Last Updated: 7/4/22

1. On 6/5/22, the air temperature was 76 degrees F at 11:02 am. The 1800 gallon pond was at 73 degrees F, and the 153 gallon pond was at 67 degrees F. I squirted off all the filter materials, added water, and added additives. I cut a few weeds here and there.

2. On 6/8/22, I received a Tricker order. I cleaned and released 12 trapdoor snails. They did not drop any babies in transit. I washed the plants and put them in three buckets until the weekend. On 6/11/22, I put three water hyacinth, three water lettuce, and a few hitchiking pieces of salvinia in my broken floating ring. I ordered a new ring from Tricker but it is on backorder. It is broken in that the bottom was ripped out when the loop that connected it to a brick ripped out a few years ago and left a hole. On 6/12/22, I would plant the remaining plants as indicated below.

3. On 6/12/22, it was 74 degrees F at 12:42 pm. The 1800 gallon pond was at 70 degrees F, and the 153 gallon pond was at 67 degrees F. I squirted off all the filter materials, added additives and water. The anacharis was in full bloom with dozens of white flowers in the 153 gallon pond.

I planted up the new marginal plants and lily that I had received four days earlier. I put two medium-sized and one tiny watercress in the main waterfall under a rock. I potted up a James Brydon hardy waterlily into a 5 gallon pot which I stuck on top of the fish's plastic hiding spot. I hope the plastic doesn't collapse. The lily's leaves were very short. I intend to lower the pot once the plant is established. I potted a water snowflake in a one gallon pot and a water plantain in a two gallon pot. My free bonus plant was an umbrella palm which I planted in a two gallon pot. I decided to leave the new cardinal flower in a two gallon pot and just put it on the deck by itself so it could get more sun. I am keeping it wet but cardinal flower can survive on land as well.

4. On 6/20/22, it was 80 degrees F and hot at 1:31 pm. I had this day off (Juneteenth but we don't get Federal Holidays so I actually took this day off). I had gone to the National Zoo the day before. If I had time, I'd tell you about it! I will say that all of the ponds were opaque green, and I wish I could have fixed them!

The 1800 gallon pond was at 72 degrees F, and the 153 gallon pond was at 68 degrees F. I squirted off all the filter materials, changed the PondMaster filters, changed the oyster shell, and change the zeolite/carbon combo (no longer Ammocarb which is no longer sold at the stores from which I buy supplies). I fertilized the two waterlilies (not the new one as I just did that last week when planted). I haven't gotten any waterlily flowers in years and don't expect to this year either but the green leaves are doing pretty well.

5. I noticed two small orange fish playing around the waterfall area of the big pond this week. They looked like rosy red minnows. I had not added any to this pond in over 20 years but I do have them in my 153 gallon pond. I was hoping they were two baby orfe. I finally got a look at them while in the pond on 6/26/22, and they do appear to be rosy red minnows. They must have been transferred from the other pond by accident or by some animal. I have not moved any plants from pond to pond (eggs are laid on hard surfaces anyway) this year (not sure about last year). Animals find a way of moving.

6. At 1:17 pm on 6/26/22, it was 90 degrees F! I did my pond chores in my bathing suit and used beach shoes instead of hip waders to get in the pond. The 1800 gallon pond was at 80 degrees F, and the 153 gallon pond's water was at 74 degrees F. I squirted off all the filter materials, the matala in the Biosteps filter, and the bioballs and lava rock in the main filter. I put in additives and topped off all the ponds with water. When I got hot, I sprayed myself with the hose.

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