Hot Tub Makeover

A couple of years ago my son Steve bought a second-hand hot tub for his wife

There was a certain amount of mirth watching this safely hauled  in a small  truck all across town

My daughter-in law didn’t seem all that interested, so the tub languished for a couple of years in the back yard, collecting snow and leaves.

The ah- ha moment came when Steve got interested in having an attractive back yard as opposed to—well, he’s my son so let’s say it was unfinished.

The tub was cleaned out, all  outlets closed off , water added and voila,  a fish pond was born.

He added  some interesting rocks, a couple of aquatic plants from his sister and then it was fish time.

The best thing to do  is to go to the pet store and ask for a dozen “feeders.”

It’s also best not to know what they were going to be fed to.

I brought over the first batch and within a couple of days there was one fish left.

Not too so difficult to figure out what happened—aside from the muddy footprints on the deck there were more signs on the top of the nearby trampoline.

Raccoons, that’s what.

Now I can think of a couple of aesthetic ways to solve the get-outta-my-pond dilemma, but Steve went for the prison compound look and here it is.

In his defense, he’s a busy guy and this had to be quick and dirty. For now.
Still I can't help imagining tiny little gold fish with rifles slung across their backs, patrolling back and forth.
Despite the  penitentiary look, of the fifteen fish we added, there are eleven left and we think the lost ones died of natural causes.

It’s pretty raw around the edges but this has been an experiment of sorts—does a hot tub work as a fish pond? Yes. Will fish survive in the new pond? Yes, once we consider how to thwart overhead birds in search of sushi (this is helped by floating a small log on top-- it provides shade and safety).

Next year, there are plans for a pergola covering the pond and part of the deck and the pond siding will be covered for a unified look.

And as for the coming winter—we keep the pump going so they have an air hole and those cold-blooded little sweeties will hunker in like the rest of us.