Messages

1

Pond Chat / Re: can I ???

« on: July 11, 2008, 02:52:28 PM »

Maybe I'm strange (OK, no maybe about it!) but I think my three channel cats are probably my favorite fish and (I've got some gorgeous butterfly koi).  I bought three channel cats at the pet store about 3 years ago (probably 3"-4" long) and the guy said they would never make it over winter in a Connecticut pond but I couldn't resist trying anyway.  Not only did they make it, they are HUGE now . . . 14" - 16" long each!   When we sprung a leak in our pond last winter and had to catch all the fish to overwinter them in a holding tank till we could rebuild the pond I was more worried about the catfish surviving than I was my koi.  I just LOVE the catfish with the big wide mouths and the LOOOOONG whiskers.  And the fact that they come swimming right up when they see me coming with pellets is great - I love seeing them.  If they can catch and eat some of the goldfish babies more power to them - otherwise I would be totally over run with fish.    I guess it's a personal preference thing but I just love my huge catfish.   

Sue

2

Pond Chat / Re: Pics of frogs, (show us yours)

« on: July 05, 2008, 08:36:44 AM »

This is so strange - sometimes when I log on here I can see the photo of frogs I posted (Reply #23) and other times I can't!  I just noticed that there are some others' photos I can see sometimes and not others.   Is there something I'm doing wrong with posting photos?   Can anyone else see my two frogs sitting next to a frog spitter? 

By the way, from the looks of my photo and the photo posted after mine it seems the frogs are really attracted to those frog spitters.  Maybe they think it's Big Mama!   

Sue

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Pond Chat / Re: Pics of frogs, (show us yours)

« on: June 30, 2008, 01:28:14 PM »

Great thread!   No frog photos from this year (still too much new pond construction going on) but here's a couple from previous years.
Sue

4

Aquatic and Terrestrial Plant Exchange / Re: Lotus buyers feedback comments

« on: June 17, 2008, 12:41:00 PM »

Sorry - I didn't know about feedback, either, but now that I do I am on my way to go leave some.   Thanks for letting me know!

Sue

5

Pond Chat / Turtles Have No Limits!

« on: June 16, 2008, 08:36:56 AM »

Still torn - love having the turtle in the big pond but HATE that I can't seem to keep a single plant in it.  Even though the turtle adds character, a pond with no plants is so baron-looking.  This weekend I managed to lift the big tubs of dirt and chewed up lotus plants out of the pond and will try to get them to grow out of the pond.  I put some chicken wire around a few of the lilies hoping that a few of the shoots can get a head start on the turtle and maybe he'll learn to lose interest in them.  (yeah, right).  But THEN I noticed..... the little sh*t had even made his way into my upper pond!  (it's actually the first basin the waterfall flows into, then there are three more steps of the waterfall after that before it enters the actual pond)   Obviously there is no way he could climb UP the waterfall - it's fairly forceful, so apparently he gets energetic enough to climb out of the pond, wander around to the side, climb up the hill to the upper pond, and have a buffet feast!   I had such gorgeous parrot feather in there (since they love moving water) and they have all been decapitated!    And as annoyed and frustrated as I am I can't help but wonder.... did he then walk all the way back to the big pond or did he turtle surf down the falls?    Hating him and loving him at the same time, darn it all.   
Sue

6

Pond Chat / Re: Mixed emotions regarding new arrival

« on: June 13, 2008, 09:21:36 AM »

Thanks for all the replies and sorry I didn't respond sooner - been crazy here at the office and this job really interferes with my personal life sometimes!   

I am going to try all kinds of fruits and vegetables this weekend and hopefully find something that really interests this turtle OTHER than my plants.  perhaps if I hand-deliver pre-sliced delicacies to him daily he'll forget about chopping down my plants if and when they ever re-grow.  I know the rational answer is to catch him and put him in the turtle pond but I just so love seeing him out there . . . it just really seems to "complete" the big pond and give it a new sense of life and character.  I guess I'm holding out hope that his plant massacre was just a "housewarming" upon his arrival and he'll tire and bore of them soon.    (I believe in Santa Claus, too)     

Sue

7

Pond Chat / Re: A few pond related shots today

« on: June 13, 2008, 09:12:14 AM »

