Last Updated: 11/4/24

1. On 10/6/24 at 11:35 am, the temperature was 70 degrees F. Both ponds' thermometers read 64 degrees F. The auxiliary pump's tubing had popped off the day before, and I just unplugged in. On this day, I took it out completely for the winter as I was tired of it popping off! I need to find a better connection. I squirted all the filter materials, the bioballs, and the bags of lava rock. I found the oyster shell bag so I changed that too. I put in water and additives.

2. On 10/9/24, my guinea pig Jasmine died, just three weeks and one day after my guinea pig, Princess Gina died. I only have Cornelia left. As I have pledged to not get more animals, I am dreading losing my Corny Corn.

3. I did pond work on 10/13/24 at 2:04 pm. The air temperature was 75 degrees F so it was toasty! The 1800 gallon pond was at 62 degrees F, and the 153 gallon pond was at 64 degrees F. I collected eight buckets of leaves off the 1800 gallon pond's net! I use a long net to scoop them up. I squirted off the PondMaster filters and topped off the smaller ponds. Then, I had to stop since my brother was over and doing some things so I did not get into the pond until past 5 pm! I squirted off the Biosteps and all the other filter materials. I put in additives.

4. The pond work started at 12:50 pm on 10/20/24. The air temperature was 71 degrees F!! I used my long net and buckets to remove leaves from the main leaf net that had sagged from the leaves. The 1800 gallon pond was at 54 degrees F, and the 153 gallon pond was at 57 degrees F. It had been cooler during the week. I changed the PondMaster filters one last time. I squirted off the other filter materials, put in additives, and topped the ponds off with water.

5. On 10/21/24, I discovered that the plastic shoe box over the Tetra Luft pump for the 153 gallon pond was cracked, broken, and would let in water (we have had no rain for weeks though). I found another in the basement and switched them out. It is nice that I keep spares!

6. It was 58 degrees F at 2:21 pm on 10/27/24. I got a late start on the ponds as I had to do some of my Saturday chores on Sunday morning to spend a few hours with relatives on Saturday. The 1800 gallon was at 54 degrees F, and the 153 gallon pond was at 56 degrees F. It took a long time to get two full wheelbarrows worth of leaves off of the net on the main pond. I was supposed to change the main filter floss but I was too tired. I did change the Ammocarb, squirt off all the filter flosses, put in additives, and top off the ponds with water. I am also passed due to cut down all the marginals but we have not had a hard freeze yet. It is going to be 80 degrees on Wednesday and Thursday! I did cut down the lizard tail near my Biosteps filter as it was losing its yelllowed leaves.

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