Hydrant attempt #4 – Success

On attempt number four to install the hydrant on the irrigation line I finally had success. I had to resort to using screw together and removable plumbing parts. from the main line I connected a slip Union on to the pipe then a slip 1x1x3/4 Tee then to another Union goes on to the irrigation system. The 3/4 threaded Tee got a dual threaded connector which went to a valve. Off the valve was a threaded 90 degree elbow which is slip glued to an extension going to a union which goes to the rest of the hydrant plumbing. At first I had some leaks in the threaded areas but a little twisting and tightening quickly fixed it. The beauty of this system is I don’t have to replace the whole circuit if some parts eventually leak, just bits and pieces.

Being the sceptic that I am I still won’t bury the pipes for a few days just to make sure.

The fish are doing well in the pond despite a spike in PH and Nitrite and Nitrates. I added more bacteria to see if I can jump start the system a little faster. I also utilized my old ponds water fall filter to help with more filtration at about 200+ gallons/hr.

Expenditures this week for water conditioners, bacteria, medicines were about $100. I also bought an inexpensive PH meter on ebay. Much better than guessing at the color of liquids.

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Koi Food Pellets, Floating vs Sinking

After the heron visited the other day the Koi were spooked and would not come up for food, at least not while I was standing there. I had purchased Hikari floating pellets which eventually would end up in my skimmer since the fish would not come up to eat. I figured out that if you squeeze them once soaked in water a few minutes you can remove enough air in the pellet to make it sink. You can also crush the pellets so that smaller chunks sink to the bottom.

When doing this however you should make sure the fish are eating at the bottom. The food develops a mold like substance that can be harmful. Also the extra proteins foul your pond and provide food for algae or cause other water quality problems. Drop them near your bottom drain so it can pull out uneaten food.

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Rock on a Roll

In my quest to find ways to finish the raised pond sides I found a forum discussion where someone had used rock on a roll. So I found the manufacturers website rock-on-a-roll.com and did a little research. Those who have used it had good things to say about it.

The manufacturers description:

“Rock-on-a-Roll is a flexible material that has the look and texture of natural stone. It conforms to any shape, allowing you to hide pond liner, skimmers, filters and hoses without piling up lots and lots of boulders.”

So I ordered a couple of rolls in the slate grey tone. True to description it does have the appearance of stone, is flexible, and is easy to cut. It comes in 3’x8′ sheets but can be made in various sizes.

I installed it on one side of the pond such that it sits under the blue stone caps and is buried in the ground with about 6-8 inches showing. Kind of looks like stucco with a bit more texture. It does look somewhat artificial next to real stone. I am going to let it get dirty somewhat before I take it off to see if it gets more convincing. I also need to figure out how to treat the corners. In the long run I could add plantings to the sides of my pond so that area would be barely seen and less emphasized.

I give this product a 6 out of 10. Perhaps it will grow on me. But if you are looking for a real stone look, this is not the product you want. Price $30 for 8’x3′ panel. Two colors available.

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More plants

To continue the spending spree this weekend I went to Pikes Nursery again to get a few more plants for the bog and upper bed area. I only spent about $70 on 6 plants, mulch, and some water clarifier which I knew I would need after all the plant dirt washed from the bog to lower pond.

For the bog:
Anemopsis Clailifornica (Yerba Mansa)- Perenial with large waxy gray green leaves and little white flowers in summer. Grows to about 12 inches and is planted 0-6″ deep in water. UPDATE 06/11 – did not do well in moving water, still alive but did not thrive. Mar2012, Moved to a still water bog planter and it has done better, bloomed once in spring.

Chameleon Plant (Houttuynia corda. Variegata) – Verigated red, green, pink and yellow heart shaped leaves. Has delicate white flowers in summer. Update 06/11 did ok but not as well as hoped.

Miniature Cattails (Typha minima) – Small cattail which only gets about 1 foot tall. UPDATE – died.

Red Stemmed Parrots Feathr (Myriophyllum brasilienis) – blue green lacy folliage on red stems. Usually an under water plant but it can also be planted at the surface. Good oxygenator. I am hoping it will spread quickly and cascade over the falls some. UPDATE – Did not do well in moving water, moved to pond, koi ate it.

You can learn more about these water plants at www.pondtrend.com see the catalog

For the raised bed:

Sweet Woodruff (Galium odoratum)- Dark green leaves and small white flowers and thrives in shade. considered a ground cover. UPDATE – thriving despite infrequent watering and hot temps.

