Last Updated: 2/4/19

1. My last hamster, sweet Hidalgo, died on 1/5/19. I now have just 11 animals left that are not associated with my aquariums, ponds, or wildlife and only one species of mammal (cats) for the first time since I was too young to remember. As I am getting older, I am not replacing the lost lives.

2. I did a bit of pond work on 1/6/19. At 1:20 pm, the air temperature was 50 degrees F but it was very windy. The 1800 gallon pond was at 48 degrees F, and the 153 gallon pond was at 44 degrees F. I did not get in the pond. I just did temperatures and put in some additives.

3. The morning of 1/13/19, we had gotten 4" of snow overnight. We got another 1.5" or so during the day. The thermometer was frozen in the 1800 gallon pond. I forgot to check the thermometer in the 153 gallon pond. The only pond things I did was to check that the equipment was working, the fish were fine, and to clear the snow off of the aerators, outlets, and biofilter lid. I did not put in additives, add water, or clean any filters even though they were due. I am just too old to go above and beyond anymore.

4. By the morning of 1/14/19, the total amount of snow was 7".

5. The weather was crazy on 1/20/19. At 9:17 am, it was 36 degrees F with winds of about 20 mph. It had rained all night. The winds got worse all day, and the temperature was set to drop to single digits. The pond would flash freeze. So, I went out and worked on the pond first thing. The 1800 gallon was at 43 degrees F, and the 153 gallon pond was at 42 degrees F. I was able to get the net back to get in the water despite some remaining snow. I got the main filter floss out and changed it. I removed a dead two inch pickerel frog under the pump. I changed the Ammocarb and oyster shell in the biofilter. I put in a few additives and then I got back inside.

6. It was only 9 degrees F the morning of 1/21/19! The pond had flash frozen with lots of leaves. The air line tubing was frozen (water in the air freezes) so I put in another one but it was frozen by the next day. I got some of the leaves out on 1/23/19 after it warmed above freezing.

7. I did some quick pond chores on 1/27/19. The 1800 gallon pond was at 42 degrees F, and the 153 gallon pond was at 43 degrees F. I did not get in the pond. I replaced the airline tubing and air stone in the 1800 gallon pond as they had not worked for a week, freezing and then not running even when it got warmer. I collected some leaves, topped off the ponds, and put in some additives.

8. We got 1.5 inches of snow on 1/29/19. The temperature plummeted. It was 15 degrees F the next morning, and it was already down to 10 degrees by nightfall on 1/30/19. I would not be surprised if it went down to zero. The pond flash froze.

9. On 1/31/19, it was 2 degrees F in the morning! The waterfall was running fine though.

E-mail Robyn Copyright © 1997-2024 Robyn Rhudy