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#214386 Jun 7th, 2008 at 08:04 PM
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That's so cool, Lynne! I'm glad you got to see the little fishies. clap

I was telling my sister about your pond the other day. She's about to start from scratch(she had a pre-fab molded pond at the old house) and I sent her the links to your threads since you give such great descriptions and have done a fabulous job with the "step-by-step" progress.

Since I had to look up all the old threads, I thought I would put them all here for you or the hostesses for reference. I think I've got them all;
//www.agardenersforum.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/37014#Post37014

//www.agardenersforum.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/98086#Post98086

//www.agardenersforum.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/122062#Post122062

//www.agardenersforum.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/201773#Post201773

//www.agardenersforum.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/207992#Post207992

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Thanks so much, Mel and Jiffy! I was trying to close the last one, but my keyboard jammed and I had to shut my computer down.

Mel - I hope your sister can get some good ideas from our successes and failures both. Might she join us here and post her progress too?


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Your welcome, Lynne. I didn't even realize we were at the end of that thread, I thought the links would be buried somewhere in the middle. This works out great for reference, thanks so much for moving it Jiffy!


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[font:verdana] Well I'm happy to report that I definitely saw 5 of the six fish today, and maybe the 6th as well - couldn't tell from the distance. Don saw them too! They are coming up to eat now and stick around for about 20 minutes or so - fun fun fun!!!

Loz - what kind of food did you say you use? Sorry I can't remember. [/font]


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clap lynne, i'm happy for you. i lost 2 of my 5 when i re-vamped my pond a couple of weeks ago. so last week, i put 5 more feeders (all mine are feeders, from walmart) and 3 of the 5 new ones have gone belly up rspb but one is going to make it i'm almost sure, he's hanging out and running with the big fish. the 5th i don't know if it's even still in there.

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That's great Lynne....everyday it's a little pleasure to sit outside and watch the fish feed. thumbup

I use the floating pellets for the bigger fish, the 2 BIG ones can eat 5 at a time. lol

The mosquito fish get flake food....one good thing about mosquito fish is that the water dances with them all the time. They are surface swimmers so even when you don't see the Goldfish you see them.

This fall when it cools back down I could send you some if you want. Jiffy I can give you some if you make it up.

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Lynne, do you have snails in your pond?

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I don't have snails, loz - but there was 1 tiny one on one of the plants I got at the pond store so I let him go in. After the awful time I had with snails taking over my 10 gallon fishtank in the computer room they are not one of my favorite animals.

Do you have them? Why do you ask?


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I was just curious, my aquarium is full of a gazillion teeny snail babies and I've been putting them out in the pond. They are good for a large pond though, they'll help keep it clean. And they won't live thru the winter so they just have a big explosion in the summer and that's it.

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I am so very happy to report this morning that the pond is so much clearer now that I can see the bottom drain from up here on the bedroom level, and I also see 3 of the fish swimming around down below today - YIPPEE!!! clap

I know I have said a few times that "people" have said if you name your fish you are sending them to certain doom, but I couldn't help it! So... here are their names...

The first baby koi I got is now about 5-6 inches long. When I got him, his top fin was very black and reminded me of a mohawk, and in turn reminded me of the Gremlin, "Spike" so that's his name.

There is an orange and white koi - "Creamsicle"
An all white koi which Amy named last night - "Marshmallow"
An all yellow koi - "Sunny"
A black, white and red koi with a red nose which Amy named - "Rudolph"
And lastly a large bright dark orange goldfish which Amy named "Clementine"

What are your fish's names?


Loz - when your snails have an explosion do you see them everywhere in the pond? I was thinking of getting a couple, but am just not sure I want to have to deal with that again...


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I just cannot contain my excitement!!! clap
The water is so clear today I could see all the way down to every speck of dirt on the bottom!!! And I got to see all 6 fish playing and eating earlier this morning - this is what I've been waiting for - finally!!! flwr

I can still see them from up here - I need to get some more things for them to swim in and out of on the bottom of the pond - any suggestions??? why


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So Lynne, it was the batting that worked? clap

I don't see my snails everywhere at all---but they lay lots of egg sacs around the place...I do see a few come up for oxygen each evening.

Nice fishy names Lynne! Mine are easy....I have Faye and Mo--they are the 2 big Shubunkins that mom and dad bought for me.....the two biggest in fish in the pond. I have a white goldfish called Marky......3 fancy tail orange fishes, Loz, Athena, and Kristen. And 2 regular goldfish named Bill and Cindy. I had a 3rd but it died.... tears Jiffy says that was probably her. boohoo

I'm so glad that you can see your pond so well! I need to get to work and make an Adams filter and quit talking about it.....

