This is just an example so you won't worry so much. I do not advocate this as a way to raise precious fish. I set up a 500 gallon stocktank last March. I had no electricity available so there is no moving water or filtration. I added a few goldie babies I had wintered over in an aquarium in the house and some extra water lilies that were destined to the compost heap. I have thrown out several inches of ice several times so far this winter. I go to work at 6:30 each morning so I don't open a hole most days. It is still 3 months til spring here so I don't know if they will make it the whole winter. I would never do this with my precious goldfish that are 6 years old now but the few fish in there all summer multiplied and are alive today. I did water changes weekly all summer and replace water when I remove the ice this winter. There are some elm leaves still in there from the fall.

Hi i had a complete wipeout of my tropical fish due to the freaky winter. I was fearing mosquitoes so got some feeder gold fish (10 for a buck) I was onlygoing to keep them until spring and then replace with tropicals but they went from under an inch to over 5 inches and even spawned !! They disappeared for almost a month though I kept placing food in the same place everyday, Finally they got the idea . I fear I've created more of a problem than I solved the adults are going to be tough to catch and the fry?? lol. Have never been able to keep goldfish due to herons and egrets but so far they've left these alone . for some reason. I still have 7 for sure and I know I lost one the first day. I was going to feed them to my marine fish when I got replacements but way to big for that already lol.. never dreamed they'd grow that rapidly let alone spawn ?? Oh well yet another lesson in "ponding" lol gary

Few things here: Wayne- In the Spartanburg area, you have intergrade midlandxnorthern watersnakes - although based on personal experience they appear to be much more northern in appearance and lack the brighter coloration of midlands. N. fasciata are not found in the piedmont. Anne - Both of those snakes in the photograph you showed are actually Eastern Gartersnakes (Thamnophis sirtalis) - though the one one the right has more vivid stripes, it is just exhibiting some of the extreme pattern variability that gartersnakes have. Ribbon snakes are much thinner, the stripes are more bold and they lack the extra lateral mottling that you can clearly see in the photograph. John (PA) - Its pretty likely that the snake you had swim between your legs was a Nerodia (Watersnake). The behavior and everything you described add up to Nerodia. I have never heard of copperheads feeding in the manner you described but it is typical of watersnakes. Large watersnakes often have pretty wide heads that you describe as "spade-like" 1sst - I was thinking milk snake as well. I saw a good number of these when I lived in Greenville and they do occasionally venture near ponds. I ran into several juveniles while out on frog walks in the middle of the night during spring rains. A few possibilities (non-exclusive) based on color mainly, since most snakes will enter or go near water during times of heat/drought which is being experienced in SC right now: milk snake (Lampropeltis triangulum) northern watersnake (Nerodia sipedon) corn snake (Pantherophis guttata) eastern hognose snake (Heterodon platirhinos)

Ouch, July and August are harsh times to visit Phoenix and San Diego. Bet you were miserable. I dearly love both cities but after living in Oregon for so long I must visit in cooler months. If the fish is missing with no disturbance of plants and no scales or bones laying around it was likely a bird. Heron or kingfisher. Raccoons make a mess like a tornado and cats aren't very likely to actually catch a fish and if they do they often just play with it rather than eat it so you find evidence. Birds scoop them up and swallow them whole. Hope the Scarecrow does the trick for you. Easier to transplant tadpoles in spring than adult frogs to have them stick around anyway. Adults tend to leave.