Alright!!! I see the bottom!

This post is partly to share my joy - you've all been here.

I built a pond last year. All my information came via this group btw, so this little pond is partly yours.

This year, I put in a veggie filter. My original plan didn't work so well, but I finally got a solution that seems to be working because my water is really clear now. Woo hoo!

This little pond is under a wild cherry tree that drops leaves pretty regularly. It is also dropping fruit right now.
In the fall I tented it last year and it was no big deal. This season I have been pretty diligent about scooping the leaves out. However, now that the water is clear I see some that I missed.

In the leaves and muck, I found lots and lots of cool things! No mosquitoes - young frogs, snails, and dragonfly larvae. Here's my issue: I can't clean out the pond without jeopardizing the dragonflies, but I wanted to put fish in my pond. I know from reading here that the leaves decomposing is a bad thing for fish.

Do I have to choose between dragonflies and fishies? There's not a whole thick layer of leaves in the bottom, just "some" scattered around the bottom. Will that be an instant death for my fishies?

--
Angie Thornton

Angie wrote Do I have to choose between dragonflies and fishies? There's not
a whole =
thick layer of leaves in the bottom, just "some" scattered around the =
bottom. Will that be an instant death for my fishies?

Don't worry about a few extra leaves, the fish will be fine :-)

Dragonfly nymphs and fish do fine together, one will eat the other depending on
the size. You do get a lot more interesting critters the less fish you have. My
SIL has few fish in 4,000 gallons and all sorts of critters swimming around.
The cattails in my fishless frog bog are covered with the nymph cases of dragon
and damselflies.
(This is an arguement for MORE ponds!)

k30a
yearly brother website posting
http://www.30acreimaging.com/

Angie,

I would think that there must be a time frame when the dragonflies are
hatching; after that, however, you might be able to remove some of the
leaves without interrupting the dragonflies' schedule?

That didn't come out quite right -- what I meant is that I don't think
dragonflies hatch year 'round, although it probably depends on where you
are.

Anne Lurie
Raleigh, NC



"AngrieWoman" wrote in message
thlink.net...
This post is partly to share my joy - you've all been here.

I built a pond last year. All my information came via this group btw, so
this little pond is partly yours.

This year, I put in a veggie filter. My original plan didn't work so well,
but I finally got a solution that seems to be working because my water is
really clear now. Woo hoo!

This little pond is under a wild cherry tree that drops leaves pretty
regularly. It is also dropping fruit right now.
In the fall I tented it last year and it was no big deal. This season I have
been pretty diligent about scooping the leaves out. However, now that the
water is clear I see some that I missed.

In the leaves and muck, I found lots and lots of cool things! No
mosquitoes - young frogs, snails, and dragonfly larvae. Here's my issue: I
can't clean out the pond without jeopardizing the dragonflies, but I wanted
to put fish in my pond. I know from reading here that the leaves decomposing
is a bad thing for fish.

Do I have to choose between dragonflies and fishies? There's not a whole
thick layer of leaves in the bottom, just "some" scattered around the
bottom. Will that be an instant death for my fishies?

--
Angie Thornton

"Anne Lurie" wrote in message
. com...
Angie,

I would think that there must be a time frame when the dragonflies are
hatching; after that, however, you might be able to remove some of the
leaves without interrupting the dragonflies' schedule?

That's a thought I had. In the early spring, the dragonflies are probably
not so active.

And I am only putting two little goldfish in. Freebies from a carnival. I
have had them in an aquarium for two years, and I am going to move them out
of the house so that I do not have to clean that aquarium any more. They
might eat some of my critters, but that's nature.

A

"Anne Lurie" wrote in message
. com...
Angie,

I would think that there must be a time frame when the dragonflies are
hatching; after that, however, you might be able to remove some of the
leaves without interrupting the dragonflies' schedule?

That's a thought I had. In the early spring, the dragonflies are probably
not so active.

And I am only putting two little goldfish in. Freebies from a carnival. I
have had them in an aquarium for two years, and I am going to move them out
of the house so that I do not have to clean that aquarium any more. They
might eat some of my critters, but that's nature.

A

Hmmm another Shareholders Pond? Do I smell a Pond Index Fund?

"AngrieWoman" wrote in message
thlink.net...
This post is partly to share my joy - you've all been here.

I built a pond last year. All my information came via this group btw, so
this little pond is partly yours.

This year, I put in a veggie filter. My original plan didn't work so well,
but I finally got a solution that seems to be working because my water is
really clear now. Woo hoo!