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You know what, loz?

Don is in such disbelief that simply cleaning the filters cleared up the pond - well DUH!!! Since he cleaned them on Saturday, and then again rinsed them on Monday it has cleared up dramatically!!! There is still a greenish tinge to the water, but as I wrote above, we can see clearly down to the dirt grains in the bottom!!! And I can still see the fish swimming around from up here!

Do you have a filter at all now? I don't remember...


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I do, I have an all in one filter/pump thing with the biological balls in the bottom of it....I think I might work on an additional filter soon though, maybe this weekend..... grin

I clean mine often enough now, maybe not as much as I should---but it's so darn heavy to pull out of the pond everyday.

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Thankfully our pond is crystal clear now - FINALLY! clap thumbup

Thought I'd post a picture of my pond "hoop" as Loz did in her thread.
The water hyacinths aren't doing all that well, and I cut them back yesterday. The water lettuces are doing pretty well, and I think I will get some more soon. Although I did just see the goldfish nibbling at the roots! shock

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OH Lynne--so very happy to hear your pond is finally clear-- clap--

now you can sit in your pretty blue chair, in your pretty garden and watch your beautiful fish---happy restful times ahead for Lynne--- bop

but hey do not fall asleep out there--- lol


and of course your hula-hoop is blue---what other color would they sell to you, right??? shots

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How fabulous!! I want one!! grin But my entire backyard is field line for the septic tank rspb and the front yard isn't big enough. sigh....


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my fish nibbled my water lettuce and it still grew like a weed.

looks good.

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Well there is good news and bad news today.
The good news is that the pond is once again clearing after Don put more Algae Fix in it the other day. I went out and bought the last 2 64oz. bottles that I could find anywhere here or in northern NJ - our Petsmart told us they are not making that size anymore - wonder if that's true?

The bad news is that my yellow baby koi is not doing well. Last evening he was swimming near the surface for a few minutes and then was just floating sideways all of a sudden. We took him out of the pond and put him in a plastic bucket with some stress coat. It seemed to help a bit right away. I put the bucket in the garage last night to keep the critters away from him, and thought he was dead when I went to look this morning.

I changed the water and he is still hanging on after more stress coat. I hope he makes it - he's the only all yellow baby koi I've found so far and I really wanted one!


Oh... and one of the fish in the large tank indoors was floating dead today too all of a sudden. What is going on???


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weather? why low pressure system? i hate that lynne. i hate losing even gold fish, let alone koi. i couldn't handle that.

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Oh Lynne I am so sorry to hear about the little koi not doing well yet. I will hope tomorrow brings better news


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Thanks Jiffy and Carol!

He is hanging in there, in the bucket. He just ate a little bit of dinner, though he seems to be swimming right towards the sides of the bucket and bumping into them as if he cannot see?

Oh, and the crystal clear water this morning is once again all cloudy due to the heavy rains we had a couple of times today! Back and forth and back and forth...


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Praying for that little koi, yep I am---I love fish and I hope it makes it Lynne. thumbup Koi are pretty finicky fish aren't they? I don't know too much about them.

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Thanks so much, Loz! I haven't gone outside yet today to see how he's doing. We had some pretty heavy rain once again early this morning, but he's in the bucket under the deck.

The pond water is pretty cloudy again, and the other fish haven't been coming up to eat like they had been.

Ohhhhhhhh - I learned something interesting the other day at the pond store - they had a sign up that said that water lilies do not grow until the water reaches a temperature of 70 degrees, and that the time to put them in is NOW! I checked our temp. when I got home and it was 75, and guess what? The two pads that are left are turning green - YIPPEE!!!


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Algefix can be toxic to fish. Even used as directed. Use it sparingly go to koivet forum and read to discusion on algefix. I use it myself but I am very careful and us it "as need only", not as directed. just mt thoughts on the stuff.


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How's the little fishy doing?


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Thanks for that info, waterwise!!!
I will go read there as soon as I come in from feeding the fish.

Tamara - I'm going out now to take a look - will let you know soon.


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Well... Sunny is now swimming in that big pond in the sky. tears
He didn't make it through the night...
And the other fish are not coming up to the top to eat anymore - it's been about 2-3 days now... it seems like they are frightened. why I hope an animal didn't try to get them when we weren't out there.


