In the past 6 months I've noticed people getting rid of their ponds. Wher
e I
used to see
ponds I now see grass or a garden. I notice most of the pet stores here
no
longer carry
pond supplies. Pond fish food maybe, and that's about it. I notice fewe
r
and fewer
people on this group. I wonder if they've given up their ponds. ?!?!?!

What's going on? Is the fad over for many (most?) people?
--
RM....
Frugal ponding since 1995.
rec.ponder since late 1996.
Zone 6. Middle TN USA
~~~~ }((((* ~~~ }{{{{(ö

ReelMcKoi wrote:

In the past 6 months I've noticed people getting rid of their ponds. Wh
er
e I
used to see
ponds I now see grass or a garden. I notice most of the pet stores her
e
no
longer carry
pond supplies. Pond fish food maybe, and that's about it. I notice fe
we
r
and fewer
people on this group. I wonder if they've given up their ponds. ?!?!?!

What's going on? Is the fad over for many (most?) people?
--
RM....
Frugal ponding since 1995.
rec.ponder since late 1996.
Zone 6. Middle TN USA
~~~~ }((((* ~~~ }{{{{(ö



Not me, haven't notices the same issues. Maybe people are trying to cut
back, not uncommon now a days. I do notice less activity on this board
though.


San Diego Joe
4,000 - 5,000 Gallons.
Koi, Goldfish, and RES named Colombo.

"ReelMcKoi" wrote in ...
1.
-In the past 6 months I've noticed people getting rid of their ponds.
-Where I used to see ponds I now see grass or a garden.
-I notice most of the pet stores here no longer carry
-pond supplies. Pond fish food maybe, and that's about it.

2.
-I notice fewer and fewer people on this group.

3.
-I wonder if they've given up their ponds. ?!?!?!
-What's going on? Is the fad over for many (most?) people?
-- RM....Frugal ponding since 1995.

I'll generally agree with you on point one.
On point two, all newsgroups are suffering, many posters
and lurkers have lost easy access.
I do not know about point three. My joy and activity with
our ponds (since about 1995) has decreased, especially
this year. Mostly with the damage racoons do.
So, I'm less likely to post than I would be otherwise.

(For a variety of reasons, I will not put 'grates' over
them each night to protect them, nor go to various
sensors & scaring or warning devices)

For each racoon, I only have to win once for them to
be perminently "deported".
But after "deporting" 30 it becomes clear that their
replenishment rate means there will always be new ones.

(The neighbors who thought racoons were wonderful
and really really fed them are long gone, but obviously
plenty others still feed dogs and cats outside.
One 'naive' neighbor saw a racoon scare off their
cat, and expressed surprise there were racoons around!!!!
Their cat has never returned. Personally I'm not sure if
racoons got it (??), more than likely coyote.
I find the increasing news stories of people being
injured, and pets attacked and killed, , , interesting.
Last I read they figured 8 million racoons are killed
on our nations highways every year, - and some get
teary at the thought.)

So, there will constantly be new damage.
And fish will continue to be lost, the longest I've ever
had one is about 2 years.
Whatever, It does not seem to bring as much enjoyment
as it used to.
(But maybe I'm just getting older and lazy!)

On Oct 10, 10:05 am, Joe wrote:
ReelMcKoi wrote:
In the past 6 months I've noticed people getting rid of their ponds. Wh
er
e I
used to see
ponds I now see grass or a garden. I notice most of the pet stores h
er
e
no
longer carry
pond supplies. Pond fish food maybe, and that's about it. I notic
e fe
we
r
and fewer
people on this group. I wonder if they've given up their ponds. ?!?!
?!

