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Greetings from a newbie!
I've been lurking and reading for a little over a month now. My husband,
Randy and I decided over Memorial Day weekend to put in a pond -- we just kinda jumped in a did it! It's small, just a 60 gallon pre-formed liner, but we like it. My dad had the brilliant idea to put fish in it without our knowledge about a week after we put it in the ground. I thought the fish were doomed for sure since it was filled with city water and we had no plants yet. But, the 8 goldfish (2-3 inches long) and "Big Freddy" the 6 inch guy seem to be doing fine. Very active and they come to me when I go out to feed them. It's probably too many fish for the size, but what do you do? My dad was being sweet, y'know? We need to have a permanent solution for the electricity -- the orange extension cord running to the garage is not very pretty. And I want to landscape around it with more rocks and pea gravel. We were lucky enough to have all the rocks we needed to surround the pond and build the bench from rocks that used to be a patio. Our driveway is native stone and when the house was built in the 30s the patio was stone too. Over the years someone pulled out the stones and piled them in the corner of the back yard. So we just started going through the pile and building the perimeter. There's still plenty left over for more landscaping. I opened a webshots account so I could show you guys pictures and see if you had any suggestions for me. I really have no idea what I'm doing -- but I'm reading everything I can get my hands on. We have had consistently clear water so far -- it did get a little dirty a couple of days ago when we had a huge rainstorm. And I'm doing a 20% water change once a month. So...whaddya think? http://community.webshots.com/album/159023062ZIhpAQ I sure enjoy reading all the posts in the group! There's so much to learn... Angie Tulsa, OK |
Greetings from a newbie!
I think your hooked, There is plenty of time before Labor Day to put
the bigger pond down stream. You do want "Big Freddy" to be happy, don't you? ;-} Why does the song "Another one bites the dust" always pop into my head at times like this. Congratulations and welcome to ponding. Hank -- some photos of my little puddle http://community.webshots.com/user/hankpage1 "AngieB" wrote in message ... I've been lurking and reading for a little over a month now. My husband, Randy and I decided over Memorial Day weekend to put in a pond -- we just kinda jumped in a did it! It's small, just a 60 gallon pre-formed liner, but we like it. My dad had the brilliant idea to put fish in it without our knowledge about a week after we put it in the ground. I thought the fish were doomed for sure since it was filled with city water and we had no plants yet. But, the 8 goldfish (2-3 inches long) and "Big Freddy" the 6 inch guy seem to be doing fine. Very active and they come to me when I go out to feed them. It's probably too many fish for the size, but what do you do? My dad was being sweet, y'know? We need to have a permanent solution for the electricity -- the orange extension cord running to the garage is not very pretty. And I want to landscape around it with more rocks and pea gravel. We were lucky enough to have all the rocks we needed to surround the pond and build the bench from rocks that used to be a patio. Our driveway is native stone and when the house was built in the 30s the patio was stone too. Over the years someone pulled out the stones and piled them in the corner of the back yard. So we just started going through the pile and building the perimeter. There's still plenty left over for more landscaping. I opened a webshots account so I could show you guys pictures and see if you had any suggestions for me. I really have no idea what I'm doing -- but I'm reading everything I can get my hands on. We have had consistently clear water so far -- it did get a little dirty a couple of days ago when we had a huge rainstorm. And I'm doing a 20% water change once a month. So...whaddya think? http://community.webshots.com/album/159023062ZIhpAQ I sure enjoy reading all the posts in the group! There's so much to learn... Angie Tulsa, OK |
Greetings from a newbie!
Yep you are doomed now.....you'll want a bigger one soon enough......but what
you have created is lovely! Enjoy... maureen |
Greetings from a newbie!
You guys got right to it. Very nice.