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I'm so sorry Lynne.....I was soooo hoping to read that he'd lived. tears

When I have a floater in the pond all the other fish sort of disappear for a while....as if they know and don't want to come up anywhere near it. Usually after I take it out they start acting normal again. Hopefully yours will too.

What do you think would be trying to get the fish? Herons? Or a ground animals of some kind? Cat?

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Loz - we took him out of the pond 2 days ago, so they didn't really see him floating...

I'm not sure what/if an animal was trying to get to them... just guessing?


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So sorry to hear about Sunny.---I too have hoping tht he would get well--- tears


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Something is terribly wrong with our pond. It has gotten very green and murky once again, after being clear earlier this week.

And around 8 tonight we noticed 3 of the koi babies were hanging out in front of the skimmer just not looking right. One in particular would not even swim away when I put my hand in the water right near it several times. I even splashed water at him and he would not swim away like they all usually do. He wasn't dead, but not really moving about either. Then 2 of the others started just hanging around nearby too.

And a few minutes ago Don informed me that Rudolph the Red Nosed koi is now dead. He was one of the 3 acting strangely, so I expect that when I look tomorrow the other 2, if not all 4, will be dead as well. We just don't know what is going on. Don tested the water tonight with his kit and it all came out fine!

I knew I should not have named the fish.
But really... what is happening with the pond?


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Ohhh No Lynne I'm so sorry you're having problems with the pond,
I wish I could tell you something to do, but as you know I don't know anything about fish and ponds,, I hope what ever it is you find the answer quickly kissie


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why i'm wondering if there is some contaminate getting into the pond in the waterfall process?

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Thanks Diane and Jiffy

One of the problems could be with the Algaefix we've been using to try and clear up the water. I just read up where waterwise suggested, and it says there that when the algaefix kills the algae, the dead algae depletes much of the oxygen in the pond. That is what we've been thinking is hurting the fish - not enough oxygen - and is why Don set up a generator with a bubbler in the pond.

But it also says if you have a waterfall, especially one that you can hear at least 8 feet away - ours is MUCH stronger - it should be enough oxygen generating. So it is still a puzzle, but thankfully so far from the windows up here I don't see any more dead fish. Don't actually see any fish right now, but they could be hiding under the pot in the bottom. At least they are not up by the surface like last night.



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[Linked Image]ALL my fish are now dead.

We went to the pond store this morning, and the owner suggested a few things. He said it could be chloramine in the water from our hose filling it every so often, or even toxicity from oak leaves having gotten in it last year. They also tested the water for us and it was perfect as far as the other chemicals are concerned. He suggested putting charcoal in the waterfall filter, like one would do in an aquarium filter so we bought all that there, and then went to PetSmart to buy some other things he suggested that I knew would be cheaper there.

I got a new koi and 2 baby goldfish but put them in the large tank in the basement til we can establish the water in the pond. Made a few more stops on the way home and when we got here around 3, one of the fish was dead by the skimmer. The owner had said that if another one dies to bring it in for him to look at. We had to race back over there - it was 3:40 and they close at 4 and it's a 1/2 hour ride. Thankfully the owner was still there - he took a good look at the fish's gills and said it was definitely a respiratory problem because the gills were all white and they should be red!!! shock

We came home and Don put the charcoal and other stuff in the pond and then it began to pour outside. It was a very shortlived storm, but right when it was over, the remaining 3 fish were dead by the skimmer!!! boohoo Don tested the water to see if it might be acid rain or something, but all the numbers came out fine again. We don't know if they were already dead and the heavy rain caused them to float up to the top, or what??? But we are both extremely frustrated[Linked Image] and very sad right now...[Linked Image] [Linked Image]


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awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Lynne kissie I feel soooo bad for you,, I know how you looked forward to this summer with the pond,, I sure hope the Charcoal works in the filter Sounds like a good idea,, I've always used charcoaled filters when I had aquariums,, only for you now on a bigger scale,, , it makes sense anyway,

I hope you can feel the virtual hug I'm giving you! {{{{{HHHHHHHHUG}}}}}}


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tears boohoo tears

Oh no Lynne. I am very sad for you and the fishies, and I am frustrated for you. It makes no sense when your water levels are good. I sure hope that something can be figured out. tears I just don't get it. You have a nice big pond with drains, and skimmers and great aeration from a waterfall. I just have a hole in the ground with roofing rubber and a small ($100) pump/filter combo. I just don't understand why you'd have so many problems with the pond. I am praying that it gets worked out because you have so much stress already, you don't need this too! kissie

Is your pond on all night? I know it's a dumb question but plants put oxygen in the pond in the day and steal it at night......if there is no aeration at night it would be very hard on the fish.

