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applestar
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Re: My pond project is under way

Yep. The pond is within code.

My entire backyard is fenced so only ones who might fall in are trespassers who climbed the fence to cross our property in the dark. :shock:

...good point about the snow though...

Susan W
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These efforts and pics have jogged me to think again about a water feature. As it happens, having my yard guy clean out some areas. Where I would cut off saplings, he digs out stuff which of course is much better! Long and short, I have a couple of areas to re-group. One area in mind, East side, kinda a triangle, 6 x 4 at widest. I was thinking of low maintainence native flowers anise hyssop, coneflower, milkweed (swamp), columbine etc. all pollinator magnets. Then thinking POND!
Pond is easy part as I am looking at a rigid preformed. Then the pump. Power......oh, one needs power! That could mean an electrician to put in an exterior outlet. (project just got more expensive!) I have one exterior outlet total on whole house. Last year had thought about one further from house, and power a real problem there, plus I wouldn't be paying as much attention and enjoying it as closer to house.

OK, back to Apple's pond......

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rainbowgardener
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Yes. I have the same power issue. Also only have one exterior outlet, next to the back door. We already want to have an electrician add more outlets on our deck. After that, choices would be to have the electrician run power out to where the pond will be OR just get outdoor extension cord, plug it in to a deck outlet and run it out to the pond ourselves, burying it.

There are solar powered pumps, which are great for fountains (and which I will probably have in my bird bath), but I don't know if there are any heavy duty enough for this application.

Applestar, do you already have power for your pond pump?

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applestar
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I'm currently using an extension cord from the outdoor outlet by the back door. I need to get a clamshell protector or wrap the connection points with duct tape to protect from moisture/freezing, though most of the cord and connection are all raised up off the ground.

(The air pump is currently sitting on a brick with holes under an upside-down galvanized watering can which had lost the pour spout, and I've arranged the liner underneath to drain into the pond so water shouldn't puddle there)

I ran the AACT aerator all summer and only had the GFI pop two times when severe hurricane remnant/tropical storm passed through, but I think freezing will be more of an issue during the winter.

I'll have a better idea how many outlets I will need after the pond is completely finished.
Ultimately, I would love to set up a good sized solar panel/battery backup system to run the pond, so I will be noodling about that over the winter.

...this is not a new photo, but there NEEDS to be a picture of the pond on this page :> ...
image.jpg
This morning, I realized that the pond water reflects morning sun onto the ceiling of the GREEN ROOM and the front room beyond, making those room brighter :() The pond location was also designed to be the feature view from one of the bedrooms (and I keep going in there, just to look :lol: )

Also, I woke during the night last night and HAD to look out of my window because it was unusually bright outside -- then realizing it was an enchanting full moon night, so bright, almost like daytime the way you could see EVERYTHING, I ended up going around looking out of all the windows until I woke up my DD. We then snuck into the bedroom overlooking the pond to look at it together, giggling the whole while. :wink:

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Apple, the pond is looking fine! Curious here, about what is size - length, width, and depth in deepest part.
I am looking more towards the rigid liner. This especially after seeing pics of all the folds in your sheet liner. That to me spells trouble with a capital T, with cooties and cruds too numerous to mention. I'll be checking out the solar power paks as well.

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applestar
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... I haven't measured it yet ... (You know me.... ) Image

I did have an idea when I originally dug the spot a couple of years ago and this spring, but this time, I dug to the depth allowed by code (18 inches) and shaped the shelves as fancy struck and soil condition and roots allowed -- some places, I thought I got it dug the way I wanted, then found a root which --when I pulled out enough to be out of the way and not cause trouble-- made the soil crumbly and I had to dig and shape some more.

After the first day, when I saw that I had extra liner, I dug some more areas and also created that wide shelf.

If it helps, the liner is 10 ft x 15 ft.