I'm so jealous!   I could give you some good photos of the RES who moved into my pond about a week ago but you wouldn't see ANY plants in the photo - he has decapitated EVERYTHING in there!   Every lotus leaf, every lily pad, every floating heart, anacharis . . . you name it.  It seriously looks like someone went into my pond with a chainsaw and mowed down everything!   I guess it depends on the turtle because I had one visit for a few weeks last year and he never touched a single plant.  Do you think having a heart-to-heart with this guy would do me any good?
Sue

8

Pond Chat / Re: Mixed emotions regarding new arrival

« on: June 11, 2008, 10:06:10 AM »

Hi Mikey.
Thanks for the sympathy.... I'm guessing you and I are doomed with these plant hackers.  I can't imagine a way that I could barrier the plants from the turtle, at least not in a way that would be attractive enough to bother with.  Besides, after years of trying to keep turtles in the pond and never succeeding, I'm sure they would outsmart any attempt I'd make to keep them from the plants.  I will be the first to admit - I am powerless over the turtles - they win every time.  I'm thinking he probably has to go but now I'm wondering if I'd even be able to catch him.  The pond is about 20 feet by 20 feet and regardless of their reputation of being slow, they are darned quick when they are in the water being evasive!    I stand in my window looking at the pond shaking my head at the loss of plants yet then I see the fool's head pop up and watch him swim around and I can't help but smile.   I'm my own worst enemy.

Sue

9

Pond Chat / Mixed emotions regarding new arrival

« on: June 11, 2008, 09:02:13 AM »

I had tried having turtles in my large pond for years but was never successful in getting them to stay.  I finally gave up and decided to build a designated turtle pond (any excuse to build another pond, right?)   So for the past few years I've been happily keeping turtles in one pond and koi and plants in the other and it's worked out beautifully.  A few days ago, however, I was shocked to see a large RES swimming around in my koi pond!   I have no idea if he's an escapee from my turtle pond, an escapee from someone else's pond, or whether he's been living in the woods behind my house for a few years (possibly one of the escapees from years ago when I was buying and losing red-eared sliders).   I was THRILLED to see it and it's so nice to see a turtle swimming and frolicking in the big pond, HOWEVER, he has been busy.  All of my plants have been decapitated.  Lilies, sensitive plant, floating hearts, arrowhead, anacharis, creeping jenny, penny wort, poppy, etc. have all been chewed up.  It looks as if someone went in my pond with a chain saw!  I've still got mixed emotions.... I actually love seeing a turtle in the big pond swimming with the fishes but I don't know if I love it enough to sacrifice having nice plants in there.  I'm thinking maybe if I can get enough plants maybe at least half of them will survive?  Anyway, my biggest concern and dilemma right now are the lotus plants.  I had just purchased some gorgeous lotus plants (from our forum here) and they were barely starting to take root and shoot up leaves before they got butchered by the Texas Chain Saw Massacre turtle.  My question is, are those plants now goners or is there something I can do to save them?  If I can manage to remove the huge pots from the pond, can I place them elsewhere or is it too late once they've been chewed?   Thanks for your thoughts.

Sue

10

Pond Chat / Re: "Dirt" in pond

« on: June 01, 2008, 01:52:33 PM »

Thanks - that's exactly the kind of feedback I was looking for.  Some of the koi are 14-18" long so I am sure they are the capable culprits.  In my previous pond I never bothered with dirt - I used to anchor bare root lily tubers into a pot with rocks and things were fine.  Since we just built this "new and improved" pond I figured I should do things "right" and actually use dirt.  What a fool.  I have a powerful 3-tier waterfall that empties into the center section of the pond so it may be keeping things stirred up but it certainly does add a lot of aeration.  I used to use nothing BUT quilt batting in my old pond but again, was thrilled to have purchased a "new and improved" expensive skimmer and waterfall bio system with filter pads and was thrilled I wouldn't have to fight with heavy, slimy, dirty batting anymore.  Guess I'm back to it, at least for a while.    I'm heading out to do a partial water change and add batting to the filters.   Thanks for the responses.  It's days like this when I shake my head and wonder why I do this to myself with this ponding obsession, but 9 days out of 10 I am thrilled to death with it. 
Sue

11

Pond Chat / "Dirt" in pond

« on: June 01, 2008, 10:44:45 AM »

Hi there. 
I took the day off from work last Thursday and spent it potting my newly purchased water lilies and lotus plants and carefully placed them in all the ideal places so that I could start the exciting daily process of checking on their status, growth, etc.  I went to bed tired but happy.  The next morning I was shocked to find my previously crystal-clear pond totally BROWN.  I could not see an inch below the surface - the water was totally brown.  I imagine some of the pots have been knocked over/burrowed in by the koi (even though I used rocks over the dirt) and figured if I were patient it would all settle to the bottom in a couple of days.  It's now Sunday and I really don't see ANY improvement.  Should I be more patient or do I need to take action?  Should I do a partial water change?  Should I remove all the filter pads from the skimmer and biological waterfall and rinse them off?  I don't want to disturb the natural balance of things but I really thought I would see some clearing by now.  I can't imagine why it's THIS dirty - I really didn't use that much dirt and the pond is 20 feet by 20 feet and I only planted two lotus and 6 lilies. 

