Last Updated: 9/30/19

1. On 9/1/19, I did pond chores. The air temperature was 76 degrees F. The 1800 gallon pond was at 73 degrees F, and the 153 gallon pond was at 72 degrees F. I squirted off all of the filter materials. I added water and additives.

My koi, Alex, has been acting lethargic and hiding among the plants now for weeks but she is still alive. I do not know what is wrong with her but I hope she pulls through.

2. Alex came out of hiding soon after I wrote the above. She seems okay.

3. I did pond work on 9/8/19. The 1800 gallon pond was at 71 degrees F, and the 153 gallon pond was at 72 degrees F. The air temperature was 75 degrees F. I squirted off all the filter materials and the bioballs. I added water and additives. I bought some new diaper pins to replace one on the filter material around the auxiliary waterfall pump. I lost the diaper pin there over a month ago. I presume it went in the pond with the pointed end exposed since I had it off to clean the filter. I ran my hands all around as well as visually looked for weeks but never found it.

The pond keeps losing water too fast. I removed some water celery from the waterfall area where it is heavily overgrown. Then, I checked the overflow, and water was running out as I was filling the pond even though it was a few inches lower than it should be. I lifted up two probably 45-pound rocks in the overflow (and dropped them twice on my fingers). Then, I was able to prop up the low point in the liner with more rocks under it to try to raise the water level in the pond which seems to be lower and lower. That helped get the water closer to where it should be but, by the next morning, it was a few inches below that again.

The pond currently has snowball plant, giant papyrus, and pickerel rush in bloom. Only one waterlily is still alive with a single leaf, the Chromatella. The combination of increasing shade and rooty koi means my days as a waterlily keeper and lover are apparently over for good. I miss the flowers!

4. I did pond work on 9/15/19. The air temperature was 80 degrees F but it felt really hot. The 1800 gallon pond was at 73 degrees F, and the 153 gallon pond was at 72 degrees F. I squirted off all the filter materials. I added water and additives to all the ponds.

5. The 1800 and 153 gallon ponds were both at 68 degrees F on 9/22/19. I changed the PondMaster filters. I squirted off the Matala from the Biosteps filter. I squirted all the other filter materials. I added water and additives to the ponds.

6. Pond work again on 9/29/19. It was way too hot for fall, in the mid-80's! Both pond thermometers read 72 degrees F. I squirted all the filter materials, put in water and additives, and tidied up. I tried to get a bunch of leaves out of the ponds and near the ponds but there were so many leaves that I couldn't even tell! I moved the net that covered half the big pond over to the 153 gallon pond. I had bought a nice, new big net for the big pond. I pulled it out, and yes, it does not fit, not even close! And, yes, I knew the dimensions of my pond. I then pulled out last year's net. I knew it was torn but it was practically torn in half! In to the trash for that net. So, I ended up putting on the net from before that net. What was old and should have been tossed is now the best that I have! I couldn't find a bigger net this year but will try for a new net that is big enough next year! The old net was musty, full of leaves and sticks and full of lots of holes, mostly smaller holes though. The green Rubbermaid tub lid is over the biofilter with the net on top of that so I won't have a repeat of having leaves block the outflow of the biofilter because I forgot to put that on this year! When the outflow of the biofilter is blocked, water runs over the edges, outside of the lined pond area, and the pond pumps down to the pump. A few pond plants are doing well but most are in sorry shape due to the fish rooting in them, my not repotting them (lack fo time), and the lack of sunlight. All of my waterlilies are now dead. ;-(

E-mail Robyn Copyright © 1997-2024 Robyn Rhudy