# Pico Pond (and everything else!)



## Courtneybst (1 Mar 2021)

Hey guys!

Whilst my new scape is settling in I'm attempting a completely experimental project. I'm making a tiny 'pond' indoors.

I'm not heavily investing in it in terms of equipment, I just want to see what happens and maybe if I'd be interested in doing a proper setup with a shallow boy.

It's a tiny volume, less than 2 litres and even less water. I'm relying entirely on sunlight to power this engine and using 100% rainwater. I'm also reusing old aquasoil from my last scape.

Plants:

Star Grass
Terrestrial Moss
Hydrocotyle Verticillata
Utricularia Graminifolia

Let's see how it goes! Looks pretty muddy right now but it'll settle and I'll change some water.


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## Matthew Robinson (2 Mar 2021)

Cool little pond


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## Courtneybst (10 Mar 2021)

Little update:


I trimmed away a lot of the dead matter to allow for new growth to come through.
There's a TINY bit of growth on the Hydrocotyle Verticillata, emerging on the left hand side.
The UG hasn't died but hasn't grown either, although the fronds are perkier. If does die maybe I'll try with Monte Carlo but I was hoping for some pink flowers.
Considering putting a lamp over it as it dawned on me that the daylight provided by spring time is ultimately dictating whether or not the grass will grow. So a dedicated light will probably encourage faster growth. But as I said this is an experiment so I don't want to invest too much just yet.


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## dw1305 (10 Mar 2021)

Hi all,


Courtneybst said:


> Considering putting a lamp over it as it dawned on me that the daylight provided by spring time is ultimately dictating whether or not the grass will grow.


My guess would be that there is plenty enough light. The grass looks like _Poa annua_.

The moss looks a bit dry, I might try a cover? (cling film) or possibly add a bit more water?

cheers Darrel


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## Courtneybst (10 Mar 2021)

dw1305 said:


> Hi all,
> 
> My guess would be that there is plenty enough light. The grass looks like _Poa annua_.
> 
> ...



Ok that suits me just fine haha.

The grass was labelled Dichromena Colorata (White Star Grass) but I'm not well versed in pond plants tbh.

Do you think the cling film would provide some needed humidity?

Cheers


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## dw1305 (10 Mar 2021)

Hi all,


Courtneybst said:


> Do you think the cling film would provide some needed humidity?


I do. You just need the top tuft of moss to look less dry.


Courtneybst said:


> Dichromena Colorata


That would be very nice. <"_Rhynchospora (Dichromena) colorata__">. _It is a Sedge relative (Cyperaceae), so definitely not what is growing at the moment (which is a true grass Poaceae).

cheers Darrel


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## Courtneybst (13 Mar 2021)

dw1305 said:


> Hi all,
> 
> I do. You just need the top tuft of moss to look less dry.
> 
> ...



Thanks for the advice about the cling film Darrell. It's obviously all slow growing but there's immediately been a difference. Moss is looking more moist, more of the Hydrocotyle is emerging and the UG has greened up!


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## Courtneybst (19 Mar 2021)

The UG isn't vivid green but it is green still and it's growing! Amazingly the plants appear to be 'pearling' during the daylight and there's lots of little critters in there. It's tiny but an ecosystem appears to have formed. The water is also crystal clear even though I only do top offs.


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## Courtneybst (31 Mar 2021)

We have flowers on the grass so that's something! 😅


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## dw1305 (1 Apr 2021)

Hi all, 


Courtneybst said:


> We have flowers on the grass so that's something!





dw1305 said:


> The grass looks like _Poa annua_.


Definitely _Poa annua. _The _Utricularia_ looks really good.

cheers Darrel


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## Courtneybst (26 May 2021)

Hard to believe it's been 2 months since last time.

After following @Geoffrey Rea  shallow tank journal I'm tempted to take the UG out and grow it emersed. I only use rainwater in this little experiment so it gets lots of micro foods so I'd probably go the same route. 

That pond plant seems to be a total let down, albeit this not a pond haha.


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## dw1305 (27 May 2021)

Hi all,


Courtneybst said:


> That pond plant seems to be a total let down, albeit this not a pond haha.


Still definitely <"_Poa annua">._

cheers Darrel


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## Courtneybst (27 May 2021)

dw1305 said:


> Hi all,
> 
> Still definitely <"_Poa annua">._
> 
> cheers Darrel


Yeah I wonder if Poa Annua seeds stowed away on the bare root, or if it was never the intended plant in the first place.


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## Courtneybst (19 Jun 2021)

The Pico Pond has turned into a bit of a swamp but the plants are still growing. The Lindernia Rotundifolia and the Hydrocotyle Verticillata have actually started to flower.

I may upgrade this down the line but I'm quite enjoying watching it do its own thing. I just add a cup of rainwater when the water gets low.


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## Courtneybst (30 Jul 2021)

Yesterday I gave the Pico Pond an upgrade! The old one is still in place but I put the new one together, largely inspired by Chris (Shrimpery).

This is will be an interesting experiment to see what plants thrive and die. The container is very very shallow yet holds more water than the cylindrical one I used before. 

I'm using rainwater only and I don't know yet whether I'll need to do water changes or just top ups. That remains to be seen...

The hardscape is black lava rock and Manzanita wood (YES, I'm obsessed with Manzanita). I realised that only ONE of my builds in the last 6 months didn't feature Manzanita wood lol. The substrate is Tropica Soil Powder and the foreground is Hugo Kamishi Natural with some Rio Xingu for textural differences.