I'm just trying to think of things. why

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Lynne--I know absolutely nothing about ponds--and othert than the usual aqurium filter I know nothing aobut that either---I am so hoping tah between Don and the pool guy a resolution for this problem is found.----it is such a beautiful pond--I hope everything gets straightened out.


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Thanks Diane, Loz, and Carol.

Yes, Loz, we leave everything on 24/7. We're hoping that the pond guy is correct and it's just a chloramine problem, or poison from the oak leaves, because that can be fixed with additives. Hopefully...

Don did put some Algaefix in, after he took out the last dead fish, to try and clear the water some, and I won't be putting any more fish in for a few days to give the water a chance to improve with the charcoal and dechlorinator too.

I have lost a total of 8 baby koi, a large goldfish, and a few small goldfish.
Not only is it heartbreaking, but it's costing a lot of money!


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Maybe until you figure it out you should stick to cheapo feeder goldfish?

Maybe it is chloramine.....you should call your town office and see if that's in the water.

I think as far as algae goes we're stuck with it Lynne, I've embraced it at this point. lol When your pond is in full sun all day I just don't think we'll ever win.

When you get it fixed will you try to winter the fish in the pond? I can't remember how deep you said it was....I know my pond water gets quite warm in the summer but the fish have a 3 foot end where it's cooler, your water isn't too warm is it?

Just trying to think.....

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kissie lynne, i am so sorry. loz has a good point about calling your city. i was wondering about chloramine and about flouride. they both might have an impact. and chloramine NEVER evaporates. the water evaporates and leaves the chloramine unless it is neutralized.

please keep us posted.

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Don is a hydrogeologist so he knows much about chloramine - he is hoping to get some test kits from work this week that would help him try to figure it all out. :wink:

Loz - the deepest part is just under 3 feet, so I'm not sure if I'll be able to overwinter any fish outside. I do have some tanks that I could put them in at least this coming winter, while they are still small - that is... if I get any to survive and I can catch them! why


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Oh well just under 3 feet should be okay. For some reason I was thinking it was 18 inches.....I know my mosquito fish made it in the old pond and it was about 2 feet deep. If you do ever leave them out in the winter and you don't use a pond heater you can just float a bunch of balls in the pond to stop it from freezing solid.

I hope Don can figure it all out for you! thumbup You should be enjoying that pond, not worrying about all the stuff that's going wrong with it.

Keep us updated! kissie

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Originally Posted by loz

I hope Don can figure it all out for you! thumbup You should be enjoying that pond, not worrying about all the stuff that's going wrong with it.

Keep us updated! kissie


uyep--keep us updated--inquiring minds wanna know. thumbup lol


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Thanks once again, everyone!
Don is still perplexed about the water, and we now have to wait about a week to see if anything clears up before adding more fish. I really miss going out twice a day and feeding them - it feels like something is missing. I also had such high hopes to have fish in there this summer, after not being able to last summer either.

Well... in the meantime, I am taking care of the plants that I put in on each side, and keeping my fingers crossed that the critters do not like the Shotgun Repel that I sprayed on most of the plants. So far, in the few days since spraying all is ok.

Here is a view from an upstairs bathroom window - it was the only way I could get both garden sides in the picture - sorry about the screen. The blue that you see on top of the arbor bench is a tablecloth that I folded and velcroed across the top to keep the birds from pooping on the bench - the past few years the cushions were a mess!!!
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There will be stepping stones in front of the bench, just like on the other side by the chair, when I get around to doing that!

The dirt area in front of the pond has been seeded with grass seeds and is starting to grow now.


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Lynne, if it makes you feel better my pond looks just like that. lol Color wise I mean. It's just so hard in full sun to have a clear pond. The algae grows on the liner and even if the water is clean it makes the pond look dirty. Have you thought of trying a natural filter, having the water pass thru pond plants to filter out all the gunk?

It looks really great. That was a good idea with the tablecloth. My little bench at the pond is always covered in bird poop.....I'm constantly hosing it off.

I think I'd be sneaking in a few of the cheap walmart feeder fish that are like 30 cents or something. :wink: lol

Fish often seem to die after being put in a new place. Everytime I add more it's a waiting game. With the first pond I bought 10 ten cent feeder fish and only one of them is still alive. Most died within days of being put in the pond.