Now enjoy it and begin to see little visions of a larger pond! Phyllis -- ____________________________________________ See our pond at: home.bellsouth.net\p\pwp-jameshurley Ask me about Jog-A-Thon fundraiser (clears $120+ per child) at: jogathon.net "AngieB" wrote in message ... I've been lurking and reading for a little over a month now. My husband, Randy and I decided over Memorial Day weekend to put in a pond -- we just kinda jumped in a did it! It's small, just a 60 gallon pre-formed liner, but we like it. My dad had the brilliant idea to put fish in it without our knowledge about a week after we put it in the ground. I thought the fish were doomed for sure since it was filled with city water and we had no plants yet. But, the 8 goldfish (2-3 inches long) and "Big Freddy" the 6 inch guy seem to be doing fine. Very active and they come to me when I go out to feed them. It's probably too many fish for the size, but what do you do? My dad was being sweet, y'know? We need to have a permanent solution for the electricity -- the orange extension cord running to the garage is not very pretty. And I want to landscape around it with more rocks and pea gravel. We were lucky enough to have all the rocks we needed to surround the pond and build the bench from rocks that used to be a patio. Our driveway is native stone and when the house was built in the 30s the patio was stone too. Over the years someone pulled out the stones and piled them in the corner of the back yard. So we just started going through the pile and building the perimeter. There's still plenty left over for more landscaping. I opened a webshots account so I could show you guys pictures and see if you had any suggestions for me. I really have no idea what I'm doing -- but I'm reading everything I can get my hands on. We have had consistently clear water so far -- it did get a little dirty a couple of days ago when we had a huge rainstorm. And I'm doing a 20% water change once a month. So...whaddya think? http://community.webshots.com/album/159023062ZIhpAQ I sure enjoy reading all the posts in the group! There's so much to learn... Angie Tulsa, OK |
Greetings from a newbie!
Nice!
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Greetings from a newbie!
On 7/3/04 4:11 PM, in article ,
"Hank" wrote: I think your hooked, There is plenty of time before Labor Day to put the bigger pond down stream. You do want "Big Freddy" to be happy, don't you? ;-} Why does the song "Another one bites the dust" always pop into my head at times like this. Congratulations and welcome to ponding. Hank Yeah, I might just be hooked. Just down from the pond is an indentation in the yard that water flows along when we get really heavy rains. I think that would be a good path to take to make a stream to flow into a larger pond. That would make a good fall project. Thanks for the warm welcome, Hank! And Big Freddy isn't named after Freddy Mercury. I did think of Freddy Mercury and his love of Koi after the fact though. See, my friend and I, that's what we call the one that is bigger than the others. Like her giant Hibiscus tree -- He's Big Freddy too. Angie |
Greetings from a newbie!
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Greetings from a newbie!
On 7/3/04 4:24 PM, in article ,
"Jim and Phyllis Hurley" wrote: You guys got right to it. Very nice. Now enjoy it and begin to see little visions of a larger pond! Phyllis Thanks, Phyllis! The water lettuce and hyacinth really have gone crazy. And the sedum I stuck in between the rocks is really getting established pretty quickly. I'm actually pretty proud of the progress we've made in just a month or so. Is a bigger pond really not that much more to take care of than a small one? I just worry about maintenance if we put in another. Angie |
Greetings from a newbie!
Bigger is easier, at least to a point. Small bodies of water change
temperature and chemistry so quickly, which can be stressful for the fish. Larger problems allow for more dilution of the wastes, so they don't jump as quickly. Of course if the pond is much bigger, like deeper than you stand, it makes it hard to get in and plant and fertilize the lilies. -- RichToyBox http://www.geocities.com/richtoybox/pondintro.html "AngieB" wrote in message ... On 7/3/04 4:24 PM, in article , "Jim and Phyllis Hurley" wrote: Is a bigger pond really not that much more to take care of than a small one? I just worry about maintenance if we put in another. Angie |
Greetings from a newbie!
I have taken away the flamingo and iron candle holder
thingie since I took the pictures. After seeing the pond in photos, I thought my aren't I tacky with the flamingo. Simpler is better. I had a white trash pond there for awhile! LOL Oh no I love the flamingo....have two in my whitetrash back yard...LOL....my neighbor loves it too....oh well to each their own..... Maureen |
Greetings from a newbie!
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Greetings from a newbie!
On 7/4/04 12:06 AM, in article ,
"Karen Mullen" wrote: In article , (Mosfunland) writes: I have taken away the flamingo and iron candle holder thingie since I took the pictures. After seeing the pond in photos, I thought my aren't I tacky with the flamingo. Simpler is better. I had a white trash pond there for awhile! LOL Oh no I love the flamingo....have two in my whitetrash back yard...LOL....my neighbor loves it too....oh well to each their own..... it's not white trash...it's Retro, the 50s are in nowadays Karen Zone 5 Ashland, OH http://hometown.aol.com/kmam1/MyPond/MyPond.html My Art Studio at http://members.aol.com/kmmstudios/K....M.Studios.html for email remove the extra extention Karen, I just visited your site. I really enjoyed seeing your pictures. And your doggie portraits are very nice! The more I visit different pond sites, the clearer it becomes that I am, indeed, doomed! Bigger! More fish! A stream! Waterfalls! I am SO in trouble. Angie |
Greetings from a newbie!