Plants include;
Red Root Floaters, Imperata Cylindrica 'Red Baron', Rhyncospora Colorata, Eleocharis Acicularis, Oenanthe Japonica 'Flamingo', Hydrocotyle Verticillata, Hydrocotyle Tripartita, Hemianthus Calltrichoides 'Cuba', Ludwigia Super Red, Rotala Blood Red, Lindernia Rotundifolia and will add some Duckweed when I can find some.

I also simultaneously set up a bigger version in my garden as I had a lot of spare materials since this is so small. It has a few different plant species.


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## mort (30 Jul 2021)

Is that a cucamelon in the background?


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## Courtneybst (30 Jul 2021)

mort said:


> Is that a cucamelon in the background?


It is indeed! Good eye 😉


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## killi69 (30 Jul 2021)

Nice!! I like how you have a mini version indoors!  Will be watching very closely to see how Imperata Cylindrica performs in water. I was going to use it around my ponds as it has the look of a plant which might grow in a wetland. Now I see you using it in water🙌


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## Courtneybst (31 Jul 2021)

killi69 said:


> Nice!! I like how you have a mini version indoors!  Will be watching very closely to see how Imperata Cylindrica performs in water. I was going to use it around my ponds as it has the look of a plant which might grow in a wetland. Now I see you using it in water🙌


Thank you! Having the mini one indoors is great for when the weather is bad.😅

It's my understanding that Imperata Cylindrica does pretty well in water as long as it's not submerged too deeply, but I will keep you posted! I think it would look amazing in your garden.


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## Courtneybst (16 Sep 2021)

Just an update on the Pico Pond II

Everything is growing really well, especially as it's only been 6 weeks. This was a very inexpensive build (with the exception of the lights). I really recommend it to anyone who wants a slice of nature in their home without the need for a filter!


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## Courtneybst (20 Nov 2021)

I just realised that I've never shared my desktop terrarium on UKAPS (at least that I can find). I started this in August using trimmings of Utricularia Graminifolia from a friend. I added some Staurogyne Repens and Rotala Blood Red Fast forward to now and it's really grown in lush. I'd like to add one more plant to the front right corner but I'm not sure what.

I was originally using only DOOA mist but eventually it wasn't enough and the plants completely stalled even with fresh soil. I think with them being emersed, their nutrient requirements massively increased. So now I add a few drops of TNC complete to some RO water and give it a deep watering once a week. Since doing that the plants have gone gangbusters and I'm even getting some flowering. I'm hoping to get some flowers on the UG once it hits critical mass, I don't think it's far off. Any tips on how to get it flower are appreciated though!


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## Angus (20 Nov 2021)

Wow that is lush, are those emerging mushroom caps on the wood?


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## Courtneybst (20 Nov 2021)

Angus said:


> Wow that is lush, are those emerging mushroom caps on the wood?


Thanks! When I touch it, it feels like dirt. Probably too dry for mushrooms but would be cool if they were! I'll leave them and see.


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## Courtneybst (14 Mar 2022)

It's that time of year isn't it...

Pond season is simmering (at least down south) and everyone's getting the buzz. After setting up the two windowsill Pico Ponds and the outdoor terracotta Pico Pond last year, I knew that I wanted to go bigger and have a more substantial body of water. I also was completely awestruck by @killi69 's wetland paradise! So I decided on this lovely spring day to dig myself a pond. In movies they seemingly dig 6ft holes to hide bodies in the blink of an eye and not a bead of sweat on their foreheads. I tell you, it is NOT that easy, and my soil was like butter!!

I wanted to keep the terracotta part as some of the plants there are established now and are popping back up. There's also mayfly larvae (kindly identified by @shangman ) which have been in there since December so I don't want to disturb them too much. The hole is 39 inches (100cm) long, 12 inches (30cm) wide and 20 inches (51cm) deep at the lowest point and there's a 6inch shelf that I can't get any lower because its cemented in, but that'll be perfect for some shallow marginals. The volume should be roughly 150L/40 gallons which is plenty for Ricefish. It's a weird shape being so narrow and deep but I think it's got legs!

The goal is to move my Japanese Ricefish into the pond this spring so they can live their best lives and potentially keep some Aphanius Mento in the upper section as I heard they can be murder machines. My favourite season is summer but spring is so bloody exciting and yes...spring has SPRUNG. I said it.












Moving indoors, my pond-by-bed felt the spring motions a few weeks earlier than outdoors. The Rhyncospora Colorata is going into a flowering frenzy and the Japanese Blood grass is coming back with a vengeance and some leaves are already starting to turn red. I'm really glad I didn't tear this little one down, it's so nice to see the full season cycle and it's surprising how much impact it has even indoors! Not so long ago I added some Utricularia Graminifolia, Monosolenium Tenerum, Murdannia Keisak, Pogostomen Erectus, Persicaria sp. Sao Paulo and some terrestrial garden moss, all of which seem to be adjusting well. There's now *19* species of plant in this tiny 5cm deep pond!


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## kammaroon (14 Mar 2022)

The BKA are having an auction near Hampton Court on 3 April. If you're are lucky you might be able to get some Aphanius there.





						West London Group Auction – Sunday 3rd April 2022 – British Killifish Association
					






					killis.org.uk


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## Courtneybst (14 Mar 2022)

kammaroon said:


> The BKA are having an auction near Hampton Court on 3 April. If you're are lucky you might be able to get some Aphanius there.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Thank you @kammaroon ! I won't be able to make the 3rd April but I think I will be getting the Aphanius from a friend.