This little pond is under a wild cherry tree that drops leaves pretty
regularly. It is also dropping fruit right now.
In the fall I tented it last year and it was no big deal. This season I have
been pretty diligent about scooping the leaves out. However, now that the
water is clear I see some that I missed.

In the leaves and muck, I found lots and lots of cool things! No
mosquitoes - young frogs, snails, and dragonfly larvae. Here's my issue: I
can't clean out the pond without jeopardizing the dragonflies, but I wanted
to put fish in my pond. I know from reading here that the leaves decomposing
is a bad thing for fish.

Do I have to choose between dragonflies and fishies? There's not a whole
thick layer of leaves in the bottom, just "some" scattered around the
bottom. Will that be an instant death for my fishies?

--
Angie Thornton

"AngrieWoman" wrote in message
rthlink.net...

Do I have to choose between dragonflies and fishies? There's not a whole
thick layer of leaves in the bottom, just "some" scattered around the
bottom. Will that be an instant death for my fishies?

Buy some feeder goldfish and put them in the pond. Feeder goldfish
are set aside from the higher quality fish and sold cheap enough to be
fed to other pets that eat fish. If they live you have an
environment suitable for fish, if they die you haven't caused a
disaster or spent a lot of money.

I might warn you about feeder goldfish. They are supposed to be the
culls, separated from the better quality fish, but they can grow on
you like more expensive fish. Don't look down at them and see a
"Dirty Face" or "Shadow" because the name sticks and you will find
yourself searching for these fish every day, by name, to see how they
are doing.

Regards,

Hal

"AngrieWoman" wrote in message
rthlink.net...

Do I have to choose between dragonflies and fishies? There's not a whole
thick layer of leaves in the bottom, just "some" scattered around the
bottom. Will that be an instant death for my fishies?

Buy some feeder goldfish and put them in the pond. Feeder goldfish
are set aside from the higher quality fish and sold cheap enough to be
fed to other pets that eat fish. If they live you have an
environment suitable for fish, if they die you haven't caused a
disaster or spent a lot of money.

I might warn you about feeder goldfish. They are supposed to be the
culls, separated from the better quality fish, but they can grow on
you like more expensive fish. Don't look down at them and see a
"Dirty Face" or "Shadow" because the name sticks and you will find
yourself searching for these fish every day, by name, to see how they
are doing.

Regards,

Hal

Angie wrote Do I have to choose between dragonflies and fishies? There's not
a whole =
thick layer of leaves in the bottom, just "some" scattered around the =
bottom. Will that be an instant death for my fishies?

Don't worry about a few extra leaves, the fish will be fine :-)

Dragonfly nymphs and fish do fine together, one will eat the other depending on
the size. You do get a lot more interesting critters the less fish you have. My
SIL has few fish in 4,000 gallons and all sorts of critters swimming around.
The cattails in my fishless frog bog are covered with the nymph cases of dragon
and damselflies.
(This is an arguement for MORE ponds!)

k30a
yearly brother website posting
http://www.30acreimaging.com/

Angie,

I would think that there must be a time frame when the dragonflies are
hatching; after that, however, you might be able to remove some of the
leaves without interrupting the dragonflies' schedule?

That didn't come out quite right -- what I meant is that I don't think
dragonflies hatch year 'round, although it probably depends on where you
are.

Anne Lurie
Raleigh, NC



"AngrieWoman" wrote in message
thlink.net...
This post is partly to share my joy - you've all been here.

I built a pond last year. All my information came via this group btw, so
this little pond is partly yours.

This year, I put in a veggie filter. My original plan didn't work so well,
but I finally got a solution that seems to be working because my water is
really clear now. Woo hoo!

This little pond is under a wild cherry tree that drops leaves pretty
regularly. It is also dropping fruit right now.
In the fall I tented it last year and it was no big deal. This season I have
been pretty diligent about scooping the leaves out. However, now that the
water is clear I see some that I missed.

In the leaves and muck, I found lots and lots of cool things! No
mosquitoes - young frogs, snails, and dragonfly larvae. Here's my issue: I
can't clean out the pond without jeopardizing the dragonflies, but I wanted
to put fish in my pond. I know from reading here that the leaves decomposing
is a bad thing for fish.

Do I have to choose between dragonflies and fishies? There's not a whole
thick layer of leaves in the bottom, just "some" scattered around the
bottom. Will that be an instant death for my fishies?

--
Angie Thornton