I sure hope Don figures it out, and keep on keeping us updated.

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thumbup beautiful. i like it. and i'm with loz about the cheap walmart fish. i would put a dozen of them in first, and if they make it, then go with the other fish. and the plant filtration is how i keep mine clear. not as big as your's of course, but i'm working toward getting mine filtered even more with the plants.

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The thing about getting the cheap fish is... if they do make it, I won't have room for all the koi I want to have in there. And don't have any more room in indoor tanks for them.

We had EXTREMELY heavy rains last night and the pond water is about an inch from the top right now - it's a good thing there weren't any fish in there because when that happened in my bathtub pond all the nice sized goldfish up and died! Also... just the other day in the heavy rain the last 3 koi died.

Don needs to drain out some water today and test it once again.
The never ending cycle...

(by the way... and not knitpicking... but our WalMart is the smallest in the company, and does not have a fish department. I have to go to PetSmart or Petco and pay 26 cents a fish - still not a hefty price, but still more than 10 cents if one is going to lose the fish anyway you know?)

I do have 2 of those waiting in the tank in the basement though - the last one I put in there never surfaced after the second day, and to this day I have no idea what happened to it... unless the others ate him?


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Originally Posted by plants 'n pots
... unless the others ate him?
they will you know.

actually, our walmart charges $.28 each for the fish now, inflation. i don't get more than i have room for, but generally end up losing about 80%. last time i got 5, lost 4. i still need 2 more for my pond to be "stocked" but it will be a while before i'm ready to do that.

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I wonder why you are losing fish when it rains heavy? I've never lost a fish due to it raining. That's really strange.

You know, I've never once tested my water. lol Maybe I should do that. I sure hope that the water test comes back with some results so you know how to fix things. thumbup

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I had posted this guy in the critter forum, but thought I'd put him here too, incase someone missed him there. He does belong here since he's moved into the pond yesterday.

BOY is he ever LOUD!!!
And he blended right in with the rock - didn't see him at first and he gave me a scare!

Anyone know specifically what he is?


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why i don't know, but i love how you captured him and his wet "foot print" on the rock thumbup

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I don't know either, but that's so cool Lynne---I like his coloring. I don't have any frogs this year.

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OH, Lynne--you have a pet frog !! he is sooo cute!!!


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He needs a name! clap

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Not sure if I should name him, Loz - afterall... we all know what just happened to all the fish that I named!!! Maybe they are right on the fish forum!


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I'm gonna name him a secret name then. That way you haven't named him.

How about Rocky because he matches that rock so well. lol

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I think you should call him Henry.----(As I was reading Loz'z post, the name popped into my head)---. but then again it may be a girl. why


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Hennrietta? Rockette?


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I'll let you all decide on the frog's name! lol why

In the meantime, Don finally hooked up the frog prince spitter that he gave me for Mother's Day a year ago! It's so cute. Don was so pleased with it, that he kept chuckling! touched He now wants to get a bigger spitter. Told him it wasn't in the budget for this year. So he looked around and decided that he could make my cat statue into one. I don't think so!!! tapfoot rolz

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I need to fix the small rocks he put underneath him to steady him - not such a great job...


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thumbup too cute!

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very nice--both yor real frog and youyr spitter----and the water seems to look less green---do you think it is improving??---because I think it appears to be so.


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i think you are right carol. it looks like the algae is on the liner now why

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Jiffy - there isn't any algae on the liner - it's all the dirt that has washed in there and won't be vacuumed out!

Thanks for looking at my prince - he's only about 3 inches tall, but makes bubbles with his spit! lol why


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I am loving the spitter Lynne, very cute.


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well lynne, i personally prefer some sand or rocks in the bottom, looks more natural. but that's just me. i love what you have and think you have done a great job, you and don of the pond thumbup

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Thanks Jiffy, but I don't think you are getting what you are seeing in that picture - it's a plant shelf that is showing beneath the flat rocks - not the bottom of the pond!


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ok, that makes sense. i still think it is awesome thumbup i don't have a plant shelf for mine, but i will soon grin

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I thought of putting down rocks in my pond, but you really can't see the bottom well even in the shallow end, so then I figured why waste the money.... lol

Cool spitter Lynne. I can tell by that crown on his head that he thinks he owns the place. :wink:

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It is soooooooooo funny - Don came in here a little earlier tonight and caught my pictures of the spitter and started chuckling all over again - he is sooooooooooooo tickled by it! He said he needs to get a bigger one now - I said it's not in the budget - those things are expensive!!! Especially with all the fish I have to keep buying, and all the things he is buying to try and fix the water.

