a few early morning, gloomy, overcast, hot, and muggy pond pics.

[fishin4cars]

How did you make your ring so that your koi can't eat the roots? Out of boredom the boys and I went to the pond store to look at fish today. I told her my koi ate my WH roots and they all died, and she gave me new plants. Wasn't expecting that. So for now I put them in a tub with water and sprinkled some Osmocote in there. Hoping that is good enough since I don't have any miracle grow around the house. But I need to do something so they can go back in the pond.

Jen, when i get them from the wild I usually get a small tub and fill with pond water. place the plants in the tub and leave for 24-48 hours, then take them out do a 100% water change again with pond water. I'll do this several times then leave them alone for a week or two. this helps allow any snails, leeches, bugs, parasite etc. to move on. Then I'll usually only put the baby plants in the pond, lot smaller root systems means less chance of introducing unwanteds in the pond. No need to fert. hyacinths. a simple small air stone or small pump to help the water move some is all that is needed. Also If you'll store them where there is just a few hours of direct sunlight and several hours of filtered light during the day while cleaning you'll get stronger thicker plants usually to start off with. Good luck, Hope you get to enjoy the blooms. I always love the pics of a hyacinth in bloom, one of the most delicate yet attractive blooms of a pure nusaince weed I can think of in the Water garden.

 

[j.w]

Koiguy your pix are great and love your lush hyacinth!

 

[callingcolleen1]

Plants will also turn yellow if there is ammonia building up under the water, and sometimes you won't always dectect it with a ammonia strip.

 

[rebelangel_3733]

Those are just gorgeous! I tried some last summer but the ring I have takes up to much room in my pond so don't have any this year so I'll enjoy yours if you don't mind!

 

[ididntdoit99]

Mine are failry yellow too, but i dont have my in a ring and the fish like to eat the roots down to nothing, also its been so hot here the last few weeks, i dont know if any will make it. Some of my lettuce are the same way, but do look better than the hyacinths.

 

[koiguy1969]

ididntdoit99....yeah..koi destroy the roots. some people say their goldies do too. never had a problem with my goldies. but i may have the worste koi in the world at it.
jw...thank you much
callingcolleen....i'd bet ammonia in the water is worse than under it!!!.....lol
fishin".... a good steady "current" bringing them their nutrients seems to keep em happy. full sun doesnt seem to bother them in the slightest. mine get 10 hours a day on most days. of course your alot warmer and have alot longer pond season than we do here!...we get basically 4 good months, june thru september..then everything starts dying back. thats when my guys move inside.
Dr.Case...thanks..i 'd love to have a setup like yours tho! i'd really love to do a redo on mine..cant afford it!

 

[ididntdoit99]

I have seen my goldfish eating them too, but my bluegill... that sucker likes to eat lily pads... its sooo annoying, having holy lily pads. I suspect the other fish do too, but I have witnessed him to it on several occasions.

Either my water lettuce and hyacinths reproduced a lot faster last year, or the fish have just been attacking the plants more this year than last, because it wasnt really an issue last year.

 

[koiguy1969]

my koi destroy my lillies too...some days i'll net as many as 20 pads out. it seems they like the meat out of the stem down near the rhyzone. since thats where they bite 'em off at. and the botton couple inches are empty. they do nibble the edges of the pads on ocassion as well. i mcan live with that. but the pads and stems floating is real annoying.