We’re still here! While things aren’t normal, we’re open and serving you daily. We do have a new wrinkle in that the Shawnee City Council has approved an Ordinance “for the mandatory wearing of face coverings over the nose and mouth whenever persons are in any place or setting open to the general public.” The ordinance is in effect until September 30 and may be extended. So, you will see the signs on the door that apply to the store. The display yard, while open to the public, is considered an outside area and the only request is that you practice social distancing while en-joying the ponds. Just mask up when you enter the store please. Other areas of our complex are not considered ‘open to the public’ and the employees are not required to mask up. Jeanette, Emmie and I are wearing masks when cus-tomers are present. We will have a box of masks on the front desk for those who enter without one. We’ll offer one to you. Your options at that point are: wear the mask or return to your car and call us on the phone with your order and we’ll bring it out to you. If you choose the latter, you must provide a credit card when you call. No cash or checks accepted for curbside delivery. The goal is to have as little con-tact as possible with unmasked people.

That old bugaboo ALGAE is rearing its ugly head again as the temps rise. You’ve all heard me preach that it is a symptom, not a disease. Something is out of balance in your pond. Either too much or too little of something. Too many fish, filter too small, pond too small, poor circulation, lack of oxygen, too much chemical, not enough plants or a combination of several of these factors. Recently I got a phone call from a customer who com-plained her water was totally green and when she treated her pond with an algaecide, some of her fish died and the water was still green. I asked the usual questions, how many fish, how much water, what kind of filter. Her first response gave me a clue to the problem. “I don’t know how many fish I have,” she said, “but I’ve already lost ten one day and fifteen the next.” (Her pond turned out to be less than 800 gallons with a small box filter in the eighteen inch ‘deep’ end). You tell me what the problem was. With the heat we’ve had recently the water temps have gone up and the DO (dissolved oxygen) has gone down. Dying algae from the algaecide removed even more oxygen and the fish suffered. Do you think maybe she had too many fish if she lost twenty-five and still has some left?

Always be humble and kind

~~~Mike

Military (Active or Retired) and Water Garden Club members

receive a 10% discount

(If you remember to tell us up front! Not after you’ve already paid.)

Valid for Pond Pro Shop purchases only

May be good algae
This was earlier in the season and represents the beginning of a biofilm on the waterfall rocks. It is a necessary function of the ecosystem as it tries to balance itself. Fish waste has increased but the bacteria to convert the waste is slower getting started in the cold water. This algae layer is using the excess nutrient and providing a place for more bacteria to grow.

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Please note: No more Winter hours!!!!
We will remain open
Tuesday thru Friday 9:00am-6:00pm
and Saturday 10:00am-4:00pm.
Closed Sunday, Monday.
Phone 405-273-8363.

Coming up September 7th. Maybe plan a day of labor around your pond. If you are having guests, remember to social distance as much as possible. We don’t need a spike in positive cases to set us back to the beginning.