Messages

1

Pond Chat / Re: 2 pond shots yesterday

« on: May 20, 2011, 12:23:55 PM »

everything looks great but what i am most envios of is sunshine.  forgot what it looks like, with all this rain in Pennsylvania.  send me some, please!!!!!

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Pond Chat / Re: Stocking KOI, How cold is too cold?

« on: April 05, 2011, 01:21:03 PM »

I live in central Pa., and it is just way too cold yet to try putting fish in now.  The 3 big one's I have in there now have gone through 3 winters with no problems.  I had lost all my fish before that during a winter when my deicing ring quit on me.  My water is only 39*.  I want to add some fish to mine too but there is nothing for sale yet and I'm afraid the shock of water that cold would do them in.  Be patient.  I know it's not easy.  I'm dying for warm weather myself so I can get out there and clean it all out, wash it down and get ready for another ponding season but it's just not happening here yet.

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Pond Chat / Re: My lamb drowned

« on: April 05, 2011, 01:15:08 PM »

Oh, this is so sad and such a tragedy.  I'm sorry for you.  I have often found mice and moles dead in my skimmer after winter is over.  They must just fall in there and drown and I don't know any way to prevent it.  I have netting clear into there but they fall in some how.  I have often seen squirrels, groundhogs and possom's come and get a drink at my pond and if they fell in I'd probably never know it happened until I found the tragic results.  I have no way to put any type of barrier up around the water.  They come because they need to drink.  I never thought of anything larger than a mouse falling in.  I'm sorry this happened to you.

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Pond Chat / Re: OhmyGodT Turtle egg on a rock! T MIKE?

« on: April 05, 2011, 01:11:11 PM »

I'm so excited about this for you.  Can hardly wait for the big day when you announce what kind of baby turtle you got.  I sure hope this all works out for you.  Will this be a first for you?  Yippi.  Bet you are all kinds of happy too.

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Pond Chat / Re: Gave away all my extra fish today

« on: April 05, 2011, 01:09:50 PM »

I wish I had babies.  I swear I have fish all the same sex.  No eggs, no fry, no nothing going on in my pond.  Maybe the water is still too cold for anyone to be feeling "frisky".  I'd gladly chase some around with a net if I ever got them.  I'm hoping I get some frogs this year.  I have no luck with that either.  This year I am getting some tadpoles to throw in there and I hope the whole pond is full of happy, croaking frogs and toads.  Now, if Spring would just warm up around here, I'd be one happy ponder.

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Pond Chat / Re: Please post waterfall pics...rebuild

« on: January 11, 2011, 05:05:13 PM »

I sent you a couple pictures of my pond and waterfalls at different stages of growth.  You can see when the plants were young and small, and the picture that show's the plants sky high were taken this past summer.  I don't have a big pond but I make the area as green and inviting as I can and have a variety of flowers that bloom throughout the season at different intervals.  I'm not good at posting photo's but these might be something you like.

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Pond Chat / Re: Please post waterfall pics...rebuild

« on: January 11, 2011, 04:59:22 PM »

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Pond Chat / Re: Please post waterfall pics...rebuild

« on: January 11, 2011, 04:58:26 PM »

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Pond Chat / Re: Please post waterfall pics...rebuild

« on: January 11, 2011, 04:51:06 PM »

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Pond Chat / Re: Please post waterfall pics...rebuild

« on: January 11, 2011, 04:48:25 PM »

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Pond Chat / Re: Happy New Year 2011

« on: January 02, 2011, 06:55:30 AM »

Happy New Year everyone.  Let's sit back and see what 2011 has to offer us.  It's great to be alive.  I wish you luck, happiness, joy, love, prosperity and health in the upcoming months.  May you have an abundance of it all.

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Pond Chat / Re: Please say a prayer for Esther and her Dad

« on: December 14, 2010, 06:43:26 AM »

Life can certainly break your heart at times, as you well know Esther, but the joy we get inbetween the pages of our book of life is sure worth it.

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Pond Chat / Re: Goldfish keep hugging the deicing ring. What's up?

« on: December 14, 2010, 06:40:37 AM »

I've watched these fish for day's now and I have come to the conclusion as Michiponder said is they like the warmer water right in that area.  They seem to be a bit more in motion in that area of the pond and their mouth opening at the surface show's no sign of distress: they are just hanging there enjoying it.  I think they think they have their own little hot tub area there.  It's just like when they get under the water falls and let the pounding come right down on top of them; I think they like it.  Thanks everyone for the info.

