Summer is so nice to my pond

[pond nut]

I've been ponding since 1973 now and have had all the ups and downs that come with it.. I'd say I've been in control for much of the last 20 yrs although I still have a few surprises now and then.. It's my passion and I am only looking forward to what the next 25 yrs brings before I'm put out to pasture..

Some pics of the past and current attached.. Not very large, but I do stock heavily and pump lots of water 24-7-365..I'm in S. Calif.

Tony

[miguynmkoi]

Welcome, Tony!  It's nice to have another SoCal member!  Your fish are beautiful and the water so clear.  Water plants look very happy in your pond too!  Hope to see you around here all the time!

[pond nut]

Just one of the reasons a pond is so fulfilling.. Night time viewing and all the little critters you never see in the day time.. Even my albino cat is on the prey..

Tony

[miguynmkoi]

Your fishies are BIG!  Cool cat!  Excellent photos.

[Mikey]

Very nice Tony.  Thanks for sharing

[Jerry]

A super construction job! Love the formal look.

[pond nut]

Jerry,

Thanks for the compliments...I don't know about the formal thing, but we just made it all fit..  If you think your readers may like a bunch of "start to finish" construction pics and some dialog, I'll can put something together as a mini-article over the next couple of weeks and it along with some things that I've learned over the pst 35 yrs of doing this.... It's a small pond as ponds go (under 1000 gallons) , but it will support a lot of fish if you are willing to pay Edison for the privilege ( maybe $80-100 a month), and have a back-up plan should Edison go down.. That's one of the keys to being able to leave town for a week or two know that they MAY survive should something go wrong until your back-up help arrive..

 We use a very no-frills filter system,  but I am able to keep things crystal clear with some quick once a week maintenance during the summer and twice a month during the winter when the water cools down.. Every 3-4 yrs, I do "spring cleaning, so to say..


Plus, I NEVER NEVER change water, only add as needed with the waste water from my household RO system..

Tony

[Mikey]

I certainly would like to see/read about your experiences in pond construction.  "No frills filter system" sounds like my kind of system.  I like keeping things simple.  I too don't do water changes other than when I empty out my 150 gallon stock tank once or twice a year.

[pond nut]

Thought I stay in this thread as this way it's easier to compare how a pond winters thru--Yes, I know our winters are very mild compared to most East or North  of us.
   
May 2011:
 
I made it thru a long cool winter by S. Calif standards. Although we never got a freeze this year, we had long stretches of 32-40F weather here in Ventura,  and by  early March, I still saw lows well below 40F.. Fish are no issue, but I've been trying to winterize my Taro plants.. This year I convinced my wife to give me some window space inside and she reluctantly agreed.. This way I was assured that I have some stock should we get a light freeze for the 2 mature Taro plants I was going to leave outside....Anyway, they survived well and they never really set back much.. I'm thinking that as each year passes,  they are building a better cold DNA? Sounds stupid, but they really did much better than the year before when it was not as cold..


The pics show the first signs of a good comeback this spring and by  Aug,  everything should really be cookin'.......Fish are in good shape (I pump a lot of water and air-e-ate heavily)  and my albino cat,  "Albie", has got to be a solid 8 lbs by now and is becoming quite aggressive when her whiskers get a smell of something good.. She (?) is super fond on large fresh crushed garden snails, so I'm trying to figure out a way to grow them.. You can't really hand feed her anymore as unlike koi, she has teeth that are not very forgiving.

Ponds are so much better than going to work!!


Tony


...............

[greenthumbnails]

I really like the rounded edges of the brickwork. Also noticed neat tile border just inside the edging. 

[emm]

What a great looking pond!  Your fish look to be floating on air, your water is so clear and your plants are healthy and lush.  Thanks for showing us your pond.

emm

[perplexed ponder]

Beautiful! Thanks for posting the lovely pictures. We are back in the high 40's and low 50's for the whole week here in MI. Ponding is very slow here this year!

[pond nut]

Well, here I am again showing how nice July weather is to my pond.. Although we have had a cool summer (pretty gloomy right now), things have done well this year..

In the past year I have been able to split up my Taro plants to where I can give some away ( or trade for something new I don't have) , and my albino CAT now eats like a small white shark.. You take a whole chicken thigh bone and she (or he) grabs on and rolls like a crocodile until either you let go,  or the end pulls off..The teeth do let go unlike the KOI that just sucks away with gums only.. Down it goes.. I'm going to try and get it on video..

Having a great summer and hope all of you get to enjoy your pond as much as I do..

Tony / Ventura,  Calif..

[pond nut]

4 more pics--

BTW, if anyone here is local to me, I'd be more than happy to trade a Taro or two for any colored hardy water lilies or ??


Tony

[minnowman]

Well done Tony! Please show us how the no frills filtration system works.