[MWG] Today's Pond Q&A

------------------------------- Today's Pond Q&A In this issue: - WATER LILY PROBLEM - SICKLY WITH HOLES IN THEM - WATER LOSS - AN IN A DAY, SICK FISH, AM I A FAILURE? ----------------------------- Question> Live in Idaho lower SW part near Boise, our climate for summer can get rather hot for just a few days, average temp is 85 in the summer. Question my pond lily's look rather sick. I have a 6,000 gal pond, have cat tails, umbrella plants, creeping jenny's, and various iris all of which are doing great but my poor lily's are to be desired. This spring I did separate from 5 nice large plants to 10 new plants which all are very sickly looking, holes in the leaves, and very small. I did add fertilizer in the beginning, is it too late in the year to add some more? Our temp this past weekend dropped to 40 at night, so fall is in the air and winter around the corner. I might add I have gold fish and blue gill which are doing fine in the pond. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks - Gail McCormack _/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/ Discover the tips and secrets of the professionals... New eBook covers all important elements of pond building and water gardening -'Water Gardens Made Easy' is available now. Click here to reserve your copy: www.water-garden-secrets.com _/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/ Answer> Hi, Gail, What I would suggest is to use Microbe-Lift/Ensure to help them develop the root system. It can be used all year. It is too late for fertilizer if the lilies are not going to be put in a greenhouse. It seems there may have been some root damage in the transplanting. At first I am sure it was shock which would account for the small leaves. In the spring be sure to fertilize early. Plants should be fertilized every two weeks within the growing season, especially lilies as they are heavy feeders. With the Ensure you won't have to do as much fertilization. The Ensure works with enzymes to increase the plants natural ability to utilize the nutrients that are available in the water to develop the roots and build a stronger plant. You will also get more consistent blooms. I don't know what type of media you used to repot them, but I use either clay or a soil-less mix specifically made for water plants. I can't say whether the holes in the leaves are from insects or disease at this point. Hopefully it isn't anything that has infected the crowns. Clean up the plants and discard any yellow or infected-looking leaves now. Use the Ensure, and see how it goes. - Carolyn == Question> Carolyn, I wonder how many notes like this you must have received over the yrs... I'm near the point of giving up on koi, and pond keeping! I've upgraded my pump, my filter system, and removed plants from the pond. My water is crystal clear, with perfect readings. One fish committed suicide by jumping out of the pond... This was a youngish fish, less than one yr old, and it was only a few days after adding him/her to the pond, so I'm not all that surprised. I had another ulcer outbreak, with a death toll of one. This is after cleaning up the water, improved, and using koi-zyme and medicated food! Now, wks later I see another fish showing signs of an ulcer forming! trying Proform C, and hoping for the best. Over the week end I saw a heron flying VERY low across the back yard. I don't know if it had actually been in the yard or not... I had just returned home. GREAT! Now I'm afraid I have a leak in the pond. Where? I HAVE NO IDEA! I was hoping it was only evaporation causing the water loss, but the temps have been much milder, even down to the 50s at night, with highs around 70-75. We even had highs of only 65 over the week end!! I estimate it's losing about 1/2, to one inch a day... Give or take. Granted, I had planned on removing the plant shelf from the pond, either this autumn, or early spring... But now it looks as though I may be replacing the whole liner! That of course means a lot more work than just removing a shelf. I realize I could be seeing my glass, or pond, as half full rather than half empty... If I'm going to replace the liner, why not dig the whole thing deeper... Remove shelf... Add bottom drain... Upgrade to inline pump... Settle tank... Etc... I may. At the moment though, I'm feeling this pond, and the critters in it, are getting the better of me. I'm feeling a bit defeated. I love my little pond. I love my koi mutts. I'm not trying to raise show fish, just some pretty things to look at and feed. I don't like the idea of filling in the hole. I could always have a waterfall, and lily pond I guess. Then I wouldn't have to worry about the fish?? Ok, so I know I'm whining. I'm sorry. I just needed to vent a little. If you have any encouraging words, I'd love to hear/read them! I hope this finds you well, and again I'm sorry for whining. - George St. Onge == Answer> Hi, George! Great to hear from you again. Whine away. Is that red whine or white whine, .... maybe a nice cabernet?? Anyway, if you have a visiting heron, that would explain the ulcers-- they are sores, not real ulcers. Sounds like you are treating them exactly right. As for the suicide koi, some fish just seem to want to be somewhere else. I lost a lovely butterfly bekko in the 90's, very sad. He jumped out several times and each time I found him before too late, but alas, eventually if one is trying to end it all one is bound to succeed in time. Once they are all dried out there is no return. The bigger the pond, and the deeper, the more stable the water temps and the safer the fish will be. this is the answer. I too have been at the threshold of filling in the pond and growing grass, but so glad I never actually had to do it. That was the time I made the decision that I was in this thing so far already, why back out now? I took out a home equity loan and went for it! Got the pond I have now. Never looked back. This past weekend I was swearing up a blue streak when the dratted skimmer wouldn't catch again. It always loses prime when I clean out the prefilter basket. Takes me hours to get it going again. One of these days I will get someone to put a stopcheck valve on the line so maybe, just maybe, it won't happen again. My hedges are overgrown because nobody has been available all summer to help me trim them and they are about 10' tall. Way over my head. I am learning patience and tolerance, and to be grateful for what I do have. The fish are healthy. I got rid of so many of the magoi (basic black fish) and then they rewarded me by spawning! So there are just as many as before, nothing gained. I think rather than bore you further, just stop blaming yourself for what is happening to your fish. Look at that heron-- string some monofilament (clear) line back and forth across the pond at different heights to baffle the bird a bit, maybe enough to make him want to fish elsewhere. Provide some cover for the fish, and give yourself a breather. Gotta stop beating yourself up. Dig the new pond. Whatever you do, just start something, you will start to feel better. You are doing great. The water is clear and there is no ammonia, nitrates or nitrites, right? WHAT AN ACCOMPLISHMENT! Love you! - Carolyn == Happy Pondkeeping! Brett Fogle MacArthur Water Gardens www.macarthurwatergardens.com Â© MacArthur Water Gardens 1698 SW 16th ST Boca Raton, FL 33486 -=-=-=-=-=-=-=- This email is never sent without permission. You (or someone using your email address) bought something from MacArthur Water Gardens, or signed up for our newsletter, affiliate program, mini-course or requested a fr^e report.. 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Message Added: September 27th, 2005 at 6:00 pm