Spring opening - 50 gallon in MA

[glutandpoop]

My pond survived its first winter - all the fish made it with the de-icer and I have Parrot's Feather, Elodea, and Iris already growing...

50 gallon Lowe's kidney pond, 20 gallon veggie filter w/ waterfall, 2 Tetra pond pumps for return and waterfall, respectively:
South-facing along a granite ledge wall - gets baked in the summer...

Plants:
Hyacinth
Parrot's Feather
Floating Hearts
Elodea
Water lily
Iris
Water Lettuce (brought inside and made it in a mini form)

Livestock:
4x 4" Koi
4x 4" Goldfish
2x Rosy Red Minnows
3x Trapdoor snails (brought inside for the winter)

Few Weeks Ago:


Last summer:

[Lia]

It looks great. How does the de-icer work?

[glutandpoop]

thanks - the de-icer was like $35 from Amazon - it only draws 250W, and just heats enough to keep the pond surface from freezing over - easier than trying to heat the pond over the winter...I was pleasantly surprised that all the fish (koi/goldfish/rosy red minnows) survived...
still waiting for warm weather...

[Lia]

The De -icer was a good buy if you have a M/F rosy red they will breed come spring.

Friend of mine in PA has them outside with black banded sunfish and come spring everyone breeds but she brings them in her garage during winter but that is still in high
30's.

[glutandpoop]

I love rosy-reds - $0.13ea at Petco and school nicely...I have some in almost all my tanks - they are good dithers for my Firemouth Cichlids and are always active - I'm probably going to toss them all together in the pond this summer and see if they breed...
Now I just have to convince the wife to let the turtle she's grown so attached to in our 29g indoor tank back out to the pond, where he is subject to the predation of coyotes, raccoons, etc.

[Lia]

Originally Posted by glutandpoop

I love rosy-reds - $0.13ea at Petco and school nicely...I have some in almost all my tanks - they are good dithers for my Firemouth Cichlids and are always active - I'm probably going to toss them all together in the pond this summer and see if they breed...
Now I just have to convince the wife to let the turtle she's grown so attached to in our 29g indoor tank back out to the pond, where he is subject to the predation of coyotes, raccoons, etc.

Lol no don't do that, the racoons will get him.

Just set up another tank inside for the turtle.

[glutandpoop]

Torbert the RES turtle made it all last summer outside - he's a circumspect little testudine...

[Lia]

Originally Posted by glutandpoop

Torbert the RES turtle made it all last summer outside - he's a circumspect little testudine...

Lol turtles are fantastic, as you know or your wife knows they do recognize the owner.

The best plant water there is is from a turtle tank so if you have any outside plants you particularly like or not easy plants the siphoned turtle tank water is fantastic.

[glutandpoop]

Originally Posted by Lia

Lol turtles are fantastic, as you know or your wife knows they do recognize the owner.

The best plant water there is is from a turtle tank so if you have any outside plants you particularly like or not easy plants the siphoned turtle tank water is fantastic.

right on - I use Turtle tank water for all my indoor plants - I call it "Turtle-ponics"(TM)

I also purchased some 1" Hex metal mesh to protect my pond from predation - this will hopefully keep all my pond dwellers safe from the 'coons this summer...

...btw yes our Turtles do recognize us individually, and prefer me to my wife, as I am the one who feeds them

[Lia]

Originally Posted by glutandpoop

right on - I use Turtle tank water for all my indoor plants - I call it "Turtle-ponics"(TM)

I also purchased some 1" Hex metal mesh to protect my pond from predation - this will hopefully keep all my pond dwellers safe from the 'coons this summer...

...btw yes our Turtles do recognize us individually, and prefer me to my wife, as I am the one who feeds them

Yes plants regardless of type love turtle water. My friend has a pair of Map turtles in a rubbermaid stock tank in her yard.
I was over there while back and while she was getting ready, I did a siphoning water change for her turtles and by accident sucked up some dirty water.

I never felt so alive and energetic in my life, it was wonderful, lol no I am kidding , I thought I was going to die but nothing came of it. It was disgusting.

However we did finish the water change and watered her plants.

[Sharpchick]

I love your rock work.

How quickly is your water warming up to start feeding regularly? I'm converting a 275 gallon stock tank to a pond, and was amazed at how quickly my water warmed from 58 to nearly 70 degrees in one week after filling. Of course, I'm quite a bit farther south than you are.

[glutandpoop]

thanks - I picked up a large load of fieldstone at my mother's, and used concrete and landscaping foam (great stuff) to hold the stacks together...
my water temps. are currently around 52degF - because of the small volume and southern exposure along a granite ledge, the temps. can rise quite rapidly on a sunny day...I am currently feeding 1-2 times per week, and only on the warmer days when their metabolisms are presumably speeding up - last summer I only fed 3-4 times a week at most, as I wanted to minimize the bioload...