[Roccus]

Nothing huge 8' X 12' X 30" (sump) 12"X12" margin with average depth of 24"...like my aquariums .. I only want something I have time to spend to maintain it correctly...

I dug an old stump out and instead of makeing another rock garden, i installed a water feature/pond..

I run a home made bio filter made from a planter basketr, coarse "P" stone and scotch brite pads ...pumps are are a pair of 600 GPH little giants, one feeds the water fall.. the other the spitter...the electrics are housed in the planter... the pond is in it's 10th year of exsistance...

evrything in it is a derivative of the original planting/stocking.. I try and maintain 12-14 fish... when the fish out grow the pond, I give them to my son inlaw for his HUGE pond..leaving the "seed" that has hatched the prior year....I ocasionaly "trade" fry with other pond keepers in the area so I can keep the "in breeding" to a minimum..

I live in a pine forrest and have a removable screen house i put over the pond during extreme needle sheds and during the winter...

 

[Roccus]

I dug a few more pictures from my cell phone...

 

[Chesh]

Such a sweet little pond! I love it - it looks like right at home by your garden! 10 years and counting - that's amazing to me! Who lives here? You mentioned that there are 12-14 of them, but did I miss what they are?! Looks like baby goldies!? Thanks for sharing your pics!

 

[Roccus]

Such a sweet little pond! I love it - it looks like right at home by your garden! 10 years and counting - that's amazing to me! Who lives here? You mentioned that there are 12-14 of them, but did I miss what they are?! Looks like baby goldies!? Thanks for sharing your pics!

I never did mention what they were... they all started as "feeder" gold fish because i wasn't sure if the pond would make it in the pine forrest ( I have since cleared lots of branches so my lillies will bloom) ... I joke to everyone that stops by and admires the pond that they are "rescue" gold fish... they are mixed sizes from fry all the way to Louie... there is one "grandpa" fish( Louie) that is from the original stocking that is about 10" long.. every spring I expect to find him dead... and he takes food right out of my hand.. he only comes to the top when he see's people... of coarse people means food.. he is a P....I....G.. pig!.. he no longer can fit in the 3" PVC tubes i put in for them to hide in... so I made a tunnel from rock and the plants that I move to the middle for winter so he can be comfortable...I'll cry when he passes..

 

[Chesh]

Awww! Grandpa Louie! ^__^

Neat, just neat! I can imagine that you must be very attached to him by now!
You'll have to see if you can convince him to pose for his picture one of these days at feeding time, I'd love to see the granddaddy of them all!

 

[Roccus]

Awww! Grandpa Louie! ^__^

Neat, just neat! I can imagine that you must be very attached to him by now!
You'll have to see if you can convince him to pose for his picture one of these days at feeding time, I'd love to see the granddaddy of them all!

It'll have to be in the spring ... the pond is "buttoned" up for the winter... all plants pruned and moved to deep water, filter moved to margin and only one pump is used as a bubbler to keep the bacteria alive during the winter while keeping a breathing hole open to allow the escape of amonia...it was 26 degrees at my house this morning... i wont see them again until April

 

[Chesh]

And I KNEW that! lol. . . it's so sad to shut down for the winter, neh? Well. . . you'll just have to promise to stick around until spring heads our way again! LUCKY US!

 

[Roccus]

And I KNEW that! lol. . . it's so sad to shut down for the winter, neh? Well. . . you'll just have to promise to stick around until spring heads our way again! LUCKY US!

very sad indeed.... luckily, I have a loving wife that fully understands just how sad I get when that day comes ( the weekend before halloween, so the little trick or treat cherubs dont throw trash in it).. I think it bothers her a little as well.. we have a park bench next to the pond so people walking bye can sit and admire the pond and rose garden.. the pond and yard itself may be small but the allure is mighty... she sits on the bench and reads each evening listening to the water fall while I work around the pond and rose beds...no one with a hint of love for beautiful things could not be saddened...

I'll post a picture of the cover I built...
Its a screen house so sunlight and fresh air can get in but snow and leaves can not...

I'll be here in the spring ( unless I croak or something)... I've got a salt water tank to build!