What's going on? Is the fad over for many (most?) people?
--
RM....
Frugal ponding since 1995.
rec.ponder since late 1996.
Zone 6. Middle TN USA
~~~~ }((((* ~~~ }{{{{(ö

Not me, haven't notices the same issues. Maybe people are trying to cut
back, not uncommon now a days. I do notice less activity on this board
though.

San Diego Joe
4,000 - 5,000 Gallons.
Koi, Goldfish, and RES named Colombo.

I've noticed few supplies at many stores, although I have wonder if
part of that is because you can get so many of the same items cheaper
online.

As for fewer ponds, there aren't that many in my area to start with.

Gabrielle
in southwestern Arizona

Our MS pet stroes are still carrying koi, a good sign of ponders.

No visible changes at Home depot either.

Jim

On Oct 9, 5:21 pm, "ReelMcKoi" wrote:
In the past 6 months I've noticed people getting rid of their ponds. Wher
e I
used to see
ponds I now see grass or a garden. I notice most of the pet stores her
e
no
longer carry
pond supplies. Pond fish food maybe, and that's about it. I notice
fewe
r
and fewer
people on this group. I wonder if they've given up their ponds. ?!?!?!

What's going on? Is the fad over for many (most?) people?
--
RM....
Frugal ponding since 1995.
rec.ponder since late 1996.
Zone 6. Middle TN USA
~~~~ }((((* ~~~ }{{{{(ö

We're still enjoying our pond - would enjoy it better if it were not
leaking!!!!! We still haven't found the leak and plan to install a new
liner, probably next spring. Hope the fish like the little upper pond
for a couple of days whilst we get the new one in. Won't move them til
the last possible time. Gonna be crowded in there.
On 2 acres the #%^$%@& branch could have fallen in another 10 x 17 ft
area, ya know? Last time it was a 3' round area with a beautiful
ornamental Japanese maple that lost a branch to a falling branch. Just
unlucky I guess.
Pond is crystal, gin, clear but much lower than usual. Fish are still
eating and happy, and we still have early evening cocktails with them.
I have seen no decrease of ponds in our area. Hope the supplies don't
get hard to find, but then there are loads of online sites, and the
big ponders are not going to disappear - they have too much invested
to just quit!!
Happy Ponding, Nan in DE

On Fri, 9 Oct 2009 17:21:27 EDT, "ReelMcKoi" wrote:

In the past 6 months I've noticed people getting rid of their ponds.

Could be the fad is over in your area.

It looks to be going strong here in the PNW. We already have many new
volunteers to be on next year's pond tour and the chairperson had the
advertisers calling her, rather than the other way around this year, that's
a first. We took last year off, perhaps people and advertisers noticed?

I do know that things like predators or fish diseases that wipe out one's
collection can be seriously disheartening. If the pond isn't easy
maintenance or life changes have made them more chore then joy, something
like the above can make people give up and sell out.

If I didn't have my son to put up the hot wire because of the raccoons, I'm
not sure what I would have done instead of... .

I also think the economy plays a part in purchase of equipment for old
ponds and the start up of new ponds. If there isn't enough of a turn-over
in a particular area they aren't going to hang on to stock because they
can't be competitive with the internet. ~ jan
------------
Zone 7a, SE Washington State
Ponds: www.jjspond.us

Would your liner be repairable? Lots cheaper if it is fixable.

You could use the let-it-lower-to-the-leak process and then the drop-
milk-drops-along-the-side-til-they-get-sucked-through technique to
locate the actual spot of the leak.

Jim

"Joe" wrote in message
...

Not me, haven't notices the same issues. Maybe people are trying to cut
back, not uncommon now a days. I do notice less activity on this board
though.

-----------------

The poor economy can be a factor.
--
Kelly..........
If you're a past or present resident of
NYC and want to share past experiences
and current events with others from NYC,
check out this free message Board:
http://members6.boardhost.com/QueensNYer/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"The Ajo Clowder" wrote in message
...

I've noticed few supplies at many stores, although I have wonder if
part of that is because you can get so many of the same items cheaper
online.

As for fewer ponds, there aren't that many in my area to start with.

