- Joined
- Apr 23, 2015
- Messages
- 239
We seem to be past our last freeze in 2023. So I've been adding some new plants, watching the old ones come back, and getting the pond going for 2023.
First up: Fatty is back outside.
Fatty weighed in at 6.6 oz in September when she went into the pond. After a health scare during brumination she came inside in January. I didn't weigh her then, because I was too focused on getting her healthy again. Not that she is going back in I weighed her at 7.3 oz. So through the winter and, more importantly, her 4 months indoors at 80 °F she has gained 0.7 oz. She took to the water immediately and is already the most prolific basker in the pond.
Speaking of basking. I got a couple large logs to go in the pond to provide an alternative basking platform to the rock and dirt tub that is up there. Both pieces are currently floating, but are tied off so that they don't sink to the bottom all at once and I'll get them positioned once they water log. The are already used more for basking than the platform has ever been. You can also see some large leafy plants that I put in the main pond. There is a cattail and variagated reed, both planted in those Aquascape cloth planting bags so the water can come and go, but the dirt planting medium doesn't come out. The koi (~20 or so total, mostly ~5 - 6" long) did just fine over the winter and are back and very active.
I now have 4 lilys in the same cloth planters. None of them are too big yet, but I'm hoping they grow out like the one I had from last year. One of them I attempted to drop into the deeper area of the pond, but the pot flipped, so its bare root hanging out. The water is too cold for the lilys to start growing in earnest, but when it gets a bit warmer in another month or so I'll get in the water and repot the lily at the bottom. I also got one of those floating food holders so that the turtles and fish have longer to eat the pellets before the skimmer picks it up.
I have seen Granny many times, just trundling around the bottom as well as a couple of map turtles out and basking. I havn't seen them eat yet, but with the water temperature still at ~64 °F I'm not too worried about it yet. I'm hoping that especially with Fatty being as active and outgoing as she is, I'll be able to see Granny and Fatty come up to the surface to feed soon. The map turtles still dive to the bottom and hide when the back door opens, but eventually I'm sure they'll start to open up a bit more.
First up: Fatty is back outside.
Fatty weighed in at 6.6 oz in September when she went into the pond. After a health scare during brumination she came inside in January. I didn't weigh her then, because I was too focused on getting her healthy again. Not that she is going back in I weighed her at 7.3 oz. So through the winter and, more importantly, her 4 months indoors at 80 °F she has gained 0.7 oz. She took to the water immediately and is already the most prolific basker in the pond.
Speaking of basking. I got a couple large logs to go in the pond to provide an alternative basking platform to the rock and dirt tub that is up there. Both pieces are currently floating, but are tied off so that they don't sink to the bottom all at once and I'll get them positioned once they water log. The are already used more for basking than the platform has ever been. You can also see some large leafy plants that I put in the main pond. There is a cattail and variagated reed, both planted in those Aquascape cloth planting bags so the water can come and go, but the dirt planting medium doesn't come out. The koi (~20 or so total, mostly ~5 - 6" long) did just fine over the winter and are back and very active.
I now have 4 lilys in the same cloth planters. None of them are too big yet, but I'm hoping they grow out like the one I had from last year. One of them I attempted to drop into the deeper area of the pond, but the pot flipped, so its bare root hanging out. The water is too cold for the lilys to start growing in earnest, but when it gets a bit warmer in another month or so I'll get in the water and repot the lily at the bottom. I also got one of those floating food holders so that the turtles and fish have longer to eat the pellets before the skimmer picks it up.
I have seen Granny many times, just trundling around the bottom as well as a couple of map turtles out and basking. I havn't seen them eat yet, but with the water temperature still at ~64 °F I'm not too worried about it yet. I'm hoping that especially with Fatty being as active and outgoing as she is, I'll be able to see Granny and Fatty come up to the surface to feed soon. The map turtles still dive to the bottom and hide when the back door opens, but eventually I'm sure they'll start to open up a bit more.
