Fall, finally. Temps in the 80’s. Ah-h-h-h. Oops! Fooled you. Back into the high 90’s this week. I hope you all had a great Labor Day weekend
It’s that time of year when we get rain and heat and wind sometimes. I think you should start preparing to cover your ponds with nets to catch those leaves before they become water logged and sink to the bot-tom. Once that happens, your work to remove them is multiplied ten-fold. We have nets of various sizes on hand. Atlantic makes a nice shock-corded pole sys-tem similar to a camping tent structure to support their net on two siz-es of ponds. You can also support the net using PVC pipe to build a framework. We try to keep the net from bagging down in the water when weighted with leaves or snow and ice.
I know many of you are seeing string algae pop up on the rocks and along your stream. It’s to be expected this time of year. Es-pecially in those ponds that are over crowded. While you might not think you have too many fish, I’ll bet if you take a good look at the quantity and size compared to what your filter can handle, you are maxed out. That, the daily feedings, and the heat we’re experiencing are a recipe for string algae. You can treat it with algaecide although you run the risk of depleting too much oxygen from your water and causing stress or worse to your fish. As I said previously, water changes, shade and patience are the keys to overcoming this unwanted growth. It seems I’m always talking to you about algae in one form or another. I guess it’s the nature of the business. I have this conversa-tion at least two or three times a day and sometimes much more of-ten. The plague of pond owners I guess.
I was surprised recently at the number of calls we re-ceived about fish deaths caused by lightning strikes dur-ing the thunderstorms we’ve been having . One customer even thinks their electrical fixtures were damaged as a result of nearby strikes. If you’ve had a similar experience, let me know. I haven’t heard of this happening before; that I’ve been informed of anyway.
Always be humble and kind
~~~Mike
TIPS and TRICKS
Heaters vs. aerators; which is best for the winter? Either, neither or both? I’m a fan of both. Remember the purpose of a heater or aerator is to keep a hole open in the ice for gas transfer. In that case, either will work fine. Both is better. You might want to relocate your aerator if it is in the pond of the pond so you are not super cooling the deepest part of the pond . Move it to a shallow shelf or set it on a block or upside down plant pot. If you’re using a heater, put it out now and tie it off so when the freeze comes you’ll be ready.
Classes SPRING/SUMMER 2019 SCHEDULE
Check the schedule for start times. All classes are free and open to the public. No advance registration required. More classes added each month. One Pond Dollar awarded for each class. Attendees receive a 10% discount on all purchases that day. We train rain or shine in the only indoor pond training facility in the U.S.
Sept 7, 2019
10:00 am
Pond BuildIn our indoor training area, we’ll start at 10am, go step-by-step and show you how a pond can be built. At noon, we’ll turn on the water and let it flow. All your questions will be an-swered if not, we’ll stay longer.
Sept 21, 2019
10:00 am
Pondless BuildWant a waterfall? This is the class for you. We’ll start at 10 and finish at 12 after an-swering all your questions. You’ll know then how to build your own beautiful feature and be able to have the sights and sounds of water in your yard.
Oct. 06, 2019
10:00 am
Winterizing Your PondNeed to know what to do with your pond, filters, UV lights, Fish, and plants for the win-ter? Come to class this Saturday and we’ll discuss it with you. Some things you do now will make your next season with the pond more enjoyable.
There is no advanced registration required and we do not charge for our classes. We will have 12 classes each year, 4 pond builds, 4 pondless waterfall classes and 4 that are general in nature and cover everything from startup to shut down, plants fish and algae, your worst enemy, next to a blue heron.
