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Thread: An Isaan Pond

  1. #351
    Thailand Expat Slick's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mendip View Post
    The waterfall provides some circulation and aeration but not nearly enough. My plan last year was to get one of those paddle wheel things and anchor it in the middle of the pond but as I said, once the problem was over (ie, most of the fish had died) my attention got diverted. Fingers crossed we don't get another major algal bloom this year.

    I have thought about UV filters installed in the intake pipe beneath the waterfall... but as you say it's a lot of work. This pond was only ever meant to be a small hobby and a means to pass time and catch a few fish. We've tried many floating plants but all have been eaten by the fish, and if not eaten, the pla nin hollow out the soil from the pots to make their nests. The only plants that seem to survive are bull rushes that I sneak out of a village pond not far from us. Even with those I have to cover the pots with wire netting to stop the fish nesting.

    When I get time over the next couple of weeks I plan to pump out the sludge which I guess is accumulated fish shit and also around 50% of the water and replace it with fresh. I'd like to wait until rain is forecast but it's not a good time of year for that. I'm hoping that annual sludge pumping and a paddle wheel thing (if I can find one) will be enough. A solar powered paddle wheel would perfect if there is such a beast. I want to avoid using any chemicals, although something to decrease the pH when we get algal blooms may be a good idea.

    Sadly I dumped a couple of cubes of gravel in the bottom of the pond before filling with water as I thought that would help create a good habitat for beasties and things, so complete cleaning won't be easy.

    My immediate problem is how to get rid of the pla chon. I stupidly introduced four of them from the market a few years ago as we were getting overrun with tilapia fry. These must be big fish now and have bred (I've seen small pla chon around the margins). I think there will also be pla duk to 10kg in the pond... I caught one at 5.5kg but that was three or four years ago. Maybe draining, cleaning and starting again is an idea... but an awful lot of work.
    Our paddle wheel thingy is anchored by a 1/4" stainless steel wire rope to an anchor point on the side of the pond. As the paddle wheel spins, it pulls against the cable (which has the electrical wire secured along it) which keeps it in position. Works well, but makes alot of water noise and moves quite a bit of water.

    Water changes will help with the PH and ammonia.

    I have these - the 6 in 1 test and the PH test kits

    ชุดทดสอบ น้ำยาวัดค่าน้ำ Tetra Test pH KH Alkalinity GH General Hardness NH3 Amomonia No2 Nitrite No3 Nitrate Fe Iron Co2 Carbondioxide 6in1 strip Tester Test kit | Lazada.co.th

    Made for fish tanks but it'll give you an idea of what youre actually up against and how to move forward.

  2. #352
    Thailand Expat lom's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mendip View Post
    When I get time over the next couple of weeks I plan to pump out the sludge which I guess is accumulated fish shit and also around 50% of the water and replace it with fresh.
    I have a feeling that is a waste of time, a job half done..
    Looking at the video there are those white things in the water and they are not moving or snapping after your pellets.
    Redo! Start over from square one, pump out all the shit. Refill and put in ONLY the fish you want to have.
    Let the gardener work for his wage.

  3. #353
    Thailand Expat Slick's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by lom View Post
    I have a feeling that is a waste of time, a job half done..
    Looking at the video there are those white things in the water and they are not moving or snapping after your pellets.
    Redo! Start over from square one, pump out all the shit. Refill and put in ONLY the fish you want to have.
    Let the gardener work for his wage.
    For what its worth, I agree, this is probably the best course of action.

    Id probably prepare all the other stuff first though. Aeration and pumps and whatnot and do it all in one go.

  4. #354
    Thailand Expat David48atTD's Avatar
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    Mate, forget fishing lines, make a small version of this net ...



    Don't feed the fish for a couple of days, drop the net in the Pond, drop a bit of food in the water over the centre of the net.

    And Flo's your Aunt
    Someone is sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago ...


  5. #355
    Thailand Expat David48atTD's Avatar
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    Re the pond algae ... do you fertilise the grass, any of the plants?

    A fertilizer, high in nitrogen. The run off, after rain leaks into the pond ... Flo's your Aunt again.

  6. #356
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    ^^ Yeah, but that's cheating!

    The gardener cheats when I'm not around... he throws in pellets and then hooks out a few fish when they start feeding. I even caught him with a home-made harpoon he was trying to spear the fish with but I thought that a bit brutal for my daughter to see and banned the practice.

    My biggest problem right now is how to get rid of the pla chon... and they don't come to the surface to eat the pellets. They just seem to eat my pla nin and pla tabtim at will. I'm starting to think that a complete drain to empty and restock the pond may be the only answer... but how to completely rid the pond of pla chon? These are the guys who's eggs survive in earth baked hard like concrete in the dry season and then populate every area of standing water in the wet season. I don't know how I'll make sure there's no eggs in the gravel bottom of the pond if/when it's drained.

    And David, no fertilizer is used in that area. I think the high nitrate has come purely from the fish shit

  7. #357
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  8. #358
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    ^ Some of those look perfect. I've never bought anything on alibaba before... any pitfalls? Do you get nailed for import duty, etc?

