Last Updated: 2/14/14

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Introduction and Miscellaneous:
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If you have something pond-related that you want to share (information, jokes, web sites, pond secrets and tidbits, something pond-related for sale), let me know, and I will add it to the next newsletter. What topics would you like me to cover? Do you have a question that I can answer or pose to others in the next newsletter?

On 7/8/05, our newest chicken, Pondet, hatched a chick. Another one appeared by the next day. Sprout and Speckles were so cute! You can read about the chickens and see photos at http://www.fishpondinfo.com/birds/mychickens.htm ;-( On 7/27/05, at 19-days-old, Sprouty vanished. I think a black rat snake ate her. She didn't deserve such torture.

On 7/15/05, my male hedgehog, named Sonic by my cousin, died from cancer.

On 8/1/05, the fishpondinfo.com counter passed 2 million.

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Significantly Altered or New Pond Web Pages:
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1. http://www.fishpondinfo.com/pictures2.htm -
I added a number of photos from other people. Under miscellaneous at the bottom are two photos of apple snail eggs in a pond and then two photos of the snails actually up the pond plants to lay more. After those is a photo of Bryn by her pond (she is an early-start ponder). Under frogs and toads, you're not going to believe the three photos sent to me of green frogs with metallic blue coloration.

2. http://www.fishpondinfo.com/myfish/bigpondphotos1.htm - (URL changed to a new directory in 2014)
Under summer 2005 for my big pond are six new photos. They include lily pads and flowers, a close up of my Fabiola waterlily flower, those submerged plant protectors I keep saying my fish and frogs get stuck in, and a few of the marginal area with blooming lizard tail and pickerel weed.

3. http://www.fishpondinfo.com/myfish/otherpondphotos.htm - (URL changed to a new directory in 2014)
Under other ponds for summer 2005 is a photo of my Tricker pond with green frog eggs and plant cover.

4. http://www.fishpondinfo.com/myfish/amphphotos.htm - (URL changed to a new directory in 2014)
Under frogs and toads 2005, you can see two photos of the male bullfrog that I found in my submerged plant protector on 6/19/05.

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Happenings at Robyn's Ponds:
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1. On 7/3/05, I squirted off the flosses and the Cyprio things. I did my usual stuff which includes netting the deep end and tossing the pea gravel back to the shallows, clearing off the waterfall, removing yellow/torn/brown waterlily leaves, topping off the pond, and adding a little baking soda and koi clay. I also cut back the terrestrial evergreen bush that is hanging over into the pond too much. I had to wear gardening gloves for that. I always forget to not stick my gloves in the pond water to pick the pieces up though! The 1800 gallon was at 76 degrees F and the 153 gallon at 74 degrees F.

2. On 7/11/05, I squirted off the flosses and did the basic chores as mentioned above. The 1800 gallon was at 76 degrees F and the 153 gallon at 74 degrees F. The deer ate my tropical water canna all the way down to the bottom by leaning over into the pond. I guess there will be no canna flowers this year.

3. On 7/17/05, I squirted off the flosses and the Cyprio things. Both big ponds (1800 and 153) were at 79 degrees F. I did my usual chores. There are a lot of yellowing lily leaves to remove this time of year. I fertilized all the lilies and one remaining lotus. I put out fresh mosquito dunks but we've had so much rain that I'm getting bit by mosquitoes coming from neighboring areas. I dumped, cleaned, and refilled my purely ornamental mosaic tub pond. It has nothing in it.

4. The bluebells have been flowering with one flower each morning. By the time I get home, the flower of the day is dead. The tropical waterlily that Sheila gave me this spring finally had a flower bud on it one morning. When I got home, it was gone. I assume the deer ate it since it's at the edge of the pond and was out of the water. I would have liked to have seen it. My other two tropical water lilies have yet to set any new buds.

5. On 7/23/05, I set out a pot of Gypsophila (a terrestrial annual) into a small floating plant "island." Both the plant and the planted were on sale cheap from two different places. Despite the plant saying it requires "well-drained soil," it is doing well.

6. On 7/24/05, I squirted off the flosses and bioballs. Both ponds were at 78 degrees F. I removed quite a few rotting waterlily leaves. I'm not sure if the heat, snails, aphids, or the aphid herbal killer got to them or all of those!

7. On 7/26/05, when doing my morning walk around the pond to look for trouble, I found some. On the ground lay the root of my tropical canna with no leaves left. The deer had ripped it out. I'm going to have to repot it and put it deeper into the pond where they can't reach it. There's no way it will flower this year now but perhaps I can keep it alive.

8. On 7/31/05, I squirted off the flosses and Cyprio biothings. I tidied up and topped off the ponds. I moved the tropical water canna deeper into the pond where hopefully the deer can't reach it. Both ponds were at 76 degrees F.

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Pond Tidbits:
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1. This has been a really hot summer in most of the US. Most ponds and their inhabitants are able to tolerate the heat if the ponds have good plant cover and are deep enough. If a pond is too shallow and/or open, then placing a tent canopy over the pond is one way to cool the pond down. Cool tap or well water can also be pumped into the pond daily to reduce the temperatures some. If adding more than 5%, be sure to add dechlorinator if you have city water. Tiny tub ponds may be cooled by ziploc bags of ice cubes. They may also need to be moved out of full sun. Aeration is very important in the heat as hot water holds less oxygen. An additional aeration source may be necessary such as an air pump and air stone, spitter, fountain, waterfall, or stream. The more the water is moved, the higher the oxygen content will be. This also cools the water. At the same time, the water loss in the pond will increase often requiring daily water additions on the hottest days. With all these 90+ degree F days around here, most days, I just want to pass out! In comparison, the 80 degree F or so in the ponds is cool.

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Web Sites of Interest:
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1. Strange frog facts: http://allaboutfrogs.org/weird/weird.html

2. The Toronto Zoo frog and toad page with photos and calls (note, their links on the side don't work, just click on a frog/toad) - http://www.torontozoo.com/adoptapond/Frogs.asp. You know, I have pickerel frogs of all sizes but have never heard them call! It's interesting to hear what the males sound like. I was listening to the ones I do know, and they all sound just like I remember! It made me miss the toads calling. They haven't been by in years. It was like they were really here! Ontario seems so far away from Maryland but we basically have the same frogs and toads. No mink frogs here though.

What's your favorite pond-related web site(s)?
Do you have a web site you want me to mention here?

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