"AngieB" wrote in message ... I've been lurking and reading for a little over a month now. My husband, Randy and I decided over Memorial Day weekend to put in a pond -- we just kinda jumped in a did it! It's small, just a 60 gallon pre-formed liner, but we like it. My dad had the brilliant idea to put fish in it without our knowledge about a week after we put it in the ground. I thought the fish were doomed for sure since it was filled with city water and we had no plants yet. But, the 8 goldfish (2-3 inches long) and "Big Freddy" the 6 inch guy seem to be doing fine. Very active and they come to me when I go out to feed them. It's probably too many fish for the size, but what do you do? My dad was being sweet, y'know? We need to have a permanent solution for the electricity -- the orange extension cord running to the garage is not very pretty. And I want to landscape around it with more rocks and pea gravel. We were lucky enough to have all the rocks we needed to surround the pond and build the bench from rocks that used to be a patio. Our driveway is native stone and when the house was built in the 30s the patio was stone too. Over the years someone pulled out the stones and piled them in the corner of the back yard. So we just started going through the pile and building the perimeter. There's still plenty left over for more landscaping. I opened a webshots account so I could show you guys pictures and see if you had any suggestions for me. I really have no idea what I'm doing -- but I'm reading everything I can get my hands on. We have had consistently clear water so far -- it did get a little dirty a couple of days ago when we had a huge rainstorm. And I'm doing a 20% water change once a month. So...whaddya think? http://community.webshots.com/album/159023062ZIhpAQ I sure enjoy reading all the posts in the group! There's so much to learn... Angie Tulsa, OK Wow! You have made a lovely little pond! You may be a tad overstocked in the fish dept (they need about 10 gal. each), but if you're careful about the water quality you can pull it off. And, too many fish are just an excuse to build a bigger pond! :-) Jacqui |
Greetings from a newbie!
On 7/4/04 10:29 AM, in article ,
"Chris and Jacqui Tondreau" wrote: "AngieB" wrote in message ... I've been lurking and reading for a little over a month now. My husband, Randy and I decided over Memorial Day weekend to put in a pond -- we just kinda jumped in a did it! It's small, just a 60 gallon pre-formed liner, but we like it. My dad had the brilliant idea to put fish in it without our knowledge about a week after we put it in the ground. I thought the fish were doomed for sure since it was filled with city water and we had no plants yet. But, the 8 goldfish (2-3 inches long) and "Big Freddy" the 6 inch guy seem to be doing fine. Very active and they come to me when I go out to feed them. It's probably too many fish for the size, but what do you do? My dad was being sweet, y'know? We need to have a permanent solution for the electricity -- the orange extension cord running to the garage is not very pretty. And I want to landscape around it with more rocks and pea gravel. We were lucky enough to have all the rocks we needed to surround the pond and build the bench from rocks that used to be a patio. Our driveway is native stone and when the house was built in the 30s the patio was stone too. Over the years someone pulled out the stones and piled them in the corner of the back yard. So we just started going through the pile and building the perimeter. There's still plenty left over for more landscaping. I opened a webshots account so I could show you guys pictures and see if you had any suggestions for me. I really have no idea what I'm doing -- but I'm reading everything I can get my hands on. We have had consistently clear water so far -- it did get a little dirty a couple of days ago when we had a huge rainstorm. And I'm doing a 20% water change once a month. So...whaddya think? http://community.webshots.com/album/159023062ZIhpAQ I sure enjoy reading all the posts in the group! There's so much to learn... Angie Tulsa, OK Wow! You have made a lovely little pond! You may be a tad overstocked in the fish dept (they need about 10 gal. each), but if you're careful about the water quality you can pull it off. And, too many fish are just an excuse to build a bigger pond! :-) Jacqui I told my dad that was too many fish, but they are all getting along swimmingly! Ha! Oh, I wanted to share about how I put the potted plants on the side...I didn't want to take up any of the fish's swimming space, but I was given the horsetail and whatever the other thing is and had to do something! Here's what I came up with: I had this triangular plastic coated wire shelf that is supposed to mount and hang over the edge of the deck railing in the corners -- like this: http://tinyurl.com/yw5re. I just slipped the overhang part under the rock and it just hangs onto the edge of the liner a couple of inches into the water. It's a great way to put plants on the edges without building a platform for them to sit on. It's working so far and could be really good for plants that don't need to be all the way into the water. Thanks for the compliment! I told my husband today about wanting to make a stream and bigger pond. He wasn't very enthusiastic...it's back breaking work! But even so, the rewards are so great. I got some more varieties of sedum from my sister today to put in between the rocks and stuff. I'm having such fun! Angie |
Greetings from a newbie!
Great little pond start into the Porg collective.
