I can tell it’s Winter in Oklahoma; wear shorts and t-shirt one day, snow boots and parka the next. And, of course, the ponds in our yard are all algae free. I don’t count the little bit that grows on the liner and rocks, it’s there to offset any ammonia and keep the pond balanced. We believe it is a sign of a healthy pond. What do you think? Tell me about it on Facebook. About the only thing you need to really do regularly is insure the water level remains high enough to provide wa-ter to the pump. Nothing worse than having to buy a new pump be-cause you failed to pay attention to the water level because it was ‘too cold’ outside. Other than keeping a hole in the ice to allow for gas transfer, you’re pretty much done with pond maintenance for a while. Watch for ice dams during freezing weather. Those occur most often in your stream where the water is is shallow. A dam of ice may cause the water to go some-where you don’t want it to and many times it is the side away from where you view it so you don’t realize it until it’s too late. Hear about this at least twice each year.
We’re tearing out and rebuilding Nathan’s Nook (the picture on the right) with a new liner as a test of a new product. I’ll fill you in with more details in February after it’s been in the ground a couple of months. Excuse the mess-in-progress. We think this new pond will be just the right size for many of you who have a desire for a pond but neither the room nor budget for your dream size or specifi-cations.
Our new class schedule is out for 2020. You can see the first few on the back page or find it on our website. Classes are free and there is no registration required. Some classes are for those who have a pond already and want to learn more about taking care of it and some are for those who want to build a pond or pondless waterfall.
We will be closed December 24 and 25 for the holiday. Merry Christmas to you and yours. Thank you for a good year.
Always be humble and kind
~~~Mike
TIPS and TRICKS
If you have an external UV light, you might want to consider creating a plumbing bypass and remove the light for the winter. If we know what light you have, we can help you with the fit-tings and ’know-how’ to make that happen. At the very least you should make certain water is moving through the light during freezing weather which can be hard sometimes in winter when ice knocks out power for hours or days. If that happens, be cautious when the power comes back and check for plumbing leaks that may have occurred from frozen pipes or fittings.
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.
March 14, 2020
10:00 am
Spring StartupI had a long time customer tell me today that she had learned something at every class. You might too. This is the class where we talk about how to get your equipment, plants and fish ready for a new season.
March 28, 2020
10:00 am
Pond FiltrationThe secret to a happy healthy pond is good filtration. If you’ve had problems keeping your water clear, come to this class and learn how filtration might be the solution you’ve been looking for.
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 every-thing from startup to shut down, plants fish and algae, your worst enemy, next to a blue heron.
