my Zen Water Garden and Koi Pond

[The Grizz]

Originally Posted by kien

Thanks! Speaking of your pond, where is that build thread Mr. Fancy Sump.

It's still a work in progress, nothing but a small hole in the ground ATM. Build thread will come as soon as I get a chance to work on it some more.


Stay clear..... this Bear bites off limbs!!

[Toongraeme]

Hey, awesome garden! Wish that was mine lol.... Just wondering what you do with the plants during winter? And the lillies?

[kien]

Originally Posted by Toongraeme

Hey, awesome garden! Wish that was mine lol.... Just wondering what you do with the plants during winter? And the lillies?

Thanks! All my plants, including the water plants, are perennials. I simply cut back their foliage and leave then in the pond over the winter. They come back every spring.

[riceboy]

damn i just looked through this the next reef meet (when its warm outside) should be at ur place that backyard is beautiful

[kien]

Originally Posted by riceboy

damn i just looked through this the next reef meet (when its warm outside) should be at ur place that backyard is beautiful

Thanks!

[cbrine]

niiiiiiiice Koi!!! my parents are now on their 2nd pond (they upgraded to a bigger dug in one awhile ago) and they too overwinter theirs. Its waaaaaaaaaaay to much work for me (3 jobs, a soon to be 3 year old, and 3 dogs). lol my marine aquarium is all I am willing to deal with.
Where did you get your Koi from? They too after a few years of bringing them in for the winter just kept them outside and have a small wooden cover to help decrease snow buildup, use an deicer and a pretty strong pump to help with flow seems to work well for them. Interesting to see your set up (as always) since we do not see too many people with ponds and fish.

[kien]

Well, I think spring has finally sprung here in cowtown ! Of course it's only April which means there's still plenty of snow left to fall, but at least the sun is out and the temperature is above zero !

First order of business, water change! After a long and harsher than normal winter I could tell that the fish needed a good old fashioned water change.



Signs of life! Looks like my lilies are ready for spring too.



There's still another month and a bit left of over-wintering before I can feed the fish since the water is still quite cold. They're mostly huddled at the bottom keeping warm and conserving energy. Some of them have started to wake up and swim about more.



The last of the ice over the pond. It shows what the water looked liked under the ice covered pond. The pond definitely freezes over but there is a giant bubble of water inside the ice that constantly moves to stay liquid.

[michika]

Very cool!

[Dez]

Nice Kien. My pond finally defrosted again after re-freezing.

[BlueTang<3]

So you successfully winter your kip in the pond, how deep is it? Do u keep a heater or just water circulation? How often are you doing water changes through out the summer? After reading through your and Dez pond thread has me itching to build one.