Last Updated: 5/1/17

1. On 4/1/17, I netted some the wood frog tadpoles from the basement 20 gallon pond and the outdoor 20 gallon pond and put them in the 50 gallon tub pond to spread them around.

2. On 4/2/17, I did a lot of pond work. Both ponds were at 52 degrees F. I squirted off the main floss. I set up the Biosteps filter for the year and the auxillary pump. I had to hook up a short extension cord and outdoor cord protector where it met the pump’s cord which for some reason was super short (10 feet instead of the usual 20 feet). I put on the half net and the ropes to keep out the heron and deer (or at least that’s the hope). I attached the feeding ring to the half net. I brought out a handful of the yard doohickeys. Only 100 to go! I moved two two gallon pots of golden club from the moderate depths to the shallow marginal area. I’m afraid most of the waterlilies aren’t growing and are probably dead.

The air stone was not bubbling in the 1800 gallon pond. I went inside and got used air lines twice but no bubbles came out even though the Luft pump was vibrating. I finally figured out it wasn’t working as it should when I put brand new air line in and nothing happened.

As I was taking off the next day to clean out the 153 gallon pond, and I had contractors renovating the master bathroom so Tinkie and Emmy would be held in the basement, I spent an hour pulling out all the supplies for the next day so I wouldn’t have to worry about the cats getting out as I went up and down to the basement.

3. On 4/3/17, I had the day off to clean my 153 gallon pond. See this page for details. Not related to the cleanings, I also put some pieces of granite under the 1800 gallon pond's biofilter lip to try to shore things up as the waterfall land hump continues to erode over these 20 years! I also moved the Luft pump from the 153 gallon pond after it was cleaned to the 1800 gallon pond as that Luft pump no longer had enough power to push air out of the air stone.

4. On 4/9/17, it went up to 70 degrees F so it was a nice day to do pond work but I was too busy to do much! The 1800 gallon pond was at 56 degrees F, and the 153 gallon pond was at 60 degrees F. I squirted all the filter materials except for the PondMaster filters. The cage around the auxilliary pump to the waterfall had imploded which happens when there's so much dead plant material stirred up from the goldfish spawning that the suction reforms the plastic cage and basically annhilates it. I changed the ant baits in both of the pond electrical outlets. I put a wad of extra java moss from the 20 gallon aquarium in to the 50 gallon tub pond outside.

5. 4/12/17 - the great blue heron is back!

6. On 4/16/17, Easter was a warm 80 degrees F but the winds were kind of bothersome. The 1800 gallon pond was at 65 degrees F, and the 153 gallon pond was at 64 degrees F. I squirted all the filter materials, put in additives, and topped off all the ponds. I put out more yard doohickeys. I put on the three waterlily protectors. The waterliles have just started to grow. By the next morning, the spawning fish had already remove the protector from the Albata lily, and two goldfish were swimming inside the protector sort of stuck. This is a pattern! I was not getting in there for that the next day. I tried to stick the corners of the protector nets under the heavy pots but the fish always find a way to rip them off. I put a new pond thermometer in the 1800 gallon pond.

7. On 4/17/17, I replaced the top four bricks holding up the sandstone bridge in the 1800 gallon pond. I moved the bottom two and checked the level because the entire thing was listing to the side.

8. I did pond work on 4/23/17. Both thermometers in the 1800 and 153 gallon ponds read 64 degrees F. I squirted all the filter materials and the bioballs. I had put on a new pump intake cage on the auxiliary pump because it had imploded last week. Well, when I pulled it up, two of the three parts were missing, and the remaining piece was also imploded! The plastic intake cages just collapse from the pump pulling through too much debris. The goldfish have been spawning almost daily which stirs up plant debris which clogs the pump intakes. I only have time for a weekly cleaning. I changed the Ammocarb. I put up the 20 gallon basement pond and put all the surviving wood frog tadpoles in the 153 gallon pond. The tropical waterlilies in the 20 gallon indoor tub pond were dead. I planned to repot the taro the next day when I have off work. I fertilized the three surviving hardy waterlilies in the 1800 gall pond. They barely have a few puny leaves. The protectors are keeping the fish off so I don't know why they have done so poorly in the last few years. The main waterfall area is overgrown with watercress which is getting ready to bloom. There is almost no water celery as the deer ate it all last year. Only a few sprigs are here and there. I removed three two gallon pots from the big pond that appeared to be devoid of any plants. I found a piece of pickerel rush just floating around. There are always pieces of sweetflag floating around but I just ignore them since I have so much. The pickerel rush though, I will have to repot tomorrow on my day off.

9. On 4/24/17, I potted up the pickerel rush in to a two gallon pot and put that back in the big pond. I potted up the taro in a two gallon pot and set it on the porch until the pool deck is done being rebuilt. It's 30 years old, and all the decking was rotted out. I found three or so goldfish fry in the bucket with the pickerel rush tuber. I put them in the 50 gallon pond to give them a chance. I will have to remember to check for them in the fall. I have moved goldfish eggs and fry to the smaller ponds before. Only once were there survivors in my now-extinct 18 gallon back liner pond.

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