On Fri, 25 May 2007 09:19:24 CST, Hal wrote:

gallons.... I have 1500 and
probably 50 or more goldfish along with 6 full grown koi, 6 last
year's spawn (8" or so) and some koi spawn from this spring that I
haven't been able to count. They are hiding in the 300 gal veggie
filter under the parrot feather.

Wow! That's a lot of fish. I also have 1500g w/5 adult koi and three 8-12",
and 3 that are about 4" and I think I have too many. I think I should have
no more than 8 eventually for good health. Granted water parameters are
great, water is tinged, I assume due to pollen, I can see the bottom. Yet,
having that many fish concerns me, not due to water quality, but crowding.
I have a new youngster in the Q-tank, so I need to sell one of the 12" soon
and catch the small canary out to put in with the new one. My goal is to
upgrade the colors in the lower pond, so more will eventually have to be
sold. This could include some of the new ones I just got depending on how
they color out as they age. DH suggested I might want to use that pond to
grow them up, sell and buy new babies to watch, tempting, but too hard to
get new babies and do the lengthy Q-tank stuff.

I use a mechanical filter as the last stage of my biofilter.

Shouldn't the mechanical filter be first? How does it work being the last
stage, what is catching the big stuff?

I finally won the 1st lily award (local club contest), it opened maybe a
day or two later than the 2 winners before who decided to let the plaque be
handed down. Sounds like a good plan.... unless we end up not getting a
first bloom till July in preceding years. ;-) This is the first year I
haven't had to divide every lily, so I think that's how I managed to win
this time. Gloriosa (bright pink) being my first bloom this year.

Yellow iris have come and gone in the lily pond, still blooming in the koi
pond. Blue and Native Charmer iris blooming now. All iris types need to be
repotted this year. s ~ jan
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Zone 7a, SE Washington State
Ponds: www.jjspond.us