Hi I have been watching for a while but havn't said much, thought that i would post some of my new pond shots, about 4 months old, I had a smaller one that I was growing the plants in and then transfered them. Not a very complex pond I built it out of cinder blocks and a pond liner, I don't use any filtration or pump, have just naturalised so it self maintains. I have several species of fish that have been breeding and then there's all of the self introduce wild life I dont know their names ( new to the country). My cats love ponds and I have had the both now for many years, The grey cat is fascinated with the water and all things aquatic, the frogs are is biggest job counts them I think, just gets obsessed with them, never harms them though.
New member
pond shots
The counter
And one of his helpers
I am fairly new my self, But Welcome aboard. We have had our ponds about 8-9 years, only been a member since Feb.
I too like to scout around and look at pics of ponds and gather info about growing different things. So I will say the same as someone said to me " pull up a chair get comfortable and enjoy"
It would be hard for me to go natural with a pond, as there would be no shade , untill I was able to purchase some floating plants later in the spring. None of those survive the winter here. The lilies come up a little late, to cover the surface. So I would just end up with green water. and wouldn't be able to see the fish.
So whatever works. Lots of good cover , looks nice enjoy.
Russ & Barb
Very nice pond. However, fascinating cats!!! Where is their hair?
Hi
Love your Sphinx kitties!
I also have two Sphinx's.
They are both kittens and are fascinated with my ponds.
Here is a pic of Cooper he's 14 wks. old.
And here's Chloe. She is 8 months old.
Love the cats, we refered to the grey cat as "our plumbing cat", has always run to check every tap that turns on, every toilet that is flushed and pokes his paw into the wates to watch the fish mill around it. Then he spend great concentrated time watching his paw drip. Killing and subduing floating leaves in the pond and draging them inside is his specialty.
Wellcome to the Fourm Rita Paul
Thanks Paul good to see you here, how about some aquatic plant shots? Rita
hi Rita, love your pond and cats! I too, am new..i have 2 ponds simple preformed from good ol Lowes! They are completely natural and because i never empty or clean them, they are mud-bottomed, all the lilies, cabomba, anacharis, water lilies etc. all rooted in the bottoms. Pretty soon all the aquatic pond life will be walking around on top of mud!!! They are teeming with gambusia, (Fla. mosquito fish) couple generic large goldfish, numerous frogs, tadpoles, double tailed swordfins, one small snake, one nice blue paradise fish, tons of babies that interbreed and i net out the most promising and bring them into my indoor aquarium...no filtration...or bubblers for about 3 or 4 years now...must top them up as the levels do drop, i just flood them with the hose (dechlorinate for chloramines, etc.) with pondquel...the biggest problem is tearing out all the aquatic vegetation every week, so the fish have room to swim...year round, unless we have a hard freeze, everybody stays in...isn't it fun?? Wish my cats could enjoy like yours, but they are indoor kitties, (thick longhair..you have the right idea!!) no fence....Love these "threads". have fun..your pond is thriving! sue
Hello............ My name is Cherie. I am new to DG as of May. We just purchased a 100 gallon pond liner and I was wondering if I could get some advice on plants, plants that can stay outside during our cold winter months. I had been shooting for a waterfall but alas didn't get the fall. I was wondering about the fish if there is no pump. I do have a floating froggy fountain (why the pond) that I obtained as a free gift from Better Homes and Gardens when I filled out a questionaire last spring. That would work for oxygenation ? The pond is going kinda under a huge honey locust tree and will get sunlight in the morning and filtered sunlight in the afternoon and shade in the late afternoon. Does that sound about right? Any and all info and advice would be greatly appreciated for I am new to water gardening. Heck I'm fairly new and gardening period.
Cherie
New member since June 1st...enjoy the site tremendously....decided after reading so many post to make a pond...lived most of my life on Georgian Bay - Ontario and when my husband passed away had to re-locate sooooo I truly did miss the water...so thought it would be a wonderful idea to start a pond...no knowledge of how to do so ...but lots of energy....imagine the scene on a hot day in July - shovel in hand - music filling the yard I start my digging....the next weekend I'm purchasing a liner 24' x 24'..think I might have gotten carried away...one of my boys visited on Sunday and couldn't believe 'the lake' he calls it, in my backyard...now I'm doing faux rocks to cover the liner (back not strong enough to be carrying hundreds of rock)...once that is completed I'm on my way to making a little waterfall...do not like the work 'little' as I seem not to understand what 'little'means...the pump I purchased is making a lovely spray...when I dug I did multi layers...when it topped 100 the other day I sat in it as it had no plants...then something said...water/hydro/human.....ELECTRICITY...so out I went..but it sure was refreshing..thought maybe I'd forget the plants and use it as a water feature to sit in!!!!
