Have you begun to set up your pond yet?

[CACAdmin]

Well, from the looks of it we're finally seeing highs in the double digits across the country (overnight lows are still pretty chilly in most places) but maybe Spring has actually arrived. Here, I'm beginning to think we skipped Spring altogether and are heading straight into summer (or maybe it only feels that way because it's been so cold until just the past few days. )

So although it's probably not really warm enough for fish yet (except koi), has anyone started getting their ponds or tubs set up yet? I know OldMan beat most of us to it but then being south of the border, he had a jump start on the weather (well, except that I recall seeing some of that white stuff trimming the edge and it wasn't apple blossoms :laugh: )?

If you're not ready to setup/build your pond yet, have you started planning?

[susankat]

Have had mine up for a couple of weeks now, getting ready to put the paradise fish in it this coming week.

[fishykisses]

i tried today but have to replace a few outdoor extension cords for the pumps, the weeding and planting has begun. I think the koi will be in next weekend.

[blainep]

After not bothering with my pond for a couple years, I decided to get at it today.

It's amazing how old and fat you feel after spending a day on the end of a shovel ! :eek:

I scored a few pieces from last years pond display at work. They were on the way to the garbage, so I tossed them in the car and decided to see if I could make something out of them.

Lots of work to do yet, but here's a look so far.

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[CACAdmin]

That's going to be an awesome pond setup! Lots of work, but well worth it. :yes: (Pssst... the last time you posted pics of your yard it was covered in that white stuff... are you sure it's gone for good?:wink: )

[blainep]

That's going to be an awesome pond setup! Lots of work, but well worth it. :yes: (Pssst... the last time you posted pics of your yard it was covered in that white stuff... are you sure it's gone for good?:wink: )

No, I'm not sure, but it was a nice day today.

[Melody]

Call the paramedics! Blaine tried to put fish in the pond and it looks like he's frozen solid in the pictures! :err:

[CACAdmin]

Call the paramedics! Blaine tried to put fish in the pond and it looks like he's frozen solid in the pictures! :err:
:rofl:

Well, I decided to get a start on things. Cleaned up my nano pond and moved it to a different spot on the balcony where I'll be able to enjoy it more. Have yet to dig out the pump, but I put a well seeded filter sponge in there, added some duckweed and a couple of marisas. The marisas will be fine in there without the pump until I get it set up on the weekend (and they'll help start the cycle). Originally, I was going to leave it set up all winter (and even tried moving it inside to see if I could keep the plants growing) but it didn't work.

Anyone else planning a tub or nano pond?

[OldMan]

Jay is right that I had a slight advantage of warmer environment than much of Canada, outside of BC of course. What I did was start by setting up when typical daytime highs were around 18C and overnight lows were trying to stay above about 10C. As has been noted, there were days outside the norm that left white stuff around my summer tub for a few hours at a time. I set the tub up with water and threw in some nitrogen fertilizer, then left the tub unattended for a couple of weeks. At that time the water was green enough that I could only see my hand in the water down to about 6 inches below the surface.

My pond filter spent the winter filtering my swordtail tank so I had a cycled filter ready to go. When the water temperature in the tub reached about 13C, I moved most of my Xenotoca eiseni into the tub and put the two juveniles that were insurance into a 10 gallon from their larger tank. The filter and fountain pump went into the tub and so far I have yet to see the fish. I treat that as good news because it means they have not taken to floating at the surface. Today, the water temperature has risen to about 20C so even tropicals could be put out.

I got a sample of daphnia in the mail today and put some into the tub of green water while keeping most of the culture to raise in two other containers where they will be treated as fish food for the indoor fish. The pond tub gave me some green water to feed all of the daphnia so I am encouraged to think that they will thrive and feed all of my fish.

[CACAdmin]

The filter and fountain pump went into the tub and so far I have yet to see the fish. I treat that as good news because it means they have not taken to floating at the surface. Today, the water temperature has risen to about 20C so even tropicals could be put out.
Floaters:eek: ... definitely not a good sign... glad there are none and that all seems well.

