My goldfish pond

[CountryEscape]

Well, I do have string algae, only in my stream and waterfall, and both are literally covered with plants this year - parrots feather, ludwigia, and creeping jenny. Not sure why I still have the stuff, but it's an easy fix to get rid of it. Mostly have the squishy algae in open spots in the bog, but it's easy enough to scoop out and discard. None in the ponds, though, so that's a good thing. I don't mind it being in the bogs, long as it stays out of the ponds. Bogs are for green stuff that grows, and I guess that belongs in that area! I did have string algae really bad last year in the koi pond, when weather warmed up way too early, but none this year. So, something is better, either the weather was more normal, taking it's time to warm up, or the water quality is better for the plants, worse for the algae. Either way, I'm happy.

 

[CometKeith]

Addy, That sounds great about your bog. I guess another good reason to have a bog is to cut down on algae in the main pond. yes I think it is very childish to be mad at men in general because what a poor fish did to another fish. Glad you don't hate men! CE, I barely have string algae either this year either. I have a little in my waterfall that I pull out every week or so but that is pretty much it other than a few clumps of it I find in the pond. I think maybe the plants out competed the algae for nutrients this year? I bet it had something to do with the cool spring. My impatients are doing really well this year too because of all the rain and moderate temperatures.

 

[CometKeith]

Some recent action pics of my goldfish. Really nothing eventful going on this year other than the 22 babies from last year getting bigger and watching the green frogs get larger too!

 

[CountryEscape]

Sometimes, nothing going on is a good thing! Beautiful pics, and beautiful fish! Crystal clear water ... can't ask for anything better than that. Wonder how many babies you will find this year ... Let me know when you spot your first baby. I usually don't see them until August, it seems, but forever watchful. Usually notice them when I'm sitting on the edge of the pond, sunny day, pulling dead lily leaves off, and one will dart by. Then I sit and stare, waiting for it to appear again! :blueflower:

 

[CometKeith]

CE, Thanks for the compliments. This is the first year that I haven't tried to fix the pond or expand it in some way and it has managed pretty well on its own without me bothering it. Yes... I have been thinking about there being more babies too. I haven't see any but the fish have shown strong mating behavior for at least 6 weeks now and there is foam in the pond in the mornings on a regular basis. Also they seem to hang out by the waterfall when they are doing their thing and there are a lot of crevasses for eggs and fry to hide there. I do have at least one tadpole so that may keep things in check. It will be exciting to see any babies but I must admit I have no idea what to do with all the fish I have already when they got bigger! I was buying windows today and they had a goldfish at the store the size of a frisbee in a small 20 gallon tank. I had this nightmare thought that someday all my fish will be that big too!

 

[CountryEscape]

Holy cow, that poor fish, in that small tank. I think your fish will not grow that large, as there will be limitations on their growth in the size of pond, unless you feed them very often, like 3 times a day or something. I like that my koi are not growing really fast. They are growing, but not 10" a year. If they did, I would be selling or giving away koi and very unhappy. I like that they are not fast growing, probably because I feed once a day, and that's it. Only when company comes do they sometimes get fed twice, and that's only if I don't know company is coming, and I feed them in the a.m.! If I can just get my local pet shop to come look at what I have, and convince them to sell my baby koi and goldfish, I would be doing great! Also already planted the idea of selling lilies next year from my pond. Told him he can have extras, free, sell them for pure profit! He smiled at that idea. I will get good deals on tropical fish when I buy them. He's a good guy.

 

[j.w]

I have this floating ring made out of fiberglass screen door material in my pond and I am always guaranteed to have a few babies survive in there by them swimming in between the teensy tiny holes when first hatched and then they start growing and can't squeeze back out so if you really want some surviving babies Keith just throw one of those in there. I only have about 4 babies in there now and when they get a bit larger I'll scoop them out into the main pond.

Neat idea CE and hope your pet guy will take you up on the fish selling idea!