I'm remembering though, that originally, I intended to cut strips off the liner for the meandering stream, but now I've used up the available liner to the full with just enough to spare to cover the waterfall area after I shape and build. So I'm thinking about what to use for the stream. Maybe I have something like an old inflatable toy that I could cut up. 8)

In my vision, it's a tiny little pebble and gravel-lined trickle that will be coming from that pre-formed waterfall... Maybe a little wide marshy bio-filtration bog area that I *might* make with the purple dinosaur sandbox/kiddy pool (the lid might come in handy for something too....), then into the pond from side of the waterfall. Image

FWIW, I did think about using a pre-formed/rigid pond liner -- BTW, I'm seeing a LOT of them on Craigslist right now Around here for good price though not free... Even someone in my town who is moving and selling his koi fro $25 and up, though I'm not going to jump on that. I need to practice with easy fish so my surviving 3 feeder goldfish and the minnow -- that all lived through the summer unfed by me in unfiltered, unaerated buckets and a tub as mosquito control will be enough for now.

But way back when I started thinking about it, I realized I might not be able to dig a *prescribed* hole. Judging by the organic way my digging process went, I think I was right. Of course you would make a bigger hole, fill with sand cushion, plunk the pool liner in and fill some more, but I liked making my own shelves. It helped that my soil is very clay-y and the moisture/consistency was just right -- a lot of it was like sculpting.

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rainbowgardener
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It's strange. I looked back through hundreds of garden photos and could not find a single one of our pond. I don't know why, since I thought it turned out pretty (after a few years! :) ) If I'm back in Cinti in the spring, maybe I'll try to get a couple.

Susan W
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Good news, hopefully, on power for pumps. Solar packs are readily available, and within budget. I did a brief google search, and choices too numerous to mention. My son, who stays with me, had said power least of my problems, and pointed to the solar powered pumps all over the Ark delta (rice and more). Side note, he's looking to solar panel the house this winter.

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rainbowgardener
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Wow terrific... about the ponds and about your house. We want to put solar panels on our house when we can, but still so pricey. What I've been told is expect about $4000 per Kw capacity. " On average the total cost of solar installation can be between $15,000 to $29,000 for average sized systems sized between 4kW and 8kW" https://www.cit.com/middle-market/common ... affd:35584

Even going with the lower end $15 K still seems like pretty big bucks and twice that would be prohibitive.....

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Initially there were rebates from the government and the local utility company to install solar panels. Most homes take about 18-20 panels , so about $20,000 and since it is expensive to take down you have to make sure your roof will last about as long as the panels will. With the rebates and tax breaks most people in the early days only ended up paying about $2000 for their system and with the utility buying back the electricity, they were only paying like $8 a month.

Now, the utility does not like all the lost revenue because they are trying to upgrade their system now which they should have not waited until it was so decrepit. We pay the highest utility bills around. They even charge just to keep the account open even if no one is living in the house and using electricity. They have changed the rules. People who want to put up solar now have a hard time because they have limited the number of solar systems to 10% and some communities have already hit the limit. Now, any new systems are getting a different deal. The utility will only pay half as much for electricity their panels generate and will charge a higher base charge so it won't be $8 anymore. The people who had the panels in before the deadline will be grandfathered in at the old rate, but if any of those homes want to add additional panels they will be charged the new rate.

It is fairer to those people who do not have solar systems who the utility has been raising rates to pay for infrastructure improvements every 6 months. Most of the people who have solar panels are working during the day or out and don't use as much energy when the panels are generating it. The electric company though takes that power and sells it to everyone else at diesel fuel generator prices. At night, when people are home cooking, bathing, and have all the lights and other electronic equipment on their solar panels are off and they are actually using their solar credits but getting their power from the utility's diesel generators. It is more equitable for the solar users to have to pay a portion of the utility infrastructure costs. It is unfair that the non- solar users are being charged generator rates when the utility is distributing solar energy.
I don't have a system because my electric bill is under the break even point and it would take 20 years or the life of the system for me to break even. I use very little electricity. Most of my bill comes from the 2 refrigerators, chest freezer, 2 water heaters, washer and dryer. I haven't used the whirlpool tub in a long time. I use the microwave oven more than I use the stove.

