Undertaking urgent maintenance of my conservatory pond as Koi show disease signs as the family made and received visits.
Iraq and the U.S.-led U.N. are on the brink of another confrontation as U.N. Weapons Inspectors are denied the opportunity of either sealing weapons test sites or putting up security cameras
I had to tackle my conservatory fishpond as my main activity today. For some time, I had seen the detritus building up on the bottom and noted that the Ultra Violet Light steriliser needed a new tube; but it was signs of bacterial disease on two of the fish that made me act. Harry, who had been susceptible before, was showing some of the old symptoms of a swollen right gill cover and some skin pimples around the head, and the poor Kahuku also had a wart-type mark on its head.
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I joined up two lengths of hose and tried siphoning the accumulation of muck from a couple of dead bottom corners with limited success and then deployed an old net to get some of it up in bulk whilst changing some of the sand in the filter to give the filtration more chance. Then I turned the bridge platform over, disconnected the disused floating lights and removed them and the old empty planters from the bottom to improve water flow. The UV tube was the next to be replaced and, whilst I had the bridge up, I also tried to cure the long-standing water leak from the ball-valve assembly that had been wetting and rotting the bridge timbers.
I was quite tired by the end of the day as the work had spanned three sessions, but glad that I had improved the water quality to give the fish the best chance of recovery. I had given Sam a couple of long walks today and tried to make a change to his eating habits. As well as reducing his morning meal and increasing his evening one to compensate, I also tried exercising him before feeding him in the evening and this worked fine. Diana took Della out in the afternoon to the new St Neots playing area whilst taking back her video tape and Daniel had three friends round for some of the time but only Gary Skinner was staying.
I am getting him up in time for a 9.00am breakfast to be sociable with us and he is tolerating this so far. Iraq and the U.S.-led U.N. are on the brink of another confrontation as U.N. Weapons Inspectors are denied the opportunity of either sealing weapons test sites or putting up security cameras and another bombing raid seems imminent. This would suit U.S. President Clinton who is already facing acute unpopularity at home and needs the Brownie Points. It was very cool but mainly dry today and the clouds did not quite manage any rain during daylight.