Do they always host at Hampton Court? I'd love to go to future ones, never been to an auction!


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## killi69 (14 Mar 2022)

Your indoor and outdoor pico ponds look fab. I am really looking forward to seeing you apply your aquascaping skills to your new pond. Exciting!!!  Good luck and I am following with great interest👍🏼
Andre


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## kammaroon (14 Mar 2022)

Courtneybst said:


> Do they always host at Hampton Court? I'd love to go to future ones, never been to an auction!


It doesn't look like it but I've only got back into the hobby two years ago. The nearest event after this one is a British Livebearer Association event planned for June near Basingstoke. A lot of the auctions seem to take place in the Midlands and up North. I went to the Fish Extravaganza event last September in Derbyshire and there were lots of killifish and livebearers on auction. It was a fun event and lots of fish you do not normally see.


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## killi69 (14 Mar 2022)

kammaroon said:


> The BKA are having an auction near Hampton Court on 3 April. If you're are lucky you might be able to get some Aphanius there.


That's where I originally got my Aphanius mentho, about 6 or 7 years ago. The West London BKA usually hold their auctions in this place.  Really worth going to if you are interested in killis.  Great selection at great prices, plus plenty of people on hand to offer advice


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## Courtneybst (14 Mar 2022)

killi69 said:


> Your indoor and outdoor pico ponds look fab. I am really looking forward to seeing you apply your aquascaping skills to your new pond. Exciting!!!  Good luck and I am following with great interest👍🏼
> Andre


Thank you Andre! I really appreciate that.


kammaroon said:


> It doesn't look like it but I've only got back into the hobby two years ago. The nearest event after this one is a British Livebearer Association event planned for June near Basingstoke. A lot of the auctions seem to take place in the Midlands and up North. I went to the Fish Extravaganza event last September in Derbyshire and there were lots of killifish and livebearers on auction. It was a fun event and lots of fish you do not normally see.


Is it paid entry? I'm wondering if I should try and go if possible. It will be tight though.


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## kammaroon (14 Mar 2022)

Courtneybst said:


> Is it paid entry?


Yes, they normally charge a few pounds. The BKA West London one is £3 (they are all around that mark).


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## Andy Pierce (14 Mar 2022)

Courtneybst said:


> The Rhyncospora Colorata is going into a flowering frenzy and the Japanese Blood grass is coming back with a vengeance and some leaves are already starting to turn red. I'm really glad I didn't tear this little one down, it's so nice to see the full season cycle and it's surprising how much impact it has even indoors! Not so long ago I added some Utricularia Graminifolia, Monosolenium Tenerum, Murdannia Keisak, Pogostomen Erectus, Persicaria sp. Sao Paulo and some terrestrial garden moss, all of which seem to be adjusting well. There's now *19* species of plant in this tiny 5cm deep pond!


It looks incredible.  Could you make a list of the 19 species?  That would be a wonderful emersed resource.


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## Courtneybst (14 Mar 2022)

Andy Pierce said:


> It looks incredible.  Could you make a list of the 19 species?  That would be a wonderful emersed resource.


Thanks Andy! This is the list below;

Japanese Blood Grass (Imperata Cylindrica)
Water Celery (Oenanthe Javanica)
Dancing Star (Rhyncospora Colorata) Hydrocotyle Verticillata
Hydrocotyle Tripartita
Lindernia Rotundifolia
Rotala Rotundifolia 'Blood Red'
Ludwigia Palustris 'Super Red Mini'
Dwarf Hairgrass (Eleocharis Acicularis) Dwarf Baby Tears (Hemianthus Calltrichoides)
Marsilea Hirsuta
Red Root Floaters (Phyllanthus Fluitans)
Duckweed (Lemnoideae)
Murdannia Keisak
Persicaria sp. 'Sao Paulo'
Pogostemon Erectus
Monosolenium Tenerum
Utricularia Graminifolia
Unknown Terrestrial Moss

I have a several tiny Nymphaea Zenkeri lotus plants and I'm tempted to put one in and see what happens. I know they can be dwarfed under certain conditions.


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## Courtneybst (15 Mar 2022)

Pond liner and underlay arrived today in perfect time thanks to Dan @ Wildwoods Enfield! I had just finished digging the shallow section around the perimeter and cut the grass and then it arrived in the mail.

This is an unusual pond as it's quite deep and steep but very narrow. Either way, I got the underlay and liner in.  The only bit I'm not sure how to address is the concrete paving on the right. I should have left some edging rather than going right up to it but then the pond would have been a wonky shape.  I also realised that tomorrow or Thursday I'll need to drain the terracotta and dig underneath it soi can conceal the liner better on the back wall of the pond and allow me to plant there too.

I made a couple of rookie errors but it's the first pond I've ever made and one thing I am very good at is concealing bodge-jobbery 😂. Luckily it's nothing that will affect the integrity of the pond. It's currently filled with 100% rainwater and the liner didn't move much as I made sure to give it some slack.

Since it's raining tomorrow I'm hoping that means all the garden centre punters will stay home (unlikely 🙃) so I can go get some nice rocks for the edges. If they have any of the pond plants I'm after I'm sure that will go in my basket too. 

Ponds always look ugly at this stage but then quickly become beautiful. I can already tell the ricefish are gonna have a field day in there!


