Pukin's Pond Pics (Part 3 of the saga of Pukin Dog's Koi Pond)

Pukin Dog

[Pukin Dog]

Welcome to the ongoing vanity saga of my new backyard Koi Pond. A while back, I created a frantic post after discovering that Great Blue Herons were eating my Koi, so I asked FReepers for advice. Later, after installing a "Scarecrow", an infra-red, motion detecting, water sprinkler, I created a second post describing my success in using this device to ward off the Herons and preserve my expensive fish. During that thread, some folks requested that I post some pictures of my newest pond.

So, after picking up a very cheap digital camera on Ebay, I started taking pictures. I am also an avid gardener (no Pukin-ette to keep me busy)so I also included some plants growing near and in the pond. These represent the best of the shots that I have taken so far. (DISCLAIMER) I am NOT a photographer, but I did stay in a Holiday Inn Express recently. I hope you all enjoy these, and I welcome advice for how to take better pictures.

I was supposed to still be flying this week, but after the way that my airline (and their computers) screwed up our feeder routes, ol' Pukin is free to come home and goof off on the Internet today.

Click on the thumbnails to see the full size images. Sorry about the ads, but ImageShack was the only way that I could post thumbnails instead of the full size images.

Happy New Years!

The bright green stuff is the water lettuce, surrounded by azolla and water hyacinths.

This is one of the two Scarecrows installed at my pond, which protect my fish from Herons, Racoons and other animals that might want to make a meal of my fish.

This is the pond from a side view, highlighting my first attempt ever to install flagstone and mortar.

This is a plant called "Salvia" which grows near the pond.

This is the view of the rear of the pond from over the waterfall/biofilter.

This plant is called a pineapple palm.

This plant is called a 'Peace Lily'

This is a plant growing in the pond called 'Papyrus', which grows over 6' tall.

I dont know what this thing is, I was hoping that FReepers could identify it for me.

This is where all the fish are hiding. I think the flash scared them.

This is a King Sago Palm (not a real palm tree, but a prehistoric 'Cycas revoluta')

Another hiding place for the Koi.

Almost got a fish on camera, but he ducked under the azolla when he saw me.

This is a close-up of a plant called 'Duckweed' (the little green stuff) which is actually the favorite food of the fish. They are 70% vegetarians. (but not Liberals)

This is a white Cyclomen, a favorite flower of mine.

[Melinda in TN]

Oops, the playhouse isn't in the picture. You must be talking about the toad house. LOL

[Pusterfuss]

Very cool. I like the snow shot.

Thanks. The water is three feet deep, and I leave the fish out all winter. (It will get about a foot to 18" of ice on it. I run a couple of bubbler stones all winter.)

[Melinda in TN]

Here is the playhouse aka tool shed and pond in early Spring of last year. It's still there but not in this years pictures. I make a lot of changes every year. I removed the Pennywort this Spring and it's contained in the filter now. It's so invasive that it jumped out of the pond and took off across the yard!

[keysguy]

Either one would be about the right size for mr. deeply saddened.

[Pukin Dog]

Herons keep coming, Scarecrow keeps zapping them. The Herons can see the fish from way up in the air. They cant help but to come down and try for a big breakfast. None have made it past the Scarecrows yet.

[showme_the_Glory]

I had a pond. I got fish. I got a heron. I got a BB gun. The heron went away.

[Pukin Dog]

12000? That is a HUGE pond.

[Pukin Dog]

Oh yea: you do plan on burying that hose, yes?

I am planning to replace the hose with PVC as soon as I feel like digging.

[Pukin Dog]

I see the hose but don't see a power cord. Does the motion sensor and solenoid run off of batteries?

The sensor runs off a 9V battery, which is rated for 5000 detections. I don't believe that, and have been changing the battery once a month.

[Darksheare]

LOL!
Sounds rather entertaining to watch.
Gives me ideas on making my own koi pond just to watch that in action.

[Pukin Dog]

I'll try to fix the link, and find those earlier threads for you.

[Yaelle]

Love your koi pond. You can get koi as tame as cats and they will allow themselves to be petted.

The widower next door made a little koi pond shrine with a lovely nude statue in it to honor his late wife. One of our cats is very fond of koi and did in several of his fish. We bought him a few replacements, but he has been busy thinking up ways to keep her out, successfully, I think now. With our permission. I think he even put something in that would jolt her a bit.

[Dooderbutt]

Beautiful pond Pukin! You wanna come over and put one in at my house?

[najida]

WOW!

What great pictures! It is sooo pretty, and I do know about Herons (sneak thieves!). I have a 2000 gallon pond that I have 'let go' in the last few years. It's still pretty, but I need to clean it up a bit. My cheap, 20 cent feeder goldfish are still in it, I see them every so often.

BTW, anyone want lotus tubers ;) (The joke being they are like aquatic kudzu).

[Pukin Dog]

Actually, the less light the better. The more light you have, the more you have to fight Algae. I didnt take a picture of it, but there is a huge UV Filter behind the bio filter to kill Algae so that the biofilter can remove it.

With fish in the pond, you don't have to worry about flies of mosquitoes.

[Pukin Dog]

Your pond puts mine to shame. Really nice work.

[sargunner]

Dog,

Real men don't garden, they cook like me.

Great pics Puke.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

Very pretty! A blue heron ate my friend's koi

Interesting. A møøse once bit my sister.

[reagandemo]

The guy that plays keyboards with me moved out to San Diego on a temporary assignment with Toyota. He has a great Koi pond back here and talks of his fish like they were family. Just wondering if that is normal for all Koi pond owners or just his quirkiness? I will ask him tomorrow night when he flies in for the gig.