2013 roll call

2013 Roll call!

[tick] 1 blue orfe x 11 in (an original fish from about 10 years ago – and the last)
[tick] 1 x orange orfe (about 10 inches, grown from a tiddler)
[tick] I x silver koi
[tick] 1 x red and black goldfish – another survivor from about 7 years now – about 8 inches

The following were added in 2011:

[tick] 1 x baby gold orfe 4-5 inch now  

[tick] 1 x baby blue orfe about 4- 5 inch

[MIA] 1 x very golden goldfish

[tick] 2 x shebunkin both about 5 inches. One red head, one speckley There is also a third shebunkin!

2 x comets both about 5 inches. On red top, one red speckles (speckles lost almost white now)

[tick] And one baby goldfish now about 3-4 inches

Very sad Blog - end of an era

I started this blog back in 2006 as a single woman rediscovering my own individual iunterests.  It was menat to be a semi-ironic play on my strained relationship with my mother and the one thing we bonded over - the frog pond. I told the sdtory of how i could not be trusted with the frog spawn at my house and this beacme a metraphor for her regard of my abilities.

Well, mum is now in a home.  Her hosue is about to be rneted.  And I have been told to fill in her pond.

I know.  Not a big thing at all.

Went to do this and what happens? A frog jumps out.  I had a fish around but could not see any more.

Tomorrow a kind friend is going to do this for me.  I cant do it myself.

So there we go.

Frogs represent so much that I love about life.  This blog was meant to be about positive rebirth and the circle of life.  blah blah.,

An the circle closes.

see the Master of the RTub rear his head checking on the baby frogs as they make thier way uyp the side of the tub.....I can count at least eight in this photo.

ive grabbed a few anmd put them into the tbnk.  I put them in too early last year.

There must be at least a hundred baby frogs boucning around in the pond.

an exciting evening with the frog community

First, I hear a splash in the water tub.  I watch and there is a lovely fully grown adult frog in amongst all the tadpoles.  No idea how he got there.  Has he been there all winter?  Quite possibly! Although I would have expected spawn if so.  He seemed very at home and did not disappear when I dashed for the camera.

Then, down the dark end, where all the tadpoles gather another splash and another adult frog!

It’s incredible to think they grow from a mere tadpole into a 4- 5inch long creature…

I put the hose in the pond and raised the water level which gave the fish the opportunity to swim over the wire and into tadpole land…stupid me…yum yum said the fish.

And the tadpoles just LOVE munching on that lobelia.  If you look close enough you can see their little mouths working on the flowers.

Pond lily finally starting to sprout…garden looking green and luscious.

a new season begins

This is the best time of year . The cover comes off the pond; the fish start putting
a bit of vim in their swim and we get to see who has survived the winter.

Roll call!

1 blue orfe x 11 in (an original fish from about 8/9 years ago – and the last)

1 x orange orfe (about 10 inches, grown over last 3-4 years from a
tiddler)

I x silver koi – grown about 3 inches fomr last year and fattening up nicely. Look away Mr Fox

1 x red and black goldfish – another survivor from about 6 years now – about 6 inches

The following were added last year:

1 x very golden goldfish now about 5 in long.

2 x shebunkin both about 5 inches. One red head, one speckley

2 x comets both about 5 inches. On red top, one red speckles

1 x baby gold orfe -2-3 inch thin

1 x baby blue orfe about 4 inch thin

And one teeny little goldfish and 2 inches long - no idea where he came from!

more spawn on day 3

more spawn on day 3

check the photo sequence...

and today there is more!

How exciting! This morning there is even MORE spawn. From the same frog or a different one I wonder?

The spawn has arrived

First post of the season. The frogs have spawned far earlier than usual. Usually the Wednesday before the clocks go back so 21 March - about ten days early.

Still in the same place though. I wonder if any others will spawn? They always return to their homeland...

I wont do the fish roll call until then when I remove the pond cover.

Thinking about a nighttime visit to garner newt spawn from over Preston park but ill need someone to hold the torch. Volunteers?

The Fish Tank in Kemp Town saves life

A massive BIG UP to the guys at The Fish Tank in Kemp Town who have just saved the life of our goldfish.

He was sitting at the bottom of the tank unable to breathe.

We called The Fish Tank and they said he probably had a stone stuck in his mouth so we took him in.

A minute later the stone was pulled out with a pair of tweezers. The fish lives. Thank you.

that baby frog!

the mengele tank

One baby frog (possibly two) survive in the tank. Today I hunted for dead flies to pop in there. Have decided to leave them outsdie...just cant understand how they develop so slowly.

still need to do a final fish roll call. slipping this year.

