Contractors- Looking for a New Pond Supplier?

Professional Pond Builders, if you are currently buying your pond equipment from a certain company in the Chicago area, you owe it to company to give us a call and immediately improve your profit margins. Don’t worry about what the others will think, many of your brothers have already made the switch and are ecstatic about our prices and our service. The icing on the cake is that we are really nice people and care about your business.

So if you are experiencing any of the following symptoms, it’s time to call us:

· You try to be cool by clapping and whooping to begin your company meetings

· You still rent a kiosk at your local mall

· You buy over-priced products from irrigation companies who are clueless about building ponds

· You are still waiting for their “engineers” to design a revolutionary waterfall pump

· Instead of finding a better supplier, you get your ponytail cut off in front of hundreds of people just to change your “bad luck”

· You have a tattoo of their old logo-too bad they changed it

· You were there in person three years ago to see me roast Greg’s rear end (wasn't thast fun)

Pondliner.com Wholesale can be reached at 866-766-3561. Find out why we should be your choice for your pond supplies.

You Might be a Water Garden Redneck ....

• Here is a list just for fun, with my apologies to Jeff Foxworthy. Don't take it personally if you've done something on this list, I've done one of them myself.
  
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• You might be a Water Garden Redneck if you bought your best koi at a bait shop.
  

You might be a Water Garden Redneck if you've ever tried using trash bags and duct tape to line your pond.

You might be a Water Garden Redneck if you pond filter is a rubbermaid trash can full of gravel.

You might be a Water Garden Redneck if you used an old satellite dish to build your pond.

You might be a Water Garden Redneck if kou feed catfish chow to your koi.

You might be a Water Garden Redneck if you’ve owned a UV clarifier for five years, but have never changed the bulb.

You might be a Water Garden Redneck if you use septic tank bacteria in your pond.

You might be a Water Garden Redneck if your garden pond is stocked with game fish.

You might be a Water Garden Redneck if you use shop lights to illuminate your waterfall.

You might be a Water Garden Redneck if you've ever tried to aerate your pond using a boat oar.

You might be a Water Garden Redneck if you've ever used a pacemaker or crank-telephone to catch your koi.

Do you have an addition to the list? Leave a comment and let's add it!

Life is Good, Busy, but Good

At 43 years old, I thought that my life would be less hectic and much more leisurely. After all, I have two daughters, 21 and 15, who are wonderful. They both are active in church and neither have been in any serious trouble. My wife and I have a great relationship and really enjoy being with each other.

Enter three foster daughters, 5, 3 and 1 and suddenly we are thrust back into dance recitals, T-ball, bedtime stories and all the other neat stuff we did with our girls. Don't get me wrong, we absolutely love it. The comedy that three young rug rats can produce would put Robin Williams to shame. When is the last time you've seen someone eat a half a tub of butter sitting in a towel drawer or seen someone pour a box of corn starch on their head. But I also understand why grandparents ideally shouldn't be asked to raise their grand kids. It takes energy, lots and lots of energy!!!!

Still, when things get stressful, I simply step outside and spend time around my pond. Thankfully, I did install a great system that requires very little maintenance. Heaven knows I have much time to do major upkeep. I just feed the fish and watch the water cascade down the waterfall. Life slows down and my thoughts return to what is truly important in life.

So the next time you feel overwhelmed by life's challenges, go spend some time alone around your pond. Relax and realize how good your life is. I know that my life couldn't be better.

Happy Earth Day!

While I’m not an environmentalist, I do believe that we should be good stewards to what God has given us. With energy prices still fairly high and the economy still very shaky in many areas of the country, it just makes good economic sense not to waste money.

The next time you replace that cheap waterfall pump, check the energy consumption of the replacement pump.  Many direct drive pumps show a range in the power consumption numbers. Direct-drive pumps use less energy as head pressure increases. As most water garden applications use under 5’ of head pressure, use the largest number when deciding on a pump. Pondliner.com has a handy energy cost calculator so that you can see just how much money that particular pump costs to operate.

New pump technologies can give you a longer pump life at a lower operating cost. For the last two years, we have been switching our customers from the Cal Pump PW Waterfall Pumps into their PWM Waterfall Pumps. The Cal Pump PWM Waterfall Pumps less about 30-40% less energy and warranty returns have dropped by 800%.

If you are looking at replacing your filtration system or just building a pond, I highly recommend the OASE products. Although the initial price is higher, the savings in energy alone will pay for the cost difference in less than 18 months. The OASE systems also include a Clear Water Guarantee that is good for the life of the pond. 

Prep Your Pond for the Spring

Now is the time to get your pond into shape. Here's are some helpful suggestions that will make your pond even better this year.

• Clean out debris from the pond bottom and edges using your net and a pond vacuum. Bacteria will eventually break down decaying organic matter, but don't wait. Not only does this process take time, the by-product of this process is nitrate which leads to algae blooms and excessive string algae growth.
  