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applestar
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Ah. That's interesting imafan. I noticed there are also companies now that "lease" solar panels and associated systems for whole house use with promise to upgrade them (sometimes at their cost) as technologies improve. But I haven't done any of the research so I don't know how cost effective (or not) that would be.

Only experience I have with solar garden objects are the path lights on stakes. I think maybe the rechargeable AA batteries need replacing after a while -- I have old ones with yellow lights (incandescent?) that don't work anymore that the batteries are exposed (and could be replaced?) and new LED/white lights ones that seem to be encased and I don't see a way to change the batteries, but I haven't seriously looked or tired to take one apart.

Also I have tried using the floating "lily pad" fountain with solar panel surface. One went bad a while back -- I think water got into the electrical connection -- and the 2nd one's tiny pump seized up when my little tub pond went dry because the fountain threw all the water out. It hasn't been used for a couple of years but I'm going to dig it out and see if that still works with a new pump.

My Dad has a better version with an external solar panel about the size of a printer paper. It has worked well and is charming when the sun is on the solar panel (which he sets on a easel) but he does has to go out and change its direction to face the sun full on. Without a battery, this one ONLY runs when the sun is directly shining on the panel at optimal angle. But I would want a system that can maintain the pumps and any other pond electricals 24/7.

I haven't seriously looked for anything new for the garden for a couple of years but brief glimpses seem to indicate solar technology and products have improved (more than just novelty, more useful, better designed as a system) somewhat recently and I'm seeing a fair number of panel/battery system kits for using in sheds, RV's, bigger systems with inverter, etc. for remote cabins, etc. So that's where I'll start.

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Just a couple of notes here. For your pond, just google solar power for pond (fountain, water garden), and choices are near endless, and affordable. These are not your little yard light posts solar thingies. I am sure home gardeners are benefiting from technology developed for agricultural use.

As for solar panels on house, it gets a bit more complex. Of course the utility company is counting on your check every month to pay its bills. Any rebates or encouragements vary from state to state, power source and local company. Many states have their heads in the sand, TN among them, and power co needs $. Our electric is TVA, and comes through our local company. Our 'light bill' is connected to city, Memphis light, gas, water. We pay one bill (itemized) for elect, gas (natural gas), water, sewer, trash, rat and mosquito control, storm drain. In looking at a light bill, August had about 1800 kwh electric (highest month with the air conditioning).

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applestar
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Thanks SusanW! Solar-powered pond research will be my winter armchair project. :bouncey:

It got warmer today, and I put the goldfish in. Of the three remaining goldfish, one seems to be having trouble -- maybe sick. The other two always swim together and they completely explored the pond, but the 3rd one stayed near the surface, hardly moving. At one point, I saw a dark shadow following the the twins -- apparently they came across the minnow, alive and well, and it followed them up to the surface. :D
image.jpg
The little air pump is working well so far. The sub freezing temps for the last three mornings seems to have helped to really clarify the water 8)
image.jpg

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applestar
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Wanna have another look? I was playing with my "waterfall" :P
image.jpg
...saw all three goldfish swimming around. No way to spot the minnow unless it's all the way up in the shallows because it's completely camouflaged.

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Subject: Backyard bird and butterfly (and dragonfly too) watching
applestar wrote:This morning, a Yellow Rumped Warbler was drinking from the hole in the ice. Beautiful bright lemon yellow markings on the rump and sides under the wings. I wish I could take photos, but it's too hard when I'm peering between frosted panes on the window.