Last night...fat frog sitting in the pond. feel so proud that he is MINE...birthed from my own spawn! wierd feeling! my OWN sprogs!

Slow developers

Very interesting. I was worried that the tadpoles form the tank were not developing so i transferred them all to the water barrel never saw another thing Then i found there were a couple left and they were continuinhg to grow but at a vastly reduced pace. Currently the is just one baby froglet in the tank but there IS another just about to appear. how amazing that its now october and yet the others all grew up and left 4 months ago

Then...i found two baby frogs in the water barrel the other day! I thought im not letting these ones get away so caught one and popped him in the tank

Lets see what happens next. I'd love to hang on them during the winter.

They go so fast

I cant believe its happened so quick. One minuite they are tadpoles, then they are growing legs and then…they are froglets. First there’s just one and then you spot another and another. Within 24 hours they are crawling up the side of the water barrel…just one, then two then three.

They will all be gone within a week or so. And I am always left with a strange sense of loss. Yes I KNOW they are only frogs but….

The curious thing has been the pace of development – the tank compared to the water barrel. The tank boys are still tadpoles. Dilemma. Transfer full formed frogs to tank or just see what happens?

new fish

new fish in the pond

1 x baby orfe 2 inch
2 x baby shebunkin x 3
1 x white koi x 4

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photos of new tadpoles

Tadpoles in pond slowly hatching...they are thousands of them! look closer!

That's the tank I put a few of the rescued ones into and above left is the water barrel where they will live as froglets

operation successful

Very exciting.

I took a few jugs full from the pond and put in the barrel but have to let that settle. Put a jug in the “water feature thingy” (WFT) and a couple of jugs in the fish tank.

And then lifted the tadpoles…..it HAD to be done…the fish would have eaten them otherwise….,managed to rescue about 10? Teeny ¼ inch tadpoles..put some in the WFT and some in the fish tank. Left about 5 in the jug where I could see them.

Now “down the other end” ..PAST the wire…you may remember there is a [collective noun] of spawn. You stare at it for a long time and you can see it wiggling. I haven’t worried about this, as you know, because they were the “men behind the wire”….BUT….i had the hose on to replace the water I stuck in the tub etc etc and I come back and all the bloody tiddlers are under the water….can tadpoles drown???

Common sense says no but then again…they were lying on top and wriggling around and now they are under water.

Am I truly the Karen Mathews of the fish world?

I stuck my hand into the gloopy mess and it came out with loads of them clinging to me….popped them into the WFT.

I’ve left some in the jug n the side.

Lets hope that - morale of miracle – just for once the teenagers dont come home and think they will ….tidy up

Anyway…we will see how we go….we have tadpoles aplenty dispersed amongst out various breeding devices…..

Fingers crossed.

I still have my mind on a midnight trip to preston park to catch a newt in a crisp packet.

And PS. Call me sentimental but it aint the same in the pond without that big old fish. To think that fox actually came and dug up the big daddy and he sat at the end of the garden and munched him. There are scales around the grave and I really have to harden my heart about it.

Tonight's the night

Tonight I am going to move the floating spawn to the barrel. It is starting to dissipate to such an extent that I fear it will soon disappear.

IAM nervous about moving it but I have not choice. It will be eaten otherwise.

The big collection of spawn is twitching away and looking excellent. I am not so worried about this as the fish cannot get to it as it is behind the wire.

roll call Spring 2011

Pond cleaned and ready for the summer.

2 x comet with red stop 3in approx

1 x slightly larger comet about 4in

1 blue orfe x 10 in (an original fish from about 8/9 years ago – and the last. There were 2 this time last year but one missing)

1 x orange orfe (about 10 inches, grown over ¾ years from a tiddler)

I x silver koi – 5/6 inch already showing the characteristics of the Pig of the Pond

1 x shebunkin (added 2 last year and only one left)

1 x red and black goldfish. (this must be 4/5 years old now)

1 x very golden goldfish now about 3in long. Found him last year

And that’s it.

Nervous

Apparently these spawn are meant to show tadpoles within 4- 10 days??? Last year was so disappointing. No frogs for the summer. I blamed myself for moving it. This year I have not touched it and still no action. And it IS starting to decay.

We also have the massive [collective noun] down the dark end.

I will go to Preston park in the dark with a crisp packet if I have to.

I want to build a new pond down the end of the garden and leave this one for the frogs. its not deep enough for reproduction.