No doubt like others .. I have no choice now but to replenish the
wildlife pond that we have (small - c.450 litres) with tap water.

Before I do that, any comments? (I have done it many times before but
read on.)

In the past we have had awful, seemingly irredeemable, problems with
blanket weed. A few months ago I found an alleged miracle cure for
blanket weed, which, again alleged, does no harm to pond life. Blow me
down with a feather, but it seemed to work! (Unlike other very expensive
"cures", tried before.)

I'm now wondering if my (very infrequent) habit of using tap water
encouraged the blanket weed.

I'd like comments, because -- as I said -- I've no choice, now, but to
use tap water for replenishment, and I'd like any advice that's going.

Cheers
John

On Sun, 11 Jun 2023 13:36:49 +0100, Another John wrote:

> No doubt like others .. I have no choice now but to replenish the
> wildlife pond that we have (small - c.450 litres) with tap water.
>
> Before I do that, any comments? (I have done it many times before but
> read on.)
>
>
> In the past we have had awful, seemingly irredeemable, problems with
> blanket weed. A few months ago I found an alleged miracle cure for
> blanket weed, which, again alleged, does no harm to pond life. Blow me
> down with a feather, but it seemed to work! (Unlike other very expensive
> "cures", tried before.)
>
> I'm now wondering if my (very infrequent) habit of using tap water
> encouraged the blanket weed.
>
> I'd like comments, because -- as I said -- I've no choice, now, but to
> use tap water for replenishment, and I'd like any advice that's going.
>
> Cheers John

Allegedly there are more nitrates in tap water which is why rain water is
better.

If you can, perhaps let it breathe for a few days (for example, in a water
butt) to let the chlorine clear before you add it to the pond.

HTH

Dave R

--
Dell Latitude 7280 with Full HD and Thunderbolt (woo hoo)

On Sun, 11 Jun 2023 13:36:49 +0100, Another John <lalaw44@hotmail.com>
wrote:

>No doubt like others .. I have no choice now but to replenish the
>wildlife pond that we have (small - c.450 litres) with tap water.
>
>Before I do that, any comments? (I have done it many times before but
>read on.)
>
>
>In the past we have had awful, seemingly irredeemable, problems with
>blanket weed. A few months ago I found an alleged miracle cure for
>blanket weed, which, again alleged, does no harm to pond life. Blow me
>down with a feather, but it seemed to work! (Unlike other very expensive
>"cures", tried before.)
>
>I'm now wondering if my (very infrequent) habit of using tap water
>encouraged the blanket weed.
>
>I'd like comments, because -- as I said -- I've no choice, now, but to
>use tap water for replenishment, and I'd like any advice that's going.

Blanket weed is an alga. As such it is a plant, and thrives in water
where there is a good supply of nitrogen, just like plants in general.
Commonly, in domestic ponds, the nitrogen comes from fish crap. Do you
have fish in your pond? Do you feed them frequently? If so, then there
is your source of nitrogen, and why you're getting lots of blanket
weed.

In my previous place, I had a medium-sized pond with goldfish in it. I
never fed them. They survived well enough, certainly sufficient to
breed, although the adults never got very big, but I had very little
blanket weed (or duckweed, for that matter).

Another possible source is if you feed your pond plants with
nitrogenous fertiliser. Stop doing that, the level of nitrogen in the
pond water will slowly decline, along with the amount of blanket weed.

--
Chris

Gardening in West Cornwall, very mild, sheltered
from the West, but open to the North and East.

On 11/06/2023 13:36, Another John wrote:
> No doubt like others .. I have no choice now but to replenish the
> wildlife pond that we have (small - c.450 litres) with tap water.
>
> Before I do that, any comments? (I have done it many times before but
> read on.)
>
>
> In the past we have had awful, seemingly irredeemable, problems with
> blanket weed. A few months ago I found an alleged miracle cure for
> blanket weed, which, again alleged, does no harm to pond life. Blow me
> down with a feather, but it seemed to work! (Unlike other very expensive
> "cures", tried before.)
>
> I'm now wondering if my (very infrequent) habit of using tap water
> encouraged the blanket weed.

