Filter cleaning and pump maintenance - it has been a long time coming. So, today was the day. Not something I usually look forward to, simply because we are talking 8 filters and 8 pumps! Got done half of it, and continue tomorrow with the rest.
But it was a beautiful day - filters are de-clogged, so are the pumps. Fish got fresh new water, and the plants got fertilizer with the green and dirty filter water. All around happiness!

Actually, the weather was wonderful today, and I saw the first leaves of my water lily showing up. The anacharis in the diy filter didn't make due to cold weather this winter, but the peace lilies did. I bought an umbrella plant and a variety of the taro plant yesterday, and the umbrella plant got properly potted, and into the pond it went. All my dwarf papyrus plants didn't make it, which was really upsetting to me, since they all came from one itty tiny plant that just kept growing and multiplying. So, this time I got an umbrella plant, which looks exactly the same, yet is a bit more cold hardy than the papyrus plant, and growing bigger as well. Not that my papryus plant was small - they were the dwarf variety, but due to the good "fertilizer" in the ponds they all made it to 6 ft in size easily.

The taro plant goes in tomorrow, and the rest of the ponds get their makeover. My two small calico orandas from inside went outside today and got greeted by my 3 lemonheads one 1 tricolor-soon-to-be-red-and-white oranda. I got some wakin sorted out - most get sold, and the few of the babies that I want to keep I needed to have a look at for fin confirmation and such.

All in all, a weekend just for my liking!

Wow, that's quite the weekend you had there Andrea! I only have three small tanks and three filters to do maintenance on, and it feels like such a chore when they need tending to! Your pond sounds like a lot of fun though.

I want to see pictures of your lemonheads! I'm a big sucker for them.

It sounds like you had a very fulfilling day! I'm sorry that you lost some plants, but glad that you found some good hardy replacements.
Like Joy said, we'd love to see some pictures of your fish! And the ponds... and the kitties....

Debbie

It is so good a feeling when something you don't look forward to gets started- even half of it, and a fine sunny day makes everything so much easier. I imagine pond maintenance can be a big deal but must be so rewarding when its done. Now you can sit by the pond and relax and enjoy the plants and goldies that you have raised so well (Give me a whistle and I'll bring over some iced tea and date flapjacks and sit with you..I wish)