Temps reached 50 deg today!! All 21 fish came out from their winters nap for a few laps around the pond. They were looking up at me with those "hungry" eyes looking for a handout. Felt guilty not feeding them, but I know it is for the best that I do not. Poor little guys will have to due with bugs until water temps rise.
Here is a group looking so hungry coming to their feeding area.
How are your fish & ponds doing? Always a relief to see them following snow & Ice!
The deicer seems to be working. I have fish and frogs that seem to be active and happy. Have a lot of algea growth on the sides, but that is ok, figure that provides cover from hungry critters like raccoons. The water is cloudy though without the filter going.
I miss the frogs. Have not seen or heard any for months now. Hope spring will be early this year!! Miss the little guys & gals!
BeaHive: Your picture makes me miss my pond even more now . . . Wahhhhhhh!
I miss my fish so much.
Tetley: How do you see your frogs - you are in the same zone as me and they are all hidden here.
I am anxiously awaiting any sign of my frogs here. The "party" is supposed to start in February, and I can't wait to hear some croaking (perhaps my neighbors will feel differently about this though). We warmed up to around 70 degrees today, but last week's freeze finally turned the tropical waterlilies to mush. The fish are more active again, and are giving me those pathetic "feed me" looks when I get near the pond. This pic is from last year, but this is the kind of begging going on....almost there guys, but not quite yet.
Oh me too, Beahive. Your pictures make me really miss my fish.
We had weather in the 50s yesterday too so I repositioned the plastic over my pond and got a look at all my fish. They are all still there, moving slowly. I've started to think about planting seeds...but that doesn't fix my need for the pond. Sigh, we can make it!
Sunny-thanks for the post of the fish. it kinda helps and hurts me all at the same time. It's probably a lot like a heron addict needing a fix and going to the free clinic and getting the alternative. . . cold sweats anytime now. Are you warmer zones feeling kinda sad for me or thinking I am just plain old SAD . . .LOL!
lol mm, you are already thinking about heron ... don't go there yet!! My cold sweats have started, let 'em laugh at us!
Yes MM, you are already too far gone......... heron addict indeed. LOL
It seems the stock tank heater that I am using is keeping the water warm enough that the frogs are still active. I see them dashing around each time I go to check on the pond.
I know...is it spring yet!? We've had a pretty mild winter so far, and actually heard some peeper frogs sat eve when it was in the humid 70's. We are now in the thick of winter with 60's and 30's..nippy last night!
I've written an informative blog about spring cleaning your pond, and to be careful not to toss out your summers crop of Dragonfly friends with the leaf debris. Enjoy!
Rj
Houston Chronicle
"What Nymph Lurks Beneath!?"
http://www.chron.com/commons/persona.html?newspaperUserId=rjudd&plckController=PersonaBlog&plckScript=personaScript&plckElementId=personaDest&plckPersonaPage=BlogViewPost&plckPostId=Blog%3arjuddPost%3afcbf2e29-e251-4fff-92e7-d59dc7ccb4a2&plckCommentSortOrder=TimeStampAscending
It's obvious what's going on here! Current temp 22. We are forecasted to get 3" of snow tonight, with 25mph+ winds, followed by - drum roll please..................... belwo zero temperatures. Wednesday's high will be 1 degree. The koi are in the deepest part and are all moving around. The water temp at the bottom is 40.5 and the water is clouding with suspended algae.
Same weather here Snapple. That wind will blow all the snow around and I'll have to wade thru the drifts to get to work tomorrow. They are calling for blizzard conditions tonight.
Couldn't really check my pond with all the snow.
Be careful on the wade to work tomorrow! I have the annual Master Gardener banquet tonight that I don't want to miss. Going there won't be too bad but coming home could be an issue. I know your pond is under there somewhere! There's somethng beautiful about the starkness of snow isnt there? - for about 10 minutes then I've had it.
Only 67 days till spring....sigh
Oh man...67 more days. I figured out yesterday I can't start most of my earliest seedlings until late March! That's a depressing thought.
We had weather that sounds a lot like you all's today. Blowing snow, white out conditions. Very scary commute to work- but of course they hate to cancel school (I'm a teacher).
This is snow from this past week. It was so fluffy and dry.