So, this weekend I'll spend 2 days on my pond venture and enjoy....
I have been after my husband for a pond for two years. Last night he said I'm going to run over to Menards and get one of those preformed pond liners you were looking at last week. Bout fell off the picnic table. He asked if I had a preference and I said well the waterfall one was nice and then said heck I don't care....I just want a pond. I've relocated the plants that were there and just waiting patiently for hubby to get home and start digging. I want to get the water in by Monday night so that next weekend I can get 3 fish to go in. I've looked at plants at steins garden center and they don't look so good now so maybe they will have to wait til spring. I don't .
Hello all you newbies! So impressed with all your hardwork...all i can say is..in Fla. ponding is yearround..even tho we have mild winters., drops in temps. make the water plants go dormant, and various fish are more susceptible to ick, and mysterious dropdead type things...start with the cheapest fish you can find, aka feeder goldfish from Walmart, Rosy reds, (not very impressed with those) good ol' mollies and swordtails. only a few at first see how they do.... don't name them yet!!!!..you zone 5 thru 7 will need to treat them as an "annual" or house them in an aquarium during fall & winter....do not feed as the fish go dormant and sleep...they do that here in Fla. too. you must dechlorinate your hose water for chlorine and chloramines...i like pondquell...a capful goes along way...as much sun as possible does the best..be prepared to net out leaves..they are not good for ponds! I never clean my pond (it is now mudbottomed and all the vegatation keeps it clear) and keep it natural as possible..all books tell you to once a year drain and clean....borrrring.....been ponding for about 10 years, and so far eveyrthing is thriving...knock on wood (my head!!) hope this was a bit helpful?? sue.
Sue thank you for the information. I've talked to a couple of people about the fish. DH nephew puts in ponds as a side job, has for 14 years. Talked to a professional installator last spring when I was still trying so hard to talk DH into it and the owner of the fish store downtown. They all concur that as long as the deepest part of the pnd it at the very least 18" below ground and at least 2 feet wide that the fish will winter over nicely in the pond depending on the plant that ccan also stay will clear up fish waste and oxygenate. I know about the cholorine and chloramines as DH nephew made sure I understood tha until I clear the water with that no fish or plants. I will look for Pondquell. Thanks again and I'll keepyou posted on the progress.
CeCe, Well, you are in excellent hands then!! I am amazed that in Wis. you can keep your fish year round!! I think it gets quite cold! i stock my little ponds with tropical fish as they do nicely here in the subtropics..they are susceptible to below 5 0 degrees..i lose some of them..yes, do keep us posted on your progress...i love to hear about how various ponders fare....sue
According to the owner of the fish store goldfish can live as long as 10 years in a pond year round here as long as the pond doesn't freeze comopletely. An electric deicer will keep a small area open for oxygen for the fish and the plants which are being oeverwintered there. I'm thinking I may just start out with 6 and see what happens. I'd love Koi but lo and behold no where to keep them inside the house here for winter so.............DH's nephwm had me pick up a couple books to read with step by step instructions and spent all last night pouring over them.Inside the Miracle gorw Waer gardens They have pics of different fish that will survive out cold climate. The common godfish as I've mentioned and then there's Red comet with are goldfish with long fins and tails and Shubunkins also .They come in different colors even blue. Since blue is my most favoritest color in the world along with purple I must have two blue ones.
Getting ahead of myself though. Pond hasn't been dug out yet and DH has decided to play with my head. Maybe I'll wait til Sunday to start it or maybe next week or the week after. Your birthday he says isn't until the 28th any ways. He's having a ball. I told him you had better start sleeping with one eye open lol.
rita,
Hi alot of us are fairly new here also and it is always nice to see someone else's Pretties. Your water lettuce looks very healthy and happy. It doesnt like me I have bad luck with it. Maybe in the new pond it will do better.
Thanks for sharing
Beck
Well the pond is dug , liner put in, water added chloramine remover added and 25 feeder goldfish. How I let him talk me into that. Also has 6 plants in there. He brought the fish and the plants home as a surprise for me. I just wanted something to put my floating froggy fountain in. Fish and plants were for next spring. Oh well. Ended up having to stabalize the froggy fountain. I t was throwing the water out of the pond. Water wouldn't last long that way. This may make me sound like a complete dolt but........I should feed the fish right? DH bought some goldfish food and only feed them once a day. Correct? haven't had a fish since I was 6 years old and that lasted only a week. Why did I want fish? Can any one remind me?
