Hello From Leo, Indiana

[Bob Huffman]

I built a new 1200 gallon Koi pond back in May (replacing the preformed 200 gallon plastic pond that I had for 3 years) of this year, and I left the fish in the pond for the first time with many worries. I have followed all of the rules of not feeding the fish once the water temperature drops below 50 degrees F., and have kept the pond oxygenated with an air stone. Anyway, the fish are doing great; just kind of lumbering at the bottom (4 foot deep) of the pond. We have had an unusually mild winter here in northeast Indiana, the the fish have been just a little bit active on the warmer days. I would like to thank many of you who had previously posted on how to overwinter Koi, as I have read almost all of the posts on how to do so properly. I can't hardly wait until the water temperature gets back above 50 degrees F so I can see my fish buddies swimming to the top at feeding time.

 

[j.w]

Bob
Very nice looking pond w/falls. Looks like you have quite the asst of nice plants growing all along the sides. Some look like houseplants

 

[Bob Huffman]

Yes, the plant that is at the very bottom right of the picture is a plant that my wife took from the funeral of her sister who died of breast cancer 2 years ago. I am new to the forum, and I was wondering how I can put the picture of my pond as a "profile picture" instead of the Avitar?

 

[j.w]

Sorry to hear that about your wife's sister.
Not sure what you mean by profile picture. I think the avatar and the profile picture are one and the same. But then I don't know everything

 

[j.w]

You can make a showcase of your pond in the showcase tab at the top of the forum.

 

[Bob Huffman]

Sorry to hear that about your wife's sister.
Not sure what you mean by profile picture. I think the avatar and the profile picture are one and the same. But then I don't know everything

I figured out how to put the picture up. I'll play around with how to upload all of the pictures that I took during the construction process and build. Thanks for mentioning my wife's sister. She was a very nice woman.

 

[Big Lou]

Congratulation on having such a fine pond. As stated by JW, sorry to hear about your wife's sister.

Happy ponding Bob!

 

[Tula]

Very nice pond

 

[sissy]

welcome and yes it would be great to do a showcase of the building of your pond .That was a great idea to add the plant to remember a loved one .It helps the healing process .

 

[Dave 54]

I built a new 1200 gallon Koi pond back in May (replacing the preformed 200 gallon plastic pond that I had for 3 years) of this year, and I left the fish in the pond for the first time with many worries. I have followed all of the rules of not feeding the fish once the water temperature drops below 50 degrees F., and have kept the pond oxygenated with an air stone. Anyway, the fish are doing great; just kind of lumbering at the bottom (4 foot deep) of the pond. We have had an unusually mild winter here in northeast Indiana, the the fish have been just a little bit active on the warmer days. I would like to thank many of you who had previously posted on how to overwinter Koi, as I have read almost all of the posts on how to do so properly. I can't hardly wait until the water temperature gets back above 50 degrees F so I can see my fish buddies swimming to the top at feeding time.

Bob make sure you dont feed for at least two weeks after the temperature has gone above 10c then only small amounts allowing the helpful bacteria to recolonate the filters otherwise your looking at all types of issues .
As your koi are on the bottom I'd check their undersides in the late spring to see if they have developed any ulcers and then treat accordingly .
The best food for your koi at tht time of year will be wheatgerm and garlic NTLabs do a good one , the garlic gives them some protection from parasites .
If your pond is perfectly flat around its edges you may consider next winter buying policarbonate roofing sheets which are double glazed , we do theis and maintain a temperature of 7-9c throughout the winter even at -10c

Dave

 

[Dave 54]

Yes, the plant that is at the very bottom right of the picture is a plant that my wife took from the funeral of her sister who died of breast cancer 2 years ago. I am new to the forum, and I was wondering how I can put the picture of my pond as a "profile picture" instead of the Avitar?

Bob so sorry to hear about your wifes sister who passed away through breast cancer.
This same illness is a thing that has affected my own family in that my mother has had it twice and had a double masectomy and intensive chemotherapy to save her life .
Shes now 83 and has been 20 years in remission of cancer since then but because the Lymphenodes were removed has had to live on antibiotics which are very hard on her .
Val and I lost a dear friend 10 years younger than myself and who I had know since she was 15 years old, this was only two years ago to cancer and that wound is still raw to us because she was only 45 when she died .
I'd protected her from harm for many years and she was a little sister too me and it was so upsetting that there was nothing Val or I could do for her.
It broke our hearts to see her in so much pain and suffering, you see she had cancer of the osophagus which she found out about after going to the Doctor after spitting up blood in the shower two days after burying her Mum to pancreatic cancer.
Her Dad had cancer of the liver and died during his first chemotherapy session 15 years prior
She was a non smoker too .....
She left an older brother, and her 7 year old daughter (she was told she could never have), life sadly is so cruel


Dave

 

[RobAmy]

Very nice looking, welcome to the group