Last Updated: 12/30/19

1. I did a little bit of pond work on 12/1/19 as it was raining all day. At 3:30 pm, the air temperature was 41 degrees F, and it was raining lightly. The 1800 gallon pond was at 45 degrees F, and the 153 gallon pond was at 42 degrees F. I did not get in the pond. I did not need to add water to any of the ponds. I took temperatures, removed as many leaves off the two nets as I could, and put in additives. If the weather improves next weekend, I need to get enough leaves off from in and around the 153 gallon to remove the leaf net and the same to pull back the net from the waterfall of the 1800 gallon pond. I leave it on the rest of the pond due to herons. And, I need to get the de-icers in but the weather this coming week is barely below freezing at night so they are not needed just yet.

2. It was 44 degrees F at 1:22 on 12/8/19. I had a lot to do! The 1800 gallon pond was at 41 degrees F, and the 153 gallon pond was all the way down to 38 degrees F! First, I pulled the net off the 153 gallon pond. I tried to get up as many leaves as I could in the area but there are too many! I put the de-icer in that pond. At the 1800 gallon pond, I squirted off the filter materials and the bioballs. I found eight pickerel frogs in the biofilter! Why move them? Aside from the possibility of hurting them while cleaning, if the power goes out in the winter, they will turn in to popsicles so I put them in the pond proper. I pulled the net on the 1800 gallon pond back off the waterfall so animals can drink during the winter, and I can tend to ice jams and so on. Of course, the leaves will find there way in now! I removed lots of leaves but never enough. The rest of the net stays on because the great blue herons visit even in the middle of the winter and will even go in the deep end then. So, I have to protect the fish. I put the de-icer in the biofilter and hooked up Rudolph. He lets me know with a glance after dark if there is power out by the big pond (otherwise, the outlets have tripped which has happened too many times).

3. On 12/15/19 at 10:30 am, the air temperature was 48 degrees F, and the wind was moderate. Both thermometers read 46 degrees F in the 153 and 1800 gallon ponds. It had been raining for days so no ponds needed water but I did remove some leaves and put in additives.

4. On 12/22/19, I did some pond work. The air temperature at 3 pm was warmed up to 48 degrees F after a low overnight near 20 degrees F. The 1800 gallon pond was at 40 degrees F while the 153 gallon pond was at 43 degrees F. I had to break a little ice to get in the big pond so I could squirt off the filter materials. I put in additives and topped off all the ponds but the big one which I forgot. It was about an inch from max.

5. I went out at 9:08 am on 12/29/19 to do pond chores since I was going out most of the day, and it was going to rain most of the day. The air temperature was 46 degrees F. The 1800 gallon pond was at 47 degrees F while the 153 gallon pond was lower at 44 degrees F. I added water and additives and picked up some leaves. I did not get in the big pond. It then rained for two days.

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