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[Maryjf]

Hi, my name is Mary and I've been lurking and reading a bit for a couple years, but haven't posted anything. I live in central Pennsylvania and we moved here 3-4 years ago from western pa. I had made a small pond at our last home, about 6' by 4' and 3.5 deep with goldfish. When we were moving here I started a new pond right away, hoping to save my fish, but I had so many things to do, remodeling, making new places for my perennials (there wasn't any topsoil to speak of), getting a new job, etc, that I put the pond on the backburner, just digging a little at a time. So I just filled it last May, it's about 15' by 17' and about 4' at the deepest. I put some feeder goldfish in and they seem to be about 5-6 inches now.
It's a work in progress, of course, and not all it should be, but time and money are limited. I've been trying to find the famous bog-building post from addy1 with limited success. My concerns this spring are to find an inexpensive way to vacuum the shelves of the pond and to find a floating pond skimmer, because I feel daunted by the other kind. Also, I must find more plants to cover more surface, because the water gets dangerously warm in it's extra-sun position. Also, I need to "finish" the landscaping.

 

[Stephen Noble]

Welcome Mary! Many of us have experienced your situation...new job, move and life in general. You might consider a PM to addy1 and see if that helps. If not, someone will help you. What type of floating plants do you currently have? Again, it is great hearing from you and we look forward to your posts.
Stephen

 

[JBtheExplorer]

I've been trying to find the famous bog-building post from addy1 with limited success.

Here's the bog building topic. https://www.gardenpondforum.com/threads/bog-building.6894/
You can read through and any questions you have you can post. Addy or others should be able to help guide you through the bog building process.

 

[j.w]

@Maryjf

 

[Gemma]

and welcome @Maryjf

 

[Becky]

Hello and welcome aboard!

 

[JamieB]

Welcome!

 

[addy1]

I've been trying to find the famous bog-building post from addy1 with limited success

JB beat me to it. I love my bog filtered pond. I turn it on in the spring and can ignore it all summer without any issues. Except adding water if we are having a dry summer.

Welcome to our forum!

 

[Maryjf]

Thanks so much! I have visited a few threads here before, and have much admiration for you all. I tried to post photos by attaching files but it didn't work. Eventually I'll figure it out. I had good results with three hardy waterlilies that I planted in plastic containers in the pond last spring. I left them in the water over the winter, so I'll find out just how hardy they are. I would love to have a lotus, but I don't know much about them yet, except that they are expensive here (50+dollars). I had a water hyacinth, but it didn't do much, perhaps the small goldfish browsed on it, I don't feed the goldfish.

 

[addy1]

I left them in the water over the winter, so I'll find out just how hardy they are.

As long as they were lower than the ice they will do fine. They can die if the tuber freezes up.

 

[JamieB]

I want lotus too, but from what I hear, they spread like crazy, so I’ll do a dedicated lotus pond if I have enough liner. It’d give the frogs a place other than the big depressions in the drive to multiply. Which might increase my frog population, and reduce the bugs!

 

[mgmine]

"My concerns this spring are to find an inexpensive way to vacuum the shelves of the pond and to find a floating pond skimmer, because I feel daunted by the other kind. Also, I must find more plants to cover more surface, because the water gets dangerously warm in it's extra-sun position. Also, I need to "finish" the landscaping."

Why do you want to vacuum the shelves? What is on them besides plants? One thing you can do is put more soil on the shelves and then put plants in the soil. As for the floating skimmer, it won't do you much good especially if you have a lot of plants in the pond. You'll have something floating around dragging a hose along with it. If you want a skimmer (which makes a good place for the pump and an extra filter) then put a regular one in. It really isn't that hard. Just dig down along the edge, put the skimmer box in and attach the lining to the front of it. The scariest part is cutting the liner but if done right, which is very easy won't leak.

 

[Maryjf]

That's a good point about the floating skimmer. I'm concerned about the amount of organic matter decomposing in the pond, especially as it gets quite warm. I have frogs and fish. I also have a very shallow shelf on one side and I'd like it to look nicer. I had cosidered putting sand on it. I suppose I could do some border water plants. I lifted the most shallow lily today and it looks great, liitle leaves on it already.

 

[addy1]

I want lotus too, but from what I hear, they spread like crazy, so I’ll do a dedicated lotus pond

I have mine in a 300 gallon stock tank, they get fresh water from the big pond. That flows in from a garden hose T'd off the main pump and a small waterfall flow back into the main pond.

 

[JamieB]

How much do they multiply?