Last Updated: 5/1/22

1. I wish I could say that I did pond work on a nice day in early April but alas, the horrific winds were blowing me to near surrender yet again. At 1 pm, the air temperature was 54 degrees F, and the winds were a constant at least 20 mph with gusts twice that. Things were blowing away including my sanity. Both the 153 and 1800 gallon pond thermomters read 53 degrees F. I pulled the full net off the big pond. I had bought a new Luft pump to aerate the big pond as the other one was weak but, it turns out, the new one was no better so maybe the airstone is the problem.

I setup the Biosteps filter and the auxiliary pump for the main waterfall. I cut fresh filter floss/material to go around the pumps for the Biosteps filter and the auxiliary pump which does not have a filter (just pumps to the top of the waterfall so it actually will run in the summer instead of drizzle). I had to turn off the Biosteps filter though because the wind was blowing the water on to land. I got in the big pond to set those up and pulled out the filter materials to squirt those off. I moved the two golden club pots for a third time back to the shallows. I added water and additives to the ponds. I put the half net on the big pond. I tied new clothesline ropes to the three posts (three levels of ropes) to deter deer and herons from walking into the pond.

2. At 1:02 pm on 4/10/22, the air temperature was a lovely 47 degrees F with strong winds blowing my paper away and making me a wee bit unhappy. Both ponds' thermometers read 50 degrees F. I got in and removed all the filter materials to squirt them off. I added water and additives. I removed one dead 2" pickerel frog from the big pond.

3. It was finally warm the morning of 4/13/22 so the fish were spawning, and the heron was standing smack dab in the middle of spawn city. I pulled out another net and covered the marginal area, elevating the net up on to the steel posts. It looks horrible but will save fishy lives. I should be able to take it off in a few weeks when spawning calms down, plants have grown up, and hopefully this heron moves on. I know more will come.

4. Since it was Sunday, time for chores, the horrible winds were present. At 9:30 am, the air temperature was 47 degrees F. Both pond's thermometers read 57 degrees F. I squirted off all the filter materials, put in additives, and added water.

5. Finally, on 4/24/22, I had a day without wind and/or rain. In fact though, it was too warm at 78 degrees F at 2:30 pm but in the 80's in the sun. The 1800 gallon pond was up to 64 degrees F, and the 153 gallon pond was at 66 degrees F. I squirted off all the filter materials, squirted off the bioballs, changed the PondMaster filters, fertilized the water hawthorne with its waterlily in the same pot and one other pot with a surviving waterlily. I sure hope I get a few flowers from the lilies this year. The water hawthorne is still blooming and smells great. It can only be smelled when in the pond.

The two LED lights on the post with the main pond outlet no longer work. I can see they are full of dead ants. Ants - the gift that keeps on giving. I won't have them fixed until I need an electrician to come out for some other more pressing reason (like one of the pond outlets quits again from the ants!).

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