An Isaan Pond

[Mendip]

Nearly eight years after first breaking ground this is how things look today.



It's an ongoing project of course. For one thing, the wood on the jetty has now gone rotten and needs replacing.

I seem to spend more time away at work than at home lately, but it's great to know that the dogs are spoilt for choice for tables to stand on!

[David48atTD]

Fantastic project.

Western planning and adaptation in a Thai built environment.

Difficult to pull off to appease both side of the fence

---

Now you just need Prawns/Shrimp in the pond.

They are bottom dwellers so inhabit a different pond strata then the Pla Nin which mostly inhabit the upper strata.

The is the relationship in our Family's Farm's commercial ponds.

One caveat though. The Farm Father keeps his catfish in a separate pond.
He doesn't aerate that pond.
Now I don't know if the catfish will eat the prawns.
The Pla Nin will eat the prawns if they die though.
No extra/special feeding is required for the prawns.

The standard white prawn is our Farm's main catch, the larger blue claw is better though and maybe more suitable for your pond.

But you wouldn't need the commercial set up we have ... can be done on domestic scale.

About 3 months from fry to catch

Pond to Plate ...

For some reason, we don't eat many of the fish, maybe because they are only caught every 9 months.
There are a number of the ponds at the Farm and they are harvested for Prawns every 3 months so, every
week or two there is a catch going on somewhere.

Prawns ... I get to enjoy every week or two.

Below was a good catch ...


Prawns dancing in the net.

We were up before the sun and this is about the 20th net we've hauled in, the second last one on the Pond.



This was the last haul of the morning. We always start and finish @ the Salsa (right of photo).


From there they are washed and iced and onto the back of the truck in big blue Barrels
and, by 7am at the wholesale Prawn Market, about 25 mins away.

There a video of them sorting and grading overleaf.


But, not all of them make it into those blue Barrels. Some are given to those who helped
in the Harvest as part payment. Some are whisked away to be consumed at the Farm.




^ This is how I love them.

^ For variety, sometimes with a Salad and a little Mayo ... or just with a sauce of some sort and Rice.


Below.
We also sometimes grow the larger Blue Claw Prawn, and they are below ...






BBQ'ed in a tradition method.






Anyone Hungry?

[thaiguzzi]

Wonderful thread & photos.
Thanx.
Looks a great place to chill.

[cyrille]

Yep, certainly beats strawberry town for me.

[Shutree]

Excellent thread, Mendip. An enjoyable read for an armchair gardener, such as myself.

[Klondyke]

Nearly eight years after first breaking ground this is how things look today.

You have made it quite thrilling to us. And at the end of the day, surprising us with such good result.

BTW, the stone table: never has dropped on one's toe?

[Mendip]

[QUOTE=
BTW, the stone table: never has dropped on one's toe?[/QUOTE]

It's funny you say that. Mt wife had the stone table and chairs put up one time I was away, a few years ago. The legs have been set in concrete, but even so... what with soil erosion over time it does worry me. If it dropped, it wouldn't be a toe you'd worry about, it weighs a ton and would probably take a leg of, or a lot worse.

I think your comment has finally persuaded me to dismantle it, maybe convert it into a safe low seat. It's been at the back of my mind for some time. Maybe I've worked offshore for too long - safety has become ingrained.

[Mendip]

Fantastic project.

Western planning and adaptation in a Thai built environment.

Difficult to pull off to appease both side of the fence

---

Now you just need Prawns/Shrimp in the pond.

They are bottom dwellers so inhabit a different pond strata then the Pla Nin which mostly inhabit the upper strata.

The is the relationship in our Family's Farm's commercial ponds.

One caveat though. The Farm Father keeps his catfish in a separate pond.
He doesn't aerate that pond.
Now I don't know if the catfish will eat the prawns.
The Pla Nin will eat the prawns if they die though.
No extra/special feeding is required for the prawns.

The standard white prawn is our Farm's main catch, the larger blue claw is better though and maybe more suitable for your pond.

But you wouldn't need the commercial set up we have ... can be done on domestic scale.

About 3 months from fry to catch

Thank you, kind words! These things keep me occupied.

When I get this current work project finished in Norway and get some time, I mean to read through your farm thread to get some more ideas.

As for the shrimps, I think that's a great idea, but any idea the kind of place where I could get the fry? There's a place in Korat where we get bags of fish fry and the wife gets her poor baby frogs, but I've never noticed shrimp fry there. That will be my first port of call when I get home and take it from there.

I worry that the catfish may eat shrimps, and I've already introduced pla chon specifically to control fish fry numbers so I think that could be a problem. But it's worth a try.

How about catching the adult shrimps? In Oz we used to throw in baited net fish traps to catch the yabbies in the farm dams. Do you think that'd work? It would be an added bit of fun for kids when we have a barbecue.

[nidhogg]

Hi Mendip - just out of interest - what is your mosquito control strategy?

[Mendip]

^ When the pond was a muddy swamp the mossies were a problem but we rarely spent any time at the pond anyway.

Now it's been lined and holds water, the pond is teeming with fish and I guess they must take care of any mosquito larvae - they aren't a problem at all.

[Loy Toy]

One of my favourite Teakdoor threads ever mate.

Great pictures and fantastic commentary.

Well done to you and your family...................

By the way I have a Pet-Mate Kennel Ultra used to transport a pet from Oz to here and is in brand new condition. Big enough for an average size dog.

You are welcome to it and can pick it up the next time you are down this way!

[Mendip]

Mr LT, that really is a very kind offer.

We have one crate, but with four dogs another would be very welcome. I also get involved with the K9 Rescue charity in Korat and they are always interested in borrowing crates to transport dogs for neutering etc.

