A morning stroll

[John Case]

I had some time to walk around while the pond was being cleaned this morning, I took a few photos that caught my eye....

Flowers on a good sized Streletzia nicolai A newly planted colocasia esculenta ' Fontenesii'

New leaf opening on Archontophoenix cunninghamiana Flower spathes on Philodendron selloum

Flower on Canna (unknown) Flowers on Canna 'Tropicanna'

Flower on Canna ' Topaz' Astromeria flowers (nearly spent, reflower later this year)

White Ginger 5 weeks from root Resprouting Alocasia macrorhizza

Male inflorescence Cham. metallica Large male florescence on Cham. radicalis

Reshot showing size of radicalis flower New spouting Trachycarpus takil from Edith Bergstrom

[John Case]

A few more.....

Kentiopsis olivoformis new leaf - Pleioblastus shibuyanus 'Tsuboi' (running bamboo in pot)

Chimonobambusa quadrangularis (Square bamboo 2 years old) - Cham. oreophilus female inflorescence

Trachycarpus waggie ready for planting - Melianthus major

Musa acuminata 'Blue Java' - Brahea armata - ready to throw its 3rd leaf this year

Backwash complete.......

[John Case]

First photo in previous post is a Howea forsteriana....idiot boy was thinking of something esle........

[Xenon]

Nice collection

Jonathan

[John Case]

Nice collection

Jonathan

Thanks,

Always adding....lots of stuff not in photographable conditon......

[iwan]

Hey John,

How about pictures of the pond and koi? If you posted them somewhere else I missed them.

[John Case]

Hey John,

How about pictures of the pond and koi? If you posted them somewhere else I missed them.

Next time I backwash. I'll take a couple of photos. The fish hate the backwash process and go deep. When the pond is running, the turbulence gives poor shots of the fish.....

I'll do my best.

JC

[sick1166]

what no pics of the koi pond

[John Case]

OK, OK,....next opportunity.....

[John Case]

Hey John,

How about pictures of the pond and koi? If you posted them somewhere else I missed them.

Here you are....the fish sulk when the bubbler is turned off. The largest (the blue one in the last photo) is about 22-24 inches long

[paulgila]

very cool! question: what is "backwashing?"

[John Case]

very cool! question: what is "backwashing?"

When I take my wife's drink and sip up then back....that is her version of backwash. And I get her drink.

Backwashing the filter is done in my filter to loosen up the beads in the biofilter. Over time (about a week or so) they tend to clog and 'channel' the water through the beads on which the bacteria that change ammonia to nitrite and then nitrate to nitrate, which does not poison the fish. The ammonia comes primarily from the gill respiration and urea that is constantly being added to the water.

Breaking up the beads allows new bacteria growth and knocks off the old dead bacteria, at least in theory. Everything is flushed down the drain.

I wanted to construct a means to flush onto my garden, but the wisdom of the building department would not allow me to do so, as they did not want my fishtank waste to get into the sewer.....hmm, fishwaste in water as a pollutant.....a new one on me.

[ariscott]

If you can flush into the garden, it is good for your plants, John, as it is full of nitrate.

Regards, Ari

[sick1166]

great for gardens the nitrat is the final product broken down from ammonia safe for all plants basically its organica algae decay wast uneaten food or the by products of eaten food all good for soil

[John Case]

All,

I know it is good for the plants....I could not convince the powers that be to agree during the design review. All of the engineering in the backyard had to be reviewed before I went ahead....At some time in the future I will create a pumping system to omver this up the hill in order to water the yard as about 300 gallons are pumped into the sewer instead of into the aquifer......I fought the city and the city won.

Stinks........

[ariscott]

That is why we live rural, John. It is a lot less complicated in the rural area and a bit more private as your neighbours don't breath down your neck. I used to breed discus for fun and we do a lot of waterchanges for the baby discus. We were still renting at that time, so we don't really have a garden, but the golden canes in the backyard were looking great when we left...

Regards, Ari