I did go outside and take photos of the frozen pond :D

Image
This morning, I looked out the window and was concerned to see no bubbles. Then I went outside, and realized the pond had frozen over completely. In fact it looked frozen down to the first shelf -- at least 4-5 inches deep. I even walked out onto the ice over the shelf, though I wasn't brave enough to go out over the deep part.
image.jpg
...but when I went out in the late afternoon, the ice had melted quite a bit:
image.jpg
...which was a good thing because shortly before sunset, DH came home from fishing with some left over baitfish -- golden shiners:
image.jpg

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applestar
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The pond had frozen solid across several times in the deep freeze, and I was concerned about whether it had frozen to the bottom, whether the fish had survived... but yesterday, I saw one goldfish and one minnow/shiner? twice as big as the goldfish swimming around. Image

The goldfish spotted me first and quickly dashed to hide underneath a sunken fall leaf, then a few moments later, the minnow started swimming around as if in a panic... and I kid you not! the goldfish emerged a little way outside of the leaf, and the minnow streaked to the goldfish and they both dived under the leaf. :o

...but the bigger minnow could only get the front half of its long body under the leaf, with the tail end frantically wriggling but not getting any further. :roll:

It was a CLASSIC cartoon moment. :lol:

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applestar
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The pond ice has melted and the ground is starting to thaw -- I can't wait to get started :-()
I haven't been able to spot the fish, but DD SAID SHE SAW THREE :D
image.jpeg
There are a few of these long strands of filamentous algae growing in there. I know they can become "weeds" of the pond, but I'm not sure if I should remove them NOW while they are still only few, or I should leave them as possible food source for the fish.... :|

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applestar
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So excited! Image

I came across a mention of using air pump to pump water up through a tube. The blog showed pictures and video of a crude tubing set up spitting squirts of water.

But when I searched for more information, I found out it does much more than that Image and is probably my answer to the costs (energy and $) of natural bog filter pump, waterfall pump and air pump, etc. as well as my budding idea to use the pond and rain barrel waters for aquaponics-inspired, rain gutter SIP system and vertical wall garden that will all require water to be pumped up, sometimes quite high in terms of vertical lift. All ideas I've been noodling in the back of my mind, and desperately trying to consolidate into inter-connected systems using gravity for water transport to reduce number of pumps.... :|

This website has an associated forum but I believe it is OK to mention since it's a specialized forum. I'm definitely going to tinker with these designs this year. In the second video, it was mentioned that the airlift system can also work as protein skimmer, which should be another bonus that I will understand and appreciate more once I learn more.

Airlift.eu

Introduction to airlift pump - YouTube



https://youtu.be/TOVZ4oklBFw

Airlift: How to build - Part one - YouTube



https://youtu.be/SZGaYHJSVLM

imafan26
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That type of algae is very bad remove it. It is like long strands of hair and it clogs things up.

j3707
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That airlift pump is a great idea.

Thanks for sharing your ideas and research applestar 8)

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applestar
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You are welcome. I'm just passing along the ideas that are out there to share. I love it that there are so many innovative folks out there that are willing to share these great ideas and experiments. I'd love to see what everybody else comes up with based on these concepts. :D

I revisited that "spitter" concept, and found these. I can see how this super simple design can be useful for automatic drip irrigation like he is using :-()

Nano Airlift Pump Challenge! BEAT THIS to be Champion! And World record holder! - YouTube


https://youtu.be/lKtB1YKoMxk


Airlift pump in a bucket! 5 month old technology, Already in use in Denmark, Canada France, USA - YouTube


https://youtu.be/8pI31ZwEL40

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applestar
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I'm not ready to do much major work, but I got the turtle spitter spitting today using a tiny air pump that came with a plastic gum ball machine aquarium. It really is just spitting a squirt of water every 4-5 seconds and tiny 1-2 second spits in between, but better this than just sitting there being a statue and NOT spitting :lol:
image.jpeg
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The pump I attached to the fountainhead is the one I used to use with the turtle and between being underpowered and due to a missing tight fitting adapter, it can't do much more than dribble. :roll: I need to find a reducer -- maybe that will help to get it to do something more interesting... Or I will just have to use this pump for something else.