I believe you are down Pattaya way? Only problem, we won't be visiting down that way until next Easter at the earliest, we're restricted by my daughter's school holidays and we're going to UK for Chistmas. Can I get back in touch closer to the time? But meanwhile, if you find another worthy cause, please go ahead and give it to someone else.

If ever you visit Korat please get in touch! I can offer fresh pla nin, the gardener's home made Ya Dong, and you can meet Anna the dog!

It don't get better than that!

[Mendip]

While building this pond there were times I wondered what on earth I was doing (and that goes for the house, pool, everthing...). The pond escalated from my original plans, but was one of those projects that had to be finished or else everything that had gone before was a waste of time, and money.

To be honest it wasn't an expensive project, and thankfully most of it was done with the pound at mid-50s Baht. Can you believe I thought that was bad at the time... the wonders of hindsight.

I'm caught in a kind of Catch 22 situation. I don't particularly like living in Korat, and do find boredom a problem so keep doing these ridiculous projects to keep occupied. But the more projects I do, the more settled I become and less likely I am to ever leave. The thought of spending the rest of my life In Korat appalls me, but I also don't really want to leave what we've created.

I wish I could pick up the house and land, and transport the whole lot to the coast somewhere. But that's life I guess.

At the end of the day, everything will go to my daughter. Korat is an up and coming place and land prices around our way have trebled over the last few years, and continue to rise. This goes a long way to offset all the building costs, and take the mental pressure off me. My daughter should do OK and that's all that really counts!

[Jack meoff]

Korat Snorat
Wait till i get there mate,
I will bring joy to all.
Like a rainbow in the sky.

[Mendip]

One thing that has helped hugely throughout my projects in Korat is the cost of labour. My colleagues at work find it decadent that I have a full-time gardener. It doesn't sit easy with me either, but what with spending so much time away at work, and a wife and young daughter at home, it's just developed that way and gives me peace of mind for security while I'm away.

But just to get things in perspective...

A few years ago my workshop (with a small apartment above - where the gardener now lives) developed leaks along the ridge tiles. This is a tall, two story building with a steeply pitched roof. Our gardener offered to fix it, but I said no way, too dangerous, I'll get in some builders etc etc. I'm shit scared of heights and wouldn't go near it.

So, after few quotes around 100,000 Baht (can you believe they wanted put up scaffolding!!!), much to my shame I spoke to the gardener and said, "about those ridge tiles...."

I'm not proud of this, but when in Rome...

We put up my inadequate scaffold tower, and balanced a bamboo ladder on to the gable end of the building in question. The gardener crawled across with a pot of sealant in one hand and a brush in his mouth!



Covered the year's wages in one afternoon! As I said, I'm not proud of this and should know a lot better, especially coming from my industry. But what can I say...

A bottle of Hong Thong was given that night!

[Mendip]

Korat Snorat
Wait till i get there mate,
I will bring joy to all.
Like a rainbow in the sky.

More than welcome mate - my food is way better than in the pics.

Fishing, barbecues and ya dong all on offer. Bring a box and you can take away a puppy to boot!

And if you take a wrong turn on the way, Christmas dinner in Somerset. Me mum makes a mean turkey!

[Jack meoff]

Cool you have a nice place for me to rest.

[Headworx]

Can I have a quick look at the JSA on that one?

[Loy Toy]

Mr LT, that really is a very kind offer.

You have proven to us all your caring nature and what you have done for numerous homeless animals is truly heartwarming. November Rain salutes you along with me!

I really must get off my toot and get up your way as my wife is getting numerous enquires for her food and I can drop the crate off at the same time.

I will (when I am clear of my present commitments) PM you my travel plans and hope you are around at that time.

As a matter of interest do you sell any fish commercially?

[Chittychangchang]

Mendip = Top geezer!

Hope to meet you someday for a Chang or two

[Mendip]

^^ Look forward to that LT.

We don't have enough fish to sell commercially, just take 5 or 6 out a week for our needs.

Our tilapia are no-where near as plump and meaty as the farmed ones you get at the market - the average Thai doesn't care about the antibiotics and hormones that got those fish so big.

^ Likewise Chitty, look forward to that one day. I may have to drink Leo though, if you don't mind.

[Mendip]

Can I have a quick look at the JSA on that one?

Unfortunately it's been filed...

During the toolbox talk two main provisos for safety came up. "If you're gonna fall, don't hit the dogs and make sure it's fatal!"

Luckily our gardener took it for good natured banter...

[Airportwo]

But what can I say...

He forgot his hard hat!
At least the ladder was non conductive!
Is the gardeners name "Lucky" by any chance?

[Mendip]

What with one thing and another the pond has been neglected lately, so I started last week with a good cut back of all the growth on the waterfall. Here is a picture of it, by chance captured in a picture of My daughter with Anna and Vigo during their confinement when Anna was in heat.



After cutting all the growth back I tried to fire up the waterfall, the first time in many months. Even after priming the pump, there was just a trickle of muddy water...



Bugger... this means the filter at the end of the intake was blocked by all the sludge at the bottom of the pond. Not a nice job to sort out...

Well... not so bad for me to be honest!



It never ceases to amaze me how well the fish thrive in our pond considering how thick with green algae the water is.

The dogs looked on in bemusement, wondering why the gardener doesn't swim in the pool!



Can dogs laugh?



And voila! A torrent of (green) water flowing from the waterfall again!

[Mendip]

I caught this in the pond today.

At first I assumed it was a pla tabtim being bright orange in colour, but on close inspection it was completely different.

Wide and solid, and weighed well over 1kg (I reckon) and had a couple of barbels on the mouth.



I have no idea what this fish is and have no recollection of stocking them. The wife wasn't around so I put it straight back... I'm sure she would have eaten it.