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## Courtneybst (24 Mar 2022)

Went and bought another container for a pond didn't I...




This one is tall (50cm) but skinny so would be perfect for a lotus since I'm not putting one in the biggest pond. I've also placed it at the other end of the garden so we can enjoy some pond life wherever we are!




I think I made a slight misstep with the fine grade gravel and ended up making the pond look a bit formulaic which isn't really my vibe. BUT I think with loads more plants on the margins and in-between the rocks and some prominent wood perches for the dragonflies it could look quite nice.












This week I planted up some of the margins of the bigger pond with Carex, Red Veined Sorrel and a white Dicentra and also a trailing plant (can't remember what it's called) to help hide the pond liner bodge-jobbery. I'm waiting on the pond plants to really become available properly to do the rest, I guess we're talking next month so I'll have to visit Wildwoods and fill up a basket. 😁 Does anyone know of any short grassy/carpeting plants that can go in a outdoor pond? It would be nice to try and graduate the shallow areas with something like this and great for the wildlife!




In the water itself I've dropped in some bunches of Elodea Densa, Red Root Floaters and Aponogeton Distachyos as lily alternative since it has a much longer flowering period and can tolerate less sun.

C'mon April!


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## dw1305 (24 Mar 2022)

Hi all,


Courtneybst said:


> also a trailing plant (can't remember what it's called)


_<"__Vinca minor_ "alba">.

cheers Darrel


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## mort (24 Mar 2022)

Fibre optic plant Isolepsis (Scirpus) cernuus is a nice grassy marginal. Juncus ensifolius is another nice one, it's a bit like a mini, grassy, bullrushes and has the nice name of flying hedgehogs.  Carex palustris is also good. It's not so much of a carpeting plant but it's very easy to hide the lining and ease the transition to your other carex outside the pond.


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## kammaroon (24 Mar 2022)

Courtneybst said:


> Does anyone know of any short grassy/carpeting plants that can go in a outdoor pond?


Lilaeopsis brasilensis is sold as marginal pond plants at garden centres.


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## dw1305 (24 Mar 2022)

Hi all,


mort said:


> Juncus ensifolius


I've <"got this one"> and it is an excellent marginal plant and not too rampant.

cheers Darrel


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## mort (24 Mar 2022)

Equisetum scirpoides is another nice little plant that might work.


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## Courtneybst (24 Mar 2022)

mort said:


> Juncus ensifolius is another nice one, it's a bit like a mini, grassy, bullrushes and has the nice name of flying hedgehogs. Carex palustris is also good.


I like the look of the Juncus! It would contrast really well with a bit of Typha minima I had planned to add. It looks like a miniature version of an already miniature plant. 😁 I searched for the Carex and couldn't find many decent foliage pictures but I found a similar variant plata 'Aurea' or Gold Sedge that looks great so I guess I'll be getting both haha.


dw1305 said:


> I've <"got this one"> and it is an excellent marginal plant and not too rampant.


Thanks Darrel, this is good to know because aggressive growers can be a pain in the ass as I've learnt with the Oenanthe javanica 'Flamingo'.


kammaroon said:


> Lilaeopsis brasilensis is sold as marginal pond plants at garden centres.


I really love the look of this plant but always assumed it would be too cold. Now that you mention it, I think I do remember seeing it in a garden centre once. @shangman  has an indoor display of it and I have to say it looks amazing. I think it would be worth giving it a go! I wonder how cold hardy it is...


mort said:


> Equisetum scirpoides


Thanks mort, I like the look of this too! Also appreciate the fact that it's evergreen. I made the mistake of using lots of plants that aren't evergreen last year and so from early winter until the present day the terracotta section looks like crap. I think it would be good to add it here.


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## dw1305 (24 Mar 2022)

Hi all,


Courtneybst said:


> because aggressive growers can be a pain in the ass as I've learnt with the Oenanthe javanica 'Flamingo'.


_Ranunculus lingua_ is another one that wants to claim your whole pond, it is the "Convict Cichlid" of the pond plant world.


Courtneybst said:


> I found a similar variant plata 'Aurea'


Assuming that is _elata_ not _plata_? _Carex elata aurea_ ("Bowles Yellow") is a good one. I used to have it, but I think it probably departed in the drought of 2018. _Carex pseudocyperus_ is attractive, and not too vigorous, but a lot of the other sedges are a real pain.

cheers Darrel


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## Courtneybst (24 Mar 2022)

dw1305 said:


> _Ranunculus lingua_ is another one that wants to claim your whole pond


I will stay clear in that case! It does look beautiful though. But so many naughty things are... fish and plants included.


dw1305 said:


> Assuming that is _elata_ not _plata_? _Carex elata aurea_ ("Bowles Yellow") is a good one.


Oh yes, this is the one! For some reason the garden centre website I looked at said plata, must have been a typo. What great colouration.


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## dw1305 (24 Mar 2022)

Hi all,


Courtneybst said:


> It does look beautiful though.


It is a cracking flower, a really big, gorgeous, shiny yellow, buttercup flower (you can see them in the pond below). When I got it I knew it was a rare British native (so are _Carex elata_ and <"_C. pseudocyperus_ ">) and I worried that it would be difficult to grow, but nothing could be further than the truth.





cheers Darrel


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## mort (25 Mar 2022)

I've got a pond full of the ranunculus, it sends out really massive runners and comes up everywhere. It's a nice plant if you have an enormous pond.