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applestar
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Subject: 2016 -- starting seeds and cuttings for the new season
applestar wrote:Sooo excited! :-() -- I took my mom shopping at H-Mart (a Korean/Asian grocery store) and they had a newly opened crate of lotus roots packed in moist wood shavings, some still joined in links like sausages. I grabbed the one with some roots still on the joint.

They also had fresh water chestnuts on sale probably because they were deteriorating -- some were shriveled and some were ... starting to sprout :D I picked the biggest sprouting ones :()

I'm going to try to get them started in a bucket for growing in my pond. 8)
Subject: 2016 -- starting seeds and cuttings for the new season
applestar wrote:I just checked and these water chestnuts look like they grew some more in the produce bag and want to grow the most right now so I put them in this tray where I was watering the tomato and pepper seedlings for now -- I'll find a smaller container for them later. :bouncey:
I still have to find out the best way to start the lotus roots in a bucket of water... Does anyone know?

Image
...they are greening up already under the lights :D
image.jpeg

...found a couple of informative articles...

Lotus Care Sheet - International Waterlily & Water Gardening Society
https://iwgs.org/lotus-care-sheet/

Lotus Planting & Growing Instructions
https://texaswaterlilies.com/Lotusplanti ... owing.html

I'm floating one of the lotus roots in a bucket of water in an upstairs bedroom wher it will be warm to get it started -- hopefully this isn't too early.
image.jpeg
...I was searching on-line for possible lotus growing containers, then went outside and almost tripped over a dark green, sturdy plastic tub -- a tool bin that was inside a hose reel box that broke. It's the perfect size and shape, and I have a terra cotta bowl that I have been using as a birdbath near where the pond is now. That can be the second container. I put some mucky mud and sand in the tool bin tub and filled with rainwater and some pond water to settle so I can skim any floaters. one the water settles and clears up, I'll put it on one of the contoured steps I shaped in the pond, but the lotus root won't sprout until the water temp is up to 70°F according to one article I read.

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applestar
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The lotus in the little bucket is already starting to grow tiny white roots! :shock: (I probably should have waited until tomorrow then the roots will be even more visible, but I couldn't resist :lol:
image.jpeg
I put the round bowl on one set of steps -- it can go deeper as the water temp goes up. The silt in the square green tub is making the water muddy, and I'm waiting to see if the particles will settle. I don't want to put this in the pond if it's going to make the water murky. I read that silty water can be cleared up with gypsum, alum, or organically with floating hay, etc. I'm thinking that must be the barley straw they sell in pond stores. I'm going to try putting some PBRH (Parboiled rice hulls) in a sock and then in the tub tomorrow and see if that will work.

You can't really see it, but there's a goldfish in that water there. This is the part of the pond with squared off steps where the green tub will go. I also saw the second goldfish and about 5 shiners, plus one more fish that looked a little different, so I'm thinking that one is probably the feeder minnow from the pet shop. It seemed like they came up and were pecking at stuff after I put the punky branch (I saw a bunch of springtails and other bugs crawling and floating off) and the round bowl (there were earthworm muck and some ants underneath) in the pond.

...I tried placing a pot saucer where the turtle spits into the pond for an added interest -- what do you think?

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Just don't overdo the decorations. Too many and it takes away from the relaxing atmosphere a pond creates.

I don't know about adding stuff to make the water less murky. My main experience is with a big fishing pond. My backyard puddle pond is still in the dream stage.

I have to admit that I am terribly jealous of your progress and imagination. I'll have to look for some water chestnuts and lotus. We've got a few Asian grocery stores here and our chain stores carry some hard to find exotic produce. I'm going to need a bigger pond.

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I loved reading this thread!

There was really some suspense about how the fish would make it through the winter! ^_^

I have never lived in a place that snowed. I am enjoying all the perspective of what it is to freeze and unfreeze? :mrgreen:

*sends your pond good vibes & well wishes!*

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applestar
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Thank you @PinkPetalPolygon :D I saw the goldfish and shiners dash away again today. I walk past the shallow area and steps nearest the patio all the time, and they seem to like it there -- probably the water is warmer from the sun shining into it. Since I'm not feeding them, their instinct is to hide rather than to approach.

