Elevated Bog Pond

[dustboy]

Thanks Phaewryn, yes if I have to put a bunch of netting and spikes over my pond, I’d rather just stick to starter goldfish. I never had a Egret problem while it was just the little guys.
It did occur to me that some of my goldies got snatched by the Egret and it wasn’t 100% the brats’ fault. I did find fish remains in the bog diffuser so I definitely lost a few through the pump.

 

[dustboy]

I checked my camera...here’s the perpetrator!

I think I need to move the camera out to the shed, he’s there for several minutes but I can’t tell if he caught anything.

 

[Phaewryn]

I checked my camera...here’s the perpetrator!

Oh man, he is beautiful though! I might just stock minnows and enjoy the egret!

 

[dustboy]

I know, it’s hard to be mad at the egret. Fortunately this evening the new comets all came out and we spotted them with a flashlight. Only maybe six of the goldies came out. The kids named the other calico Freckle, and the white comet with orange on his back was named Nacho because it looks like he has melted cheddar on his head.

 

[Lisak1]

They are magnificent birds and patient, stealthy hunters.

 

[addy1]

They are magnificent birds and patient, stealthy hunters.

I have watched the herons take 30 minutes to walk from the back field to the pond. One slow step at a time.

 

[Lisak1]

I have watched the herons take 30 minutes to walk from the back field to the pond. One slow step at a time.

Yup. Or stand in one place, as still as a statue, for HOURS.

 

[addy1]

We watch the egrets hunt the lizards here, they are not quite as slow as the heron, but they will stand/sit on a bush and just look for that tiny little lizard to move. Constant hunting for them. Probably a good thing ow we would be over run with lizards.

 

[Crazyshot97]

I’m late to the party here. That looks awesome. Do you have any photos of how you constructed that box for the bog? How is it being supported underneath? You’ve given me an idea

 

[dustboy]

Hi Crazyshot, I looked back in my photos and I didn’t take any of the bog construction. The bottom is 1/2 exterior ply, captured on 4 sides in a dado in the redwood sides. There are 3 redwood boards laying flat underneath to support the plywood.

If I were to do the bog over again, I’d make it deeper to give the plants more room to grow and give the water a longer path through the gravel. There is not enough room between the root ball of the plants and the diffuser tube so the water tends to flow in channels rather than percolating evenly through the gravel. It works OK but could be better.

 

[Crazyshot97]

Hi Crazyshot, I looked back in my photos and I didn’t take any of the bog construction. The bottom is 1/2 exterior ply, captured on 4 sides in a dado in the redwood sides. There are 3 redwood boards laying flat underneath to support the plywood.

If I were to do the bog over again, I’d make it deeper to give the plants more room to grow and give the water a longer path through the gravel. There is not enough room between the root ball of the plants and the diffuser tube so the water tends to flow in channels rather than percolating evenly through the gravel. It works OK but could be better.

Awesome, thanks a lot. I’m planning on something similar, bog filtration seems to be the way to go.

 

[dustboy]

Couple shots of the fish. My iphone is supposed to be water resistant so I stuck the lens underwater and took some pics.

 

[GBBUDD]

Water looks nice and clear fish look very healthy. very nice

 

[j.w]

Great clear pix! Nice choice of pretty fish too!

 

[dustboy]

Caught this beautiful red dragonfly hanging around, can't believe how close he let me get. Took this shot from about 12" away. Possibly a Sympetrum Illotum, Cardinal Meadowhawk? This is the second one I've seen, the first was larger and more rust colored. Cool how they perch with their wings swept forward.