On Sat, 26 May 2007 15:12:58 CST, ~ jan wrote:

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.

Yes, I thought I was approaching the too many and deep trouble stage
too, so immediately after the tour yesterday I removed the lily pots
and netted out goldfish for a while. I didn't get them all and plan
to take out more today. I gather I shall want a little more fish
density than you, since I plan on 15 mature, or growing long fin koi
as a max for my pond.

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?

Big stuff comes out at the first barrel that has a baffle to produce a
bit of a circular motion allowing the heavier particles to settle out.
The bio structures are pretty free flowing.

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.

Congratulations! I had a new experience this year too. My koi
decided to eat and destroy my lilies. I bought a new yellow this year
and haven't seen one open yet. I tossed several blossoms that
floated my way, still unopened. It wasn't all bad, I'm learning the
value of frozen garden peas. I tried them a couple years ago and the
fish weren't interested for some reason. They are this year, and
expend more energy eating peas than their regular Mazuri diet.

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.

My yellow iris aren't potted, just sitting on cinder blocks for water
depth and blocked in by bricks to keep them from falling over. I
think they seem to be a good nutrient absorbing plant for a pond.

Regards,

Hal