Add to that all the edging for the gardens there, new sprinkler heads he just bought today, and on and on and on - have I said this pond is a money pit?!?


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Keep an eye for an end of season sale Lynne, You might find a new spitter on clearance. Hardware stores would have the best deal on them then. thumbup


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Thanks Tamara! Can you believe that little 3 inch frog spitter was $35?!? touched
AND... that was WITHOUT the tubing and pump to run it!!! uhuhh


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Wow, I've seen the little ones on clearance last year at Kents for $14. They were the little cherub and the fish. Never noticed any larger ones.


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Wow Lynne! I saw little frogs a while back at a local discount store for 10.99!!!


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I haven't updated in a while, because nothing has been happening with the pond. The water is still soupy green and I haven't put any more fish out there since the last batch died. tears The few water lettuces are yellow, and a guy at a pond place (not the one we usually frequent) said that is because they are starving for nutrients that all the algae is getting instead!

So imagine my surprise when there were several healthy looking water lily pads this past week. Even Don commented on them. Well I've been meaning to take the tubers out of the very heavy/dense clay soil and out from under the rocks on top of that, and place them in some mesh lingerie bags I have, to allow the roots to grow better and hopefully compete with the algae for some of those nutrients. I put a few rocks in the bottom of the bags to weigh them down just a bit. I SWEAR... only a few short hours after we did this, the pads looked a bit bigger, and the new pads that hadn't unfurled yet were growing better already.

The pad on the right is an example of what's been happening all summer to them - they grow nice and green and then get sickly and die. I'm hoping they get new life now that the roots can breathe better!

Anyone else think that these lily pads look like PACMAN??????? haha
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wow! that's great and a good idea. and yes, the second from the right looks like it is about to eat the sickly one! yikes lol

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Thanks Jiffy!

I haven't done much at the pond, as I last wrote, but last Sunday, Don finally put done the sand for me to build the stone walkway on the other pond garden side, that was to be in front of the arbor bench. thumbup That day, I had only intended to pot up a plant and deadhead a few. It was a hot day and I was very tired from all my running around. Just before he left for a class that evening he says to me..."you better put the walk in very soon before it rains and washes all the sand into the pond!" yikes uhuhh

Well thanks for that - I had no intention of building it that day!tapfoot

BUT now I had to! rolz Took about 1 1/2 hours of finding pieces that would fit into each other like a jigsaw puzzle. It still needs some more sand to fill in between the pieces, but I think it came out ok.

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I hope to fill in the spots on the right side between the rocks that line the pond and the path with a "steppable" type low growing plant.


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teach Do you have a UV light in your filter system? green algae like that is killed by UV light. Just a thought bow


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WoW That looks sooooooooo Nice!! is that a piece of drift wood I see in front of the flowers?? are steppables perennials there>>?


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thumbup nice. i like it.

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We don't have a UV light - unfortunately it is NOT in our budget right now.
They told us at the pond store that the size we'd need is about $500!!! shock

Diane - I don't have steppable plants there - YET! Carol was telling me about her Coriscan mint and I think I'd really like to get some next spring and plant it in the spaces. Hope I can find some locally then. And yes, that was the only piece of driftwood that we were able to find when we spent the weekend at Marion and Steve's on the beach.

This afternoon, I put another group of 4 baby koi in the pond. They've been living in the 39 gallon tank in the basement for about a month now, and it's either swim or not for them now. If they do not make it, they will be the last for this year.

I thought I'd share some of the flowers that are doing pretty well on one side of the pond gardens. I have chased the BIG FAT Father woodchuck from the gardens the past several days, and today I found that he has eaten almost all of the new marigold flowers that finally grew back, and crushed most of those plants as well. I sprayed Bobbex when I was finished in the gardens today - boy does that ever stink! rspb And it burned my skin where the wind blew it, so I'm hoping it will keep the varmints away! tapfoot Most of the damage was in the garden on the other side of the pond.

See Jimmy's cannas, Diane's brugs, and Tina's wind spinner? Thanks again, all!
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That is so pretty!



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Originally Posted by Bestofour
That is so pretty!
yes, it is. very nice

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Very pretty. Lynne, it is filling in wonderfully.

I planted some Mother of Thyme steppables, the scent is heavenly....and they also get a nice light lavender coloured flower as well.