The pond tub gave me some green water to feed all of the daphnia so I am encouraged to think that they will thrive and feed all of my fish.So the pond now has a dual purpose. Gotta love it when things work that way.

[CACAdmin]

Well, checked on the pond this morning. Water temp only dropped to 60 over night and the snails are doing fine and dining on duckweed in the morning sun. I wonder what they thought of their first chilly night outdoors.

[Katalyst]

Its still pretty cool here and since I am headed to Florida this week it'll probally be on hold until I get back & I don't need a parka to do my gardening! :Holiday-1:

[blainep]

After fighting with a broken weed whacker for an hour this morning, I decided the lawn could wait and got back to work on the pond.

A trip to Canadian Tire and a pitstop at Home Depot and few more hours of work, things are looking nearly done.

Still need a couple pieces for pump plumbing and some electrical wire hiding, but things are getting close now.

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I'm going to head out and grab some annuals to fill the two pots at the one end tomorrow.

[CACAdmin]

Looking good, Blaine. Don't worrry about the lawn, it'll keep. Anyways pond building is much more fun.::D: Are the two statues there to represent you and the missus? (she's looks very angelic, I must say. :wink:) I wonder if they'll help to keep the wildlife away.

[Pamelajo]

Looks good Blaine.
My goldfish have been out for a while now, since they like the water colder. This is probably their winter as their tank in the basement does not get below 65. I am praying the Heron does not spot them, we managed to get through last summer with out him noticing. I keep their container tucked under a big maple on the deck, a pain with the keys falling. But they are safer there. When I did my placement last year at a nursing home they had a big pond and the Heron that showed up on my first day did not leave until the fish 10 out of 11 good sized goldfish were gone. He would actually sit on the roof. The last one was tucked in amongst the rocks and was still hiding after at the end of my two weeks.

[CACAdmin]

I'm sure your goldies are thrilled to have headed to the pond, Pam. Herons are bold and persistant but your pond isn't big and with the tree there, a heron probably doesn't notice it... no reflection off a large surface of water to catch his eye.

That's too bad that they lost so many fish in the pond at the home. However, herons are bold and tend to claim a feeding ground as theirs from what I've observed. They don't frighten easily either. However, I think one of those fake herons might work in a large pond as they don't appear willing to share share feeding territory. I wonder if anyone here has had any experience with using a decoy heron and what measure of success they had.

No fish yet in my pond, but soon. (only marisas and I couple of brigs). The marisas must have liked the move to their summer home in the pond as they've suddenly started laying clutches.

[Pamelajo]

Soon you ill up to your eyeballs in little marisas.

[CACAdmin]

How true, Pam. :laugh: I should have known better, but I put some of my older breeders in the pond. With the Brigs, I put young'uns because breeders would be likely to go wandering looking for a place to lay.

[OldMan]

I went out and did a big water change on my tub today just in case things were building up. I still can't see through the water but I had one theory confirmed. By not spotting any fish floating it means they are surviving. I came across 6 fish while doing the water change in the buckets of water that I was removing. I can still only see a couple of inches through the water but spotted them as I carefully watched each bucket as I dumped it. They were a size that I did not put into the tub. They are smaller than the adults but much bigger than the couple of juveniles that I kept indoors just in case. I would really like to be able to see the fish so I may do another 60% or more change tomorrow.

[Gobies et al]

I thought you wanted green water. :confused: Or is it denser/greener than you wanted?

[OldMan]

It looked a nice brilliant green a few weeks ago when the fish went into it but has turned a muddy brown color now. It still looks like it is mostly algae and smells like a nice green algae would but I am concerned about whatever is sharing the water with the algae to make it that color. Whatever it is seems to not be harming the fish but I don't like not knowing. It could be nothing more than tannins since there were a lot of samaras from a silver maple tree that ended up in the pond. The tub went all summer last year with almost see-through water so I know I can keep the fish healthy in that water and am going in a direction that I am familiar with.

[fishykisses]

i have that problem too, well it's not brown but quite green. 2 days after i put the fish in it was green again. I have a UV sterilizer with new bulbs, but it does NOTHING!