  9. #359
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    Mendip
    I reckon you should start again with the knowledge of what you have learned thus far.
    If you just do the pump out sludge and refill then you will need to do it every year or so and the problem with that is you are getting older every year and it will get more difficult to do, believe me I know.
    So here's my thoughts.
    Go solar and use that to power the aerator and a sludge pump.
    The sludge pump should pump to a sump through a sludge filter and then the "clean" water from your sump can be pumped or drained back to the pond.
    If you want to have your waterfall running then the sump pump should pump back to the pump via the waterfall.

    The sludge filter should not be too hard to make as I have seen lots of simple designs when researching aquaponics.

    So you would need 1 aerator, ! sludge pump and 1 sump pump and enough solar panels to run them all.

    Finally if you need some help i would be happy to come and help just for the laughs.

  10. #360
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    ^Mendip, and you do not have a "fish pond bar"?

    Anyway, do not let yourself get crazy from all the kind advices. After all, you have got a fish pond and you are in Thailand...

    Or do you expect exciting cries of the esteemed members how beautiful plaa nin pond you have got and how they envy you?

  11. #361
    Thailand Expat armstrong's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Klondyke View Post
    ^Mendip, and you do not have a "fish pond bar"?

    Anyway, do not let yourself get crazy from all the kind advices. After all, you have got a fish pond and you are in Thailand...

    Or do you expect exciting cries of the esteemed members how beautiful plaa nin pond you have got and how they envy you?
    U wot m8?

  12. #362
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    Agree start over! Get rid of the sludge and gravel. Line the pond with plastic to prevent the pla chon eggs from hatching and repopulating the pond. I've said enough about UV!

    Your pond video: What lurks below? Those are massivily large and intimidating belches emanating in great numbers from the bottom of your pond! I would fear for my life if I had to enter that pond. Additionally, pleasent to hear all the barnyard sounds of Thailand.

    Mendip, Have you ever considered entering Yogi in the Crufts Dog Show!

  13. #363
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    ^^^ No fish pond bar... I have a fish pond barbecue which needs fixing due to being twatted by a falling branch over the winter. It's on the list...

    Yes, Cal, I am very appreciative about your past advice about UV light and everything else. It may seem that I haven't acted on all the advice I've received... and that's because I haven't. I'm taking it all on board and will start formulating a plan, but it's just fitting everything in. Towards the start of the rainy season I do plan to drain the pond completely. We have two catfish tanks that can temporarily house any wanted fish that aren't immediately eaten. All I want is pla nin, pla tabtim and pla duk. We can also maybe keep the carp-like fish but I want rid of the pla chon especially and the pla sawai. To remove the gravel will be a hell of a job... it was hard enough dumping it all with a wheel barrow and that was with the help of gravity. To remove it all isn't an attractive proposition, but it will make keeping the pool clean a lot easier for the future.

    Then I plan to install of those solar paddle wheels as per Strigils link, preferably after finding a supplier within Thailand.

    There are some big fish lurking in that pond and I've noticed that the dogs have stopped going in for a dip... would a pla chon attack a dog? They've certainly got the teeth for it. When I've been wading through the bottom sludge to pump out the sludge, occasionally something large has brushed against a leg and it's been a bit un-nerving. I will wear long trousers and boots next time... or let the gardener do it.

    But it's all about finding the time... I have come home to a myriad of jobs... on top of the day to day stuff which takes a few hours. The barbecue needs fixing, the coping stones around the pool have become loose and need relaying, the loft needs insulating and I want air vents installed in all the upstairs rooms to connect to one of those whirlygig things, our facia boards are rotten and all need replacing as sparrows are now nesting in the loft... and I can see that will lead to a complete redecoration of the house which is now 15 years old and in desperate need of some attention, inside and out. It never ends. I also need to renew a passport which means a couple of trips to Bangkok, although to be fair that's more pleasure than business.

    But anyway, the pond is on the list!

  14. #364
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    Quote Originally Posted by CalEden View Post
    Mendip, Have you ever considered entering Yogi in the Crufts Dog Show!
    It's funny you should say that...

    Yogi started from very inauspicious beginnings but maybe he is destined for greater things.

    He was part of a litter of eight we rescued a couple of years ago. Here he is, at the back in the middle.



    My first advertising pic of him... covered in fleas and ticks.



    I found homes for the four prettier pups in the litter but the remaining four were a problem. Finally I found two homes, two pups to each, so brought them in for a clean-up.



    Then one of the future homes stopped answering their phone so we were left with Yogi and his brother. I didn't have the heart to put them back in the wild after giving them some hope and eventually found a home for Yogi's brother but not Yogi. No-one seemed to want him so I guess you could say he was unplanned, but eventually I persuaded the wife to let him stay.

    But as for Crufts... what category?

    The only thing he excels at is snake catching, but I don't think Crufts offer that option?



    It certainly won't be the obedience category...





    And he does have some issues... cider for one.



    Ya Dong another...



    So I guess he'll just have to rely on his looks!



