Wisconsin Pond Build

[herzausstahl]

Will have some new pics soon. I put a wire fence around the pond to keep my 21 month old daughter from getting too close. Also as a funny side anecdote, when I was 16 I had hair down to my shoulders, cut it a year later but always wanted to grow it back out but never did until I started the pond. That will be 3 years ago this June when it was maybe an 1/8" long, now it's well past my shoulders. We'll my wife & I just recently shared our 10th wedding anniversary and my oldest daughter was shocked to see dad with short hair. I asked her if she remembers me that way and she said no. Amazing how fast they grow up.

 

[herzausstahl]

Also does anyone have crayfish/craw dads in their pond? I was telling a local aquarium store owner about my pond and how the fish weathered the cold, and brought up my excessive string algae in the stream & he suggested putting crayfish in it to eat it. Curious if anyone else has voluntarily/involuntarily put them in their pond. If I decide to do it tho, I need a good excuse for my wife on how they got there naturally. she still thinks I imported the frogs I get.

 

[j.w]

For some reason I don't picture in my head any guys here having long hair. My hubby had it halfway down his back in the late 60's but now he can't stand it long and when he comes home from getting it cut I always say, I see you got scalped again!
I have an 18" wire fence around my pond also and then the net attached to that. Works good. No crayfish here but wouldn't they grab at the fish? Funny on your wife thinking the frogs were imported. Tell her the crayfish came in attached to bird legs maybe. Am I a bad influence

 

[sissy]

I remember my hubby getting his hair cut as it was always shoulder length and our 6 year old son was scared to death of him .He did not know who he was .

 

[j.w]

He will kill me for posting this so nobody better tell on me

 

[addy1]

lol great picture!

 

[Lisak1]

Also does anyone have crayfish/craw dads in their pond? I was telling a local aquarium store owner about my pond and how the fish weathered the cold, and brought up my excessive string algae in the stream & he suggested putting crayfish in it to eat it. Curious if anyone else has voluntarily/involuntarily put them in their pond. If I decide to do it tho, I need a good excuse for my wife on how they got there naturally. she still thinks I imported the frogs I get.

We have about half a dozen crayfish - we bought them and put them in the pond. Now we see them every now and again - they are the mystery guests in our pond! As for eating algae... eh. Not so sure about that one. I'm sure they do, but I don't know if they would eat enough that you would even notice. We've heard they also eat the dead and decomposing leaves and debris as well as any leftover fish food. In our pond they don't get much of the latter!

 

[herzausstahl]

lol JW that is pretty much the length mine is now. I cut it myself for over a decade and always kept it short, under an inch except for the few failed attempts at growing it out. But now I love it long and have no plans on changing it.

Here's the fence (I attached it with wire, my brother-in-law used a similar set up to create a pen for their new puppy and he used zip ties, think I am going to go that route in the future).


I plan to leave it up until my youngest is at least 4, but then might put it up every fall as an extra precaution for the rabbits who make it past my other yard defenses.

Here are some pictures of the last snow fall we had on April 14, had it been October I would have loved it, as it was, still had to admit it looked pretty cool.

 

[herzausstahl]

We have about half a dozen crayfish - we bought them and put them in the pond. Now we see them every now and again - they are the mystery guests in our pond! As for eating algae... eh. Not so sure about that one. I'm sure they do, but I don't know if they would eat enough that you would even notice. We've heard they also eat the dead and decomposing leaves and debris as well as any leftover fish food. In our pond they don't get much of the latter!

Thanks for the info. Mine would be collected from the wild from my parents land. Where did you guys buy yours? Bait shop? The guy I talked to told me that they would probably try to snatch at the fish but most likely wouldn't catch any. Plus I have all rosy reds they would go after in there. I would start by putting them in my stream which would really mimic where they can be found here.

 

[herzausstahl]

For some reason I don't picture in my head any guys here having long hair. My hubby had it halfway down his back in the late 60's but now he can't stand it long and when he comes home from getting it cut I always say, I see you got scalped again!
I have an 18" wire fence around my pond also and then the net attached to that. Works good. No crayfish here but wouldn't they grab at the fish? Funny on your wife thinking the frogs were imported. Tell her the crayfish came in attached to bird legs maybe. Am I a bad influence

lol bad influence no, this one though I don't think I could talk my way around. Would just wait for her to notice! Could be years!

 

[j.w]

Sometime in the distant future when she finally notices the crayfish the best plan may be to just plead ignorance or perhaps you be the one to come running into the house one day flailing your arms yelling, there are some kind of strange creatures in the pond. Then just mention they actually are kind of cute little things and oh look the fish seem to not mind them and wow they sure may have been the ones who have been keeping all the algae at bay......in which your final words might be........I think they should stay don't you honey (It's always best to make the other half seem as tho they are making the final decision)

 

[herzausstahl]

Lol I don't see any scenario working out that way. I would have better luck teaching my kids that mom won't like them so don't bring them up or pretending I don't see them when she does. Lol more likely scenario, she wouldn't notice them for a few years until the child fence comes down at which point I'd be honest, tell her how long they've been there and how they didn't harm her yet. Won't change her mind but at least I'd be being honest!

 

[pugle1]

Wow! Nathan... I can't wait to see the end result! That's a pretty big project.

Cheers!

Paul

 

[herzausstahl]

Wow! Nathan... I can't wait to see the end result! That's a pretty big project.

Cheers!

Paul

Lol thanks Paul. I'll never be done, there's always something to tinker with. I'm doing that now, but holding off pics until I'm done. My ideas usually start out vague on paper and adapt through the construction process. Except the stairs to my kids swing set, the only thing I took time to plan on it. Will post pics of that when I find/have time. Good luck with your bog build, I saw the updated pics & it's coming along nicely.

 

[pugle1]

Never be done?.. I know that feeling. LOL. next year is the skimmer project for me, but except for the skimmer, I'm hoping to have the perimeter of the bog done within a couple of weeks. The bulk of the plants will have to wait until next season.

Paul