Last Updated: 7/1/19

1. I did pond work on 6/2/19. The 1800 gallon pond was at 76 degrees F, and the 153 gallon pond was at 69 degrees F. I changed the PondMaster filters. I squirted out the Biosteps Matala pads. I squirted off all the other filter materials. I fertilized the waterlilies. I put in additives and topped off all the ponds.

2. I did pond work on 6/9/19. The 1800 gallon pond was at 74 degrees F, and the 153 gallon pond was at 71 degrees F. I squirted off all the filter materials and added additives and water.

3. Pond work was to be had on 6/16/19. 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 and the bioballs. I put in additives and topped off the ponds. The fish have been rooting in the lily pots. Three of the five seem dead. The other two are coming out of the pots. A dead (squishy) lily tuber was found floating on the surface of the pond. I should really give up on the lilies. I do miss the flowers though. Even without the fish, the lilies will no longer flower as there is too much shade.

4. On 6/23/19, the 1800 gallon pond was at 70 degrees F, and the 153 gallon pond was at 69 degrees F. I squirted off all the filter materials, put in additives, and topped off the ponds.

Later that night, I was watering some plants on the front porch when I heard a strange noise. Well, the groundhog, who I named Chewbacca (Chewie), was chewing away on the six bags of mulch. He/she ate half of the plastic away or rather hauled it away, perhaps for nesting material. The mulch by the pond is now all over with pieces of plastic because I never have time to actually mulch anything anymore! And, now it's hot most weekends and full of bugs so working in what is now two foot high weed grasses to try to mulch a garden is just about impossible.

5. On 6/27/19, I found a dead goldfish in the 1800 gallon pond. It showed no signs of illness or injury so it is a mystery why it died. The fish was only 4" long with orange back and white stomach.

6. It was hot on 6/30/19 but the pond work still had to be done. The air temperature was 86 degrees F, it was sunny and a little windy and way too hot. The 1800 gallon pond was up to 80 degrees F while the 153 gallon pond was at 76 degrees F. I squirted off all the filter materials, changed the PondMaster filter materials, squirted out the matala in the Biosteps filter, put in additives, topped off the ponds, and fertilized the lilies. Only two of the five lilies have any leaves. I think the koi and shade have killed all the other ones off. I try not to dwell on the loss. I took out the bluebells because the koi and/or raccoons had extracted them from the pot. I put them back in the dirt, put in a plant prop and some new gravel, and put the pot in a more shallow area where the koi can't get to it as easily. The golden club leaves were bitten off, presumably by the deer who went past or through my clothesline "wall" which, until now, had kept them away. At least these were at the edge of the pond so there was no evidence that the deer had walked in to the pond again.

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