    We seem to have ended up with a right muttly looking pack at home. I end up keeping the puppies no-one else wants but it is very rewarding, nonetheless.

  15. #365
    Thailand Expat Slick's Avatar
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    Dogs are great. Arguably better than most human beings.

    You've got a great place there. Sounds like overall you need to hire a crew of laborers to knock out all your odd jobs and the pond stuff. Crew of 4 or 5 for a few weeks should knock it all out.

  16. #366
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mendip View Post
    I also need to renew a passport which means a couple of trips to Bangkok...
    You can do it in one trip apparently. Just saying

  17. #367
    Thailand Expat lom's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Headworx View Post
    You can do it in one trip apparently. Just saying
    He can if he makes it a 3 week stay in BKK trip

  18. #368
    Excommunicated baldrick's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mendip View Post
    cider for one
    I have been trying a few different ciders over the last 12 months , but have come to the conclusion that the thatchers gold is the one

    ice cold it is very refreshing

    An Isaan Pond-thatchers-uncle-dans_2021-01-11_09-59-a
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails An Isaan Pond-thatchers-uncle-dans_2021-01-11_09-59-a  

  19. #369
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    Quote Originally Posted by Headworx View Post
    You can do it in one trip apparently. Just saying
    Unless something recently changed, it takes at least 2 trips. British passports are now issued only in the UK, unlike the good old days when the British Embassy could give you one locally. It was a security decision.

    That said, the last time I changed mine in Bangkok I didn't stay overnight on either trip. Flew down in the morning, got my appointments on time and flew back the same day. Of course, if Mrs. Mendip asks I'll swear that due to the uncertain queues it is essential to allow at least one, or better two, nights in the big city on both visits.

  20. #370
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    Quote Originally Posted by Shutree View Post
    Unless something recently changed, it takes at least 2 trips.
    Pretty sure most all Western country passports are made in your home country these days, my last 2 certainly were then they were sent from there directly to my home address in Thailand. So only 1 visit to the Embassy was required both times, but I'm sure there's some way you could arrange for it to be sent to the Embassy so a 2nd 5 night trip to Banga's to pick it up was required


  21. #371
    Thailand Expat lom's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Headworx View Post
    Pretty sure most all Western country passports are made in your home country these days, my last 2 certainly were then they were sent from there directly to my home address in Thailand.
    Most countries nowadays consider a passport to be such a valuable item that you have to pick it up personally, sign for it, and get your old passport invalidated by punching holes in it so that it becomes of no value for the passport falsification mafia.

  22. #372
    Hangin' Around cyrille's Avatar
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    ^For UK passports, they seem prepared to jettison such things if there's money in it.

    My last passport, about eight years ago, cost about $50 more than a passport has either before or since and it was processed in HK then sent to me in Chiang Mai.

  23. #373
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    ^^My last 2 almost expired passports were punched at the Embassy in Bangkok once the applications were accepted so there was a window of about 8 days when it would have been a hassle to leave Thailand till the new one arrived. First time was about 10 years ago during the Red shirt demonstrations when there were roadblocks popping up and bullets flying in Bangkok, so it suited me that they posted it to me and I didn't need to go back. Second time was a few months ago and there was no option to pick it up in person that I know of, the postal fees for it to be sent from the issuing country to my home in Thailand were included in the application fee. That's my experiences anyway.

  24. #374
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    As far as I know it has to be done in two trips... the first to and in the application and the second to pick up the new passport. You have to pay a courier fee, but that's to cover sending the new passport from the UK to the Trendy Building. The UK won't post a passport to your residential address, although a few years ago they did when Hong Kong covered the passport issuing from Thailand.

    I believe it may be possible to have someone else pick up your passport but I know no-one in Bangkok and want to play it safe.

    Sadly, unlike Udon, Korat is not blessed with flights to Bangkok or anywhere else at the moment. If it was I'd love to avoid an overnight stop in Bangkok and make each appointment a day trip, thus freeing up more time for working in our garden in 35 degree heat instead of wasting a couple of days stuck in Sukhumvit bars.

    Shutree, you must be super-efficient. I've yet to find a way of doing this without having to spend two nights in Bangkok. Day 1, I head down on the bus straight after school drop-off in Korat, which can place me in a bar for a late lunch. Day 2, I have my appointment around 11am, which can place me in a bar for an early lunch. Day 3, I head back home on a bus, usually arriving in Korat in time for school pick-up. Everyone's happy!

    But it's all a moot point right now as they haven't replied to my email to confirm an appointment... so it looks like I'll be doing this next week. Shame because I was all ready for a pint of cider tomorrow.

    Anyway... this isn't solving my pla chon problem?

  25. #375
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    Quote Originally Posted by baldrick View Post
    I have been trying a few different ciders over the last 12 months , but have come to the conclusion that the thatchers gold is the one

    ice cold it is very refreshing
    Yep, Thatchers cider farm is in a village called Sandford in Somerset, around 4 miles from where I grew up.

    Baldrick, if you get a chance try Thatchers Green Goblin... I reckon it's even better than Thatchers Gold.

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