After a fairly stressful morning yesterday with more internet problems and trying to schedule appointments I was feeling like the day was mostly wasted. I'd spent most of it inside and it was so sunny I was getting even more frustrated.
Finally the littlest gardener and I made it outside. Once we were out there I decided it was fish feeding day. The weather has been warmer and it's predicted to stay that way. It's actually unsafe to feed fish until the weather is consistently above 50 degrees. It has to do with their metabolism slowing when the weather cools. Feeding pond fish in an established pond is not always necessary. Our fish have plenty of algae, bugs and worms that find their way in. But, we always have fun watching them come looking for a handout. They are always a bit shy the first time or two in the spring, but after a few times they actually follow us along the side of the pond waiting for food.
Hungry Sarassa blowing bubbles.
A Comet and Shubunkin looking for a snack.
The littlest gardener having fun feeding the fish.
The one and only Koi.
Sarassa with his mouth open wide.
Here's a short video of the fish swimming around. It's my first time trying this so don't mind the crazy filming at the end, I'm not sure how to edit it.
While we were out there I saw some water lily buds too! I think today after school we will go get a few more fish for the pond. I think we may have lost a few over the winter or the raccoons have gotten them.
Your fish are gorgeous. We get to feed trout, not quite as pretty but every bit as keen on free food!
ReplyDeleteSo I wonder if my internet problem wasn't quite so personal. Drove me nutz.
Very cool that you have this element in your garden. Remind me to show you the crazy amounts of koi that were in the "pond" at the place we stayed in Hawaii. Hey, that little yellow flower your daughter brought you, could that have been Scotch broom? It looks much like pics I just saw. An invasive shrub but very cool bloom. Happy Friday!
ReplyDeleteYour video is just great, I love the little voice in the background at the beginning!
ReplyDeleteI really envy you the pond. It is something I've wanted but living on a farm the raccoons would never allow those fish to live. Sometimes I put a few water plants into a big container but it's too small for those lovely fish.
ReplyDeleteMarnie
The fish are great and I especially love the little smile on The Littlest Gardeners face as she is feeding them. Your video was good - did you do that with your new camera or with a camcorder? Another beautiful day and I woke up not feeling very good. Hate when that happens. Think I'm getting a spring cold.
ReplyDeleteLove the fishy photos! The video is great! I just posted my first video today as well. I hope they get these blog issues fixed soon! Have a great weekend and Memorial Day
ReplyDeleteI have always admired your pond but to get to hear the soothing sound of the water and see the fish swimming around and your little gardener's voice in the background was just a real treat! Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThat sarassa is really special! Is it a kind of goldfish? They all look so sedate swimming around. Very nice!
ReplyDeleteYour sarassa looks great! I'm eager to see the bud! Nice video too
ReplyDeleteI too am envious about your pond. It looks lovely,Catherine. Ive been too scared to install one( my son is the adventurous type and would not doubt have had a dreadful accident by now).I would like to have one in the future, in my wild bit....Ah gardening. At least we can always build the perfect garden in our heads!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful pond!
ReplyDeleteI can't wait until our little munchkins get older so we can install our pond. We bought pond forms just before I found out I was pregnant with our oldest. Here we are, 8 years later, with 2 pond forms leaning against the fence in hopes that someday we'll feel comfortable with the children being around a pond. My youngest boy (4) would certainly find ways to get himself into trouble with one.
I'm so glad I read your blog Catherine. I would never have known about temperatures and fish feeding! I still haven't added any fish to my little pond yet tho so I'm safe! I did just check the water the other day with a pond test strip and it came out better than I expected, so very soon... If not all your fish are Koi, what are the others? Just goldfish grown to giant size?? My neighbor warned me not to invest in expensive fish since the Great Blue Herons visit their pond and have been known to clean it out! I'm sure a raccoon could do the same. My water lilies are almost to the top of the water now so hopefully they'll provide protection if I wait until they are bigger?? Can't wait until they have buds too!! It's all so exciting. :-)
ReplyDeleteLooks like your little one is enjoying herself!
ReplyDeleteHow pretty they are! I enjoyed watching them swim thru the lily pads.
ReplyDeleteHow lovely to put the video on too - I enjoyed the sound of the water. The lily-pads have a wonderful silvery sheen to them.
ReplyDeleteSorry your day started out crummy, it always seems worse when that happens and the sun is out! Glad you had fun feeding the fish. They are impressive! Wonder what happened to the missing ones? Hope the raccoons stay away!
ReplyDeleteIt's like Sarassa is posing for you..lol! Cool video feature..easy to do? My peonies are the same stage of buds, too. Have a great weekend!
ReplyDeleteLanny - We've had phone, tv and internet problems for 2 weeks. It does drive you crazy after awhile. Your pond is definitely much bigger than mine!
ReplyDeleteMelanthia - I'd love to see the koi pictures. They are so pretty and can get huge.
You're right, it did end up being broom. I started having major allergies two days later when she brought a big bouquet in. I finally realized what it was. It is a pretty flower, but I know it's invasive.
Darla - Thanks. She was trying to tell me about something she found.
Roses and Lilacs - The raccoons drive me crazy, usually they just knock the plants in. If they have caught fish it's not very often, but I think they get a few once in awhile.
Linda - I hope you feel better! I had a migraine for most of the day. Lucky for both of us the weather should be nice for a couple more days.
I did the video on my camera. My old camera didn't have one, so it was fun to try.
Dirt Princess - I saw you kitty on the video. I love learning these new things.
Mildred - I thought it was fun too. I hadn't even thought about it until I was watching them swim and thought they looked better moving than just a picture.
Tina - It is a type of goldfish. They are very hardy and easy to have. They are so relaxing to watch. I like to find a sunny spot to sit in and just watch them.
Chandramouli - I tried to get pictures of the buds but they didn't look very good. Not too long and they should be above the water.
My English Country Garden - Luckily my oldest daughter is mostly interested in feeding the fish or using pond water to water her plants. I hope you can have one someday.
Renee - When you're ready to have one your whole family will enjoy it. I'm very careful with my little one. It's probably easier to only have to watch one than having to look out for several. Still I'm always a little nervous about it.
Kathleen - These are all basically goldfish. Most pet stores have them this time of year. They are pretty inexpensive, around $3 or $4 each. There are really cheap "feeder" goldfish, but they are usually unhealthy and don't live long. You'll have fun with them when you're ready.
frenchie4moi - She loves feeding them, they have a feast when she's throwing in the food!
Susie - It's pretty fun to watch them, sometimes they all swim in a big school and take turns leading.
Phoenix - These lily pads are really pretty, almost as pretty as the flowers.
Karen - Thanks! Now that everything seems to be fixed, we can enjoy the weekend. I hope the raccoons stay away too! The guy at the pet store today said a lot of people lost pond fish this year, because of the winter.
Lynn - The video was really easy, it took awhile to load though. You can just download it while you are writing your post.
Your pond is just wonderful. It seems very natural and the fish look so healthy. The lilies are doing great and it just the beginning of the season.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know about the fish and temperature issues. You have post such great info! The pond is wonderful! -Jackie
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful water feature you have in your garden. Love the fish shots, especially the bubble shots and the last one of Sarassa. Reminds me of the Far Side cartoon with all of the fish looking at the baseball on the bank.
ReplyDeleteThey look happy to see you now! Maybe this year they won't be as shy in the beginning. How fun~
ReplyDeleteDon't kids find fish fascinating!
ReplyDeleteYour fish are so pretty.
ReplyDeleteI love mine too. They are in a bathtub so when I go out there they all swim over to greet me(-: I guess they can hear the door open(-: