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Robyn's Pond Newsletter October 2003

Last Updated: 2/17/14

(A section was omitted from this newsletter on purpose to prevent copyright issues.)

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Introduction and Miscellaneous:
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If you have something pond-related that you want to share (information, jokes, web sites, pond secrets and tidbits, something pond-related for sale), let me know, and I will add it to the next newsletter. What topics would you like me to cover? Do you have a question that I can answer or pose to others in the next newsletter?

***!!!!Important Notice!!!!***

Robyn's Web Pages have all moved to the corresponding pages on http://www.fishpondinfo.com and her e-mail has changed to help@fishpondinfo.com.
For now, my UMBC e-mail will continue to work. They e-mailed me that my account will be deleted on 9/24/04 (a lot more than 60 days which is good!). My old web site now tells people to go to my new site until they delete it on 9/24/04. As you can see below, I added a bunch of new pages while renovating the site. It was a LOT of work!! Great thanks to my brother who used his computer- programming knowledge to make my site what it is!

Please alter and update all your links and bookmarks to my web site and to my e-mail. If you happen to see other people mention my old web site on the internet, please let them know about the move if you have time. Thanks!

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Significantly Altered or New Pond Web Pages (explanations below, numbers match):
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1. http://www.fishpondinfo.com/myfish/pictures.htm (URL changed to a new directory in 2014)
2. http://www.fishpondinfo.com/contact.htm
3. http://www.fishpondinfo.com/advert.htm
4. http://www.fishpondinfo.com/insects/mosquito.htm
5. http://www.fishpondinfo.com/indoor.htm
6. http://www.fishpondinfo.com/pondfun.htm
7. http://www.fishpondinfo.com/index.htm
8. http://www.fishpondinfo.com/index2.htm
9. http://www.fishpondinfo.com/snails/snailfaq.htm
10. http://www.fishpondinfo.com/barley.htm
11. http://www.fishpondinfo.com/feature.htm
12. http://www.fishpondinfo.com/misc.htm#garra
13. http://www.fishpondinfo.com/parad.htm

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Additions or Changes to Robyn's Pond Web Pages:
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1. I added seven photos to my pond pictures page that I told you about last month. Under amphibians for summer 2003, the first five photos are two of a tiny baby pickerel frog on 8/17/03 (pickbab.jpg and pickbab2.jpg), a bullfrog in my waterfall on 8/16/03 (frogfalls.jpg), and two of a 1" morphing green frog (has legs and tail!) on 8/8/03 (froglet1.jpg and froglet2.jpg). Under other pond photos for summer 2003, the first two are of my yellow and orange canna flower on 8/16/03 (tigercanna.jpg and tallcanna.jpg). I also added three photos under reptiles of a baby red-eared slider that someone sent me (baslid1.jpg, baslid2.jpg, baslid3.jpg).

2. This is a page about contacting and e-mailing me and help.

3. This is a page about advertizing on my new web site.

4. I moved the mosquito information to its own page.

5. This is a new page on indoor ponds. For now, it mostly just links to my other pages. I had hoped to fill it out before the grand opening but failed.

6. This is a page on pond fun. It's empty right now. If you have any fun pond jokes, puzzles, connect- the-dots, stories, etc. that I can put here, please send them to me. The copyright holder (originator) of the material must give their permission. I won't steal anyone's material.

7. This is the new main page of my web site. See the cute animated cat in a fish bowl I got from http://www.animationfactory.com.

8. I moved my old homepage to index2.htm.

9. This is a new snail FAQ, mostly geared towards aquariums. If you have a question that should be answered there, let me know.

10. I moved the barley straw section to its own page.

11. I moved the list of newspaper, magazine, etc. articles where my pond has been to this page as it was cluttering up the top of my main pond page.

12. I added a short section on the fish Garra pingi pingi which is a sucker-type fish that now is being sold for ponds in some places.

13. Since I moved the three paradise fish indoors, there are 4 new photos of them (5gal.jpg, parad2.jpg, parad3.jpg, parad4.jpg) on their page and an update.

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Happenings at Robyn's Ponds:
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1. On 9/7/03, I squirted all the flosses and both sets of bioballs/biothings. The 1800 gallon pond was at 69 degrees F, and the 153 gallon was at 71 degrees F. Someone asked why I report this. It's partly just to keep a record and for interest but it also lets me know when to switch from summer to fall foods, when to stop feeding, when to put in the de-icer, etc. I again dumped out a load of water hyacinth and water lettuce. It seems to have slowed down growing now. An open area brought a dozen or so fish fry to dance in the light, probably fathead minnows but maybe goldfish fry.

2. On 9/14/03, I had a bad cold but squirted the flosses and tidied up. I didn't fertilize as was due but intended to do it next week. It would have been the last one for the season. The big pond was at 71 degrees F and the 153 gallon at 73 degrees F. I'm into the hip waders now (no more swim suit).

