Black Moor in front of a red fantail

A telescoped eyed goldfish that is Black. Black Moors (Carassius auratus), are very similar to telescope goldfish. They are extremely hardy and can overwinter outdoors easily, even in the north. Black and White Moors are called Panda Moors.

The vision of black moors are supposedly very poor. Feed little as they are prone to overeating which can lead to death within hours. Goldfish food is normally dry whether pellet or flake, as goldfish and koi quickly eat food it expands as it absorbs fluid in the stomach and can cause internal bleeding and death!

In the United states they are sometimes labeled as popeye or telescope.

These popular fish are found in most all pet stores and many pond stores. They are common aquarium fish.

the end of a snowman

 Now -  I promised you the water garden Easter eggs, right? Suprise! Some of you love them, some of you are put off by them. Frogs and Toads.  Both friendly garden creatures. The sacks or clusters of either frog or toad eggs in your pond. For most of you who cannot tell them apart ,you probably have toad eggs. If you are squeamish and want those so called “nasty things out of the pond” you probably don’t have friendly frogs all year, because those of us that do, love them.

      Hence, don’t worry about the clusters, toads don’t live in the water. As soon as the little black tadpoles develop legs they will leave the pond on their own, also bigger fish suck them up like a vaccum. How do I tell what animal is in the pond or laid the eggs? Perhaps you saw the adults. Toads are rough, normally lighter skinned, beige or brown, and look bumpy  or dry. Frogs  are green or brownish- green,  their skin looks moist and they are more likely to sit on rocks or lily pads all day and plop into the pond when you startle them. Toads will sometimes just start hoping through your  watergarden as a pond is simply a “public forum” to meet other toads.

Toads - often beige or brown, would rather live near a garden than in a pond

Toad eggs are masses of strands or strings of eggs.

Frogs stay near water, have moist skin. Sit on rocks or lilypads. Feed the frogs by throwing earthworms on nearby lilypads!

frog egg masses

The spring eggs we found growing up around Ohio and West Virginia were laid before the last frost. Some in March and fewer and fewer laid until summer. Sometime toads will even lay them in a puddle that may last only a few days.

They used to be called “poor man’s koi” but from some of the ones I have seen they can be much prettier than some ugly, non-culled, cheap koi.

Sometimes more blue or grey than calico with red or orange, sometimes heavily black with blue under the speckling and little orange, there are so many possibilities for beautifully markings on these fish!

Other times more white and orange with slight blue or black. They are available in most all the United States in pet stores and water garden shops. Also readily available on the Internet as they are less expensive as other fancy goldfish or koi. Excellent for small ponds or large. Developed in japan around 1900.

Black Oranda

Orandas are another fancy-tail – fantail goldfish characterized by a raspberry like hood or growth on its forehead area known also as a “wen”. Originally from China and Japan, these fantails have very little hump to their backs. Probably the most popular “cute” or “cuddly” looking goldfish. Sometimes they seem to have a  sweet personality like that of a baby’s face. They are available in: Black, Red, Red & White, Red Cap, Black & White (aka Panda Oranda), Chocolate, Blue (silver-blue), and Calico (amazing!).

As with any fantail, I do not favor adding them to ponds without decent plant coverage for protection. A favorite for families and kids, they can grow over 8″ long. Less cold tolerant than other goldfish species,  they have still been known to survive winters without the water freezing on the surface. Their “wen” may not become noticiblybulged until the 2nd year and very large orandas may grow a “wen” so large they are eventually blinded by the mass, though ,if treated properly can survive, rarely will one live long enough for that to occur.

Red & Calico

Bubble Eye Goldfish

Bubble eye goldfish “suihogan”  in Japan, originated in China. These goldfish are possibly a funny sight or perhaps a sad sight. Well developed sacs of air seem to impair some line of sight for the fish though it is said they are not affected I would tend to worry about predators sneaking up on this guy outside a tank environment. The sacs of air are very easily ruptured but will regrow. Over the back filters in aquariums are not friendly, as the sacks get stuck in the intake.

I have had a little success in years past outside with the bubble eyes but as with most any fantail they hang out so close to the waters surface I think birds and other prey find them an easy target. They have no dorsal fin. Very seldom found in pond stores, they will adapt fine in an outdoor pond though should be provided plenty of surface plant cover and submerged plant protection (anacharis, hornwort, red star ludwigia).

They come in many colors:  Orange, Red, White, Black, Calico, or Red & White.

Algae is the result of nutrients, sunlight, and water. As a pond owner, I never recommend algae products as it is a vicious cycle. A balanced ecosystem of plants and fish can lead to a simple pond to enjoy rather than fool with. The number 1 problem with water gardening is feeding the fish. Read on my friend…

Feeding fish before the water temperature is above 55 degrees is always a bad idea, in the winter fish go into a hibernation -like stage. Their stomachs are inactive. Pellet or processed foods are dry and if fish eat them too early in the spring you can actually rupture a fishs’ stomach ,as the food expands quickly inside the stomach and shortly after feeding ,your fish can go belly up.

