Through the newsgroup rec.ponds i have corresponded
with many friendly, helpful people and have gotten a lot of good advice. If
you are not familiar with newgroups, well, a lot of people post questions
and answers to questions - kinda like a bulletin board. Even if you don't
have a particular question to ask, you can learn an awful lot by reading the
new posts every few days. People post from all over the United States and
other English-speaking countries like Great Britian, Australia, Canada, and
other places. A few of the people that post to the newsgroup live in my area
of the country and i have been fortunate to meet them and see their ponds.
Most of the people that post i have never met, but many have been kind enough
to answer my questions and offer advice. I invite you to meet a few of them
below, and visit their pond web sites.
Nedra
is a kindred spirit. Her heartfelt words in response to "She Dances at
Night" told me she and i share a spiritual bond with our ponds.
Todo
is a fellow educator and a "die-hard ponder". He also maintains
the North Florida Koi Club website. How he finds time to do it all i'll never
know.
To those who read and post to rec.ponds, please do not
be offended in any way if you are not in my list of friends above. It would
be impossible to name each and every person who has helped me with my ponding
questions and problems. Accept my heartfelt thanks and appreciation, and i
would be honored to put a link to your web site on my list if you will only
write and ask.
Helpful Pond and Plant Links
While planning and building my ponds, i found many web sites
with good information and cost-saving tips. Be advised, many people have many
opinions on what works and what doesn't, so visiting one site can be hazardous
to your pond. Instead, i suggest that you visit many different sites and get
as many ideas as possible before spending time and money. Most ponders have
made mistakes, and most are glad to share what didn't work, as well
as what worked best for them.
Many thanks to Greg's Pond Site for the
"pipe
boot" idea - i've got about a dozen pipe boots in my plumbing system
and they all work like a charm. Greg has a lot of other good information including
successes, failures, and "save-a-buck" tips on filtering and plumbing.
Other than koi and goldfish, there is
not a large selection of readily available "cold water" fish
that can go through the winter without suffering ill effects (death being
the extreme ill effect). At many pet stores, though, you can get wonderful
little fish called Rosy Reds that have been an interesting addition to my
ponds. Thanks to Robyn for her most informative web site on Rosy
Red Minnows. I have emailed Robyn with a few questions about her favorite
fish, and she has always been a helpful and most wonderful source of information.
Robyn also has a wonderful
web site with information on nature, animals, fish, and ponds.
Reference material abounds on the web.
One of the best sites i have found for botanical information on aquatic plants,
other than vendor sites like The Plant Place, is the University of Florida
Center
for Aquatic and Invasive Plants. They have many pictures and line drawings
to help identify aquatic plants, and many links to other sites.
There are plenty of folks who would
like for you to order pond supplies from them. Have a look and take your pick.
I must mention, though, Ponds
Online. I ordered a pump from them in March, 2001. When i had a problem
with the item, they responded to my email within hours and the problem was
resolved to my complete satisfaction the next business day. I appreciate
their commitment to my satisfaction, and their courtesy and efficiency in
handling my problem.
Friends
and Links