------- The Borg said: "We are _Borg_ resistant is futile, you will be assimilated." The Porg say: "We are Porg, resistant IS futile, you will be pond-elated." P - Pond, O - Oriented, R - Recreational, G - Group ------ 10 gallons/goldfish is the standard aquarium rule, but to be on the safe side ponders usually recommend 20 gallons outside. What it really comes down to though is, how big is your filter? As RTB mentioned pond chemistry, in a small amount of water with a high fish load, the chemistry can go south very fast. I'd recommend 10% water change outs once a week and a water flow rate of 250 gph, as one would do on a large aquarium. Would you like to know about test kits? ~ jan See my ponds and filter design: http://users.owt.com/jjspond/ ~Keep 'em Wet!~ Tri-Cities WA Zone 7a To e-mail see website |
Greetings from a newbie!
On 7/5/04 2:50 PM, in article
, "~ jan JJsPond.us" wrote: Great little pond start into the Porg collective. ------- The Borg said: "We are _Borg_ resistant is futile, you will be assimilated." The Porg say: "We are Porg, resistant IS futile, you will be pond-elated." P - Pond, O - Oriented, R - Recreational, G - Group ------ 10 gallons/goldfish is the standard aquarium rule, but to be on the safe side ponders usually recommend 20 gallons outside. What it really comes down to though is, how big is your filter? As RTB mentioned pond chemistry, in a small amount of water with a high fish load, the chemistry can go south very fast. I'd recommend 10% water change outs once a week and a water flow rate of 250 gph, as one would do on a large aquarium. Would you like to know about test kits? ~ jan See my ponds and filter design: http://users.owt.com/jjspond/ ~Keep 'em Wet!~ Tri-Cities WA Zone 7a To e-mail see website We have a 210 GPH pump but we don't actually have a filter. I did place a soft foam block over the intake and I clean it weekly -- it picks up a lot of stuff. The water just goes up to the waterfall and back in. Pretty elementary, I know. Do I need a skippy filter or something? I thought I was good with the plants and doing the water changes once a month. If I have to do an actual filter, I think we should do one that would be adequate to filter like 500-600 gallons because we are already planning to add another 500 gallon pond. And how about those test kits? What do I need? Thanks for your help! Angie |
Greetings from a newbie!
We have a 210 GPH pump but we don't actually have a filter. I did place a
soft foam block over the intake and I clean it weekly -- it picks up a lot of stuff. The water just goes up to the waterfall and back in. Pretty elementary, I know. To really know if your situation is working you would need a test kit for at least ammonia & nitrite, the next 2 test kits I consider important are pH & KH plus a thermometer. Do I need a skippy filter or something? No, nothing that drastic, but a flower pot filter would be perfect. You can see 2 versions on my website by clicking *My Filter* and scrolling to the bottom of the page, the one on the left is a factory made by Tetra, the one on the right is homemade. I recently made my own for my lily pond, cost under $15, not counting media, which can be cheap vinyl coated window screening. On page 7, bottom right, of *My pond photos* is a recommended way to encase your pump, instead of dealing with that little prefilter foam you're cleaning weekly. Encasing it with mesh (do not leave the foam on) will make it so you won't have to disturb the pump, and residents, in the pond at all. I thought I was good with the plants and doing the water changes once a month. You obviously have been, but your fish are growing and you want to prevent "Critical Mass". That's when things go sour, fish get sick, half die while you try to get things back to right again. This is where the test kits come in. I highly recommend the tests kits from Aquarium Pharmaceuticals, Inc., very easy to use, and reasonably priced. So far the cheapest place to purchase is thru www.thatpetplace.com Sometimes you can find them at a pet store, if so, open the box, one of the bottles will have a manufacturing date on the front label at the top. You want that date to be no later than 1/04, though they claim they're good for 2 years. The KHA program recommends getting fresh kits every year. ~ jan See my ponds and filter design: http://users.owt.com/jjspond/ ~Keep 'em Wet!~ Tri-Cities WA Zone 7a To e-mail see website |
Greetings from a newbie!
