Hi newyorkrita,
Could you use a deicer next year? I've noticed that my frogs die unless I use my deicer in my in-ground 300 gallon tank.
Its amazing how much gunk can form in the bottom of these!

I had some sort of gizmo that was supposed to keep a very small circle open. I guess it didn't work. We had much more snow than usual and it stayed cold and didn't melt off. I didn't pay attention to the pond when it was under snow. The year before everything was fine. Honestly, I can't run my pump all winter. Although my neighbor has a pond and thats what he did. He has two pumps and he ran one all winter.

Glad you got your pond up and running. Too bad about your fish. All of us who experience prolonged winters risk losing our fish and it is quite nerve wracking to see if they made it. This year my fish had to go almost an extra month before eating again and one looks a little worse for the wear. Hope she improves. What fish are you thinking of getting this year? BTW- I put a small mag drive pump in the skimmer this winter and it performed very well. Put the water return right under the deicer just in case the deicer failed. They are not terribly expensive if you may be interested in one for the winter. Don't forget to post some pics

Thats too bad about your fish, Year before last, when I had fish tubs as a water feature(waiting to build the pond I have now), I had brought them inside, tub and all, and had a airstone going in thier tub, and really enjoyed having some "closeup" time with them!lol! I was worried cuz they started chasing each other(it looked so aggressive, I thought they were trying to kill each other cuz of being too cramped!lol!) and I didn't know that one was about to lay eggs, so I got my pond built and put them in there, and now I have 6 baby fish too! I am really enjoying the long tailed goldfish...the poor mans koi!lol!

They aren't just for poor "men"! Comets are much easier to keep healthy and thriving and stay much smaller than koi.

More people should have them in their ponds instead of koi.

{{gwi:202278}}

Here is a picture with the pump and filter going today. I am planning to add new fish as soon as the water settles down.

That looks very nice, Rita! I love the way you did the rocks!

I agree about comets - I have about 14 now that went from feeder fish size to 6-8 inches in 1 year and I was able to hand pick the ones I liked.

Glad to see you back, Rita. The pond looks good.

The water is just about clear today. By tomorrow, it should be perfectly clear.

I just went to Petco this morning and bought feeder fish. 30 Rosey Red Minnows which I will put in this stocktank pond. Then I bought ten of their smallest feeder fish as they were cheapest at 15 cents each. But I bought them out of those and they don't have any more. So I also bought ten of their 29 cent feeders as they had many of those. By that time after picking the other two orders the girl was quite willing to pick out only the ones that were colored up and leave the dark ones. The 15 cent ones were already all colored up.

I really love Rosey Red Minnows and love to have them in the stocktank. They like to swim around in a school and rarely hide like the big fish do. My rosey reds bred last spring and I had a batch of babies swimming with the adults. But then my Shubunkins bred also and I had little goldfish.

So I will put some of the feeder goldfish in each of my other two ponds, which are the small 35 gallon ones. I use them as mosquito control. Can't put anything pricey in them as racoons do try and fish them out,

Then I will put the rest of the goldfish in my stocktank. This way at least I have fish. And I will buy some water hyacinths again for plant life. Anyway, I can always get a bigger fish or two later when I drive out east to the pond place that carries all the pond fish I usually buy.

I was floating the bags of fish and have just gone out and released them into the ponds. I really couldn't tell in the store but took a good look at what I had in the bag at home now just before letting them go. My 29 cent fish have quite afew in there with the lovely long tails like I like and some that are a nice deeper orange than normal. I put them in the stocktank. Looks like I did good. My big pond purchase today was under $10.00 total ha!

Hello neighbor! I'm also on here on LI in Nassau. Sorry you lost all your nice fishies, but your pond is looking very good again.

My pond is even smaller then yours, it's 200 gallons max. I also don't run my filter in the winter but I sure do run air into the pond. I use the largest Tetra whisper pump that has 2 outlets (I have 2 ponds next to each other) to keep a hole open. All my fish made it through the winter just fine. The ice never got more then 2 inches thick, but I did shovel off all that snow we got.

My water wasn't stinky bad this spring since during the fall through late winter I kept a mesh screen to catch the worst of the leaves. Some made it through but I could scoop them out without changing the water.

Most of my fish came from the Petsmart goldfish feeder fish bin and they are now 6 inches on their 4th year. Not bad for 27 cents a piece, huh?

I am in Nassau up on the north shore. I can look out my front window and see the water an inlet of of Long Island Sound.

I hate winter and didn't spend any time outdoors, especially when we had all those big batches of snow. The pond was totally covered for weeks and I couldn't see what was going on there. As far as I was concerned, it was on its own until the snow melted. Hate winter.

Sounds like you did really great with your fish. I do know they grow like weeds no matter how small they start off once they get out in a pond.

Lovely pond! Love the way it is nestled in the greenery. Bet the fish are happy to be out of those small crowded tanks.

I had to actually move two shrubs in order to fit the pond in there. And notice its at an angle which is too make it fit.

The pond water is totally crystal clear today. I can see all the new little fish even if they are on the very bottom.

So I was out at a local nursery that has a big pond section today buying plants. I decided to get two water hyacinths. Then impuse buy, I bought two fancy long tailed goldfish. Really pretty. I am so annoyed as I do not live far but by the time I got home and floated the bag, one of the fish was already DEAD!

Another view of the pond today.

{{gwi:202280}}

Too bad about the fish not making it, I think they run out of oxygen in the water? It sounds like you have a lot of fish anyways, I have 11 big ones and 6 babies...and they just went crazy the last few days, so I expect more babies on the way. I just LOVE going out there and feeding those babies of mine, who knew that ponds were sooo wonderful!?! I am "pondering" another water feature, just for the birds, a set of cement cast leaves flowing into a small pond area. I just don't know where to put it...yet....

NewYorkRita and Ernie_m,
I am also on Long Island. Where do you go for your plants and fish. Can you recommend any "not to miss" pond places?
Sorry about your fish Rita. This past winter was my first and I used only an airstone with a floating piece of styrofoam. Worked beautifully!

There is the best place in Northport.

S. Scherer & Sons, Inc.
104 Waterside Road
Northport, NY 11768
(631) 261-7432

I just drive east on Route 25A and then (in Northport) turn left into Waterside. Its on the right just a small ways down. Its a very pleasant and scenic drive plus there are two great nurseries along the way that I always stop at so its always an enjoyable outing.

I've seen their website at www.waterlilyfarm.com It is definitely on my list to visit but I haven't made it up there yet. It looks like the best place on the island.

Hicks nursery in Westbury is OK for plants and Pondmaster replacement parts, but I wouldn't buy fish from them as last spring they had none, and I saw their whole stock of tadpoles die off one year; before the die off I got two and one is still in my pond 2 years later (other one wandered off).

Starkie Brothers, Main St south of 109 in Farmingdale is lovely. I did get some Koi there last year. Lots of parts and plants too.

I get my water lettuce off EBay from Florida as it pains me to spend $4 a plant for something as they grow so fast I know I will be dumping into my compost heap a month from now.

Surburban Water Gardens
211 Burrs Lane
Dix Hills NY

is alother must see for Long Islanders.

Joann