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Thanks all! kissie

Tamara - I am sensitive to a lot of herb scents - I actually get headaches from some, but I do love mint, so I think that is the way to go for me. I had some thyme a few years ago by the bathtub pond - it did well the first year, and barely came back the second. The next summer it was completely gone - I don't think it liked the full all day sun here.

I just think I'd enjoy the scent of mint better - it's a personal choice really... but I'm glad you are enjoying your thyme. thumbup


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Will the mint take over everything and choke out the flowers?



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I hope not, Sheri! I only plan to put it in between the stones which are not too close to the other flowers. Also... this is a low growing creeping mint, so hopefully I'll be able to control where it goes. I do know about other mints - that is why all of mine are in pots!


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I like the smell of mint too. I think mint has a fresh smell while rosemary and thyme have a more woodsy smell.



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I know I keep posting pictures of these plants but I just cannot get enough of them this year. I am so very happy with the way they are growing, and flowering for such a long time. Jimmy's cannas are like the energizer bunny, and they are getting so very tall and still standing straight up - amazing! clap

But the really nice bonus are the smaller cannas in the large pot IN the pond that is now in bloom too! I wasn't sure it would bloom in time before frost, but it has opened up on 2 stalks just this week. They were a few small tubers that I didn't plant with the other ones in the ground - put them in the pot and waited to see what would happen.

And... look at all the brug flowers on Diane's Charles Grimaldi cutting.
This started out as a single cutting about 6 inches long that she sent this past winter!

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WOW That is sooooooooooooooo pretty,, How inviting!!!!!!


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One of Brian's friend's father has had a pond for the past few years, and I finally got to speak with him about it on the phone yesterday. He was supposed to come over this afternoon for a visit, but apparently came earlier when I was out grocery shopping. He brought over many of his pond plants that he had planned to throw out shock before we spoke yesterday. They were crowding his smaller pond, and I told him I was desperate for some to help cover my pond surface.

Here are the water lettuces he left for me -
the yellow ones are my sickly ones that are still somewhat alive,
and all the nice green ones are from his pond.
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Here are the water hyacinths that he also brought for me.
Too bad all these plants will die soon from the colder weather, but at least for now I, and the fish, will be able to enjoy them! thumbup
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I'm hoping that next year, he and I connect sooner, as he told me he's gotten rid of a lot of plants over the summer!


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thumbup nice thumbup

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Lynne, can pond plants be overwintered in your house? Can they be put in tubs of water I mean...


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It's hard to overwinter them as they need lots and lots of light. I'm going to try to overwinter a few things in my empty fish tank.....figure the light is pretty bright maybe it will work. Worth a shot anyway.

Your pond looks really great Lynne. I know how much hard work you've put into it. Are you enjoying it more now? How are the fish? I think I read that you put the rest of your fish in there?

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Thanks all!

Tamara - I don't think I can overwinter the plants - with 3 of our own cats here, and Brian's 2, they would have to be in a closed-off room with lots of sun and I just don't have that. I might try a few in the tank in this room as Loz said, but it really wouldn't be enough to make a dent in the pond size that we have for next year.

I did put the other fish in there about a week or so ago. Have only seen 2 of them maybe twice. But it is getting pretty cold here now, so they might not come up again for a long time. Last night was 49 degrees when I went to sleep and it's only 60 right now and very cloudy.

How about you, Loz? How are your fish doing?


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You know Lynne, this year I had a lot of hyacinth. But they really didn't multiply---just sort of floated around. Didn't die, just didn't grow. I think next year I need many more than I bought though. Get's expensive.

Will you be leaving your fish in the pond Lynne?

My fish are good. I bought 4 new ones last week. I believe now I'm up to 13 fish in there. And a bunch of mosquito fish still. And THREE froggys. grin

I drained the pond yesterday a lot and refilled it and it's looking much clearer now. thumbup I can actually see the fish again. lol

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Well I have not seen the fish since I put them in - hope they are doing ok - they are probably in the large 1/2 pot in the bottom - thankfully they have not come up dead by the skimmer.

The plants in the pond gardens continue to do well - I am so pleased!
Although I just heard on the news that we are in a frost advisory tonight -
please say it isn't so - I'm not ready! And the brugs won't have a chance to bloom all the second flush of buds that are on them!!!

