My goldfish pond

[CometKeith]

Hey CE, Hopefully that helps. Also i would consider building a larger waterfall. I have heard a lot of comments that water splashing into water is good also. The waterfall will also help keep the water moving and will mix the water more so all of it gets oxygenated and not just the upper portion. Question; is all of your water that is pumped out being taken out by the skimmer or do you also have a submerged pump pulling water out as well?

 

[CountryEscape]

The skimmer has a 1600 gph pump that pulls it to the top of the stream, then back to the pond. The large 4200 gph pump on a shelf in the pond goes through the bog, back into the pond. I need to set up a fountain for now, as building a waterfall will be hard, thinking that will give a similar effect of splash and water movement, right? The stream only has about a 6" drop from top to bottom, then a 4-6" splash to hit the water. That's not enough to make more of a splash, but I do need to rework the stream, so maybe will try to elevate it some on the splash end.

 

[CometKeith]

CE, You might want to consider setting up a new pump just to get the water splashing. I'm thinking you might want to set that pump lower to get the deeper water moving. Also even though your plants are really great you probably want to thin them out so they don't cover more than 40-50% of your pond. For my pond I have two pumps. One is for the bio-filter and the other is just for the waterfall. Both of them lead to the waterfall and most of the water comes straight down over rocks splashing into the pond almost like an open faucet. It makes a lot of noise, but I think it helps a lot to keep the water well oxygenated and besides it's not any worse than some of the neighbor's barking dogs!

 

[CountryEscape]

The problem I have here with high splashing water is in the spring and fall ... and winter ... I have all the wind that comes in this area blowing across my ponds. The waterfall in the koi pond had water splashing back against the waterfall wall, causing ice wall, last winter. The water doesn't necessarily splash DOWN all the time. My fountain in that same pond, that is about 6' from the edge on any side, can literally be blown out of the pond by the wind. So, I have to think of that, too. I'll set up a fountain so that it bubbles out of the water from close to the bottom of the pond, instead of the air bubbler, and maybe put the air on at night then. I did remove plants that were covering the pond spilling over from the bog, and now it is much cleaner on the top. I have no more than 50% coverage now. Will get in there again next weekend to remove any dead leaves, and see about removing more lilies. Pretty much what is in the goldfish pond are lilies I want to keep, though, and can't put them into the koi pond at this point. Still a dilema, but I'm pushing forward. Things will get better soon, I'm certain. :blueflower:

 

[CometKeith]

CE, good luck with it. I think the splashing is not as important when the water is cooler so maybe you can turn that off when the summer is over. I just fed my fish. I couldn't see my favorite multicolored comet that was born last year. Also my three frogs seem to be getting really fat. Could it be.....?

 

[CountryEscape]

I have trained the big bullfrog to watch for grasshoppers. He's become really good at grabbing them ... if the smaller frogs don't get to them first! One little guy swims under the lily leaves, surfaces, targets his prey, then sometimes has to swim underwater to get close enough before the pounce. Really fun to watch! I hope your frogs didn't eat your Shubie, hopefully it is "chilling" at the bottom somewhere that it is cooler. I don't know if you are getting the heat wave we are south of you, but supposed to be close to 100 this week. Yuck! Sure am glad haven't had that kind of heat since mid June like last year, though, so can't complaint. It IS August, after all.

 

[CometKeith]

CE, I like the idea of a grasshopper catcher. Mine definitely go after bees and probably also fireflies. I have seen some damsel flies lately, I hope they leave those alone. But most of all it better not have snatched that fish I loved. I didn't see it tonight either. It's left of the big red goldfish in this picture I took a few weeks ago. I also like the one just right of the white one. It's orange, white, and red striped. Yep it's been hot here too but it didn't feel too bad because it was hazy and the sun wasn't strong. It made it to 90 today and it's supposed to be 5 degrees warmer tomorrow.

 

[CountryEscape]

The fish to the right of the big red one that is in the front of the pic is really pretty, too, Keith! I love any of the tri colored ones, and you have several in that pic that are gorgeous. I also like the red/white/red/white one. Very unique pattern for a goldfish, and a baby that you raised it's even neater!

 

[j.w]

Hey that one to the right w/ the 3 colors red/white and lt oj.......too bad he doesn't have that last color of bluish like from a Shubbie...................he would be a very patriotic fishy!

 

[callingcolleen1]

Keith, I have been in the 90's most all week, left the grass long, hide in the cool housewith the puppies during heat of the day ! Did you know I have been cobbling stones all around my bottom pond for the last few days, and it really looks great! Just have to show everybody....

 

[CometKeith]

CE/JW, Thanks! the one you both like was really interesting when it was a baby. It literally had a pencil thin white stripe going around it's body. As the fish grew the white stripe kept getting wider to where it is now. I am including a picture of him/her and the rest from yesterday. I had another wh bloom. I don't know what to do with my biggest red female comet. She is really bruised up from being pushed against rocks during mating. A lot of her scales on the sides have come off where it is showing white instead of her natural colors. She is still acting fine and showing no ill effects so I don't know if I should do something or not.

Colleen, i love your cobblestones. i don't know how you come up with so many real cool ideas. It looks great!

 

[callingcolleen1]

I sat and starred last year at this little dirt road that leads to the river, it had little rocks that were perfectly cobbled by nature, over many many years. I always wanted to cobble something, and then this big hill of river rocks and rubble appeared this year by the farmers field. The big tractors had made massive hills of broken concrete, iron and steal, and rocks of all shapes and sizes. The big high hoe tractors are there to built the new bridge, but theses days the tractors are not moving as the fish in the river are spawning so the new trans Canada Bridge building is currently on hold till the spawing is over, so I am taking advantage of all the nice smooth round river rocks while I can!,

 

[j.w]

Keith I would not bother the fish that is battered unless it shows signs of infection or acting strangely. I'd leave well enough alone cuz if you separate her you might cause stress and more problems. It's up to you and if you just can't stand seeing her suffer like that and your stress is too much to bear then maybe you can put a floating ring w/ a net attached in the same pond and let her be alone in there for awhile and see it it bothers her too much. Let her heal and then let her out.

Colleen you lucky girl w/ all those nice rocks right at your finger tips. I have to go out hunting for mine but I am eyeballing that site in town by the railroad tracks picking a few up as I drive in and out. Don't want to get in trouble w/ the railroad even tho the train does not go on those end of the line tracks anymore.

 

[callingcolleen1]

Yes, fish heal better most times if left alone. Sometimes we do more damage when we move them. I have a black fantail bubble eyed goldfish and she somehow got hurt early this Spring and now she is fine. I just left her alone and I never move injured fish anymore as I killed many over the years trying to play doctor!

 

[addy1]

I leave my fish alone, two reasons, horribly hard to catch in my pond and cause more distress and damage chasing them. I have yet to see any injury or illness.