======================

The stores here used to carry a lot of pond supplies and plants.
No more. Wal*Mart didn't even have water lilies/pond plants this
year. If they did it was only a few, they sold out and didn't get more in.

--
Kelly..........
If you're a past or present resident of
NYC and want to share past experiences
and current events with others from NYC,
check out this free message Board:
http://members6.boardhost.com/QueensNYer/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"a425couple" wrote in message
...
"ReelMcKoi" wrote in ... 1.
-In the past 6 months I've noticed people getting rid of their
ponds. -Where I used to see ponds I now see grass or a garden. -I notice
most of the pet stores here no longer carry
-pond supplies. Pond fish food maybe, and that's about it.
2. -I notice fewer and fewer people on this group.
3.
-I wonder if they've given up their ponds. ?!?!?!
-What's going on? Is the fad over for many (most?) people?

-- RM....Frugal ponding since 1995.
~ ~ ~ ~

I'll generally agree with you on point one. On point two, all newsgroups
are suffering, many posters and lurkers have lost easy access. I do not
know about point three. My joy and activity with our ponds (since about
1995) has decreased, especially this year. Mostly with the damage racoons
do. So, I'm less likely to post than I would be otherwise.

Where I live the predators are numerous and people
complained about their ponds being trashed. Fish
eaten etc.


(For a variety of reasons, I will not put 'grates' over them each night to
protect them, nor go to various sensors & scaring or warning devices)

I feel the same way. I had nets over the ponds that really
cut into my enjoyment of them. :-( It was also getting
to be too much taking care of them. Age became a factor.


For each racoon, I only have to win once for them to be perminently
"deported". But after "deporting" 30 it becomes clear that their
replenishment rate means there will always be new ones.

Yep! Remove one and a new one takes it's place.


(The neighbors who thought racoons were wonderful and really really fed
them are long gone, but obviously plenty others still feed dogs and cats
outside. One 'naive' neighbor saw a racoon scare off their cat, and
expressed surprise there were racoons around!!!!
Their cat has never returned. Personally I'm not sure if racoons got it
(??), more than likely coyote. I find the increasing news stories of
people being injured, and pets attacked and killed, , , interesting.
Last I read they figured 8 million racoons are killed on our nations
highways every year, - and some get teary at the thought.)


We have them here but with all the dogs around they don't come
near the houses. Our biggest problem was the herons, water snakes,
huge bullfrogs and large snapping turtles. Since I got rid of the fish
these predators haven't been around. From what I gather, the snakes
finished off the frogs, then left. There was nothing more to eat.
The fish were the big draw, not the ponds themselves. (2000g and
an 800g pond.


So, there will constantly be new damage. And fish will continue to be
lost, the longest I've ever had one is about 2 years. Whatever, It does
not seem to bring as much enjoyment as it used to. (But maybe I'm just
getting older and lazy!)

I know what you mean. ;-) Perhaps let the fish go and just enjoy
the pond itself. I find them a lot more enjoyable now and they're
a lot less work.
--
Kelly..........
If you're a past or present resident of
NYC and want to share past experiences
and current events with others from NYC,
check out this free message Board:
http://members6.boardhost.com/QueensNYer/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Nanzi" wrote in message
...

We're still enjoying our pond - would enjoy it better if it were not
leaking!!!!! We still haven't found the leak and plan to install a new
liner, probably next spring. Hope the fish like the little upper pond
for a couple of days whilst we get the new one in. Won't move them til
the last possible time. Gonna be crowded in there.
On 2 acres the #%^$%@& branch could have fallen in another 10 x 17 ft
area, ya know? Last time it was a 3' round area with a beautiful
ornamental Japanese maple that lost a branch to a falling branch. Just
unlucky I guess.

:: That's a real bummer. So far we haven't had any problems with branches
falling in. Our liners are still in excellent condition. One is from 1996,
the other
a few years younger.

