Ponding here is a different exercise than up north, not everything is available and if it is it can appear and disappear without notice. I'm pretty sure that fertilizers of all types are on the prohibited to import list, at least without permits. It is very difficult to get plants as well, I've had some luck there because of friends who have import permits but it costs more. This is only for named hybrids however, species and unnamed beauties abound. It pays to find things that are made and sold here rather than imports, the cost can be prohibitive if it is imported from the US. European items are often cheaper than the US version so it is also a process of learning what is available and how can I use it rather than just ordering what I've read about. As in the US there is a well developed exchange between ponders and as my spanish improves I've gotten more involved with that.

Since english is my first and best language I do most of my reading on sites from the US and I often long for the ability to just order something, a new hybrid, a better fertilizer, the list is long. Mostly I envy the beautiful new hybrids that seem to come out every year and that I'm unlikely to ever see here. Really though, my funds are not limitless and I know I'm saving a lot by not being able to indulge in online shopping. Plus, I don't have room for all the lilies I would like. At least, that's what I tell myself

The up side is that I have tropical fish in my ponds, and the plants bloom all year. I recently had an LED rope light made to the dimensions of the hall pond so I can see the fish at night. This pond is about 17' long and most rope lights are 15' so I had to have it custom made. I'm so happy with it that I may have one made for the outside pond as well.

That hallway pond is just beautiful.
I am traveling right now and will be rushing to get my tropicals inside when I get home.

Hi all. I never know whether to post here or at DG. What say you Carolyn? or is that a permitted question. perhaps a dmail question.

I posted a couple of pictures at DG but not sure I should do so here. With all these gorgeous flowers and ponds, it might be a downer. but I was so thrilled to see a couple of my gold fish in a little hole in the ice and snow. Just lazily swimming along or just sort of laying there. Way cool!!!

Mary

you are more than welcome to post here - the more the merrier. You can post in both forums and you should be able to start new threads here just like you do on DG.

Glad you are here!

Just thought you might find interesting, and amusing, one of my experiences with building a pond. It's an article in Cubits so here's the link rather than reposting all the (many) photos and narrative.

http://cubits.org/Jungle/artic...

thanks for an amusing and interesting story. I smiled most of the way through. I look out my window at a pile 7' tall of snow that will be there (even taller) til next March and dispair of ever seeing green again

Mary

7' tall snow? Ughhh!

This is an aberreration - this past weekend, we had coffee by the pond. Not typical in my zone. Pond water topped out yesterday at 48 degrees.....

Have you ever had fish freeze in the ice surrounding open holes, or around the perimeter of the pond? I found another gold fish, a really fat fellow. he was floating under the ice freely near the edge of the pond. This is the second one. I saw my kohaku, the gold and silver ones, one 'mutt' koi from Walmart all swimming down there through the open hole in the ice. It is fairly big as we had rain today and it is over 40F. What a mess on the roads. I use my ice walkers when I take woody for walks as I am afraid of slipping on the roads in our subdivision. He fell into the pond but managed to pull himself out as it was just near the edge. I keep a net by the pond now as he seems to be facinated by it and was walking across it the other day. I could see the ice moving under him and the water around the edges sort of 'flexing' up and down. I don't know if I could bring myself to jump in to save him even knowing that the water would only be up to my thighs. Been there and it wasn't fun. Guess I would have to if I couldn't 'fish' him out with the net.

Mary

Not sure if this has something to do with your goldfish or not - I remember the goldfish were always at the top, near the opening where the deicers were and the koi were always at the bottom of the pond. I am wondering if the goldfish's need to be at the top is part of the problem.

Have you had that happen in previous winters?

Be careful - sounds treacherous for both you and Woody.

I have not even seen my fish in prior years, except one or two. I figured they hid out in the caves and never came out. Now that we have a pump running with hoses to both side caves, they seem to be out and about more. And as I mentioned over on DG, today there were several around the open hole. Surely hope it isn't a sign of decreased oxygen. Although last year all 17 came through just fine.

I don't really know, but with the water circulating there should be more oxygen. Maybe the fish are more active because of that. Whereas when the water wasn't circulating they might have been laying low and conserving oxygen.

Sounds reasonable to me. In which case, they should be in even better shape come spring. Nice thought.

Well I was going to wait until Spring to post here but as we really haven't had a Winter......

Here's our Main Pond as of today February 6th..... and yes we are in Cincinnati, Ohio.

The Pond sits under a 60'+ Maple so we start caging in mid October.







The green in the Shubunkin Koi shot is one of our Thalia that fell over in a wind storm.
As the pond was netted at the time it's been in there and green since Fall.
Our hardy water lilies have not gone dormant... pads are about 3" across and they are still sending up new leaves.

Usually we have to deal w/ Ice a lot.
Notice all the fish dumped into that pond.
It's 3.5 feet deep at the far end and so they are fine in there.
Ice usually gets about 6" deep or so.
The fish will be thinned out to our 4 other shallower ponds in a month or so.

Carp (Shibunkin, Koi, Comets, etc) activity is determined by water temperature.
Between 45-50° they quit feeding.
Below 40° they basically stop moving and you may not even see their gills working.
They can take down to 33°.

The holes you try to keep open in the ice are allow toxic gases to escape.
Very little O² gets in thru there.
The fish (usually Goldfish) head there for warmer and fresher water.
We run a pump all winter but don't use the water falls or brook.
The hose is just below the surface, stirs the water and stops ice from forming.

Ric

Beautiful! When do you typically start up? I know we are usually the first week or so of March and one year it was as late as the first week in April.

My fish have started to move around - but yours seem to be more awake than mine!

Carolyn until today the fish WERE pretty active, especially for February.
We're having a very deep cold spell (near 10° tonight) for a few days and they have settled back down.
I turned off the pumps to keep the water a bit warmer.
We should be back to the upper 40's by midweek.
Usually it's late March or so before we really can start working w/ the Pond.
Water features and containers mid late April.

Ric

It is typically late March- early April where we can start working things in the pond as well. Generally we start up one pump at a time and then pick a weekend that looks half way decent and then get the waterlilies lifted divided and fertilized. It seems like it doesn't take long for things to all of a sudden pop!

Ric

It is typically late March- early April where we can start working things in the pond as well. Generally we start up one pump at a time and then pick a weekend that looks half way decent and then get the waterlilies lifted divided and fertilized. It seems like it doesn't take long for things to all of a sudden pop!

It seemed like last year, the snow was never going to end. - this is March 23rd last year..

We overwinter all the Tropical water plants in our porch GH.
Since we raise FAR more plants than our pond will hold we usually do 25 or more water containers and gardens.
So come late fall we drain them all and put 7 or 8 large ones in the GH.
Fill. add mosquito dunks, plop the plants in and they are good to go for the winter.
Our water canna are about 3' tall now, rushes and papyrus 4 or 5' tall.
Come the last frost out they go.
They only issue is finding enough room for them....LOL!