i started out as a child...

[urglik]

howdy everyone. thank goodness for forums.
i'm a newbie to fish care. i adopted 8 goldfish and a couple plecos when a prior housemate ditched them a few months ago. did you know that goldfish should eat fresh fruits and vegetables every day? i thought you fed them colored flakes you get at a pet food store. imagine that...
housing them indoors properly due to their size would of been a large investment to still have them in a small area. we have a small lined pond 8ft x 12ft x 16in. deep built as a duck pool last year. i decided to put the goldfish in the pond. the ducks are gone.
the pond is at the end of a 100 ft long water course i've been working on. the pond will be dug to 5 feet deep and enlarged to 8ft x 18ft next week. it's all lined with epdm rubber.
i never planned on having fish in the pond. including the two fish that magically appeared in the pond this spring. we grabbed some duckweed last year from a nearby pond for the ducks along with some water and put it in our pond. we won't do that again.
i'm anxious to get the pond dug to limit the daily water temperature variation and i'm researching a good approach for the winter and hoping i don't screw it up.
well that's my story and i'm sticking to it.

here's a video i made for my facebook friends a couple weeks ago on the first day the course flowed all the way.

 

[CeeJayH]

That's a great water course you have, and a larger pond at the end would be a fantastic home for the fish. There are people on this forum from all over the States, so they're best placed to advise on over-wintering.

 

[peter hillman]

I love your beach!

 

[Mmathis]

Hello and welcome! Where do you live?

Oh my goodness, that is just awesome! But IMHO, you don't need the music track -- the sound of running water is beautiful music in itself . You are going to have lots of natural filtering with all the rocks and gravel. And I love your lawn mowers and rat-catchers! Is that a Maine Coon? Beautiful cat! [and I hope that's not SAND that the kitty is sitting on.......]

In case you haven't noticed, we love to see pictures [and videos], so keep us updated as you work.

 

[Nepen]

Love your long stream! Just FYI that you can lose a lot of water with having a long stream like that (evaporation!) So dont panic if one day you lose a bunch of water fast. I have 30 ft stream and more than twice in summer my pond will lose water quick then maintain at the same level for a time until a heat wave or wind or something cause the water to evaporate quickly again.

 

[Becky]

Hello and welcome to the forum!

 

[addy1]

Welcome to our group! Very nice stream and pond

 

[Tula]

Welcome to the forum Beautiful stream and pond, sure to attract lots of wild life ! Love the kitty and goats

 

[sissy]

glad you are sticking to your story and welcome

 

[urglik]

That's a great water course you have, and a larger pond at the end would be a fantastic home for the fish. There are people on this forum from all over the States, so they're best placed to advise on over-wintering.

thank you for interest and kind words. it feels good to have the course flowing. i'm excited about next spring and summer and all the life
that will come to it and grow in and around it. it will also be a lot of fun to fill it in with rocks and cool stuff.

i certainly will be asking some winter questions and i imagine this forum will help me shepherd my fish friends through the winter.

giving thanks.

 

[urglik]

I love your beach!

thanks...so do the goats. it's warm, like a beach should be.

 

[Usman]

welcome i loved ur farm or garden its amazing abd your stream pond . thats one long stream lol i was waiting when wil it end , thats good u adopted fishes and plan to pet them

i noticed few things u can improve , with the stream and pond there is open liner that needs more rocks plants inside stream corners to cover, it will look good if u hide all liner and also liner will expire if exposed to sun directly . other thing i saw a glass piece that can b harmfull for kids or accidentaly if it falls or breaks it can puncture liner .

yes goldfish koi are omnivorus they can eat everything whatever is easy for u , if ur making homemade food then cooked wheat and proteins are important too .

 

[urglik]

Hello and welcome! Where do you live?

Oh my goodness, that is just awesome! But IMHO, you don't need the music track -- the sound of running water is beautiful music in itself . You are going to have lots of natural filtering with all the rocks and gravel. And I love your lawn mowers and rat-catchers! Is that a Maine Coon? Beautiful cat! [and I hope that's not SAND that the kitty is sitting on.......]

In case you haven't noticed, we love to see pictures [and videos], so keep us updated as you work.

i feel ya about the music turtle mommy. it was windy that day and the soundtrack was lousy. didn't want to spend a lot of time on it, so i threw on
sally oldfield's waterbearer. i am curious about my filtration needs with the natural filtration you speak of. i'll start a thread on it if one hasn't already been.
dub, the cat, may be a maine coon. i'm unsure. looks classically like one, but no ear tufts. i told the cats that i don't swim in their litter box so don't
poop on my beach...i'm in southeast michigan. green oak twp

here's a pic of the dub

 

[urglik]

Love your long stream! Just FYI that you can lose a lot of water with having a long stream like that (evaporation!) So dont panic if one day you lose a bunch of water fast. I have 30 ft stream and more than twice in summer my pond will lose water quick then maintain at the same level for a time until a heat wave or wind or something cause the water to evaporate quickly again.

this will no doubt be a large learning experience and fun to learn the nature of it.
i was concerned earlier this summer a few times with the weather in the 90's.
the shallow pond and all the black rubber the temp would creep into the low 80's and i would run the hose from the well to cool it down.
with the nights dropping into the 50's now, the temperature swings i imagine are stressful. if the night time temps are going
below 60, i have been turning off the pump and letting the pond fill as deep as possible and settle down for the night.

 

[urglik]

Hello and welcome to the forum!

thank you becky. nice to be here.