start up

[onemean]

Hey all, the weather has been awesome this winter and I am thinking of start up my waterfall in around 2 weeks. This year so far no freeze ups and no dead bodies. The only issue is the devil bird has been here way more than normal. Luckily I am well protected. He sits on the pergola and looks down and can only dream of sushi. My last water change was december. Should i do some small changes prior to the waterfall start up? raise salt levels? its around 40degrees in the day and low 30s in the eve. thanks

 

[sissy]

welcome and look addy a mating friend for your bird ,you need to hook them up LOL

 

[addy1]

Aww the devil bird, the brother of that bird loves my yard.

 

[pecan]

I am glad we don't have devil birds out here. But we do have coons come into the yard

 

[j.w]

So guessing w/ the fence and the pergola the devil w/ wings can't get into your pond eh onemean?

 

[CometKeith]

Hi onemean, good luck with that heron. Starting up the waterfall will help reduce anaerobic decay and keep your water cleaner and fresher. As you know anaerobic decay occurs when organic matter sits in the pond and decays. Lack of sufficient water movement will facilitate it. When you smell a rotten egg smell you know you are in trouble. Last year I started my waterfall up around March 1st and will probable start it sooner this year because of the mild weather. If your pond gets some direct sun the pump can go in even sooner because the melting will help keep the water moving and avoid freeze ups. Re water changes it is something that can be done at anytime and is not connected to the waterfall startup. It will help remove unwanted toxins so small water changes are always a good idea. Some people say salt is good in the spring because it helps fish fight off bacteria in the pond when their resistance is still low. Some use a low level of salt throughout the year because it helps fish develop their slime coat. I found that it hurts my floating plants so I keep put some in at the beginning of the year and then keep it very low once the growing season starts. Actually more fish die in the spring then winter so anything you can do to maintain your water quality is recommended. i don't feed my fish until my pond is fully cycled.

 

[addy1]

welcome and look addy a mating friend for your bird ,you need to hook them up LOL

I don't need to encourage the sucker Sissy, next thing I will have heron nests in our woods............geez then baby herons learning to eat sushi out of my pond.

 

[onemean]

Thanks for the advise. Think I start changing some water in the next few days. My aerator keeps my water from freezing so there is some movement in the water. I like the idea of the salt and will also add as well. As for the devil, I made my pond 3-4 feet, no shelves. I have a good deal of fishing line just in case he or she attemts to fish from the sides. This one is a male. He is very large! He has yet to land in the water from what I can see.He actually will fly from the perogla to my pool cover then walk under the perogola. In the past the pond was shallow and he would wade right in. He normally only comes after the bait fish disappear from the bay (around late september) and we wouldn't see him until next year. I assume its because of the mild winter. He sits on the perogola while I'm not home for hours staring at the pond. When frightened he retreats to my neighbors rooftop. The aerator is so strong I wonder if he can even see the fish. They are huddled in the deepest part of the pond hidden under a large flap of liner.