I meant carex elata bowles golden but where I looked it up had the wrong scientific name listed. I remember the plant because I heard Mr bowles was on a train with the landscape flying past the window when he spotted it out of the corner of his eye and pulled the emergency stop cord, proceeded to leave the train and dig it up. I've no idea if that's true but I always remember it.

Sisyrinchium are nice little plants that do well, there's a yellow flowering one which does well.









						Sisyrinchium Californicum-7 cm pots
					

Sisyrinchium Californicum, A clump-forming alpine/marginal plant with upright miniature iris looking leaves. Masses of pretty yellow flowers. Suitable for the edge of small ponds and streams, ...




					www.lilieswatergardens.co.uk


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## Maf 2500 (25 Mar 2022)

mort said:


> Equisetum scirpoides is another nice little plant that might work


I find this to be incredibly invasive despite its diminutive size. Once you have it you will have it forever. It is in the horesetail family which says it all.


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## Courtneybst (25 Mar 2022)

Maf 2500 said:


> I find this to be incredibly invasive despite its diminutive size. Once you have it you will have it forever. It is in the horesetail family which says it all.


Are we talking slow burn like wild garlic or Japanese knotweed vibes? 😅


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## mort (25 Mar 2022)

I've not found it remotely invasive tbh at least not compared to most pond plants which tend to be quite thugish by nature. Ours grows gently through the stones on the pond margins but does send runners up as it goes along (which are easilly pulled up but would be harder if it grew through other plants) . We have the larger equisetum japonica as well and it's equally well behaved, at least for us.


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## Maf 2500 (25 Mar 2022)

Courtneybst said:


> Are we talking slow burn like wild garlic or Japanese knotweed vibes? 😅


Definitely slow burn, but the issue is it grows through and under all your other plants and can regenerate from the tiniest fragment, so once it is established you will not be able to get rid of it without binning all the plants and soil in your pond.

As an example our family had it growing in a large pond (my choice to plant it) with the similarly sized _*Crassula helmsii  *_(stonecrop) which is now banned in the UK as invasive. About ten years ago I attempted to remove both species from the pond and seem to have succeeded with Crassula helmsii, but Equisetum scirpoides keeps coming back in the stony beach area and in amongst all the marginals in the baskets.



mort said:


> I've not found it remotely invasive tbh at least not compared to most pond plants which tend to be quite thugish by nature. Ours grows gently through the stones on the pond margins but does send runners up as it goes along (which are easilly pulled up but would be harder if it grew through other plants)


Yes, defo not a thug like some, more insidious. It is relatively easy to remove some of it, or even most of it, but all of it? .... not in my experience


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## Maf 2500 (25 Mar 2022)

mort said:


> Sisyrinchium are nice little plants that do well, there's a yellow flowering one which does well.


Not sure if it is the exact same one linked but we have a pale yellow flowered Sisyrinchium that does well in beaches and margins. They provide a nice grassy structure with the clumps of leaves and I like to think of them as like miniature water irises (in plant habit if not in flower shape).


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## Courtneybst (25 Mar 2022)

Maf 2500 said:


> Not sure if it is the exact same one linked but we have a pale yellow flowered Sisyrinchium that does well in beaches and margins. They provide a nice grassy structure with the clumps of leaves and I like to think of them as like miniature water irises (in plant habit if not in flower shape).


It seems to be, the shop description describes them to be like 'mini irises'. They do look quite nice.


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## Maf 2500 (25 Mar 2022)

Courtneybst said:


> It seems to be, the shop description describes them to be like 'mini irises'. They do look quite nice.


Yes, unfortuanately even Iris laevigata, the best of the irises for ponds, is too big for a pico pond, but Sisyrinchium would make a good substitute


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## Courtneybst (13 Apr 2022)

What else is there to do when you've been hit by covid other than fast-forwarding your projects? 😅

My Pico Pond II was really coming into its own this spring, so naturally I got the urge to destroy it. I found a WIO 30F that was the perfect dimensions to fit on my windowsill without any overhang and so I jumped on it! I wasn't due to redo the little pond until next week or the week after but since I'm now homebound, why not? The pond also kept leaking through capillary action which has now stained the wall below so I knew it was time. 🙃





It felt bittersweet to be breaking it down, I learnt a lot from it and it brings me joy but as soon as I started dismantling it, it felt right (and good). I reused the same plant species, creating 'plugs' from the old setup so it should have a similar vibe but just upgraded. I also removed all the black lava rock and replaced it with manzanita wood. This is the 3rd time. I've used this manzanita in a scape, which feels very...bang for your buck!











I tried to add a tiny 150L/hr filter on it but even that was too strong, despite baffling it (plus it was noisy which is a no-go being right next to my bed). So this will run without a filter like the other one. The lights are only on 4 hours a day between 18:00 and 22:00 which was carried on from the previous, with the sun doing the rest. I'll get some pictures when I figure out how to photograph it! This one has presented a new challenge in that most of the light is backlit so makes the shots really shadowy, but then focusing on the tank makes the back really blown out and stark white. Any tips on that?


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## Courtneybst (17 Apr 2022)

Finally I can show you the Pico Pond III in its almost-finished form (I have 2 more plants to go in) but first let's rewind a bit so I can show you how I bodged this together. 