On 7/5/04 5:42 PM, in article
, "~ jan JJsPond.us" wrote: We have a 210 GPH pump but we don't actually have a filter. I did place a soft foam block over the intake and I clean it weekly -- it picks up a lot of stuff. The water just goes up to the waterfall and back in. Pretty elementary, I know. To really know if your situation is working you would need a test kit for at least ammonia & nitrite, the next 2 test kits I consider important are pH & KH plus a thermometer. Do I need a skippy filter or something? No, nothing that drastic, but a flower pot filter would be perfect. You can see 2 versions on my website by clicking *My Filter* and scrolling to the bottom of the page, the one on the left is a factory made by Tetra, the one on the right is homemade. I recently made my own for my lily pond, cost under $15, not counting media, which can be cheap vinyl coated window screening. On page 7, bottom right, of *My pond photos* is a recommended way to encase your pump, instead of dealing with that little prefilter foam you're cleaning weekly. Encasing it with mesh (do not leave the foam on) will make it so you won't have to disturb the pump, and residents, in the pond at all. I thought I was good with the plants and doing the water changes once a month. You obviously have been, but your fish are growing and you want to prevent "Critical Mass". That's when things go sour, fish get sick, half die while you try to get things back to right again. This is where the test kits come in. I highly recommend the tests kits from Aquarium Pharmaceuticals, Inc., very easy to use, and reasonably priced. So far the cheapest place to purchase is thru www.thatpetplace.com Sometimes you can find them at a pet store, if so, open the box, one of the bottles will have a manufacturing date on the front label at the top. You want that date to be no later than 1/04, though they claim they're good for 2 years. The KHA program recommends getting fresh kits every year. ~ jan See my ponds and filter design: http://users.owt.com/jjspond/ ~Keep 'em Wet!~ Tri-Cities WA Zone 7a To e-mail see website Thank you, Jan, for such a thorough response! I have my work cut out for me. I think they have the test kits at a local pet supply -- I've looked at them, but didn't know what to buy. Now I do! I get to working on a filter solution next. Thank you again! You guys are so nice! Angie -- newest member of the PORG collective |
Greetings from a newbie!
Hi Angie, welcome to rec.ponds! kathy :-) algae primer http://hometown.aol.com/ka30p/myhomepage/garden.html |
Greetings from a newbie!
In article , AngieB
writes: I got some more varieties of sedum from my sister today to put in between the rocks and stuff. I'm having such fun! Angie, That's the whole point of having a pond to have fun and enjoy it. Take care to look after what you have and bigger and all that other stuff will come naturally cause you'll know exactly what you want where. Karen Zone 5 Ashland, OH http://hometown.aol.com/kmam1/MyPond/MyPond.html My Art Studio at http://members.aol.com/kmmstudios/K....M.Studios.html for email remove the extra extention |
Greetings from a newbie!
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Greetings from a newbie!
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Greetings from a newbie!
Welcome to ponding. Angie. I can tell from your comments that you are hooked.
It won't be long before you and your hubby will decide to put in a larger pond. When you do, go the largest your space will hold. Believe me, from experience, I can tell you thats the way to go. Jan "Our Pond" Page http://hometown.aol.com/pinkpggy/index.html |
Greetings from a newbie!
Welcome to ponding. Angie. I can tell from your comments that you are hooked.
It won't be long before you and your hubby will decide to put in a larger pond. When you do, go the largest your space will hold. Believe me, from experience, I can tell you thats the way to go. Jan "Our Pond" Page http://hometown.aol.com/pinkpggy/index.html |
Greetings from a newbie!
On 7/21/04 3:18 PM, in article ,
"Pinkpggy" wrote: Welcome to ponding. Angie. I can tell from your comments that you are hooked. It won't be long before you and your hubby will decide to put in a larger pond. When you do, go the largest your space will hold. Believe me, from experience, I can tell you thats the way to go. Jan "Our Pond" Page http://hometown.aol.com/pinkpggy/index.html Thanks for the welcome, Jan! I tell ya, Cox news servers have been down all day and I was just now able to grab messages -- I was having withdrawals! Unfortunately, I have a gap in messages from yesterday at 9 pm to 2 pm this afternoon. Hope I didn't miss anything! I'll hafta google the group later. I really really want a larger pond, but I think our first priority for the back yard is a new privacy fence. But a new pond is already planned in my head! We'll get there! Thanks again! - Angie |
Greetings from a newbie!
On 7/21/04 3:18 PM, in article ,
"Pinkpggy" wrote: Welcome to ponding. Angie. I can tell from your comments that you are hooked. It won't be long before you and your hubby will decide to put in a larger pond. When you do, go the largest your space will hold. Believe me, from experience, I can tell you thats the way to go. Jan "Our Pond" Page http://hometown.aol.com/pinkpggy/index.html Thanks for the welcome, Jan! I tell ya, Cox news servers have been down all day and I was just now able to grab messages -- I was having withdrawals! Unfortunately, I have a gap in messages from yesterday at 9 pm to 2 pm this afternoon. Hope I didn't miss anything! I'll hafta google the group later. I really really want a larger pond, but I think our first priority for the back yard is a new privacy fence. But a new pond is already planned in my head! We'll get there! Thanks again! - Angie |
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