This past springs project

[Jeff]

Usually every year, every spring, we try to do some sort of home improvement project. We've always wanted to put a small water garden in that would hold fish, so that is what we did. Our House is of an earth berm type construction, so we dud out part of the berm outside of the backdoor, cutting into a garden we had established there over the years. I found a way to tie in the old rock fountain/retaining wall into the new project, as well as build in a small water fall. 

We are really enjoying watching the fish grow. When we got them from the local meijers store, they were only about 2 inches long. In just a couple months they have have more than doubled in length and probably 4 or 5 times as heavy.

Here is a photo of it just after we started, followed by a video I took a few moments ago. My son Jeremy, and his significant other's daughter, and their dog Frank are also in the video.



http://youtu.be/uQYvDD02nRI

[Chuck White]

Really nice Jeff!   A+

What will you do with the fish when cold weather gets here?

[Jeff]

Supposedly they can survive outside. Our neighbor has some and they do. A small heater/bubbler is used to keep the pond from freezing completely over, as the gasses that build up are what kill the fish. Koi go dormant and quit feeding once the water reaches 50°  When you buy these fish this small, they are only a couple bucks a piece. They get to be quite valuable when they are bigger though from what I understand.

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

Cool! I love the big rocks. Looks natural. 

[crosscut]

 we did that was pretty cool till the otters and eagles found them. Then all we had was glittery orange poop all over the yard :D

[WDH]

I thought that I saw Marcell sitting by that pool  ;D.

[Dan_Shade]

Hors d'oeuvre for the pig roast?

[WDH]

If the Fishpharmer does not come and bring any catfish, well,............................

[Jeff]

We've only had to fish scooter out of there twice.  :D

[Dan_Shade]

it can be like bobbing for apples! 

forestry forum sushi!

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

We've only had to fish scooter out of there twice.  :D

I like the new AVATAR!    Who's the guy in the cap?  :D

[metalspinner]

That's a high concentration of puddin stones there.

I love that water sound.  We need one of those to block out the highway noise at our place.

[Jeff]

We found some local pudding stones while digging it. 3 of them. Not anything I had lost as they were over 3 feet down. Quite small here though. The glaciers had ground them up pretty good by the time they plowed through our area.

[Magicman]

It's amazing how relatively small projects can provide such a large amount of enjoyment.  I think that it is neat.   

[Norm]

I love the sound of the water running, very nice Jeff!

[blackfoot griz]

 

 

Jeff,
Your frog has been kidnapped!  If you look carefully at the photo you can see that she is safe in a remote location in Montana.
PM me and we can discuss ransom terms :D

[Riggs]

That's really nice, I can see some serious relaxing going on there.

[Jeff]

Well, our Koi in Tammy's koi garden have been put to bed for the winter. Hopefully they make it through. From everything I have read about, they should with the provisions I have made. The koi are no longer being fed as of about 3 weeks ago. On warmer days I see them picking at algae, and after one day wiht a big rain, I observed one of the smaller fish swimming around with half a night crawler hanging from its mouth.

I layed out a frame using some tamarack 2 by 4s and some spare awning pipe, then covered it with a product called "wildlife mesh" from menards.  Its only about 8 bucks for 700 square feet. It comes 7' by 100'. Its pretty tough. I can break it if I grab into the mesh and really try, but it is sturdy enough for what I want it for. To keep leaves and other debri out for the fall and winter. Its worked great for that. What leaves that fall on it  either blow off in a slight breeze, or if they accumulate some, I can zap it with the leaf blower and they are gone. Once snow starts, I have a a sheet of plywood to lay across the entire frame to help insulate and to keep the accumulating snow from filling the pond.

From what I have read, the big thing that needs to be done for wintering koi under a frozen surface, is to maintain a hole in the ice for the gases that build up from decaying organic matter. I removed as much debris as I could before covering, and added a floating thermostatically controlled stock tank heater that is meant to just keep a whole open. The waterfall and filtration system have been shut down, as that would contribute to more freezing by keeping the water temp low.  Enough oxygenation should occur through the stock tank heater hole, as the fish are already pretty dormant on these colder days between 30° and 40°.

We considered bringing them into the house, but not for very long. We wish them well, as they have provided us with a lot of relaxing enjoyment this year, watching and feeding them.



  

  

 

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

I don't think people realize, there is more to taking care of fish than what one expects. I know ZERO about your fish project Jeff but it looks like you've done a good job preparing your pets for the winter.
The whole water garden is gorgeous.....I'm not a fish guy, but I shore love your rocks and water, especially the plants. Looks really natural.

[Jeff]

Thank you for the compliment. We were rather proud the way our garden landscaping work looked this summer. We hated to see that first big killing freeze come this year. These pictures were taken just a week before that freeze.



  

  

  

 

[sandhills]

Don't know anything about wintering the fish but I can say you have a beautiful garden/yard.  My wife's parents have a big garden (we were married in it actually) and I know the work and time it takes to make and keep up something like that, excellent job Jeff.  One question though, is the pond deep enough to not freeze solid even without the tank heater?  It's hard to tell from pictures just wondering.

[POSTON WIDEHEAD]

Jeff's yard looks like one of those places couples wanna get married in.  Very colorful.

We could all renew our vows at the next Pig Roast.  :D  But all may not like the idea. ;D

[Jeff]

Anywhere else, it probably would not be deep enough, but right there close to the house, with all the great big rocks we have, apparently itslike a thermal battery. We have had flowers under the snow there in the past. Its about 3 feet deep at the center. Once covered with the plywood, and that covered and sealed in with snow, It should be like an igloo effect with the stock trough heater in there.

[Jeff]

I checked in on our Koi a little bit ago. I got down and stuck my arm in under through the snow and under the lid I made. There is absolutely zero ice on the little pond, and we have not had to run the heater yet. 



 

[Corley5]

That's  8)