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Posted: May/02/2008 6:35 AM PST
we're buying a house that has a small man made water pond. 2 little ponds actually one flows into the other. any tips on caring for it? right now it's got lots of leaves in it, I'm wondering if it should have been tarped over during winter, or if that would have killed whatever plants are in there. we want to put fish in there thinking one in each pond. do you think we'll need to feed them, or should the plants take care of that. and what plants would you recommend for it? I'm hoping that I can keep it as low maintenance as possible once it's cleaned up. sorry I can't upload any pics of it yet. we were supposed to close on the house a couple days ago but the lawyers are dragging their feet, so I don't own it yet. Since my life is in boxes, all I can really do is plan the garden and fiddle on the computer. |
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Posted: May/02/2008 5:31 PM PST
Clean the leaves out. Fish- depends on the depth of the pond, and how cold the winters get. The deeper the better because they can then hybernate in the unfrozen parts. You would need to feed them. All sorts of water plants would be great- ask at the nursery, they'll help you out. Expect to shell out some money though! |
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Posted: May/03/2008 5:12 AM PST
i'm not sure how deep it is. I expect to have to bring the fish inside in the winter. I'll bet the cats will love that though. 5 cats with nothing but how do I get to that fish on the brain. lol |
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Posted: May/03/2008 1:37 PM PST
Hehehe about the cats. My two love watching my pet rats. They are just hoping they (the rats) get loose some time. |
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Posted: May/04/2008 5:35 PM PST
Quote: Originally posted by mcmartian i'm not sure how deep it is. I expect to have to bring the fish inside in the winter. I'll bet the cats will love that though. 5 cats with nothing but how do I get to that fish on the brain. lolMcmartian, depending on where you are in NY, if the pond is more than 2 feet deep most fish would survive an average winter. Having said that, my neighbor lost every single one of her koi fish this past year, so if you are going to invest in expensive fish, you might consider bringing them in. Feeding frequency depends on ambient temps - more when it is warm and MUCH LESS when it is cold. Fish become torpid (I think that's the word) when it gets cool and don't eat much. If you continue to feed the food rots and causes health issues. When my DH and I build our dream house (after we become filthy rich!) we want an outdoor pond with a channel that will allow the fish inside to an indoor pond - how cool would that be!! Dreaming, I know, but can't a girl dream??? |
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Posted: May/04/2008 7:03 PM PST
once I saw a home design show where there was a stream that went through the house with a glass floor over it. the glass floor got so much algae on it eventually. lol cool idea though. guess you need to be able to lift the glass panels and clean lol I'm not sure how deep the ponds are. they're really tiny ponds. I'm thinking of putting 1 floating plant in them only. but thinking a fish in the top and a fish in the bottom. I think they're only 2 feet deep but gotta measure. We currently live in the Southern Tier of NY State and are zone 4 or 5 depending where you check the zone. we're moving a half hour north and closer to the fingerlakes, we'll be in the narrow band that is zone 3. So I figure unless the pond is 3ft deep or deeper we'll have to bring them in come winter. thanks for the tips. |
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Posted: May/05/2008 12:36 PM PST
Our pond is about 3 feet deep or so. We leave the fish in our pond all winter. My hubby made a frame out of wood and we found a old hot tub cover. We have air that bubbles all winter and the water does not freeze completely over. We also don't feed the fish in winter. We do have a bit of a problem with alge, and at this time don't have any water plants on the top. |
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Posted: May/05/2008 5:45 PM PST
Keep in mind, the reason a pond does not freeze solid in the winter is because it is in the ground. If it's not in the ground, all bets are off. |
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Posted: May/06/2008 4:06 AM PST
our pond is in the ground. so i guess I have to measure the depth and if it's 3 feet or more consider leaving the pump on through the winter and then fingers crossed. thanks |
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Posted: May/06/2008 9:41 AM PST
Good luck with it MC...looking forward to seeing pictures as soon as its yours!!! |
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