I wanted to make a terrace out of wood, almost like a wooden dam or a log edging at the side of a pond. So I stacked up the wood branches in a shape where it felt the wood flowed nicely and then I added a branch in a contrasting angle for 'tension' A.K.A I thought it looked nice. Then I super glued the bits together with kitchen roll and stuffed the gaps with a mixture of sponge and the more plasticky version of polystyrene (I'm not sure what it's called). I didn't actually glue those in place which I may come to regret later but hey.





Then I added a thin layer of crushed lava rock, Tropica substrate, followed by Tropica soil and Tropica soil powder on top (Yes please, Tropica sponsor me... just kidding?!?! 👀). I knew it was stupid whilst I was doing it but I did it anyway; I poured lots in and then had to spoon it out to fit the plugs in. I had to remind myself I was planting plugs and not tissue culture. You can see from the picture where I made tiered sections for plants that can handle deeper water vs shallow marginals using sponge and corregated plastic.





Then I planted everything in place! This is the current plant list;

Imperata cylindrica 'Red Baron'
Oenanthe javanica 'Flamingo'
Houttuynia cordata 'Flame'
Rhynchospora colorata
Rotala rotundifolia
Murdannia keisak
Persicaria 'Sao Paulo'
Hydrocotyle verticillata
Hydrocotyle tripartita
Hydrocotyle leucocephala
Ludwigia palustris 'Super Red'
Lindernia rotundifolia
Pogostemon erectus
Phyllantus fluitans
Duckweed
Eleocharis parvula
Lilaeopsis brasilliensis
Utricularia graminifolia
Monosolenium tenerum
Vesicularia 'Mini Christmas'
Juncus ensifolius (incoming soon)
Lysimachia nummularia 'Aurea' (incoming soon)




This picture shows the quick plan of what I was hoping for it to look like, compared to what I've got so far.





I added a coloured acetate background to it as I thought it would enhance the effect of it feeling like a cross section of a pond. I imagine from a fish's perspective it's mostly dark and green. I think it makes the closeup shots look really cool, but it's also really interesting to see how the tone of it changes throughout the day and what effect that brings. In the day it's more turquoise and when the sun begins to set it gets progressively more green.











I filled it up slowly with 100% rainwater which I initially thought was giving me a TDS of 100 but when I tested the pure rainwater it's actually more like 30. 😬 Fine for the plants but if I want any shrimp in there I'll have to cut it with a bit of tap water.

I can't wait for it to grow in and get brimming with life!





Meanwhile in the outdoor pond, I have a juicy biofilm and an Aponogeton distachyos which has one flower in bloom. That is my signal that the pond is ready for life  Some more plants will be going into all 3 outdoor ponds as well as some fish!


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## Laoshan (17 Apr 2022)

After reading this I immediately grabbed the measuring tape to measure up my windowsill. Great post and very inspiring 😅. I especially like the background effect you devised.


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## Courtneybst (17 Apr 2022)

Laoshan said:


> After reading this I immediately grabbed the measuring tape to measure up my windowsill. Great post and very inspiring 😅. I especially like the background effect you devised.


Thank you! It would be great to see yours if you do set one up. 

It's very satisfying how it fits perfectly on the windowsill with less than a cm spare. The last one overhung and it bothered me.


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## NatalieHurrell (18 Apr 2022)

Courtneybst said:


> This one has presented a new challenge in that most of the light is backlit so makes the shots really shadowy, but then focusing on the tank makes the back really blown out and stark white. Any tips on that?


Any scene that has high contrasts of dark and light will prove a challenge.  I get round it with Photoshop.  You can merge two pictures together and bring back in the properly exposed areas of each photo.

Failing that, you could try

a) setting your exposure on your camera or phone to the area of your scene that is a "middling" green or grey shade.  That will balance it as best it can

or

b) try exposing for the brightly lit area and bringing your shadows back up with editing.  This will have varying results.  You may find shadowed areas go grainy

or easiest of all

c) get a large piece of white baking paper or a cheap photographic reflector and place it behind the tank before taking pictures.  This will let light through, but it will be diffused

I did the latter when taking this photo and it worked well (I was intentionally aiming for an high key, bright background):


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## Courtneybst (18 Apr 2022)

NatalieHurrell said:


> Any scene that has high contrasts of dark and light will prove  challenge.  I get round it with Photoshop.  You can merge two pictures together and bring back in the properly exposed areas of each photo.
> 
> Failing that, you could try
> 
> ...


Thank you for the advice! That's a pretty cool photo as well 😁 I used to do product photography so I should know these things but it's been so long. 

In the end I started doing what you mentioned in option b; taking the photo with the whole thing in focus but the upper half correctly exposed and the lower half under exposed. Then I bring up the shadows and increase the contrast slightly so it doesn't look washed out and it seems to work! I'll let you all be the judge.


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## NatalieHurrell (18 Apr 2022)

It's all looking great to me.  Loving your indoor ponds.  A definite inspiration for the rest of us.


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## Courtneybst (19 May 2022)

I've aptly renamed this journal 'and everything else' since I now have several small ponds, emersed projects and other adventures that don't quite need their own journal. So I'll be adding everything else here! This is a *LONG* post, maybe my longest ever, I don't recommend reading this if you don't have food nearby. Don't say I didn't warn you!

*Return of the (Stickle)back*
Firstly, I want to rewind slightly to 2 weeks ago when @shangman and I went to our local country park to look for native plants and Sticklebacks. It was a beautiful, roaring hot day and it was perfect for connecting with our local nature. Judging by some of the photos, it could have been South London, could have been South America...