Oh and here's the pond today...It just looks like boards and bricks. But I checked on everyone on Saturday (temps in the 50's) and everybody was moving around.
Hmmm...my brother failed to mention the white stuff in Colorado Springs. I'm going to go visit this weekend..I better check forecast first!
We are supposed to be getting subzero temps here the end of this week. BRRRR!! I get cold just thinking about it. At least my fishies will be warm - I have noticed the temps at the bottom of the pond are 39 - 40 degrees.
Even my little 6-8 inch fish are getting egg bellies!
Small eggy female.
Mary-thanks for the post/picture! Keep us posted on those eggs. It would be a nice thing to read about as I get 5 inches of snow dumped here tonight and high winds and below zero temperatures. Chicago is just a great place to live. . .not!
Rj, it is definitely white here! But it always melts so fast, you never know. You may not see a speck of snow.
Mary, are there two eggy females in that pic? Or just the yellow spotted one. I would love for you to keep us updated too!
That is a really great photo of the fish...I estimate that it would have taken me at least 24 pictures to get one like that! How can you tell the gals are eggy?
I'd be fine not seeing any snow...in fact we did get some in December...it was weird seeing the Australian Fern Tree covered in snow.
The pond is just under the left side of the tree.
I'm soooooo jealous of warm. The weatherman just said record cold of -13 Thursday night. Holy yikes. I've got one Japanese Maple that is not that hardy. So tomorrow I have to quickly build an insulating box of some sort. Luckily it's small enough.
The bulging sides of the fish show the eggs. There are two that look eggy to me and possibly another (or else they ate too many Oreo cookies . . .).
Middle long finned orange and the yellow with spots on the back underneath middle orange look largest. Possibly the bright orange at bottom as well. Sorry, I don't do the japanese names very well and dare not guess what they are. Yellow guy, blue fish, butter yellow gal works for me . . .
BTW: I meant to write heroin NOT heron addict. . . You know, as in the drug reference.
Post more fish pictures please!
aaah...and I thought it was a clever play on words relating to ponds!
I know mm, I was just poking fun. :)
heron=heroin Both are unwelcome.
Bith the Ki Bekko (white, black, yellow) and the Orange Matsuba butterfly (orange with black netting on it's back) are very eggy. I have tons of egg bellies already...what are the odds of having so few males?
I took a billions pictures with my new camera, so if I can only figure out how to upload them and add them, I certainly will! It will add a little touch of color for you all, until you begin your thaw.
MerryMary,
sounds like you are going to need to put in another pond to hold all of your new babies!
Honestly, the eggs are eaten fairly fast....just like all the info always says. Last year I save some, had them hatch, and when the fry were around 1/4 to 1/5 inch big, a Cuban Tree Frog got in there and the tadpoles (which hatch in about a day and a half) ate them all! uhg.... Like I said, I'm not a breeder, just an enthusiast...If a few survive, I just want them to look good! :)
This is my fairly large shiro bekko butterfly...maybe 18 inches? With one red dot (which I love!)
The white doitsu on the right is also very big with eggs. I think the black and white one on the left, is a male.
This is a washed out pic (I'm by NO means a fish photographer!) of my white doitsu butterfly with a yellow head. I'm especially loving this one as it gets bigger. He's maybe 12" now.
I was right about the egger-girls-do I get a prize Mary?
Is that orange one at the bottom female?
I go through trends....for a while I wanted only gin rin (the glittery scales) Then I went through a year of doitsu scales (the very large scales) then I went on a yellow binge......then blue....and really think I'm sticking at least with butterflies from now on....
Ohhhh Mary. While I was posting you posted these pictures. Gorgeous,thank you thank you! I love your fish!
Linda
What happens with your trends - do they die off or do you make more ponds?
This is my identity crisis guy....He has shusui scales down his back, doitsu scales down his sides...and although he looks white with black and red, he actually has bluish scales... I love him, he's about 22 inches, and just like a lap dog, he follows me everywhere, as I wall along the edge. Anyone who wants to help me out with his identity, I'm all ears!
MM2 - I give some away that weren't what I thought they'd grow to be....or build another pond. As I've said before, I have way too many fish for the ponds I have, so I run extra filtration and air, to keep all healthy and happy.
