only 72cm deep. Rather than the full 80cm to the brim. It is unfortunate that the greenhouse roof is reflected at the pond surface.
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