Did I mention I had found a dried up dead shiner on the grass near the steps on the opposite side a little while ago? DH thinks something was hunting it, and it jumped/flipped out of the water trying to get away.... Probably at night and the predator lost sight of it.

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applestar
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Update on the water chestnuts. They have mostly all sprouted and a few of them were starting to grow roots.
image.jpeg
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I took the three with longest roots and planted them. At first I did it this way:
image.jpeg

...but I became convinced that that was not the correct way, and found a blog with great instructions. Here is a sketch I made so I had a clear idea of what to do:
image.jpeg
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...and the resulting 2 gallon bucket :-() Based on the 18" planting distance, 3 in a 2 gallon bucket is too many, but these were smaller corms so maybe they will manage. I guess ideally I should only plant one to a bucket. :roll:
image.jpeg
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Hopefully, allowing them to sprout and green up first was not a mistake, but I could imagine flooding, etc. burying the corms after they had sprouted in nature, so hopefully, they will just keep growing and eventually show up above the soil mix and water levels.

I'm thinking I will drill holes in the side of the bucket to let in the water and put the whole thing in the pond to the indicated level once the weather is warmed up. I'll have to decide how to plant the other 10.... Image

...I'm going to start my rice seeds for the rain garden mini-paddy, so I will probably plant some directly in there with the rice. Image

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applestar
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Until yesterday, I was only seeing the two goldfish and two or three shiners at a time, so I wasn't sure if they had all made it through the winter.

I check all water retaining containers periodically. This hasn't been critical while we still had freezing temperatures but with spring advancing, it's good to be more vigilant. Yesterday, I checked the containers I intended to grow lotus in, which I had not submerged in the pond yet, but I wasn't really expecting to find the mosquito larvae -- some were already at that bulbous headed stage from which they will be morphing into adults any time :eek: -- because there were thin ice floating in these just a couple of mornings ago.

I decided the best course of action would be to put the round bowl one step further down in the pond to submerge it, and the green tub on the first step on the other side and sink it since the water in it had completely cleared after I floated some corn cobs and punky sticks in it.

I watched the mosquitos larvae and other water critters bloom out of the submerged containers out into the pond, and had a moment of misgiving -- the fish had streaked into the depth of the pond as soon as I cast a shadow as usual.

...but when I crouched down by the side of the pond to watch and wait, it didn't take them long to discover the bounty. To my surprise and delight, more of the slender shiners slipped into view -- 2..4...6...maybe more. They remind me of sharks the way they glide in the water. Goldfish are awkward by comparison. :>

I couldn't get all of them in a single photo, but here are some of them. They even went right in the bowl to hunt up any bugs that might be hiding in the leaf litter :twisted:
image.jpeg

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Ooooh-kaaay..... I'm NOT having a good feeling about this bucket method to plant the water chestnuts. The "rich" sandy soil mix is starting to make the water stinky. I've been bailing the water out to use for feeding some of the container plants indoors and out -- mostly outside earlier on when it was REALLY bad. (puke) Several water changes have toned it down some, and maybe those corn cobs are helping to clean the water -- not sure but they seemed to help settle the water for the silty water in the green tub for the lotus, so I thought why not?

I also found out that the water chestnut plants will fall off the chestnut when they've grown sufficient roots to fend for themselves. I put a loose plant in the bucket to see if it will go ahead and take root (as well as to use up some of the "richness") but I had to prop it up with the bamboo skewer so the iffy water won't make the leaves rot.
image.jpeg
For the remaining water chestnuts that have started to grow roots, I've come up with my own method to get them growing in individual quart size containers. 2/3 sand and 1/3 garden soil in the bottom of the container, then enough water to let the water chestnut float.