Well, soon, you will love your fish, honest......Feed them sparingly. It's best to not use flake fish food, like you get at the local pet stores, but instead use floating pellet food (also available at pet stores and WalMart, Lowes, etc)
Floating food will let you see how much they are actually eating, as leftover food and excessive fish poop are the 2 main polluters of a pond. When the temps cool down for you, use cheerios, as they are easier for fish to digest as their bodies and metabolisms start to slow down. They won't need to be fed at all over the winter, and then in spring as the weather warms up again and you see them becoming active, start limited cheerios (or store-bought spring food products) The you can begin regular pellet food again (it's higher in protien than spring food)
You don't have to feed fish much, they can go for quite a while without human feedings, especially if there are plants in the pond with them.
Thanks MerryMary for the advice. Last night a frog had found the pond. This morning he brought a friend so there is 2 frogs out there oh and minus a fish. One of the real small ones bit the dust. Cheerios? the breakfast cereal my kids ate? Really? Awesome. The things one can learn on here. Awesome info.
Congratulations CeCe, MerryMary surely knows her stuff!! Excellent advice!! How big is the pond? Did you make it bigger than the 100 gallon original plan? The books are usually right to make a bigger pond. However, my 125 gallon and 100 gallon Lowes preformed ponds are just right for me, i have a bog garden in between both that collects the overflow when i do my water changes ie just filling both ponds till they overflow into the surrounding garden...makes for nice clear water,,,and then makes the fish go all romantic and spawn and now i have more babies!! You will be surprised at how fast your goldfish grow!!! My ponds are so overgrown with plants, both inside and outside that they look completely natural. (my pond tasks right now is keeping the water plants and marginals from overwhelming the ponds)..by keeping them small i can control predators better and keep a daily eye on all the inhabitants...naturalized and added! you will love going out there in the morning to check on everybody...evening is nice for a glass of wine by the ponds...alot of landscape dreaming happens with these nice pastimes...enjoy your adventure...sue
CeCe, your post just popped in...2 frogs ALREADY!!!! Boy it doesn't take them long to find out a new home??!! Keep a look out for frog eggs and tadpoles...(if the goldfish don't eat them). I enjoy watching my tadpoles grow legs etc... You will lose fish...unfortunately that is one of the downsides of ponding...feeders aren't usually well raised..they are for food..but it is the way to go when starting up a pond! My goldfish (2) are huge!! and they were 28 cent feeders from Walmart. (2 years ago)..sue
Sue I figure what the heck if they live great if they don't 25 for 3 bucks is not a hardship ya know? One of the books I had on ponds said about the wildlife you build it they will come. but overnight? Its just too unreal.
No its the 100 gallon one. It looks smaller in the ground than it did when it was leaning against the shed. Hey its big enough for me. I have 6 plants in there now, 24 fish and2 frogs.... What more could I ask for? DH brought the plants and fish home for a surprise for me. I didn't plan on fish or plants till next spring. I just wanted to see the floating froggy fountain work.
It'll be my luck if there are any tadpoles the fish will get 'em before I see them.
Lets see it took me two years to get a p[ond. If I start now maybe I'll have the greenhouse in place by Aug 2008. What'dya thnik?
You are so right! Ponds and Greenhouses are a always on a gardener's wish list! I would be happy to ship you a 'gator for another pond inhabitant?? God knows we got 'em here in Fl. now they are munching people regularly....enjoy your new toy...i couldn't sleep when we installed ours..and spent hours out there just dreaming.(in the daylight of course) mosquitos too annoying at night!! sue ps i just like you bought a spitting fountain (a fish) it was also so strong it spit H2O out of the pond too!!!! DH & i had a good laugh...
I think having the fountain is what sold hubby on the idea. I had bought a Better Homes and Garden magazine back in march april i don't remember any ways they had this questionerre to fill out and I filled it out and mailed it. Back in June i received a letter thanking me for my opinions and my name had been drawn for a free gift and would be mailed by the supplier. I though yeah right. Then in July a fed ex truck pulled into my drive and I asked if he was lost. He said my name and handed me this box. Opened it up and lo and behold a froggy fountain. Now I didn't plan this so I told hubby see it was measnt for us to have apond. It was our destiny.
