Misc ramblings...

[sissy]

All the ones in the pond came back even the lotus .I use the zeolite in my filters and take it out every 2 months and refresh it in salt water and then it goes back in the filters .The water lettuce and the water hyacinth in the basement died from neglect

 

[Carolyn22]

Sissy did your pond plants come back this year yet? I leave mine in the pond and keep only hardy plant's that can freeze, no time to mess with too many tropicals. I have one tropical, the white Calla, and will put that one out front soon. I have been busy working in the front yard when I can. This morning is kinda cool, so I have not done too much yet, waiting for it to get warmer. My hands are sore from working hard at work last night, and then there is the usual arthritis in the one hand...
I use zeolite in my fish tanks so I am going to look for that cheaper at maybe Peavy Mart, that is a farmer type store and they may have bulk zeolite supplies cheaper.

Colleen -

is your white calla potted up and by the pond? In the pond? how do you have it planted? I have a number of callas that I pot up and put on my deck every summer, but I really like the idea of putting one/some out by my pond.

TIA

Carolyn

 

[callingcolleen1]

I gave up trying to keep tropical floaters all winter, they always died for me. You have to really baby them, lot and lot of light and the water must be heated with a fish tank heater to keep the water above 70 degrees.... way too much work!

The white Calla was planted in kitty litter years ago, in a large basket, and it comes back every year. I leave it dry over winter and let the tops freeze off, then take it into the green house and store dry in a cold corner of the greenhouse. It is about a foot high and waiting in a tub with just a puddle of water for now, cause it is going in the front yard pond as it is shady and does well there. I have a bulb that is growing with roots, and I wedge just the bulb in some rocks in the main pond and no soil, and it does great that way too!

Here it is last year in my middle pond..,. That one was just planted in a clay pot with small rocks.... I go lots of them everywhere.... gave some away and going to put the rest out in front pond stream this week when I finish that stream,,,,

 

[HTH]

The big pond did not have a filter. It did well enough by the fish but it looked like an unfiltered pond. We have culled over 100 undecolored single tails. It still left a lot of fish.

I have had a bit of zeolite when I had a fish room with aquariums. I did not see the point in it. If the bio filter was doing it works the zeolight was just extra work. I could not see where it made any difference to the fish. My mind is not closed to the idea I just need to understand the benifit.

With this setup I would be trading water changes for revamping the zeolite with a salt bath. I already have the water. Zeolite is 60 miles away.
[sharedmedia=gallery:images:2991]
Capewind this is a holding area. Six rectangular lifts and a rectangular stock tank and a barrel filter. The barrel filter was not new but it was stored dry for the winter. I anticipated the move and added nutrients to the system to get the filter started. I wanted some bacteria growing thinking the filter would adjust to the fish load. The last few days I have been thinking there is not enough bio filter for the fish but it seems to be catching up now. A few days will tell. Oh I added a few plants with the fish thinking they might bring some bacteria with them that would be helpful. Sort of a can't hurt thing.

I expect that I am over reacting with the ammonia it is in my nature.

Coleen 'Peavy Mart' wow. I have not heard the name Peavy in 30 or 40 years. There used to be Peavy elevators in ND where I grew up.

 

[callingcolleen1]

Well up north here Peavy Mart has lots of farmer stock supply, plus they have garden stuff, flowers, soil, clothes, boots, etc... I shop there quite a bit. Got my 1500 watt cattle trough heater there and I use that to heat the pond.

 

[Carolyn22]

Colleen

Thanks for the info - I wondered because my callas have always done better if they are allowed to dry out between waterings, otherwise the bulbs tend to rot for me.

 

[callingcolleen1]

Well the white calla that I have does very well without drying out while growing in the pond, however, the bulbs needs to be stored dry for winter when it is dormant and not growing. I used to grow it all winter in the little greenhouse pond but it got so big it took over the greenhouse during the winter. So now I let it go dormant and dry for the winter as my greenhouse is small and I have many succlents and other stuff that need space for winter....

 

[koiguy1969]

just got a call....
it seems the remainder of my fish are headed off to college... agricultural dept. ... they are building a good size aquaculture / aquaponics setup. and my little guys will be supplying the nutrient base..... how many people can say theyre putting 60 or so thru college? lol

havent heard back from the college people... they were gonna get all the fish left for $60 - $70. i've already sold about that much worth and still have 30 - 40 left..... you snooze you lose i guess!... you try to help out an educational establishment, for AGRICULTURAL science sake, and they hesitated...OH WELL!

 

[HTH]

I have had similar experiences My wife is giving away tomato plants and it is going slow. Will have to put an add in the paper next week.

 

[capewind]

Koiguy... Just keep your ad on CLs ... they are nice fish that you are asking next to nothing for.

HTH .... I wish you were close by. I didnt start my toms from seeds this year, and just gave in and bought two plants a few days ago. Friggin $12 each for 4" pots. May or may not be a BAD deal, but used to starting them myself ...

 

[HTH]

Koiguy... Just keep your ad on CLs ... they are nice fish that you are asking next to nothing for.

HTH .... I wish you were close by. I didnt start my toms from seeds this year, and just gave in and bought two plants a few days ago. Friggin $12 each for 4" pots. May or may not be a BAD deal, but used to starting them myself ...

That sounds outrageous Around here many of the big box stores are selling plants with tomato blight.

 

[capewind]

I even got them at Lowes (being cheap that I am) ... they are fair sized plants considering (maybe 8" tall x 5" wide) but it was a shock since I usually start my own. I figured $5 each... I wont forget to start them next year, that's for sure!

 

[koiguy1969]

havent heard back from the college people... they were gonna get all the fish left for $60 - $70. i've already sold about that much worth and still have 30 - 40 left..... you snooze you lose i guess!... you try to help out an educational establishment, for AGRICULTURAL science sake, and they hesitated...OH WELL!

well they (the school) texted me back today... asking if i still had any fish. i answered "yes". they just replied "o.k".. then they say they want them. in the mean time someone else calls and comes by ... buys all of them... they snoozed,they 'loozed'!! last week i told them they could have all for $60.00. i turned away customers so i could help out a school. then they ask why i couldnt wait for them, when the cash is in my face, and they already blew me off for less money? 81 fish went today after selling some this weekend. so they would have gotten close to 100 fish for $60.00..
oh now they asked if i would do it for an extra $10.00..... WOW. I ALREADY TOLD THEM "THEY WERE GONE"!!

 

[capewind]

Sorry you had to deal with that. The school knows they screwed up a great deal. Glad someone else got in on the bargain while they were snoozing. When we are selling something (anything, not just fish), I dont hold anything without a deposit. I told the gentlemen who took the two fish Tuesday that I dont mind holding the other fish he is interested in, simply because we arent ready to bring them inside to offer to anyone yet. If he decides to take them, he can hang out here while they are caught ... if not, we'll catch them when we are ready .. no harm done.

 

[koiguy1969]

so anyways it looks like they were about 120 in that baby pool pic... i was way off..i said 60 - 70...
capewind, you said 90 - 100... not bad!
jw. you said 127&3/4... (being funny i guess) and were closest. https://www.gardenpondforum.com/topic/11389-pleasant-suprise/