I also added a Hosta near the base of the Japanese maple but do not know the variety. It has dark leaves with white edges. UPDATE Thriving and blooming.

My other plants seem to be thriving except the white azaleas. I went too long without watering. Seems the weather men have not been very accurate with their rain forecasts lately. I did add some dark mulch on the raised bed to help retain moisture. UPDATE Azaleas all died, may be something to do with being under the bradford pear tree or too close to the bog where the pond water tends to be splashed by the birds creating a constant damp area.

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More Koi

Two koi is never enough so I went to visit another Koi store in the metro Atlanta area. I had seen ads for Splendor Koi in Marietta, GA; so I decided to take a road trip to see what they had. Splendor Koi has the best selection of fish in the metro Atlanta area. They have everything from tiny babies 2-3 inches up to some very large koi. Worth a visit if you live nearby. The staff is friendly , the store well stocked, and organized. Good selection of equipment and other pond supplies.

I could easily have spent thousands of dollars there but went hoping to find a few small fish. I picked up a 7-8 inch Asagi (my favorite type of Koi), one 3 inch gin rin platinum ogon, one 3 inch yamabuki ogon, and a 3 inch sanke. All were nicely formed and a fair price after a little bit of haggling. I am sure I will return to buy more in the future. Todays purchase: $220

I also purchased Microbe Lift Defoamer. that stuff works great for getting rid of foam due to excess proteins. $27.99 for a large bottle, but you only need a little.

Also went to petsmart and purchased some water conditioner to reduce my nitrates ($16).

A fairly expensive day but I now have at least one of each of the major types of fish that I want. I will eventually add a shiro utsuri, a tancho, and perhaps a goromo.

UPDATE: the Platinum Ogon and sanke both died of bacterial infections. It was a wake up call to get rid of my bog filter.

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Amazon carries this Defoamer cheaper if you need some. $5.98 for 8 oz.
Aquascape 8 oz Feature Foam FreeTM

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Waterco Multicyclone and Dead algae

How much gunk does the waterco multicyclone prefilter remove in just a few days? I emptied it on Sunday and it collected this much by Wednesday. Looks like mostly dead algae.

waterco muticylone collecting debris and dead algae after 3 days.

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The Heron strikes again

I uncovered the pond for a little while so I could enjoy the fish today. Then I went back inside to work. At 3:45 I decided to take a small break before my 4:00 meeting. When I glanced out the window I thought I saw a goose or swan in the pond. But as I ran out I realized it was my old nemesis the Heron. He was standing or possibly swimming on/above the plant shelf which is 2 feet deep. As I ran out, he managed to jump out of the water and fly away.

The fish seem ok if not a little spooked. Fortunately they tend to hide in the deepest part of the pond under a plumbing pipe.

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My Koi

The fish seem to be healthy again and were sitting in the sunny part of the pond today near the bottom drain.

I was able to take this image but it is not very good quality since there are overhead reflections and the fish are at the bottom. There is some water discoloration which gives the fish a tea color. I tried to clean it up a bit in Photoshop but there are too many variables. The white-ish object you see to the right is a 2inch 90 degree elbow on my retrofit bottom drain. They like to hide out under its piping.

PondJournals.com Koi
top: Kujaku (noname) bottom: Gin Rin Kuhaku butterfly Koi (Dancer)

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Deluxe Pond Net

While standing at the bus stop with my children yesterday one of the other neighbor kids pointed to the sky and exclaimed “Bird”. Expecting to see a hawk or cardinal, I glanced upward. Flying at about 50 feet above us and in a path parallel to my pond was a large blue heron.

Fortunately I had just ordered a net for the pond. Instead of opting for the cheap bird netting with 1/2 holes I ordered a custom net with small holes which also offers about 40% shading to help reduce light needed for algae. The net is 8×10 and has a binding around the edges with gromets every two feet. I used nylon rope and tent stakes to hold it down. That should deter most any critter.

It reduces my ability to see fish easily but the protection for when I am not home is far more desirable. It will be nice in the fall too when the Bradford pear tree starts losing its leaves.

I ordered the net from Wakoola watergardens who ordered it from DeWitt Company. Cost $80 including shipping plus another $20 for the metal tent stakes and nylon rope. It took about 45 minutes to install.

Pond with net in May 2011. Plants filling in in the bog.

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