Anyway... I do really enjoy looking at the ornamental grasses in bloom
on the top of the waterfall hill. I tried to capture the sunlight through the tops, but my camera absolutely died after I took this last picture - it is completely dead now - not the batteries, but something that cannot be fixed! boohoo

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And Jimmy's cannas continue to grow taller and bloom - really gotta love them -
blooming in the middle of October! luv
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Lynne, I would simply LOVE to see your pond in real life--the photo's are simply wonderful.--and your choice of plants are jsut perfect.

thank you for sharing. kissie


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Wonderful Lynne!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! clap

I took all of my pond plants out yesterday for the year and it made me sad...and I cut all of my big huge grasses down.....as pretty as they are now it's easier for me to cut them down now because last year parts of them kept blowing in the pond thru the winter.....

I love those grasses there though. grin

And Wow, I want some Canna's like that! I don't have any! I think I must buy some. lol

How many fish are in there now?

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Thanks so much Carol and loz!

I leave all my grasses through the winter, loz. I cut them back to the ground in early spring though.

The last batch of fish I put in were 4 koi babies. I would so love to see them a bit bigger and healthy at the start up next spring. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that they make it through the winter.


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Ah so they will stay in the pond then? I think they will be fine......and if you don't run a pond heater then remember you can just float a few basketballs so it doesn't freeze solid.....

I wish I could've left my grasses....but as they die back the winds of winter whip pieces of them into the pond, then I'm constantly fishing them out if I can. They need some SERIOUS dividing.

Do you sit out there often in your chair? I always miss being able to sit out by mine in the winter. Usually I put the bench on the back porch, under cover so it doesn't get too weathered.

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Can you believe that I only sat in that chair maybe 2-3 times?!?
It did not weather well at all - I am very disappointed in the horrible quality of the wood - it was pieced together and not solid pieces - a real piece of garbage!!! I am so upset because I really liked the color and the set was nice in the store - guess they picked a good one for display?!?

I couldn't get the fish out of there if I tried - can't see them through the pea soup, and it's too big to fish them out anyway. So it's "do or die" for them I'm afraid.

My grasses will need to be divided next year also. Not so much the ones on top of the hill, but others nearby. And the large sedum in the pond garden - it's so big that it fell down from the center out during the first heavy rain we had. So now it has a large bald spot in the center with the flowerheads laying on the ground in a circle around it.

Did your algae ever clear up for you, loz?


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lynne, it's beautiful!

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It didn't clear up all the way Lynne, nope. I did drain it out twice this past week, not all the way but at least half each time. Each time I do that the water clears up some.

Before it freezes over for the winter I'd like it as clean as possible for the fish since they have to live in it for so long under ice. Probably do it a few more times before it freezes over.

I'm sorry that your chair turned out to be junk. You never know how things will weather until you put it out. My bench looked terrible this summer, it didn't weather well either. Mark took it apart and sanded and stained/weatherproofed it and now it's pretty again.

I think your fish will make it! They are tougher than what we always think of them as. thumbup

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Your pond is absolutely beautiful Lynne! I wish I could come and sit by it! Yours too Loz! I may need to get one of them one of these years. notme lol James might be more willing if I tell him he can keep his catfishing bait in it! haha haha

Last edited by plantqueen; Oct 13th, 2008 at 02:57 PM.
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Thanks Jiffy and Jessica! kissie


WELL POOH!!! madd uhuhh tapfoot

I just chased away a huge heron from the front of my pond!!! boohoo
I was putting out some food for Slinky - our feral cat who eats on the deck, when something caught my eye at the front of the pond - it was a huge blue heron with his beak in the water!!! OHHHHHHHHHH NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! Now I don't know at all if there are any of the 4 baby koi left in there! The water is still pea soup green, so we won't know until next spring, if we happen to see any fish coming up for food when it warms up again.

I've never seen one here before - have seen them flying overhead way up high a few times this past summer, but that is all. It seems that we just cannot win with this pond. It looks really nice, but that's about it I guess... tears


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I am so sorry about the Heron, Lynne. we will hope you caught him in time, and that he did not find a meal at your house.


I think yor pond is lovely, I wouls love to sit by it, and I think you are so lucky to have it. Hopefully this next year you and Don will be able to find out what the problem with the water is.


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kissie lynne, i'm going to be optimistic for you, that the heron didn't find dinner but his presence meant that your fish are ok thumbup

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Originally Posted by Jiffymouse
kissie lynne, i'm going to be optimistic for you, that the heron didn't find dinner but his presence meant that your fish are ok thumbup


Hey that's a good way to look at it Lynne! grin


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I like the way Jiffy and Diane think---and I agree with it.


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**********CLOSED<******* Starting A New One,, grin**************


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