It is time for me to get the pond ready for winter, although with this 80 plus weather around here, it is hard to believe it is Octoer. You can't fool mother nature completely though, because the leaves are coloring right on tract, although the drought is probably going to be a factor in the amount of coloring we get here. Last year, when I got the pond ready, I cut all the potted marginal plants and lilies back and lowered them into the center of the pond where it is the deepest. I had many hatchlings in the water that were several inches long and fed them right up to the time I was instructed to stop. I had a net over the pond to catch leaves. I put in my deicing ring and the fish had a piece of terra cotta pipe to hide under. I hoped that would do it for the winter season. Come spring, all my fish were dead. My marginal plants did survive but that was all. Despite the deicing ring, the pond froze over anyways and I feel the gas build up killed all the fish. I bought a new deicing ring and am about to order a second one just incase there could be something go wrong with the first. I have huge, gorgeous fish in my pond this year that I don't want to die but there is no way I can take them out for the winter. I am going to put the leaf catching net on tomorrow and cut back the marginals and lower them into the water. What else can I do for my pond and fish? I also have 2 very nice green frogs who have lived out there since spring and are quite friendly and not scared when I come out. How are they going to survive and is there anything I can do for them? I don't want the disaster I faced with my fish this spring. Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thanks to you all. Jax