My reasoning is that, judging by the way they float, in nature, they probably just bob around, growing roots and shoots until they drift to the shallows where they can take root. You can see how the biggest one has found the bottom and is growing the first leaf.

I'm going to try transplanting them and then filling and adding more sandy soil on top as they grow like we do with potatoes.

~~~

I think it's getting warm enough, so … I put the store bought lotus tubers in the pond Image
image.jpeg
Lotus won't start to grow until the water temp is around 70°F, and with the depth needed to keep the pond from freezing solid to the bottom and keep the fish alive, I expect the pond water temp will remain cold/cool for a while, but I'm hoping the vented containers will act like cloche to make them a bit warmer without cooking them in the sun. Hopefully, they will also function as deterrent and provide a modicum of protection in case of marauders.

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applestar
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I'm actually still not sure these are actually them, but I cold stratified a bunch of 2013 collected Iris versicolor seeds, and these grassy things sprouted in spring. I have them in the pond and hopefully, they will grow up to be Flag Iris. :lol:
image.jpeg
They have been tolerant of the cool temperatures and haven't minded the wet feet, so those are good signs. :wink:


Also, yesterday, I noticed one of the orange goldfish and the fat "minnow" that is definitely not the sleek slate gray and silver shiner but dark brassy black color frolicking among the roots of some uprooted peppermint and elderberry I have temporarily dipped in the shallow parts of the pond to help soak up nitrogen until I get some floating pond plants. The black one that is looking particularly FAT was floating near the surface and then the orange one swam up and sort of slapped at it sideways with its tail fins. Swimming around and repeating. I'm thinking this is spawning behavior? Though with all the shiners stalking every nook and cranny of the pond, I don't really think I will see any babies. In any case, I looked closer at the roots but didn't see anything that looked obviously like eggs.

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applestar
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My hole-in-the-ground pond :>

-- I know, I know... but ... It was too cold to work with water for a good while, Then super busy and then too hot to think about doing heavy labor. Then, too, I keep changing my mind about what I want for major water feature, and am trying to allocate limited number of pumps -- I seem to have lots of water/fountain pumps, but only maybe 3 of them are working -- one with very limited output -- and others make noise but won't pump. One was completely dead. ...I need to find out if these are useless or can be repaired easily...

I did find these -- a fake water lily solar fountain and a tiny, solar panel powered DC pump. :cool:

Image

I still need to see if I can make use of a pump that came with a backyard pool for a gravel filter bog and maybe one or more of DH's old "Powerhead" aquarium pumps.

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applestar
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I forgot to mention that I saw some teeny tiny fry in the shallow part of the pond. I guess those goldfish I saw DID get busy. :D

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applestar
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...and today, I saw a couple of shiners doing some kind of underwater acrobatics among the plant roots... Either they were eating the fry or they were trying to make some of their own... :D

- I told DH it looks like he won't have to buy fishing minnows anymore IF he can catch them before going fishing :lol:

... I want to build this:

Bog Gravel Filtration: Water Cleaned by Mother Nature - POND Trade Magazine
https://www.pondtrademag.com/bog-gravel- ... er-nature/

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applestar
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Waahhh! I electrocuted all the fish :cry:

I finally got the plumbing connections I needed for another project, got that assembled and connected my 2nd water pump. plugged it in, but it wasn't pumping. I remembered I tested it before in the 5 gal bucket and it was working then, so unplugged, pulled it out of the pond and put it in the bucket to test it again. Nothing.

But when I'd plugged it into the multi-port extension, the tiny air pump for the airlift-pumped turtle spitter lost power. Hmmm... Strange.

Unplugged the air pump, plugged in the water pump, and the extension cord started to buzz. Uh oh. THAT sounded like a short. :eek:

Looked over at the pond and TWO shiners were floating belly up. NO! OH NO!