No, it'd be sunlight and some inconsiderate water bird not thoroughly
washing itself below the Plimsoll line
>
> I'd like comments, because -- as I said -- I've no choice, now, but to
> use tap water for replenishment, and I'd like any advice that's going.

I'd acquire a small fountain pump or similar and a tank/plastic bin
large enough to take a straw bale - it is possible to use smaller
quantities (it's also OK to sling the straw straight into the pond) but
IMO it's best to pump a trickle of water through barley straw (I can't
remember whether spring barley or winter barley is better, but one or
other is recommended.) and let the overflow run into the pond. That way
you get the chemical action as well as the physical filtration.

https://realaquatics.co.uk/blogs/news/green-water-the-pros-and-cons-of-using-barley-straw-in-a-pond
might be a good place to start.

--
Rusty Hinge
To err is human. To really foul things up requires a computer and the BOFH.

On 11/06/2023 13:36, Another John wrote:
> No doubt like others .. I have no choice now but to replenish the
> wildlife pond that we have (small - c.450 litres) with tap water.
>
> Before I do that, any comments? (I have done it many times before but
> read on.)
>
>
> In the past we have had awful, seemingly irredeemable, problems with
> blanket weed. A few months ago I found an alleged miracle cure for
> blanket weed, which, again alleged, does no harm to pond life. Blow me
> down with a feather, but it seemed to work! (Unlike other very expensive
> "cures", tried before.)
>
> I'm now wondering if my (very infrequent) habit of using tap water
> encouraged the blanket weed.
>
When I first built my pond it got covered in blanket weed., That was
from rainwater,. Then it simply disappeared, I think a blanket weed
nibbling species of some sort moved in.

> I'd like comments, because -- as I said -- I've no choice, now, but to
> use tap water for replenishment, and I'd like any advice that's going.
>
#Ive been using it for years in dry spells, as I said, the blanket weed
is now gone.
It may be that pond weeds are oxygenating it and the spirogyra cant
handle it

> Cheers
> John

--
All political activity makes complete sense once the proposition that
all government is basically a self-legalising protection racket, is
fully understood.

On 11/06/2023 14:24, David wrote:
> If you can, perhaps let it breathe for a few days (for example, in a water
> butt) to let the chlorine clear before you add it to the pond.

I had no way to let it breathe, so I put it in with a sprinkler. I
_think_ it helped, but I can't be sure.

Right now my pond is scheduled for an emergency rebuild. The ice last
winter punctured it, and it's run dry :(. I'm saving everything I can,
but that's not much.

Andy

On 11/06/2023 14:24, David wrote:
> On Sun, 11 Jun 2023 13:36:49 +0100, Another John wrote:
>
>> No doubt like others .. I have no choice now but to replenish the
>> wildlife pond that we have (small - c.450 litres) with tap water.
>>
>> Before I do that, any comments? (I have done it many times before but
>> read on.)
>>
>>
>> In the past we have had awful, seemingly irredeemable, problems with
>> blanket weed. A few months ago I found an alleged miracle cure for
>> blanket weed, which, again alleged, does no harm to pond life. Blow me
>> down with a feather, but it seemed to work! (Unlike other very expensive
>> "cures", tried before.)
>>
>> I'm now wondering if my (very infrequent) habit of using tap water
>> encouraged the blanket weed.
>>
>> I'd like comments, because -- as I said -- I've no choice, now, but to
>> use tap water for replenishment, and I'd like any advice that's going.
>>
>> Cheers John
>
> Allegedly there are more nitrates in tap water which is why rain water is
> better.
>
> If you can, perhaps let it breathe for a few days (for example, in a water
> butt) to let the chlorine clear before you add it to the pond.

+1
Just like when Aquarium cleaning/water replenishing has to be done,
you use tap water but wait while it off gases all the chlorine, so just
scale that up.