Also ,before you plant your pond plants in the spring, you will foul the water by feeding the fish. Pond fish “NEVER” need to be fed. Yes ,every fish-food container will tell you to feed fish 2-3 times per day, but take a second to figure out how they make their income. . .  .  Fish can eat 10 times a day –they do this at fish farms. However, this is normally too much waste for a pond and the extra waste produces a quick bloom of algae.

String Algae

Fish, including koi and goldfish, naturally eat string algae and bug larvae and  insect eggs ,keeping mosquitoes and gnats to a minimum. Supplementing their natural diet not only stops that part of the natural ecosystem, but adds to the nutrients for algae. Adding Submerged plants can highly reduce algae.           Hornwort, red star ludwigia, lemon bacopa, and anacharis, all help starve algae and can even work in cooler water before floating plants like hyacinths and lettuce can takeover on the surface.

     Hello Fellow Water Garden Fans,   Tomorrow is the 1st day of March and the pond season is upon us.  Days are getting longer, we “Spring Forward” next week, and we are all impatient for Spring to arrive.  Zac has asked me to fill in for him on his blog as he is busy on his website getting ready for the 2009 season!  The  pond plants and water lilies that PONDMEGASTORE has to offer this Spring are simply amazing. 

Mr. MARTIN E RANDIG !!!

  Many of these water lilies aren’t offered anywhere else.    I like to plan what plants I will be adding to my water garden this spring.  I usually start with the plants that I will submerge to oxygenate the water.  Then I like to add bog plants to give some definition to the pond.  Last but not least, I like to imagine  the exquisite water lilies that I will add to my pond.  I try to give my pond as much bloom time and interest as I can.  By bloom time, I mean I add water lilies that bloom day and night.  I add lilies that have longer bloom times throughout the day and that bloom from first bloom til frost.  I add interest by adding complimentary colors with my bog plants and ones with interesting shapes (sword-like leaves, fern-like foliage, spiky blooms,  etc. )  Nothing is quite as peaceful as water lily pads and blooms  “floating” magically on the calm water.  It’s also exciting to hear and see splashing water from the waterfalls and the flash of orange, red, yellow, or white koi or other fish in the water.  Once your plants are established and your snails, toads, frogs and other creatures are making their homes in your water garden surroundings bees and butterflies will be visiting for fly-by snacks or to add beauty just by their presence.     Two plants that I will be adding to my pond are Orange Sedge and Pluumbae Taro.  The Orange Sedge is an aquatic grass that grown 14-18″ tall.  Its’ bright orange color and  narrow blade-like leaves gives unusual color and texture and catches the slightest breeze.  The Taro “Plumbae” has large, shiny plum colored leaves that can grow to 4′ wide.    The Sensitive plant  is a tuber that can be potted or floated in your pond.  It has numerous yellow flowers and leaves that close instantly when touched.  All of these plants should compliment my yellow  Water Snowflake flowers in the calm, shallow end of my pond.  My Moon Dance water lily will add interest with its’ white flowers and mottled pads.  Try to remember not to overfeed your fish.  That’s one of the reasons you might have problems fouling the water.  Your pond is an eco system and the plants and fish create a ”balance”.  We hope you enjoy  your water gardens and pond plants as much as I do.  Take care!  Think Spring!

Last thing you want to see in your pond!

      I would assume many gardeners are bird lovers and outdoor lovers  as well.  And if you are a brand new water gardener,  then you may not know that the arch nemesis of a water garden with goldfish or koi, throughout most of the USA, is the Heron. This is one birdyou never want to catch in your  fishpond, they have only come for one reason, your backyard buffet.

Small & very pretty green heron, Still gonna eat your fish!

In much of the country people don’t even know herons are in their area, they seem like large birds you may only find in th southern swamps. They are usually a protected species, some a foot tall, some four feet tall with a six foot wingspan. Found commonly hanging out next to water gardens in the early morning around sunrise or wading in the shallow end of a pond, a heron can swallow a 24″ fish and take off quickly. They love backyard ponds, as they are small, shallow, and the fish are usually bright colors, could we make it any easier for these birds? I don’t think so. . .  .

