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I smell spring in the air
Topic Started: Jan 31 2012, 01:53 PM (849 Views)
tlc
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Awesome Melaine :cheering: ! Good score!! It's always nice to find a new "pretty" for the pond. Will you hook up a pump to the pump?
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43freckleface
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He had a pump hooked up to it so I think I will do the same once I figure out just where to put it. The one he gave me is kind of small with a filter box. The flow he had going to it was pretty slow. I have a couple of larger pumps that I could use. Just have to wait for better weather to figure things out.

Woke up this morning to snow. The roads are slippery and covered with ice. Accidents everywhere.
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Its Just Don
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Yesterday, it was above 65 degrees. Today, It is in the 40's, but sunshiny. I took this picture this afternoon. It is the pond at its ugliest, but there are four turtles basking in the sunshine -- one on land in the foreground and 3 on the floating mats of water celery that I tossed in the pond from the stream and lily pool last fall. The water celery is starting to grow.

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Can't see the turtles? Here's a closer view. Now can you see them? There are four of them.

Posted Image
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Its Just Don
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Still can't find them all? Here's a picture with arrows pointing to them.


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43freckleface
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Great pictures Don. So nice to see the turtles out enjoying the sun.

We had a couple of real nice days too. I checked the pond temp yesterday and it was 58 so I gave the fish just a small amount of food. Today was cooler but they were waiting for me when I walked up to the edge of the pond. I didn't feed them but it was nice to see them so active.

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frogman3
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Floating lunch for the turtles Don. How many turtles reside in your pond?
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Its Just Don
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Quote:
 
How many turtles reside in your pond?


I've lost track. There used to be between 15 and 19, but there was a year where I lost a few in one die-off and then I added two-year-olds from the aquarium in the house. I then lost a red-eared slider last year. I just don't know anymore. They hide so well, too. I'll have to wait until I drain the pond sometime to find out just how many are in there. A year from now, there might be 20 more going in as these babies in the house get big enough.
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wayne r
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Your pond looks great Don. Any idea how many goldfish are in there?

For some reason I was under the impression that turtles would be to messy for the pond by overloading it with TP.
Do you find that true or false? Or do you have to do extra cleaning ? Your water always looks so clean.
I might have to think about getting one. Actually I did put one in several years ago , but he flew the Koop.

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Its Just Don
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People think that turtles are messy because the only experience they have with keeping them is in aquaria and, then, they do so without proper filtration and are unwilling to change the water. So, they end up with a stinky mess. If goldfish are kept in an aquarium without filtration, the water has to be changed regularly or you end up with the same stinky mess (or dead goldfish). Turtles can continue to survive in the foulest water because they are air breathers and don't rely on oxygenated water to survive, so people are less apt to change the turtle's water. The goldfish in the pond are far dirtier than the turtles. The only real problem I've had with them is that they love to eat water lily leaves. If you have large numbers of water lilies and only one or two turtles, it's not a problem as the plants grow faster than a couple turtles can eat them, but I have quite a large number of turtles, so the poor water lilies can't keep up. That was the reason I built my lily pool and, it turns out, was the best thing I ever did as the lily pool is the most effective filter system I have. It takes water and detritus off the bottom of the pond and settles it out in the lily pool bottom, where I can clean it out from time to time.

I don't know how many goldfish are in there. I haven't counted them in a couple of years. When I did count them some time ago, there were, as I recall, 110 of them. I counted them by going upstairs and taking a picture of the pond, printing it out and marking each fish picture with a pen while I counted them. Since that time, I've given away dozens of them to other people with ponds, but, then, the darn fish also keep reproducing, though most get eaten. From time to time I see a smaller one that has survived predation, so I'm not sure what the population is now. I think it is time to get rid of a few more, though.

For sure, if you want to keep turtles, they need a surround to keep them from wandering off.
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tlc
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DP, your pond always looks nice no matter what the season is :)
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tlc
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Mine this morning :)

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frogman3
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Ouch, here I sit it's 8:30 pm and 70 degrees and you have snow...who would have thunk.
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Its Just Don
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T

Somehow, this time I'm glad it's you and not me. It was 70 and sunny here today. I had six turtles out basking today. It will be near 80 tomorrow. I hope your snow melts soon. :whistle:
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tlc
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You guys and gals deserve the warm weather you are getting. Enjoy it.
I was very happy to see the snow and I will keep it (although it's almost gone now). I really do enjoy the peace that it brings for us.
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43freckleface
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That is a lovely way of looking at it.

:thumbup:
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