Thanks for the offer of the'gator...........I think I'll pass if you don't mind.(too tempting to offer it cats dogs and little children lol
I would love to put fish into my pond...have about 24" in depth so that would not be a problem...extreme weather conditions might make it impossible, however, the 2 little cats that live with me might think they are playtoys...so perhaps not a good idea!!!
Welll....you could put one of the predator nets over your pond....not fond of them..but when i see an egret around the ponds it does discourage them! Or buy a few feeder goldfish and save their lives for awhile? I always feel quite noble when i buy feeders as they are getting a much nicer break in life than what they were intended for! They might be able to take your winters? Or have an aquarium to overwinter your fish?? More $$$$'s...ahh what's money?? lol! sue
I have never seen a Sphinx cat before. What do they feel like? Do they have no fur at all? They are a bit odd looking.
Thats what I put in my pond. Feeder goldfish. I started with 25 on Sunday lost two by Monday morning hubby brought home 27 more Monday night and lost 4 yesterday. Almost afraid for the sun to come up and count how many became floaters last night. Their fate here is dying in a pond of water now some piranna(sp)'s belly. If they survive the winter great if they don;'t well they were only 25/$3.00 I'll just buy more.
YUK..guess it's part of the life cycle...never thought of it that way...my cats re licking their chops as we speak...thanks for the input
Expect a high mortality with feeder comets. They are packed and shipped overcrowded in stressful conditions and put in a tank at the pet store with a million of their buddies. The lucky ones made it to your pond. Incidentally they breed like bunnies, hence their cheap cost. If pond conditions are even halfway right six can turn into over 100 in three years. It happened to me. I still have not been able to catch and get rid of the excess as fast as they reproduce! This fall I will again try to net out the majority. They are crowding the koi with their sheer numbers.
Well my 50 fish is now down to 37 and I haven't been out yet this morning. Need to wait for the sun to come up. It is always the clearwhitish with the brown on them that die. The real orangy ones are all doing okay it seems. No watch because I said that I'll go out in an hour or so and find 5 orange fish swimming. I'm so sad:( they keep dying.
snapple is correct....expect a high mortality rate at first with the feeder comets.....The good news is, the ones who DO make it, are tough as nails, and very resistent to disease and envorimental stresses. It's just natures plan taking shape in your pond, the ones that are going to die off, do so within the first week or so. The rest you will have for years. I once had an old wheelbarrow that I used one day for a quick holding tank. When I moved them all back into the pond, I guess I missed one. He lived there for 3 years and I didn't even know it. I never fed him, never did a thing!
Don't fret just yet!
MerryMary -- Thanks for the encouragement Actually I found 5 floating this morning......three orange ones. Go figure. Its been the itty bitty ones that die off. But I can expect this til Monday? They're dying off in larger numbers at a time now! Noooooooooonot my 2 incher's by weekend. boohoo :(
Is your pond water new? Did you use an antichlorine process when you added your water? Also, make sure you don't have any insectides on your water plants, or anywhere around the edges of the pond. Otherwise, if the water is healthy, it's jut the normal process of the weak ones dying off. You always see them floating around in the tank even in the pet store.
Yes I used a chloramine reducer and left the water warm in the sun for a day before I put the fish in. I haven't had to use insecticides on that part of the yard becuz I didn't have anything over there but the tree and the garden shed and of course the iris and sedum that just came up there this spring after I cleared all the junk out. fingers crossed that its just the small weak ones that are dying off. When I can go 3 days without finding even one I'll be *smiling* happy.
CeCe, 50 plus goldfish in a 100 gallon pond, is quite a fish load...as it is a new installation you will be having an ammonia spike...from all the fish and your beneficial bacteria that keeps the balance of the pond in check, hasn't established itself yet. . Goldfish are little pooping machines, so they really excrete alot of waste..feeding very sparingly during the first few weeks always helps...(it is so tempting to feed, as it is a fun thing) The addition of underwater foliage helps much too. (more oxygen and more places for the good bacteria to grow...fish like to munch on them also..) I have had aquariums for years and have the most mortality rates during the first month, when setting up a new aquarium..it is very common..I do a weekly to bi-weekly 25% water change. (in my ponds & aquariums).i flood with my hose- the ponds- and add a capful of the chorine/choromine reducer..(the real concentrated stuff "Pondquell". Your fish mortalities will level off...it is so sad to see them die...unfortunately that is part of the hobby! We are getting alot of rain lately and that is the best H2O a pond can have...hope things go better for you...keep us posted. sue