I cleaned my pond yesterday. The warm spring has let the algae get ahead of the other pond plants. But it’s weakening. The other pond plants are actively growing now, and are sucking the nutrients out of the water. That leaves nothing for the algae, and it starves to death.
On Thursday when I came home, my new Panama Pacific waterlily had been dislodged from its pot. I think it was just the two-year-old girl from two houses down. She likes to dip the leaf-skimming net into the water. It was an honest mistake.
But then yesterday morning when I went out to clean the pond, there was a fish-catching net lying near the pond. Did someone kidnap some of my fish? Yes. Yes, they did. My biggest fish is gone. It was a bright orange one. I think others are gone as well. I didn’t do a count, but the fish I see all seem too small. Someone took all my big goldfish.
Not all my fish are gone, though, so at least there’s that.
When I cleaned this time, I pulled out a lot of the anacharis plants that were growing in the main pool. The clump was becoming monstrous.
BEFORE:
AFTER:
I am mad about the fish theft. Didn’t some guy talk to you about your fish before? Was he going to ‘donate’ some or am I imagining that? Or maybe the mystery person thought they already paid you the $10 back in January.
Also, that giant anacharis picture freaks me out. Spooky!!
What the what?!? Yes, that’s going a bit too far….the taking of the fish. Unbelievable!
Unless it was a poor family that needed dinner.
The pond looks great!! And I’m assuming there wasn’t any leech incidents.
I’m so mad I could spit! You should set up a motion detector near your pond, but instead of a light coming on, the sound of a ferocious dog barking is what they hear!
You should post a no fishing sign
http://bit.ly/K3ZfxB (search for fishing)
I’m sort of surprised the large, scary plant you removed wasn’t more of a fish-napper deterrent. That stinketh (at least figuratively; I can’t vouch for any actual aromas). I can imagine the tiny fish from the Dr. Seuss book illustrations, flapping around looking frightened and screaming to be saved from their fish-nappers. And it’s not as if you could call the vet to report this and hope someone would bring in one they found swimming in their own pond…or post photos of the fish on community light posts with a “MISSING” caption…or wander the neighborhood calling their names…
Very sad. My condolences. 🙁