Last year I mentioned that I was leaving a one hundred fifty gallon stock tank with lotuses out for the winter in zone 5/Chicago, and that I would report if it froze. I surrounded it with fiberlglass insulation on the sides and white foam board on top, sank a one hundred watt aquarium heater into...

I called the Pennsylvania fish commission about fish that would be good to keep the insects including mosquitos in control in my pond which is spring fed and does have an overflow into local streams. They said that I shouldn't use exotics and recommended blue gills or minnows. They gave me the...

I have hard well water that is not softened. Is there a way to soften it ? have thought about using the water from the house that is softened but it is city water and that might get expensive fast I have about 3000 gallons of pond water. Maybe I will start topping off the pond with soft house...

Hi group. I'm betting there are some of you out there who are more naturalists than me. I found a little Blue Jay chick under our bush. It definitely seems in distress - I gave a saucer of water and went and bought some earthworms. Wouldn't offer at either one. Just sits there looking around. ...

All my fish are hunkered down at the very bottom of my pond which is 3+ feet deep. One of my shubunkins is missing and I noticed their terrified behaviour in mid day. I don't believe it is racoons because my pond walls are very steep and they can't get the fish because they sleep on the bottom at...

I know fish and pond waste produces ammonia, then bacteria breaks down the ammonia into nitrites then other bacteria convert nitrite into the relatively-harmless nitrates. I know plants will absorb the nitrates, but do they also absorb nitrites? I haven't been able to find much on the web...

Our pond is in Zone 5-6. Water temp is 50 - 55 depending on day and night temps. At this point the Parrots Feather has lots of stems from last year but is showing no sign of growth. Is it still too cold for it or has it died?? Thanks, Heather

Hi I have the following fish in my pond at the moment 1 sturgeon 1 Comet 1 goldfish 1 Shubukin 2 blue orfes

I added a mosquito dunk to my ~450 gallon pond on Thursday. What we thought were mosquito larvae don't seem to be dying yet. Is it too soon? Or maybe those *aren't* mosquito larvae? What do dragonfly larvae look like? What are the differences? Thanks all, Lydia

Help! I have a big bueatiful koi who is acting very sick! I've never had a large koi to die and I don't know how to diagnose the problem. She is sitting on the bottom of the pond and it looks like she is gasping for air? I had 2 small koi die in the last two weeks, they were in the skimmer and I...

My, what an exciting week. Monday: We came home to find one of our black Koi had 'something' hanging out of his mouth. We tried to catch him with no luck. something about a 6 inch black fish in a 2700 gallon pond... Tuesday: We tried again with no luck... Wednesday: We finally netted him. We...

I got a new waterfall that has a bulkhead fitting on it. I got a male fitting to reduce the size to my water hose and it screws in by hand real easy about 1/2 way then it gets hard. Do you use a wrench to tighten it all the way? Is it supposed to be tight like that? Should threads still be showing...

We built a pond in northern VA last year, about 15' x 22', 2 1/2 feet deep. Kept at least an opening in the pond through the winter but only 13 of the 17 goldfish survived the winter. No idea what happened to the 4 that didn't make it, didn't find any remains, etc. when we cleaned the pond a few...

Just my luck - the two bullfrogs that grew from tadpoles a friend brought last year (didn't ask first) made it through the winter. I don't want bullfrogs - they get too big and eat everything. I want toads, green frogs, leopard frogs, the like. So, what do I have? Bullfrogs! Alan --

How does one keep frogs out of the skimmer? Found one dead one that had gotten caught in the netting. Just found another living one. Took the netting out and left the top off hoping it will vacate. Thanx

"Ridge Roofing, Inc." wrote: I live in Berks County Pennsylvania and have moved into a property with two ponds, roughly 40'x100'. The dams need work and I was wondering if anyone could recommend a contractor who does this type of work? Thanks One dam is...

If you can't keep the Ph straight, The fishes skin starts to irritate, You try everything, but it's just too late...... If the fish just won't live, Here is an...

Has anyone tried the new "I-Tronic" Fibrouse and Slime Algae eliminator? If so does it work? I have tried a couple of computer controlled things before with no effect. Barry

From: "Snooze" Subject: Toads Date: Saturday, April 24, 2004 7:58 PM "John A. Kostelac" wrote in message ... Thanks to all. What's the deal with bull frogs? One response mentioned them. Are...

I salvaged just two tubers from a tub of lotus that took over my pond during the past two years.....it had jumped the pot with several tubers running almost the entire length..."now why is that lotus leaf coming up way over there"......my son and I battled the tubers, reclaimed the pond, and I have...