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Pond Chat / Re: Goldfish keep hugging the deicing ring. What's up?

« on: December 13, 2010, 06:46:05 AM »

Thanks for the  replies.  My goldfish are just "big" ordinary shubunkin or comet.  Didn't mean to suggest any different.  I have a gravel bottom on my pond.  Each spring I suck out most of the sludge in the bottom and clean the pump and parts well.  There is a net over the pond now.  It has a few fall leaves on the top that have blown in but every so often I got out, clean those off and restretch the net tight once more.  I have always pulled my pump in late fall.  One year I had a deicing ring quit on me and everything died that year. This one I have in there now works excellent and keeps that vent hole open all winter.  It does put off some steam right around it.  I can't clean out the pond this Fall but I had thought of doing that earlier this year but wasn't able to do it before the really cold set in.  I will clean it all out in the Spring.  I can see my fish really well.  They swim very slow, but, they are a bit more alert here near the deicing ring.  I'm asking, is this normal, is it bad for them. I know there are a few leaves on top of the net. Very few got in prior to putting it on but are they rotting and doing them harm?  I net them all out prior to putting the net on but a few still get in some how.  Soon I won't be able to keep every leaf off but, I just need to know if I am suppose to do anything else for my fish and is this clustering near the ring a good thing or not for them?  They do keep keeping opening their mouths there but do not appear to be inany distress andthey move around in that area.  Is all this normal or not?

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Pond Chat / Re: Goldfish keep hugging the deicing ring. What's up?

« on: December 12, 2010, 05:06:12 AM »

I am in central pennsylvania.  My pond was frozen over already and soon enough it will freeze over and stay that way clear into spring.  The ring is to keep the hole open to allow the gases to escape.  I have a few leaves on the top of the netting stretched over it but they don't get into the water.  Once that water freezes over, I don't see my fish sometimes until the spring thaw comes.  There is steam right off the ring itself but not the water.  The water is extremely cold and does freeze thickly as we go deeper into winter.  I just want to know if this behavior of the fish hanging around the ring is a natural thing because I have never seen them cluster there like that before.  They do continue to swim slowly though the rest of the pong but this is just what I have been noticing them doing.  There is no ice or snow to block my view right now.  Does anyone else have any ideas?

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Pond Chat / Re: black/brown goldfish???

« on: December 11, 2010, 12:13:51 PM »

I have had baby goldfish start off brown and as they grew larger, they began to change color.  By late summer they were orange and white with darker dots on them, marking's of some of the other fish in there.  I certainly had no idea what I had in there at first.  Wondered where it came from and why the bigger guy's didn't eat them but they grew up and was fine. Unfortunately for all of them, and me, my deicing ring failed that winter and everything from fish, frogs and even a couple mice all died that winter and I had to start from scratch once more.  That's why I don't have many fish in there.  I'm afraid of trying with more and they'll all die again.

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Pond Chat / Goldfish keep hugging the deicing ring. What's up?

« on: December 11, 2010, 12:02:48 PM »

I have 3 big, fat goldfish in my pond.  There has been a long cold snap going on here in the central Pennsylvania area so, with ice forming along the waterfall edges and on the netting over the pond, I shut down the pump and put that and the UV light away for this season.  I put the deicing ring in.  There is a piece of sheeting over a section of the pond for the fish to hide under.  All 3 of them are clustered around the ring, their mouth's open right at the top of the water and blow bubbles out at times.  The ring is working, as you can see steam there at times.  Are they just enjoying the warmer water right there, are they having troubles breathing with this open mouth stuff of what?  Is there anything I need to do for them?

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Pond Chat / Re: Please say a prayer for Esther and her Dad

« on: December 11, 2010, 11:57:39 AM »

I am so sorry to hear about your Father.  Know I am thinking of you and praying for your heart to be at peace.  Please think back to all the years of joy this man has brought into his daughter's life and you will surely know that you were lucky to get one of the best there could be.  I know I did too.

Jax

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Pond Chat / Re: Frost on the ISG.

« on: November 09, 2010, 09:57:34 AM »

The photo's are gorgeous.  Sure wish it was the beginning of the season rather than the end.  I think the one with the frost on it is a pretty special looking photo.  Caught that just right. 

