"jammer" wrote in message
...
I also pulled out another WH, some roots, and about 6 bricks i had in
there for the toads. They can crawl out from all the plants now, i
believe. I dont see them in it very often now, but there are two young
ones (1 and 2 yrs?) out there tonight eating bugs under the still
rigged trouble light. I have been sitting here dreaming up this great
pond in my head. The toads have got to have an easy exit and the one i
have sure wasn't made for that.

Sounds like toad heaven!


I am thinking about cleaning out the pond and thinning the plants
about the 1st of september. Does it matter? What i thought i would do
is fill the kiddie pool with pond water and put the fish in there with
saved plants. Sound right? Then I will almost empty and use the shop
vac on the bottom and shelves. Then all tap and declor because they
are GF and i think they can handle it and that yr old water has got to
be funky! (no pump, filter, just plants and clear water with 2-4inch
and 1- 1 1/2 incher that escaped the round up last month?

We live in Michigan. I clean out the pond (mainly to catch out the fish for
transfer to indoor pool for winter) usually the second week of October. All
the water lillies have ceased blooming by then. I do not do a thorough job
of getting the gunk out of the bottom, as I usually find frogs and bugs
sleeping there. So, I scoop out about 2/3 of it with a plastic snow shovel,
and leave the rest for any critter that wants to overwinter there. I also
prune all the plants down almost to soil, so the dead vegetation doesn't rot
come spring.