Inside the green 5 gal bucket, little feeder goldfish I just bought yesterday were all floating. Pretty soon two more shiners came floating up, but so far no sign of the goldfish. I dared to hope that somehow there was distance involved in electric shock in the water though that didn't seem likely. ... But 4 hrs later just now, I looked out the window and the orange goldfish was floating :cry: and when I went outside, I also found the black goldfish --both had grown up to be full size comet 4-5 inches. And I found the last two shiners I knew about along the edge of the water. I suppose all the fry from their hatched eggs are done for too though I couldn't find any when I tried skimming with the net.

Sob sob. No more old unreliable water pumps. Getting a new one. Will have to get more goldfish, too. ...and yes test BEFORE putting in the pond, even if I tested it previously. :shock:

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rainbowgardener
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Oh, so sad.....


:cry: :cry:

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pinksand
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Oh no! Poor fish :(

The pond is looking beautiful though!

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applestar
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Thanks :D

...still feeling pretty stupid :oops: But having your sympathies helps. O:)

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applestar
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Early this morning, I had a wonderful thought while thinking I NEED to get something to control mosquitoes that might start breeding in the pond while the fish is gone... THE FISH IS GONE! -- no fish in the pond -- THAT means.... I could get tadpoles!

I got ready to go, and decided I might as well pick up some wood shavings from the furniture maker and started to call them to see if they had some available... Then I remembered it's 4th of July (Happy Independence Day everyone! :D ) So no wood shavings today :?, but garden centers wouldn't miss the business opportunity on a long holiday weekend, right? I got in the car at 8:30, then decided to call to make sure before going. Yep, open. :D

Came home with 3 lively tadpoles -- I watched closely as the kid rejected a sluggish one and caught a better one :wink:

Did all the usual stuff -- floated the bag to equalize temp, mixed some pond water in to acclimate (watched them peck at junk that got in the bag -- yes!), then released them. Of course they disappeared into the depth right away. Not expecting to see them at all now, but trusted that they will make it. I fussed around the pond, flushed my little waterfall pond pump to get it going again, adjusted the tree bark I have arranged around the pond edge... And RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME a little black 4-legged thing climbed out of the water onto one of the floating lotus root (which never sprouted and isn't doing anything :roll: )

...what the... It's a FROG! Looked EXACTLY like the frogs in the tadpole tub at the store. My inner clown said "BOY! they grow FAST!" :lol:
image.jpeg
...I was really happy on several counts...
* I have no idea where this one came from, maybe my neighbor's pond, but when I asked the kid, he said that once they have legs, they will wander off if there is not enough food, but they'll stick around as long as they have plenty to eat. (So obviously my pond can support live frog)
* I was also concerned about the water quality since I hadn't replaced the faulty water pump and haven't set up the gravel bog filter, but this frog seems to think its OK.
* Also that my garden's natural balance system IS working -- I tried to intervene and brought in tadpoles but -- there seems to be a force in the works already to fill the niche vacated by the lost fish. :()

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applestar
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Well, I said this one looked exactly like the frogs in the store's tadpole tub, but maybe I'm mistaken because I'm pretty sure they are selling American Bullfrog.

This one in my pond might be the same kind as the one I saw before in October of 2013:

Subject: 2013 Backyard bird and butterfly (and dragonfly too) watching
applestar wrote:I just posted elsewhere that I saw a frog in a shallow container of water on my patio and I fed it a chopped up slug, but it was gone by the end of the day (and so were the slug pieces)....

Well, I just went out there and it was in a different container -- a tub I used to keep feeder goldfish in, but they had all been relocated or died, but I left the aerator bubbling in it to keep out the mosquitoes and to use the water for watering. :D
Image
applestar wrote:Hmm... DD and I agree it looks like the Green Frog in this brochure: https://www.nj.gov/dep/fgw/ensp/pdf/frogs.pdf
-- this page has recording of their call: https://www.nj.gov/dep/fgw/ensp/fieldguide_herps.htm

Also, DH who grew up as a boy near rivers and creeks in NJ said "That's a Green Frog" when I showed him the photo. -- I guess he would know. :D



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