Bag End garden pond (newbie thread)

[audioenvy]

perhaps some day you're going to wish it was even larger!

I'm already trying to figure out how to make it bigger!

 

[audioenvy]

@audioenvy Looking at the pics again, I don't think the kitty in the cam-shots is the same one in the trap.

I'm almost positive it's two different cats. Both are outdoor cats loosely "owned" by neighbors. I've caught one of them twice. I just spray it with the hose real good and let them go. At this point I don't think they are eating any fish.

 

[audioenvy]

@audioenvy Hello and welcome! Where do you live?

I live in Utah. Already looking at options for de-icers for winter lol.

 

[cas]

I would love to know the story behind the hobbit house. The person that painted it was very talented. I love it and wouldn't have wanted to paint over it either.

I am wondering if a previous owner was trying to make the pond shallower and just threw rocks inside. Usually a pond that has rocks will have larger rocks on the side and smaller, gravel like stone on the bottom. I love the look of rock inside the pond, but I currently have no rock so that the pond is easier for me to keep clean.

Your pond and landscaping is beautiful. Thanks for sharing the pictures!

 

[audioenvy]

So how often should I feed my fish? Because there are rocks on the bottom (some way too heavy to remove without help) there is some sediment. The fish seem to like it and they spend the afternoons swimming around eating it. I haven't fed the fish in a couple of days (and even when I do it's not a lot) so they seem to be cleaning the rocks off somewhat--but how do I know how often I should feed them?

(I tried to search this but it's hard searching on a sentence rather than a key word)

 

[Mmathis]

For goldfish, if there is some algae growing on the liner, they are fine to just eat that. Otherwise, they don't need to be fed but every few days. Floating foods are good, so that you can scoop out what they don't eat. Koi, I'm not sure about.

 

[tbendl]

I used to feed mine every morning, now I don't feed them at all. I think if you have a filter capable of taking care of the additional waste that is created by feeding fish, feed 'em. If not, don't.

 

[Mmathis]

I used to feed mine every morning, now I don't feed them at all. I think if you have a filter capable of taking care of the additional waste that is created by feeding fish, feed 'em. If not, don't.

And I think that it also depends on whether you have a bottom drain (BD) or not, as the BD will remove the excess solids from the food and fish waste much better than a submerged pump/filter set up. Otherwise, you're stuck scooping poop. In my next life, my pond will have a BD!

 

[audioenvy]

And I think that it also depends on whether you have a bottom drain (BD) or not, as the BD will remove the excess solids from the food and fish waste much better than a submerged pump/filter set up. Otherwise, you're stuck scooping poop. In my next life, my pond will have a BD!

By scooping poop I'm assuming you mean a pond vacuum? How often do you do it?

I don't have a bottom drain

 

[addy1]

I don't have a bottom drain, every few years I will take a swimming pool net and pick up excess stuff. In the fall, if the wind blows wrong, I use the net to pull out leaves.

This is year 6 for the pond, most of the time there is not enough muck on the bottom to remove.

 

[Mmathis]

I do like @addy1. I scoop with a net.

 

[audioenvy]

Caught him! Not sure what to do with him but he's in timeout right now. I'll probably drive him up the canyon and let him go there.

 

[addy1]

Nice snake! glad you are not beheading it

 

[audioenvy]

Nice snake! glad you are not beheading it

He chases the fish around but hasn't been able to get one. I put three $0.50 goldfish in the pond in a partially submerged minnow trap for few days to see if the snake would eat them and get trapped but they lived so I let them go in the pond and they are still alive.

But he does torment them and make them more skittish I suppose so I'll relocate him to somewhere more wild.

 

[addy1]

I saw a snake in my pond one time, but never since. It could easily be there I am not down there all day long.