The question that a viewer had that was answered in number 32 of TheWeeklyRibbit was: can I put smaller fish in my pond with larger fish? That was a great inquiry.  With any creature there is always a fear of the possibility that the larger creature will eat the smaller one, similarly to survival of the fittest.

We all love our pond fish and koi!  They swim about together, greet you at the surface for some food, and swim gracefully creating a calm respite for us to relax.  You may have experienced going out to your pond and seeing one of your pond fish or koi not hanging out with the others and just sitting by itself in a corner with its fins clamped to it's side.   It almost seems as though it's in TIME OUT.  If you have or do experience this, it's a time to be a bit concerned for your fish friend.   

A fish cave….c’mon… I bet you thought thought caves were only for cavemen or women and of course the Yeti…. They live in caves too…. I think? 
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Ok seriously now, As fish owners we are in a constant battle to save our fish from predators, because we love our fish and don’t want them to become food!  Sometimes it’s inevitable and every fish hobbyist is unfortunately going to lose this battle from time to time.  But…. There are things we can do to help protect our fish and a fish cave is one of them.

“When can I start feeding my koi or pond fish again?”  is a question we are asked almost daily this time of year. We understand why, too!   Your pond has either been cleaned or turned on for the spring, the fish are becoming more and more active almost begging for food.  You can’t wait to interact with your friends who have been hibernating all year.

Do you see this when you go out to your water feature? 

It’s December in Northern NJ, your fish pond has been winterized, and the weather has been brutally cold for a few days.  You’ve caught glimpses of your pond aerator doing its job, because all you can see is a frozen pond with bubbles in the opening created by your aerator.  Then boom, Mother Nature plays a sick joke on us Jersey pond hobbyists and decides to throw a warm front into the December weather mix of cold and snowy weather.  

Here’s the scenario... it’s January and you’re taking a stroll outside or look out your window and your pond looks like this…. an algae ridden cess pool!! 
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You think to yourself, C’mon I thought I was out of the woods with this stuff, it’s only supposed to grow in the summer heat, what’s happening?  

Every spring here in Morris County NJ area we receive hundreds of inquiries for "How much does a spring koi pond cleaning cost?"  In this Weekly Ribbit we are going to address that very question and share with you many of the variables that can affect the cost of a spring koi pond cleaning cost.  After you have read our publication you will be able to make an educated decision on who you should call to help you with your spring pond cleaning!   

In Morris County New Jersey and many northern climates winter poses some challenges for our fish ponds and water features.  Our ponds and fish are subject to extreme cold temperatures, snow, and debris flying around and landing in our ponds and water features.  Spring arrives and all we want to do is get those features running to enjoy them throughout the spring, summer and fall.  It's a daunting and disgusting task, is a pond/water feature cleaning really necessary? 
 
By the time you’re done reading this blog, you'll be able to ask yourself if having a spring koi pond cleaning is the right choice for your pond.  

PERMITS... its almost a 4 letter word in NJ except it has 7.  Ok, really, we've all dealt with them at one time or another when we are looking to do that exciting project on our home.  If you haven't yet, consider yourself fortunate.  Permits can be frustrating and sometimes turn an exciting project from exciting to not so so exciting quickly.  You're thinking about installing a koi/fish pond or water feature, but will you have to deal with getting a permit from the town to have this beautiful addition to your landscape installed?