We didn't remember to bring our wellies so we were limited to what we could fish out from the edge of the stream. That meant adult Sticklebacks were a little harder to get. The juveniles were surprisingly very easy to catch, and I think over the course of the day I netted out 20+, but I wasn't satisfied until I could catch an adult. Just before we were about to give up (and were having a chat with a local bird watcher) I caught an adult in a very still, shallow and enclosed part of the stream! This is the first time I've done any kind of fishing so I was chuffed to have success on the first try with just a little aquarium net. I did put the adult back but took a couple of the juveniles for the terracotta pond (all still doing well!).










There was a surprisingly wide variety of plants there too, most of the names escape me but it was cool to see what can actually grow in our area and these conditions. Speaking of conditions I also took a test of the water and the parameters were quite wild! I thought the parameters would be similar to rainwater but I suppose there's a lot of materials adding to that water as it runs down stream. The Sticklebacks are also clearly hard as nails and very adaptable.

TDS ~500
pH 8
GH 43
KH 29
NO3 - 20

*One up, one down*
This week I visited Wildwoods Enfield again to get some of the last plants for my main pond area, and to pick up some eagerly awaited ricefish.

As ever, Dan and Keith endeavour to make the visit a pleasant experience and helped me with plant and fish choices for many different projects. Very grateful to know them! Also thank you to the rest of the team, who's names I should really know by now...

To the tall pond I added Thalia dealbata which adds a great tropical feel and some much needed height to it. I'm also planning to make some hanging wabi kusa with garden wire and aquasoil-filled mesh bags over the edge and plant it with Lysimachia nummularia 'Aurea' so it spills over like a country cottage. I haven't quite figured out how to make it look as nice as possible but I will! I thought about maybe covering the finished mesh bags in willow moss or something to make it less of an eyesore. Any suggestions are welcome. There is also a comical amount of live food in this tank which I'm sure will go down well with any inhabitants. Inside the pond there's also Nymphaea 'Princess Elizabeth', Elodea densa, Phyllantus fluitans and Duckweed.




To the main ponds, I added some more Bog Pimpernel to the right hand side shelf and I've left them in their original pots because you can't see them with all the thick growth. I also adjusted the plant setup on the margins to feature Lilaeopsis brasilliensis, Pilularia globulifera and Eleocharis acicularis in a sliding gradient based on their leaf thickness. It looks like the Lilaeopsis might suffer ill fate though as the slugs have taken a liking to it!



Down below, I added two bulbs of Trapa natans, Hottonia palustris, Hornwort, Water lettuce (more for the roots so ricefish could attach their eggs to) and Luronium natans. I've decided I'll remove the Aponogeton distachyos because the leaf shape and size doesn't fit and the snails decimate it anyway. The Callitriche stagnalis from the stream went into the terracotta section as well as some Juncus ensifolius, Typha minima and Imperata cylindrica 'Red Baron'.
















Additionally, I added some long long awaited Black Medaka to the pond. Since I discovered Ricefish the black variety were high on my wishlist and I've been waiting months and months but Wildwoods were finally able to get them in! They are really stunning and the black is so classic - they go really well with the golden and platinum Ricefish already in there. Interestingly, as soon as I put them in there all the other previously shy Ricefish came to the surface and I now see all of them a lot more! Maybe they just needed more of them to feel secure? Either way I'm super happy!






*Let there be (less) light*
The Pico Pond got an update too! I think I was caning it with light on this tank and so it had a big green algae bloom. To be honest I actually like the way it looks because it resembles a real pond. Sterile ponds make me feel a bit weird, like what's going on in this thing making it so clean??? But it was getting so thick that I couldn't see into the tank. So I removed the light and at the moment this tank is only growing with sunlight. I may add the light back on in the autumn/winter as the sunlight hours drop off but for now it doesn't need it. In fact, I've had to start adding TNC complete already because the nitrates are always reading negligible and the plant growth slowed.



Most of the carpet was removed as it was covered in algae but also because I decided I didn't want it anymore. I replaced it with some Druid stone I got from WIO and I much prefer it - it fits the theme better in my opinion. The shrimp prefer it too because now I actually see them whereas before you wouldn't know anything was in there. Oh yes, I haven't mentioned the shrimp lol...



I added 10 Crystal Red Caridina kindly gifted to me by @Sid.scapes and 4 Red Neocaridina from my IAPLC tank. The cherry shrimp wasted no time and became berried almost immediately! I haven't spotted any berried crystals but time will tell. They've been in there 2/3 weeks and seem happy munching away on biofilm and the occasional feed. I added some trimmings of lilaeopsis brasilliensis and pepper grass to the emersed section to make it even wilder.




*Jarring, to say the least*
Recently, I've gotten really into the idea of keeping low-tech sun-driven jars where I can put a few plant specimens into and even keep some rare plants that don't fit into my other scapes currently.




This is the first one so far, it just features an Echinodorus 'Regine Hildebrandt', some Eleocharis parvula and Duckweed planted into some enriched Tropica Soil. That's it! I don't do anything apart from topping up and recently started adding some fertiliser as the growth slowed and the Duckweed started to look a bit yellow. It has a little bit of algae at the moment but has been fairly stable considering it's very new and very rich.




*Edible scape-ish*
I've been keeping this desktop scape under wraps (literally) for several months, just letting it grow in.



