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Fellow pond lover
We apologize for getting this issue out late, but mother
nature kept us pretty busy this month... with not one,
not two or even three, but FOUR major hurricanes
withing a very short time span...
For those of you who are counting, that was Charley,
Frances, Ivan, and Jeanne. We escaped relatively
unscathed (except for one demolished rental car -
thanks Geico), just lots to clean up and lots of boarding
up to do, and undo...
So this will be a short issue, but with a couple very
interesting articles on pumps, lillies, and how to start
preparing for winter. Enjoy!
| External vs. Submersible Pumps. Which one should you Use? |
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For many people, it's never been a question of whether
to use a submersible pump vs. an external pump
because most people have smaller ponds and are used
to just using a submersible pump. They're easy to
install, and are pretty reliable - so why even consider
an external pump?
There are a couple of reasons...
But before we go into that, let's briefly talk about the
benefits of submersible pumps first. For obvious
reasons, a submersible pump is named as such because
it is designed to be placed in the pond, and submerged
under the water.
These are the easiest of all pumps to install, just drop
them in the water and plug them in - and you're ready
to do. Of course, you might have some quick plumbing
to do, attaching a hose to the waterfall or to a
submersible filter (another article entirely), but other
than that - that's pretty much all there is to it.
Click here to read the whole story... »
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| Hand Feeding your Koi |
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One of the most rewarding and entertaining things
about having a Koi pond is
when your fish finally start eating out of your hand.
There is no better way to
learn each fishes' personality and temperament than to
have them nuzzle your
fingers when they are hungry.
The key to training your Koi to eat from your hand is
patience and
conditioning. Like any wild animal Koi have a natural
distrust for anything
that they think can hurt them, and you're plenty big
enough to do that as far
as they are concerned.
If your goal is hand feeding then you need to start
training from the very
first time that you feed a new fish. Of course, it's not
too late to start
training your existing fish, but it's easier if you start out
that way.
If you have been feeding your fish by simply
broadcasting the food on top of
the water then stop doing that immediately. Instead,
bring your feed bag next
to the pond and kneel down. Then, place a few pellets
in your hand, submerge
your hand, and let the pellets slowly fall out....
Read More About it... »
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| Cool-Weather Fish Feeding Facts |
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Last month, we talked about some warm weather
feeding tips for your pond.
Now that temperatures are cooling off in most parts of
the country, now might be a good time to start feeding
a wheat germ based diet to your fish, and feeding less
often.
Most 'Spring/Autumn' fish foods are primarily wheat
germ based, and easier for your fish to digest. As
water temperatures cool, there are less natrually
occurring digestive enzymes inside your fish, so it's
harder for them to digest their food.
Goldfish and KOI do not have stomachs, just an
intestinal tract that they use to absorb nutrients from
their food. However, if they eat too much, or are fed a
high protein diet in cooler months - they can get
backed up - and even become sick...
Click here to read more...
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