 

[CometKeith]

CE, i know it was really awkward to see such a large fish in a tank. It could barely turn around and nothing to do besides that, just kept turning and turning. The window shop employee had no idea that it might be cruel to keep a fish like that. I showed her a pic of my pond and fish and when I had to change my order an hour later she was really nice and let me change the measurements without having to come back to the store to sign off on it because she remembered me. I am going to ask if I can take a pic of the fish when my window is ready but it will be just for my enjoyment. I'm not going to call PETA on them. Okay. it's been fun seeing the fish grow so I have been feeding them three times a day but only flakes they can eat in 2 or 3 minutes. I don't think they can get too big on flakes can they? CE That's good to work out a deal with the shop. It's a shame that I have to keep tossing water hyacinths and water lettuces, and anacharis for that matter out all the time, but they are illegal to sell in Chicago. Okay so concealed guns, pot, and land based casinos are legal in Illinois but not floating plants???
Hey JW, i have 22 babies from last year and 24 out of my 31 fish were born where they live now. It's fun seeing them but deep down i know I can't keep them all and don't really need any more!
I got a new LED 20 watt light the other day. My pond is a lot brighter now at night. Here are a couple night pics.

 

[CountryEscape]

Love the night light, Keith! Is it solar, or electric? Also, what is the tiny white flower in the second pic foreground? Looks like a grass, til I saw the flower. Cute!

 

[j.w]

Keith your lights look nice. Wish I could say I was able to just have too many plants so I had to toss some. Not happening here. I hardly have any Parrots feather and my lilies are not really growing fast either. All the plants are just ho hum this year. We've finally been starting to get more sun so hopefully that will help. Fish look happy tho :cheerful:

 

[CometKeith]

Thanks CE, They are electric. Because everything is right next to our garage it's easy to run power to the pond. i just go right out the garage window with everything. These new led lights are great. No more fussing with the halogen bulbs. I don't know what the flower is called. This is it's second year and is growing good. Last year it didn't have any flowers. Addy would know for sure because that's where it came from! If you look in the upper left hand of the picture there are two bright dots. That's where some of my frogs hang out. I'm sure those are frog eyes! Thanks JW, I don't know why my plants are doing so good. Probably a sign there is a lot of fish poo in the pond. Yeah they are really happy this year. They follow me around like little puppies. Everywhere I walk by the pond the quickly follow me. Since I figured out how to get rid of the raccoons it has made them a lot more friendly

 

[addy1]

That plant is water willow, the flowers are a light purple, it stays smallish, 1-2 feet, grass like. It loves full sun, does not spread fast.

Things looking great Keith! Glad it is growing well for you.

 

[CountryEscape]

Well, I think Addy sent me one of those plants, too. I have several I'm not even sure what they are again. Silly me, I failed to write down what I put where, and some of the plants are getting crowded out, but all were doing well when I planted them, so I'm not going to fret, just wait it out until next spring, and see what comes to life! Will be thinning out the penny wart soon, as the koi bog has all the "special" plants, and that is the only plant that is taking over in that bog. Goldfish bog got no new plants except an iris (it bloomed and is doing well) and elephant ear, which got going before everything exploded there.

 

[CometKeith]

Thanks Addy, It came back really good this year and I planted another one you sent right next to it. I also have it next to a yellow flag I got this year and iris that i had bought last year and the clump looks good together. CE, I have all this pennywort that keeps popping leaves up, but then every time a frog get scared they jump right back into the pond onto the pennywort and the leaves get knocked down again! That's interesting that the koi get the special plants in their bog. How did you decide that!

 

[CountryEscape]

Oh, what I mean about "special" plants in the koi bog is that the goldfish bog is overrun with water clover, water parsley and so anything I would have put in there would have been drowned out by those plants, unless it was tall enough to get above them. The koi bog has more "obedient" plants, so I can keep track of what is in there easier. I just need another bog, that's all there is to it. LOL Nope, not really, just have too many plants, and they keep multiplying! The penny wart is going over the edge, and then rooting in the dirt! I didn't know it would do that. I told it to stop, and keep snipping it back. I suspect it would take over a flower bed really fast, too, but wondering how tall it would grow, and how fast it would spread. Just saying .... Right now, I have no use for it in the flower bed next to the bog, which is very laid out. I have to have areas that have space, not all crowded together, although I like the crowded together areas, too, like in my wildflower beds.