The concept was originally meant to be an edible wabi kusa but I had so much leftover Utricularia from the last one it seemed a sin to get rid of it. So the carpet area is UG and in the centre of the nest I've planted Limnophila aromatica 'mini' which has a really potent floral/herby smell. To the right I've planted Bacopa caroliniana which has a very lush lemon fragrance and so I'm intrigued to find more edible species with nice strong smells that won't take over.




*A day out...*
Yesterday @shangman and I scaped an Oase Scaperline 60 for George Farmer at his home. There is a journal for such adventures though...


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## Courtneybst (17 Jun 2022)

The flowering has begun in the ponds!


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## dw1305 (17 Jun 2022)

Hi all, 


Courtneybst said:


> The flowering has begun in the ponds!


I love the _Anagallis tenella _and I didn't know that _Luronium natans_  had such a good flower.

cheers Darrel


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## Courtneybst (17 Jun 2022)

dw1305 said:


> Hi all,
> 
> I love the _Anagallis tenella _and I didn't know that _Luronium natans_  had such a good flower.
> 
> cheers Darrel


The Anagallis looks really impressive in full bloom, I have to say! Also the way it gently creeps into every nook and cranny.

The Luronium has great flowers! Unfortunately they rarely last longer than a day since they get eaten by snails. 🙃


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## Courtneybst (19 Jul 2022)

*Beat the heat*
I type this semi-breathless as I inhale fumes from hell...




I was a little concerned about the effect of the hot weather on the ponds but I have to say, I needn't be. The terracotta pond does get warm but because of the massive surface area, it doesn't stay hot. Fish and plants are doing great. I removed 99% of the Callitriche stagnalis because it was losing its way and attracting a lot of algae. I've since replaced it with Duckweed which I very much like the look of - it hugs the margins in a very natural way.




The ground pond actually stays very cool, I think thanks to the ground itself and the depth of it, considering it doesn't have a large surface area ratio at all. I've not recorded temperatures above 22c. The fish are breeding and the plants have really gone to town!




I added an airstone to my widowsill pond which I have been running without any equipment for months until the hot weather came along. I've heard it helps with keeping temperatures down due to surface agitation. I think it has helped. This tank is in a South facing window so is most vulnerable!

It's also been subject to an aphid attack. My solution has been to just leave it be. I can win a war against aphids and so far there hasn't actually been too much damage. I've left some plants as sacrificial ones and that seems to have helped reduce the overall impact. The most noticeable effects are the curling of the leaves on the Lysimachia nummularia, the stagnation of the Houttuynia cordata and the occasional premature yellowing of a few leaves on the Oenanthe javanica.




*Oh contraire...*
Before keeping crystal shrimp in this pond, I researched the tried and true methods and came away thinking it might not actually happen for me. My setup went against all the advice, including from a very comprehensive guide here on UKAPS.




However, despite not following a fair few of the guides, the crystals *and* cherry shrimp have had shrimplets in there. Same water, no tech, just plant power. One of the reasons I love this hobby is that we can push boundaries and find new ranges for both plant and livestock care.




The temperature ranges from 18-30 depending on weather (although it hasn't been through winter yet), the TDS is currently 88 (with evaporation) and both shrimps seem fine. Nitrate is almost always close to 0 unless I dose (which I do from time to time with TNC Complete). I feed them a few times a week with Fluval Bug Bites and top of with RO when the water evaporates.

I've also accepted that I now have a root carpet! I think it looks quite similar to dwarf hairgrass so mission accomplished! 😅




Apologies if this is incoherent 😅


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## Garuf (19 Jul 2022)

If I were you, I would drain the tank so it can be carried and put it in the coolest part of the house on the floor and leave it until this first smile of the apocalypse passes. 

If that’s still too hot, freeze some 500ml pucks of ice and periodically add them after a small cold water, water change.


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## dw1305 (19 Jul 2022)

Hi all, 


Courtneybst said:


> it hugs the margins in a very natural way.


Not for long.


Courtneybst said:


> I've also accepted that I now have a root carpet!


Not a bad thing at all.

cheers Darrel


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## Courtneybst (19 Jul 2022)

Garuf said:


> If I were you, I would drain the tank so it can be carried and put it in the coolest part of the house on the floor and leave it until this first smile of the apocalypse passes.
> 
> If that’s still too hot, freeze some 500ml pucks of ice and periodically add them after a small cold water, water change.


Tbh I think they'll be fine, they're much hardier than we give them credit. I think moving them and changing all that water will be more stress than the heat can deliver.


dw1305 said:


> Not for long.


You're so right 🤣


dw1305 said:


> Not a bad thing at all.


Honestly I think it looks really nice, and requires zero effort on my part!


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## aec34 (19 Jul 2022)

I’m so jealous of your beautiful lily (among other aspects!): mine is really struggling in my half barrel pond - the leaves get to the surface then decay, or I think are being eaten? Any tips?


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## Courtneybst (19 Jul 2022)

aec34 said:


> I’m so jealous of your beautiful lily (among other aspects!): mine is really struggling in my half barrel pond - the leaves get to the surface then decay, or I think are being eaten? Any tips?


I'm not sure what actually causes that. I have another lily (Princess Elizabeth) in different container pond and it was doing the same but then stopped. Not sure what changed!


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## aec34 (21 Jul 2022)

Courtneybst said:


> I'm not sure what actually causes that. I have another lily (Princess Elizabeth) in different container pond and it was doing the same but then stopped. Not sure what changed!


Interesting! May start a thread…


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