My goldfish pond

[sissy]

Then should have added something extra to the coffee instead of just vanilla.hmmm wonder if it was a blue bird that ate the blue damsel

 

[j.w]

Well Keith you can net out the muck into a tub w/ some water in it and see whatever swims and put them back in your pond. But I'd definitely net out the muck!

 

[CometKeith]

Thanks JW that makes sense. I'll try that. Last year I cleaned out the prefilter on my old pump into a bucket of water and what looked like a fish swam out that had wings!

 

[j.w]

Hmmmmmmmmm, don't know what that could have been but sounds interesting. Did you ever see it again?

 

[CometKeith]

no, I think it was a bug of some kind. Maybe a baby damsel fly? It had large beady eyes like fry do but the wings kinda ruled out it being a fish. A few weeks ago I saw a huge dragon fly dead on a sidewalk in downtown Chicago. I wonder how it got there? Also re downtown I was able to drive close to downtown yesterday in rush hour at about 65 miles per hour. It normally takes almost an hour on Friday afternoons from where I live. I got there in 12 minutes thanks to Nato scaring everyone off the highways!

 

[CometKeith]

Yesterday I bought some aqua blue granite rocks and raised up my waterfall. They cost 21 cents a pound. You can see the new rocks underneath the top piece of limestone. The pieces weighed about 30 pounds each and were slightly rounded, almost looking like logs. I was able to spray the water a little more when I raised up the waterfall. I am thinking of getting another pump just for the waterfall and putting it so the water runs down the rocks on the left side. The hose right now comes from the biofilter. I have a 600 gallon Laguna pump now. Should I get another one just like it? It will circulate more water than the current one because it won't be going through a filter so I'm afraid of going too big because then the water going down the waterfall won't be even. Oh... couldn't resist. I bought another sarasa comet from the garden supply store when I was there!

 

[addy1]

Nice clear water, and pretty fish! Like the waterfall. My stream is run by a 600 gph clear water pump, the only pump that would not break the bank electricity wise and still handle our head pressure (80 plus lol) It does fine. The stream is around 85 feet long, plenty of water comes down. With a second pump you could put it on a timer, just run it when you want the extra flow etc.

 

[callingcolleen1]

I always like good water flow and another pump couldn't hurt, will make the waterfall even nicer. I have pumps and filters everywhere hiding in my ponds. I do try to get the pumps in the fall cause them sometimes they are half price. I run my ponds year round so I always keep spare pump handy. The average life expectancy of my pumps is roughly 4 years or so, non stop running.

Your fish look real good today Keith! Your waterfall is very nice too. Maybe one day I 'll get a waterfall!

 

[CometKeith]

Addy and Colleen, thanks for your help. I think I'll order another Laguna pump today. Addy, that's an interesting idea about a timer. I might try that. The water is pretty clear, but the fish have been chasing like crazy the last few days and stirring things up a lot. I did find out that the biggest comet I got from my friend is a female. One of the babies from a couple years ago was being chased too. Even my shubunkins were getting into the act. One shubunkin was chasing the other one. it was kinda of weird that the shubies only chased each other and the comets only chased each other and there was no commingling. I'm not sure there will be many eggs left. One of my tadpoles had a nice breakfast where the fish were spawning. Colleen. It was fun to build it when I first did it and most people like it. if I did it again I wouldn't use any limestone, but the pond seems to be okay with it.

 

[callingcolleen1]

When I first got my ponds I bought black slate, paid like 90 dollars 20 years ago for that, thought is was to expensive an after that I just got rocks from the river and farmers field, who was very happy that I came to pick rocks out of his field! I think the round river type rocks are better now cause they are more natural to a pond setting, all rounded off from years of tumbling in the river. I took the back slate and use it now in the strawberry patch, they keep the strawberrys from laying on the ground and then the bugs don't bug them so much!

 

[addy1]

If you use a timer, make sure you have a self priming pump, or a check valve. Mine needs a check valve, ow that 60 some feet of piping dumps the water when the pump turns off.
I picked up a pvc check valve on line, it works great. Put the pump on a timer, (well haven't done that this year yet, but getting to it lol) last year ran it twice a day for around 1/2 hour each time. Or turned it on If I am outside to enjoy the sounds and flow.

 

[CometKeith]

Thanks Addy, that make sense about a check valve. I think I'll try leaving it on and then if it seems like too much I'll get the timer and valve. I found a picture of the granite on line http://www.google.co...,r:25,s:0,i:127 . I was thinking about getting slate until I saw this stuff. 161 pounds cost me $35. I'm sure if I was creative I could do a lot more with it, but for now I just wanted to make my waterfall a little higher.

 

[CountryEscape]

Neat looking rocks. Keith, and your water looks very clear. Can see to the bottom and all your plants look great. I see water lettuce in there, too. Neat!!!

 

[CometKeith]

Thanks CE, I think everything is perfect now. My fish are really active and healthy except for the poor female comet that is being bruised to death and the plants are starting to grow. This year I am not going to let the water lettuce and water hyacinth get out of control and am going to try to add other plants. I didn't order my second pump yet but will soon and am still debating between the same size or going one step larger and maybe switching the larger one to the biofilter and letting the 600 gph just run on the rocks with no filter. I'll need to find some sort of new outdoor project soon but it won't be a pond addition. My better half did like the change to the waterfall, but I think it is not worth trying to go bigger again anytime soon. I did find out that my new sarasa comet was a female. The other sarasa was chasing her like crazy this morning.

 

[j.w]

Babies on the way!