The Scarecrow I talk about, cost about $65-$79 as of 2008

Now winter is a very common time to find these birds in your yard. For fish to live, we generally keep a hole in the ice here in the north, with a pump or trough deicer.  These birds have less and less open water to hunt  and they easily see our water gardens open water reflect like a mirror in the sky. Lakes and streams with fish are iced over but we provide a tiny open space of open water, on top of that, the fish are bright orange and red or white or yellow. These birds will come back until the pond is empty, however we can keep them away pretty easy. A scarecrow, battery operated device is sold almost everywhere & works on all animals, it one in has a motion detector and shoots a stream of chilly water at animals that come by the pond. You can set one in the area in which it protects so that you can come up behind it without getting sprayed. Most people, myself included, forget about the device and normally walk right by it, and you  may get a little spray of water at your butt.   It protects the pond and after a few squirts the bird will stop coming around for good. 

Another option is a decoy heron, these birds are territorial, move the plastic decoy from one side of the pond to the other every 7 days as birds are smart and flyover birds will notice the decoy never moves, after a while. Make sure you have plenty of submerged plants, as fish can hide from the birds in submerged grasses like anacharis or hornwort.

Last of all, a small line of fishing line around the pond ,about 14 inches high, is invisible to the heron and they only way they can get to the pond is to walk in, when they reach your fishing line fence, they cannot move any closer to the pond and don’t know what is in the way, they will then fly off. The fishing line is not unattractive, is inexpensive and easy to put up .Once the heron is gone, you can take it down.

 E-mail me if you need help finding anything.

Have you ever seen someone tap their finger on the  glass of an aquarium? The fish jump, the sound waves scare the crap out of them. This is not healthy for fish, for some reason making loud noises affects fish negatively, causing them to become susceptible to bacterial infections and viruses. Were am I going with this? It is winter and if you have fish in your pond you probably know that a frozen over pond or water garden often has fish-kill, (fish that die during the winter). Some people think they see the fish under the ice which don’t appear to be moving are actually dead, frozen in the pond.

goldfish chilling out under a thin layer of ice

Unlikely– unless the pond is frozen to the bottom which may happen in North Dakota, Montana, or Upper Minnesota. Here in Ohio we only get the ice 3-6″ deep on the coldest winters. Though your fish can die with a quarter inch of ice, but they will not die from the cold. They die from both the lack of oxygen as they use up available oxygen in the water and no new oxygen can penetrate the ice. If your pond freezes over in Alabama one night and thaws the next day, it’s nothing to worry about– the fish are probably never going to notice, if you live in zone 6 and lower (maybe even zone 7) you should have a thermostatically controlled deicer in the pond over the winter. If it’s 40 degrees outside the heater won’t kick on so your electric bill isn’t going up. If it goes below 32 the heater turns on and off as necessary.

These pond heaters or deicer really started from farmers trough deicers, in fact if you want a good deal, head down to TSC  tractor supply company and get one cheaper than in most garden centers. They are also less expensive on line at some stores ($38-48). Simply plug it in and keep a small amount of the pond unfrozen all winter.

Other alternatives? Keep a pump running that will provide a hole in the ice. Often a pump upwelling from the ledge will provide a strong current upwards. It will however cool the water to a much lower level at the bottom of the pond. Also make sure your leaves & debris are out of the pond before winter, you don’t want your pump getting clogged when its 10 degrees outside and you having to go unclog it. A bubbler or aerator that blows air under the water will keep a hole in the ice as the water is always moving where bubble are coming up. These are sometimes more expensive or need attached to an existing pump.

Deicer keeps a small hole in the ice letting fish breathe

Finally, the best trick, if your deicer dies or it freezes over in a pond where you don’t expect it to simply boil a tea kettle, or any pot of water and one or two times per day pour it on the ice slowly creating a small hole. All the bad gases will escape and oxygen will get in. NEVER break the ice, your fish will get stressed and die quickly, every year I hear someone tell me I don’t use a deicer I grab my spud bar and break the ice. I have seen fish jump when an index finger hits the glass of an aquarium I can really imagine a spud bar. I have seen movies where they threw dynamite in the water and fish instantly surfaced dead as a doorknob. I imagine that’s probably close tho the same stress for fish as a spud bar or shovel.  

Last of all, I would like to disprove the myth of fish freezing in ice during the winter. Every year I hear this from people, “I can see them in the ice, they aren’t moving, they are frozen and come back to life when it thaws”. This is by no way true or scientists would be studying the first fish that did this. The truth is that as the water gets cold the fishes metabolism slows down to the point where the fish just basically sits in the pond with his gills moving. They are winter couch potatoes, go out every few days they will have changed position a bit and every thaw they will swim around a little.  The metabolism is so slow you cannot ever feed fish Nov-April. When I was young ,on the first nice day of  spring, I killed my favorite koi by feeding him.  I gave him a big old lunch of pellets and he gobbled them up as fast as possible, he was about 16″ long so he was a great size. His stomach hadn’t digested anything in 6 months, he ate a lot. It was quick, I had no idea what I had done. When he floated to the surface a few moments later he looked so stretched out It was easy to see what had happened. He basically burst from the inside. It was tragic. That’s a little about fish in cold water.