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Pond Chat / Re: Worn out......................

« on: November 02, 2010, 11:13:21 AM »

I was wore out on Saturday.  I cut everything back, cleaned up the filters and pump and netted all the leaves from the water.  Then I wrestled with the netting and got that finally in place and anchored down all around the edges.  I looked like a pig pen by the time I was done, back was broke, fingers cold as ice and just sad to see it all gone for the season.  I put a sheeting board over the pond so the fish have a place to hide.  I'll take the pump and UV light out once it get's really cold.  There was ice on the net where it comes off the water falls today.  24 here this morning.  I'm glad I got it done.  It's just not fun to do in the Fall like it is in Spring.

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Pond Chat / Re: hawk

« on: October 31, 2010, 08:35:35 AM »

I occassionally get one or two hanging around our bird feeder.  I saw one grab a squirrel from the ground, haul it up the hill a few feet and had a big lunch on that one.  I also had one come another day and here it was a young eagle.  Just not old enough for his white head.  I know they have to eat too but not my cats, dogs or other critters I feed year round.  They are very impressive though.

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Pond Chat / Re: winter maintenance

« on: October 27, 2010, 08:12:56 AM »

I've read your information on your site too Esther and appreciate it.  I thank you for the recent information.  I don't know about the seals on my pump so I think I should just pull it to be safe.  I do not want to be buying a new one come spring.  I've never put it in water over the winter so I think I'll just continue like I have been.  My fish are slow movers now.  Not much interest in food.  They pretty much tell me when to quit feeding them.  It just amazes me that they can go so long without a morsel.  Tough buggers, aren't they.  Usually it's late November or December before the ice begins to form on my waterfall so I'm going to continue using that as my guide to pull everything, like I did before.  Thank you for all the information.  My biggest concern next spring will be keeping all the string algae out once more.  It was horrible this year.  Sure don't want a repeat of that mess.

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Pond Chat / Re: Ugly spillway improved, SEE new photo a few weeks later! This stuff grows!!

« on: October 26, 2010, 08:54:52 AM »

That plant is really hardy and fast growing.  I've had it in my indoor plants before but I never got results like that.  Looks good.

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Pond Chat / Re: winter maintenance

« on: October 26, 2010, 08:52:43 AM »

The question about what to do with the pump and UV light is my concern. I am in central Pennsylvania. For 4 years now I have removed them in the Fall, but I'm not sure of the time I should do that.  Also, some people say they run their's year round.  Why do you take your's out Esther but leave it in water in the basement? I was thinking of just turning everything off once ice begins to form around the spillway and just let it all sit, not removing pump and light.  What's your suggestion on that?   I always put a deicing ring in mine and I balance a piece of paneling crossed the water for the fish to have a place to hide.  I keep my netting on in the winter as I am surrounded with woods.  I clean them off every so often through the winter. My water temp now is about 50.  I've occassionally thrown them in some food but not much.  Suggestions please!

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Pond Chat / Re: Still some blooming.

« on: October 08, 2010, 11:33:01 AM »

I think those photo's are absolutely gorgeous.  Wish I were just sitting along the edge of your pond taking it all in ...........live.

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Pond Chat / Re: If you build it they will come..

« on: August 05, 2010, 03:59:51 PM »

I'd give anything to have that happen at my pond. 

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Pond Chat / Re: Bloomers

« on: June 15, 2010, 05:55:19 AM »

It's hard to pick a favorite since they are all so perfect and beautiful.

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Pond Chat / Re: Tinkster's visit to Turtle Island.

« on: June 15, 2010, 05:48:51 AM »

No one could have blooms any prettier than yours.  Those are breath taking.  I can't get even a couple to go for me.  I could stand at your pond edges all day and never get tired of looking.

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Pond Chat / Re: My Utopia Lily is in Bud Already!!! E N Z O .... L O O K ! ! !

« on: June 10, 2010, 07:00:57 AM »

Can hardly wait till that opens. 

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Pond Chat / Re: Those gorgeous night bloomers!

« on: June 10, 2010, 06:59:59 AM »

I think they are outstanding.  I'd give anything to be able to grow lilies day or night bloomers.  I just don't seem to have any luck with them.  I would love a brilliant red one but at this stage I don't care if it had polka dots.  I'll keep trying.  Photo's like these keep you going and hoping I'll get some going eventually.