3. Things only got worse from there, much worse. My fever was up to 101 degrees F on 9/18/03 so I stayed home, plus Hurricane Isabel was coming through. She REALLY came through. I'm sure you've seen the news of the flooding in Maryland. We didn't have that problem. A large tree came from the ground, roots and all, and landed on our community's power line. Power out, 6:01 pm 9/18/03. On went the aquarium automatic air pumps, battery light, and battery TV. Down went my health. Why wasn't I getting better? I stayed in bed a lot of 9/19/03. I surveyed the damage. We lost half a dozen trees to being uprooted or being annihilated when larger trees fell on them. All the pond marginals were down so I got in for a minute to upright most of them. My father powered up the generator a few times for a few hours each time to run the freezer, well pump, and my main pond pump. Power came back on 6:05 pm on 9/19/03 so we were very lucky. Some people still had no power 5 days later. On 9/20/03, I tried to do my 13 hours straight of cage and aquarium cleanings. I couldn't stop coughing and felt like I was going to pass out. I finished three hours late cutting corners and couldn't do my internet work. I did bring in my pair of paradise fish and their baby and put them in a 5 gallon tank until spring. On 9/21/03, when I should have been cleaning the house (two weeks worth as too sick the Sunday before) and ponds, I was in the ER. My mother took me in. I can't remember feeling that bad. I thought I had the flu or a bad cold that would go away but after 9 days, I was completely bed ridden in agony. I had strep and the infection spread to my wisdom tooth, eyes (pink eye, goo filling up my eyes), and ear (very painful) and probably elsewhere. Over the next few days, I took TONS of medications to try to stop coughing (couldn't sleep at all), for the pain, and amoxicillin for the bacteria and antibiotic eye drops too. I'm sure you don't want to know all the gory details about my illness but needless to say, I was sick enough to neglect my chores. The ponds would have to skip a week of maintenance. I realized how much we take for granted, like being able to breathe through our noses, not have coughing fits where you can't breathe and think you're dying, and being able to walk across a room with ease. I don't get close to anyone but family so I'm not sure where I picked up strep and pink eye but my case was about as bad as it gets until you end up in the hospital (I guess I did but they didn't keep me, after waiting 3.5 hours to be seen that is). Without antibiotics, I would have died. Okay, I know those of you who have been sicker than I are thinking, "What a baby!" So, I'll stop complaining. I work so hard and am under so much stress. I knew my body would revolt one day.

4. On 9/28/03, I wanted to make up some of the work I neglected the two weeks before. The 1800 gallon pond was at 70 degrees F, and the 153 gallon was at 71 degrees F. As the flosses (ok, filter material) wrapped about my two pumps had not been cleaned the week before and were due for a change anyway, I cut new pieces and threw out the old ones. I squirted out the Cyprio biothings somewhat. I cut out a butterfly bush that had grown in the pond rocks near the waterfall this year and was about 4 feet high. The roots could not be removed. I hope they do not puncture the liner. I also cut back a very prickly evergreen that had grown into that area. I was spooked when under the plants, I touched/bumped into the humongous slimy bullfrog sitting there! I cut back the water celery which had grown a couple feet over the waterfall and into the pond where the fish couldn't eat it fast enough to stop it from taking over. I tossed out another wheel barrow of water hyacinth and water lettuce which are really starting to yellow. I removed dozens of yellow and brown rotting water lily leaves too. I cut off some yellowing marginals. My plant debris pile was about 4' x 2' x 2'!! It will rot down pretty quick. I had been due to fertilize the plants two weeks earlier and had not. Checking the water lily feeding tubes, they all still had fertilizer in them. I decided to skip the last fertilization of the year and just gave 3 pills to the tropical water lily which finally had its first flower! I can't figure out why my hardy water lilies produce so few flowers. Things are really winding down, and it's supposed to get really cold this week. Next weekend, the leaf nets go on. Not too many leaves are falling yet, and I still have some frogs bouncing around. Hopefully, they'll go to bed by the time the nets go on instead of bouncing on top of them like trampolines. I added more pond clay, a first dose of Microbe-Lift Autumn Prep, and some more barley straw pellets to my big pond. My front mosaic pond was cleaned out and put up for winter. I tried to attack some of the grass that has completely taken over the mulched garden around my pond. I think the grass won!

5. The cold has come in. It was only about 45 degrees F on the morning of 9/30/03. For the first time since spring, the pond fish had no breakfast. They will now be fed just at 5:15 pm or so unless we get a really warm morning. In about a month, they will be about off food. I'm sure glad I got the paradise fish inside in time! They can't take it that cold.

6. We had our first frost the morning of 10/3/03. We pulled in dozens of potted plants but the basement under the grow lights was not set up yet so I have to rush to set it up this weekend. Then, I have to get my indoor pond started so I can pull in the few tropical pond plants that are still alive. I am still sick (spots all over from some allergic reaction, white stuff still on my tonsils, light cough, hurting ears, headache, weak, tired, etc.) but am fully functional at least!

7. Today, on 10/4/03, I did a lot of non-pond work and hauled the potted plants to the basement. In the late afternoon, I cut a ton of mint away from the edge of my 153 gallon pond and put the net on that pond. I'd forgotten how nets get stuck on everything and have a mind of their own! The wind has been blowing, of course, since the nets weren't on. Tomorrow, the 1800 gallon pond gets its net on! There was a baby pickerel frog hopping along the edge of it when I fed the fish. I also put fresh mosquito dunks in the fishless ponds.

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Web Sites of Interest:
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1. Jeff Daro (known as Benign Vanilla on the net) has a new site up on ponds at http://www.iheartmypond.com.

2. The Goldfish Paradise Society at http://www.goldfishparadise.com is a "global community of goldfish enthusiasts."

What's your favorite pond-related web site(s)?
Do you have a web site you want me to mention here?



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