Halloween/Thanksgiving Hatch-a-Long 2019

[CarpCharacin]

And I was gonna put a net or something over it so they couldn’t get to them.

Predators can tear through a net.

And originally I was thinking of leaving them in it over the winter but I think it needs to be much deeper for that??

Yeah, it isn't deep enough. If you want to leave them in there for the winter, you'll want to make your pond 4-5 feet deep.

 

[muddy75]

i ordered the meyer assortment for my first 2 hatches. I hatched 4/6 on first, and 7/9 on second hatch. BUT I hatched 75+% cockerels

 

[ShrekDawg]

yes 85 is great for the 300....just make sure they don’t kill you in shipping cost (i pd 200 at RK for my 300 gal)

Neither of them seem to be on the website anymore??? It’s very weird. They were up there earlier then when I went back it wasn’t.

But yeah, I checked on some other sites and shipping was crazy. I may just buy in store.

TSC has it for $279 or the 150 for $165 or a smaller 110 one of a different brand for like $80.

Hey wait.... maybe I could wait till Black Friday to buy anything!? Maybe they will have a good sale haha

Predators can tear through a net.

Yeah, it isn't deep enough. If you want to leave them in there for the winter, you'll want to make your pond 4-5 feet deep.

Wait really? I thought I’ve seen nets recommended a lot to cover ponds? Maybe it was thick wire or something instead of net.

And I don’t think our frost line is that deep here. I think it’s only like 3 feet in Massachusetts.

i ordered the meyer assortment for my first 2 hatches. I hatched 4/6 on first, and 7/9 on second hatch. BUT I hatched 75+% cockerels

Oh wow I hope that doesn’t happen to me!!

 

[CarpCharacin]

Wait really? I thought I’ve seen nets recommended a lot to cover ponds? Maybe it was thick wire or something instead of net.

I lost a lot of fish to predators when I had a smaller pond similar to yours. I ended up having to put wire fencing over it to keep predators out, but that made it so the pond wasn't very enjoyable. That mesh netting stuff will maybe discourage predators, but it can't stop them outright. I haven't had any problems with predators with my current pond, because of how deep it is.

 

[ShrekDawg]

I lost a lot of fish to predators when I had a smaller pond similar to yours. I ended up having to put wire fencing over it to keep predators out, but that made it so the pond wasn't very enjoyable. That mesh netting stuff will maybe discourage predators, but it can't stop them outright. I haven't had any problems with predators with my current pond, because of how deep it is.

Oh wow that’s awful!! Sorry!

Yeah, I worried the netting or wire would make it no fun and kinda ugly haha

Maybe I’ll have to make a deeper one. I wonder though if having a lot of plants/plant cover and/or hiding spaces would help too though? I don’t think I want a ton or any plants in mine though but I see some people put lilies and all kinds of stuff in theirs which seems to cover the surface a bit and also give them shade

 

[CarpCharacin]

Fish will eat the roots of floating pond plants. Also, don't put rocks or anything in the bottom of the pond, they will collect debris, and make it impossible to clean. If you dig a deep pond, you'll definitely want to have a bottom drain, and maybe a skimmer, but a skimmer wouldn't play well with floating pond plants.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Fish will eat the roots of floating pond plants. Also, don't put rocks or anything in the bottom of the pond, they will collect debris, and make it impossible to clean. If you dig a deep pond, you'll definitely want to have a bottom drain, and maybe a skimmer, but a skimmer wouldn't play well with floating pond plants.

Thanks for the info! Curious though how people that do have plants do it then? I don’t think I want them but lots of people seem to have plants and they do well?

And oh yeah I would never do that. The rock one I actually saw a video a while ago about all the grime/sludge/bacteria and nasty crud that develops under the rocks and why you should never do it and how bad it is for the fish so I decided right then I wouldn’t do it haha it was disgusting what was under those rocks when they took them out. Wish I could remember what video it was.

And thanks! What would I do with the drain if it’s in the ground? Attach a tube to it? Sorry if that’s a stupid question haha

And good to know about the skimmer. I’ve seen people mention skimmers and/or have all sorts of different filters and pumps and tubing and stuff running everywhere and it kinda confused me tbh and also looked kinda messy/ugly haha

I just ordered an all in one one which was probably not the best thing but didn’t wanna mess around with a million different tubes and pieces of equipment and stuff haha I can always get another one later

 

[CarpCharacin]

Thanks for the info! Curious though how people that do have plants do it then? I don’t think I want them but lots of people seem to have plants and they do well?

I don't know much about keeping pond plants in a pond with fish, most of the pond plants that I've had, I've kept in smaller containers filled with water, without fish.

And thanks! What would I do with the drain if it’s in the ground? Attach a tube to it? Sorry if that’s a stupid question haha

The pipe from the bottom drain in my pond runs through the ground, below the pond.

 

[ShrekDawg]

I don't know much about keeping pond plants in a pond with fish, most of the pond plants that I've had, I've kept in smaller containers filled with water, without fish.

The pipe from the bottom drain in my pond runs through the ground, below the pond.

Ahh okay. That makes sense. Maybe they’ve just been lucky lol

And thanks! Do you think the drain on those Rubbermaid ones is good enough? How would I attach a pipe to it? Doesn’t seem possible??

 

[CarpCharacin]

And thanks! Do you think the drain on those Rubbermaid ones is good enough? How would I attach a pipe to it? Doesn’t seem possible??

You could get a retrofit bottom drain that goes on the bottom of the rubbermaid stock tank, and then drill a hole and install a bulkhead fitting in the side of tank. https://webbsonline.com/Item/94023