 

[Roccus]

this is what it looks like a few weeks after i open it up in the spring... perrenial flowers steal the show.. at least the water fall is easy to see..

 

[willow]

hi
i've really enjoyed seeing your pictures,and would love to see more
after winter time. :-D

 

[thekoimaiden]

Welcome to the forum!! That is a beautiful little pond you have! I know how sad you get when winter comes because I have to do the same for my pond. I have a large net we pull over to keep out the deciduous leaves. I don't even think I have a pine tree in my yard! I can't wait to see some more of those lilies in the spring! I've never had sucess with them because my pond is too shaded.

 

[Roccus]

and night...night.. covered for the winter...

 

[willow]

awwww…see you again in the spring..

 

[Roccus]

Welcome to the forum!! That is a beautiful little pond you have! I know how sad you get when winter comes because I have to do the same for my pond. I have a large net we pull over to keep out the deciduous leaves. I don't even think I have a pine tree in my yard! I can't wait to see some more of those lilies in the spring! I've never had sucess with them because my pond is too shaded.

I had to do extensive pruning to those massive pines to get my lillies to bloom... by August the sun has moved around so the pond only gets about 4 or 5 hours of good sun.. blooming slows to nil...

 

[thekoimaiden]

I had to do extensive pruning to those massive pines to get my lillies to bloom... by August the sun has moved around so the pond only gets about 4 or 5 hours of good sun.. blooming slows to nil...

Aww that stinks, but at least you get to enjoy some blooms earlier in the year. I'm hoping I can coax some blooms in spring this year.

I really like that cover you put over your pond!! Slanted so the leaves fall off. Mine is just a PVC frame to prevent the net from falling in the water. I have to go out there every week or so and sweep off the pond.

 

[Roccus]

Aww that stinks, but at least you get to enjoy some blooms earlier in the year. I'm hoping I can coax some blooms in spring this year.

I really like that cover you put over your pond!! Slanted so the leaves fall off. Mine is just a PVC frame to prevent the net from falling in the water. I have to go out there every week or so and sweep off the pond.

I made it strong enough to walk on......it mimmics my garage.. last year the blizzard dumped 3+ feet of snow on it...no issues...when I pull it in the spring I put it over my strawberries to keep out the birds... too bad it doesn't work on chipmunks!...
BTW... LOVE your screen name...

 

[thekoimaiden]

You can walk on it?! Man, you did build that pretty strong. One of the reasons I clean mine so obsessively is so the deer don't walk on it. But with 3 feet of snow, I can understand why it would need to be that strong.

Haha! Thanks! It was something I came up with years ago. Now I use it in a ton of places. I think it fits

 

[Roccus]

You can walk on it?! Man, you did build that pretty strong. One of the reasons I clean mine so obsessively is so the deer don't walk on it. But with 3 feet of snow, I can understand why it would need to be that strong.

Haha! Thanks! It was something I came up with years ago. Now I use it in a ton of places. I think it fits

maybe i should be a wee little bit clearer... I can walk along the pitch of the "roof" and stand on the rafters..not on the screen.. but the "rafters" are 16" on center... the screen is double layer fiberglass porch/window screen ... plenty strong... the main center line is a pair of 2"X6" fir boards bolted together... all the support rafters are 2"X1" through bolted.... it can come appart if need be, but I made a dolley with rubber tires so I can wheel it into posistion...the enclosure weighs about 150lbs...which is more than I weigh...hence..I can walk on it... the deer dont bother the pond.... they eat my roses.. they love the sugar in the rose buds...

 

[Romad]

Oooooh so pretty :thumbsup: Thanks for sharing your pond pics and story.

I'm looking forward to pics. of grandpa Louie in the spring.

And do I detect an Animal House reference there about his eating habits? LOL.

 

[Roccus]

Oooooh so pretty :thumbsup: Thanks for sharing your pond pics and story.

I'm looking forward to pics. of grandpa Louie in the spring.

And do I detect an Animal House reference there about his eating habits? LOL.

why not quote a clasic movie..

I lifted the screen yesterday and "swished" the water around... no one came... at least my aquarium fish were happy to see me...