Help please?

12

Aquatic and Terrestrial Plant Exchange / Re: Last Call- Lotus

« on: May 21, 2008, 12:58:38 PM »

Oops - sorry - you already posted your PayPal address in the original post.  Let me know if you have four left and I'll send payment.  Thanks!
Sue

13

Aquatic and Terrestrial Plant Exchange / Re: Last Call- Lotus

« on: May 21, 2008, 09:46:37 AM »

I'd love four also if you have enough left.  Let me know where to send the PayPal payment and I'll do that right away.  Thanks in advance.

14

Pond Chat / Re: How Often Do You Run Outside "Just to Look at the Pond?"

« on: May 19, 2008, 08:07:59 AM »

Great topic, and now I feel less "obsessed" knowing I have company!   I am out there every possible moment on Saturdays and Sundays and as many minutes/hours that I can squeeze in after work and before dark.   Friends and co-workers don't even bother asking me anymore what my "plans" are for the weekend - they always get the same answer.  I would rather be putzing in my ponds than anything else in the world.  And since it's visible from two rooms of the house I am forever just standing and gazing out the window when I can't be in there, sometimes with binoculars to get the close-up details.  On weekdays I do a "walk around" in the morning before heading to the office, I come home for lunch for another "walk around" and unfortunately I don't own a pair of heels anymore that don't have dirt and mud caked up on them.   Can't stop myself though.     Oh, and on the designated turtle pond?   We have a webcam set up so I can watch them from the office!     

15

Pond Construction & Filtration / Re: Design Flaw - stagnant water

« on: May 13, 2008, 12:11:14 PM »

Thanks Greg.... your post, information, and most especially the pictures were VERY helpful.  A little discouraging in that it looks like we've got some work to do (I thought we were finally done with the mechanics and I could concentrate on the aesthetics but I guess one is never truly "done" with a pond, right?)   It's also disappointing in that this solution will cause my falls to be less powerful and gushing, but I guess that's part of the solution, too.  If it's not coming down so forcefully the floating debris will have a much better chance of making it across to the other side.   I'll show my husband your suggestions tonight and let him know his part of the ponding process is not quite done yet.   
Sue

16

Pond Construction & Filtration / Design Flaw - stagnant water

« on: May 12, 2008, 01:54:51 PM »

Hi.  I'm not new to ponding but new to this forum - thanks for being here!  Me and my husband just re-built our pond (the original one sprung a leak we couldn't find so we tore it apart and started fresh) and everything is falling into place nicely.  I decided this time I wanted the waterfall to be the center focus so it's much bigger than last time (3-tiered) and is in the center of the oblong-shaped pond.  It LOOKS great, however, I'm finding that half of the pond is never getting skimmed or sent through the UV.  The waterfall cascade enters the pond and then the water rushes to and against the opposite wall of the pond.  Half of the water goes left (towards the skimmer) and the other half goes right, away from the skimmer.  That half just continually circles but never makes it across the strong current of water rushing across the center of the pond.   I've tried redirecting the flow with rocks but short of making it a sharp and severe 90 degree turn as it enters the pond, I can't get that half of the pond water over to the skimmer.  I've tried playing with another waterfall to help push the water across the central current but it would have to be even bigger than my primary one and I don't fancy the idea of two huge waterfalls and two big pumps.  I can't be the only one who's ever run across this..... is there a simple and obvious solution that I'm missing?   I was so hoping that this time we'd build the PERFECT pond, aesthetically pleasing, low maintenance, efficient, etc. but this seems like it could be a major problem.  What frustrates me is when I was discussing and planning and purchasing all the new equipment a few weeks ago I asked the "pond expert" if I would have a problem with circulation if I placed the waterfall in the center rather than at one end and he assured me I wouldn't.... he said in that big of a pond with that many large fish there would not be any stagnant portions.   Well?  Guess what?
Sue