Last Updated: 8/5/19

1. A storm that came through on 7/6/19 knocked over a redbud tree near my pond. I did not see it until the morning. It fell over the waterfall area, and about 20% of the pond water had been lost due to diversion since the leaves were touching the biofilter and moving water outside of the lined area. I spent about half an hour in 100% humidity cutting away the branches, freeing the filter and the bluebird house. They had five bluebird eggs in there and were blocked by the tree.

2. I did pond chores on 7/7/19. Both pond thermometers read 78 degrees F. I squirted off all the filter materials, put in additives, and I did not need to top off the smaller ponds but I did have to add a lot of water to the 1800 gallon pond (see #1 above). I repotted two pieces of water iris that the raccoon had pulled from a two gallon pond. I just stuffed them back in and added some more rocks.

3. On 7/14/19, the 1800 gallon pond was at 78 degrees F at 10 am, and the 153 gallon pond was at 74 degrees F. I squirted off all the filter materials, topped off the ponds, and put in additives before it got too hot. I also squirted off the bioballs and lava rock which is always a chore.

4. It was so hot the weekend of 7/20/19 and 7/21/19, near 100 degrees F each day! I did pond work at 9:54 am on 7/21/19, and the air temperature was already 86 degrees F! The 1800 gallon pond was at 82 degrees F, and the 153 gallon pond was at 80 degrees F. I squirted off all the filter materials but changed the filter floss around the biggest pump running the big pond's waterfall. I also changed out the Ammocarb and oyster shell in the biofilter. They probably do very little considering their mass, how often that I change them, and how big the pond is. My new white pickerel rush actually bloomed! The purple is also blooming. There are only two waterlilies alive and just barely with no flowers this year. The problems are shade and rooting fish. I removed the pot that had the tropical waterlily tubers in them. The fish had removed half of the rocks and dirt. The tubers are no where to be found and never got to put up a single leaf. It seems like a lost cause.

5. I did pond work on 7/28/19. The 1800 gallon pond was at 79 degrees F, and the 153 gallon pond was at 75 degrees F. I squirted off all the filter materials that I usually do as well as the matala in the Biosteps filter. I changed the PondMaster filters. I fertilized the two surviving (barely) waterlilies in the big pond. Inside the bottom of the filter basket in the 1800 gallon pond, there was a baby three-lined salamander who I put back in the big pond.

6. On 7/31/19, my oldest remaining orfe died that I got on 5/11/07. He/she had been acting abnormal for a few weeks now, seemingly with a little kinked spine and some hemorrhaging spots. He/she felt like about five pounds in weight. I had to get in the pond and go get him/her in the middle of the pond. He/she was 18" long. He/she had a number of hemorrhages on his/her side. Only one orfe remains who I got on 4/28/11.

E-mail Robyn Copyright © 1997-2024 Robyn Rhudy