Pond is crystal, gin, clear but much lower than usual. Fish are still
eating and happy, and we still have early evening cocktails with them.
I have seen no decrease of ponds in our area. Hope the supplies don't
get hard to find, but then there are loads of online sites, and the
big ponders are not going to disappear - they have too much invested
to just quit!!
Happy Ponding, Nan in DE

:: Each area may be a little different. There was a house for sale recently,
not to far
from here. The new owners must have removed the pond since it's gone. There
are only 2 of us left with ponds in this road as far as I know.

You can always buy pond supplies online. Sometimes I miss the fish but sure
don't
miss the work involved. ;-) I removed the nets and filters. I have a pump
in each pond to keep
the water from getting stagnant - that's it. I just shut them off today.
--
Kelly..........
If you're a past or present resident of
NYC and want to share past experiences
and current events with others from NYC,
check out this free message Board:
http://members6.boardhost.com/QueensNYer/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"~ jan" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 9 Oct 2009 17:21:27 EDT, "ReelMcKoi" wrote:

In the past 6 months I've noticed people getting rid of their ponds.

Could be the fad is over in your area.

It looks to be going strong here in the PNW. We already have many new
volunteers to be on next year's pond tour and the chairperson had the
advertisers calling her, rather than the other way around this year,
that's
a first. We took last year off, perhaps people and advertisers noticed?

I do know that things like predators or fish diseases that wipe out one's
collection can be seriously disheartening. If the pond isn't easy
maintenance or life changes have made them more chore then joy, something
like the above can make people give up and sell out.

It's probably a combination where I live. Most ponders I knew locally
complained
about predation. You know we have a terrible predator problems here. They
would
lose a few special pet fish and become disheartened as you said. I know one
woman felt as I
did, it was becoming too much of a chore - more work than pleasure. And a
dying
market for young koi and shubunkins. I was to the point I couldn't even give
away the young
fish. The shops said pond fish weren't selling like before. People's ponds
get overcrowded and
the have nowhere to take the excess fish. Few people like killing them. She
said they were
filling it in (leaving the liner) and making a bog garden.

If I didn't have my son to put up the hot wire because of the raccoons,
I'm
not sure what I would have done instead of... .

I also think the economy plays a part in purchase of equipment for old
ponds and the start up of new ponds. If there isn't enough of a turn-over
in a particular area they aren't going to hang on to stock because they
can't be competitive with the internet. ~ jan
------------
Zone 7a, SE Washington State
Ponds: www.jjspond.us

PS, I'm going to try a different NSP as the formatting of my posts here
makes them almost unreadable.
--
Kelly..........
If you're a past or present resident of
NYC and want to share past experiences
and current events with others from NYC,
check out this free message Board:
http://members6.boardhost.com/QueensNYer/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hi All,
I still have my ponds. It has been a rough year for me but the ponds
are soothing to me, even after the horrid visit from the muskrat!
Our lawn guy also installs ponds. He said that this year many people
have added ponds or enlarged their current pond. The phone guy was
here to fix the phone line and he said that many of the homes he goes
to have ponds, especially firefighters in the area.
My in-laws have visited our home many times this past summer,
something that never happened before (their visits were limited to
Christmas). They really enjoyed the sounds of the waterfalls and
watching the fish, also listening to the frogs.
It's getting time to shut the pumps down and I'm not looking forward
to the quiet.
Bonnie
NJ

On Sun, 18 Oct 2009 19:26:41 EDT, Bonnie NJ wrote:

It's getting time to shut the pumps down and I'm not looking forward
to the quiet.
Bonnie
NJ

Hiya Bonnie,

I was thinking of you the other day, though I'm not sure if I've got you
and the right pond connected. It was in regards to hiding plumping outside
the pond, did you once use silk house plants?

See my watercress picture, underneath is a large white elbow with 1 large
and 1 smaller ball valve connected to a black spray bar:
http://i973.photobucket.com/albums/a...closing015.jpg
~ jan
------------
Zone 7a, SE Washington State
Ponds: www.jjspond.us