Posted on 09/26/2013 2:30:05 PM PDT by Fudd Fan
James Cagney woulda shoved an orange down her nose
I’m nekkid
He’ knitting a ball warmer, for when/if the RINO ever grows a pair of ‘em. (((spit!)))
Brit Hume and Fox News said talk radidio is killin America
F em
Google “Koi Everything” and many hundreds will be available on the sidebars, too. The one video about koi tank and the grower is similar to the one I raised over a 1,000 in. Used up a 60’ x 29’ valuable pole bldg. When I needed to restock, I moved the tanks to go water plant in the; rapid turnover, low mortality and high profit margins,
In 20 min, I could personally show you how to be a “pond manager”, eclipsing all the YT vids.
Fish aquarium bubbler is a must over winter for add’l O2, as well on hot summer day when hot/warm water holds less 02. Otherwise, they’ll all be under the waterfall gasping for air bubbles.
Old trick: get 6-8 cinderblocks, stand on end, lay a large piece of flagstone across the pillars for the fish to retreat to and get shade. And hide from herons and egrets.
It’s a federal offense to kill the birds. SSS...
Also, your water feature WILL attract blue heron and white egret, who’ll clean-out your Koi in a matter of 5-10 mins. Fruit tree netting w/ 1” square holes in weave will discourage birds looking for a meal.
Heh, rubber snakes on coping at edge of pool will scare birds away for a while; then one will dive bomb the snake and discover it’s a fake.
see ya’ll manana’
There’s a pond nearby that they stock with rainbow trout every winter, but I swear the cormorants get most of them.
adios...
“Birds gotta eat, too.” - Dirty Harry
Oh wait, it was JJ Audabon.
In the spring, try to locate ‘floating water hyacinths’ - usually #2-$4 each, and get 30 or 40. Throw them around the pond, and their roots provide food for Koi. The hyacinths put up a blue flower spike and also multiply rapidly, so you can snap-off the ‘babies’ and they’ll grow into ‘mamas’ and repeat the process.
They cover the surface, hiding the Koi from predators, suck-up algae thru the hairy root system and bloom from the nutrients.
DON’T get water lettuce; they’re prone to aphids and worms, turn yellow and look like crap after the Koi eat their roots.
Covering 40-50% of the pond’s surface with shade plants - 1-2 potted waterlillies, potted lotus, water hyacinths also keeps green algae production way down when the warm spring weather arrives. Those plants’ roots uptake the algae and use it as nutrients.
All the fish shit and uneaten food (bottom of pond should be cleaned-out in early spring) begin to convert nitrates to nitrites, or nitrogen, which feed algae and will cause an exponential growth explosion, turning your pond into *split pea soup* and you won’t see any fish. This’ll happen very quickly when hot weather arrives, unless your pond is balanced.
Chemicals are one way to fight it, but remember that chemicals act directly on fish and cause cancer spots and stress, two bigger killers of sensitive koi. A handful of *water softener salt* will help soothe the fish and provide nutrients back to fish. Try to avoid chemicals; be a “pong manager” and see ahead which problems are coming, and act to head them off. “Balance” is important.
“pong manager” = pond manager
This is all over my head. Maybe I need to hire someone.
How much of the Koi pond is going to be left when the new pool and deck area is constructed?
It’s not as simple as most people think, but once you understand the “balancing” and “natural mechanics” of a water garden, it’s like you always knew it. Just common sense. Breaking new territory is fun.
I can help/coach you thru the winter, feed you articles, videos etc.
Does the pond have a filtering system or a skimmer built into once of the sides? Is there a pump lying on the bottom, in a bucket or enclosure, feeding the waterfall? Things I need to know. Where does the waterfall pick-up it feedwater source? In the pond with a pump and black 1” dia hose to waterfall?
When the Koi are active and especially in fall when leaves are falling, or debris gets in water, the filter should be cleaned weekly.
Start at the back of the waterfall, and look for a 1” black PVC hose to trace back to the pump. I can’t tell if there’s a bio-filter tub from which the water is spilling, or just a hose jammed into the backside of the rocks.
Is there an electric (GFI) outlet near the pond? That electric wire also goes to the pump; after unplugging, you could trace from there to the bottom of the pond, where the pump is usually resting.
Carefully pull the wire and see if it’s got weight on the line; that’d be the pump and possibly a filter bucket which it’s sitting inside, with a foam/mesh screen as filter to prevent fish/debris/frogs etc from getting sucked into the pump intake.
Gently pull the pump/filter bucket to the surface and get a pic for me.
OK I will try. There are probably half a dozen or more GFIs in the back yard and maybe 20+ lights. Not kidding! Tomorrow we’re moving in, I will try to find the filter, didn’t know it was even in the pond, this weekend.
You’re good FRiend, thank you for all your help. Mrs S now wants to keep the pond. Who knows, we may just keep it and get a lap pool. CRAZY TIMES moving!
All the guns in the Suburban now while the packers pack, hope I don’t get pulled over going across the river. All in sleeves or cases except the BB gun...ran out.
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