• Spend some time on component maintenance. Clean the pump intake and check the condition of tubing, hose clamps and fittings. Clean media pads in the pond skimmer and pond filter. Replace pads if needed. Remove any sludge that has accumulated in either.
  
• Clean the quartz sleeve on your UV Clarifier with a soft rag. If the sleeve has lime scale build-up, you may need to soak it in CLR or another scale remover. Replace the UV lamp if the bulb has been used for over 12 months.
  
• Remove any dead aquatic plant growth that you missed last autumn. Re-pot aquatic plants that are root-bound in pots. Older plants that continue growing become beautiful specimens, but also continue to consume nutrients that otherwise would fuel algae growth.
  
• Check the condition of your pond fish. Look for signs of parasites or disease. Excessive flashing, staying on the pond bottom away from the other fish or staying under the waterfall can be signs of health probelms. Remember, no matter how hungry your fish look or beg for food, don't feed them until the pond water temperature is 50 degrees.
  
• Finally, check your pond lighting. Replace bulbs, fixtures or transformers as needed.

I always look for ways to improve my water garden while I'm doing routine maintenance. A waterfall or stream effect can be changed simply by moving one or two rocks. Adding a small accent pond light to show off a large marginal plant can be dramatic. The possibilities are endless.

Savio Water Feature Institute

Last week, we hosted a Savio Certification Event as a part of the Savio Water Feature Institute at our facility in Shawnee, Oklahoma. The two-day event featured a hands-on Pond-Free water feature construction class and several hours of classroom instruction. Class participants traveled from as far as St Louis, Missouri and Houston, Texas to attend. At the conclusion of the seminar, participants were able to test to become part of the Savio Certified Contractor Program. The test was administered by the National Association of Pond Professionals.

Rick Bartel, Director of the Savio Water Feature Institute, led the instruction. Rick is one of the most decorated and experienced water feature installers in the United States. His creditials would take most of the page if I were to list them here, but if you want to see for yourself they can be found on the Institute's web site. Besides Rick's experience, expertise and subperb ability pass along his knowldge, you come away from the event impressed with what a genuinely nice person he is.

The Savio Pond-Free water feature installation incorporated the RISE construction method, which produces a more appealing and natural water features while using less stone and the same or less man hours for the installation. Instruction included water feature pricing, best business practices, marketing, Savio product training and basic water feature knowledge including working with pond liners, pumps, filtration, pond skimmers, ultraviolet clarification and water treatments.

Controlling Algae

The most common problem experienced by pond owners is algae. Of all the technical questions we are asked, questions about algae in the pond is far and away the most common topic. So let’s take a look at pond algae and the best ways to deal with it.

What is algae?

Pond algae may be the floating single-celled variety that turns the pond water into pea green soup. String algae is usually first found in your waterfall or around the pond edges. Unchecked, string algae may take over the majority of your water garden.

Algae is really nothing more than an aquatic plant. It thrives on excess nutrients in the pond water and sunlight. Take one or both of those away, and pond algae is easily controlled.
Excess nutrients can come from many sources. Uneaten fish food, decaying plant matter, fish waste and leaves and other organic debris that may blow into the pond all can cause nutrient levels to increase. In a balanced water garden, aquatic plants absorb almost all of the nutrients leaving no fuel for pond algae. The key to controlling algae in ponds and water gardens is to have enough aquatic plants and the right type of aquatic plants.

Floating plants, such as water lettuce, water hyacinth, water are excellent at absorbing nutrients and providing shade for the pond water to reduce the sunlight reaching the pond water. Water lilies and lotus are great at producing shade, but don’t help much with nutrient reduction. Marginal aquatic plants along the pond edge help in reducing nutrient levels and may help a little with shading. Submerged aquatic plants are the best at absorbing nutrients and are a must for any pond.

String algae and green water problems are common in the early spring when the pond water temperature warms. The pond fish return from being dormant all winter and begin to eat and produce waste. Organic debris on the pond bottom begins to be broken down by bacteria producing more nutrients in the pond water. As the nutrient levels continue to rise, most of the pond’s aquatic plants may still be dormant or just beginning to come back to life. Algae begins to grow at a rapid rate temporally until the pond’s aquatic plants return to prominence. You can help lower nutrient levels during this time by physically removing debris from the pond bottom and abstaining from feeding your pond fish until the water garden becomes balanced again.

Other Ways to Control Garden Pond Algae

An Ultraviolet clarifier is best way to control single-cell floating algae. This device is plumbed inline between the pond pump and pond filter. As the pond water is pumped through the ultraviolet clarifier, the algae cells in the water are altered so that they stick together and cannot reproduce. The algae cells are then removed by the pond filter or sink to the pond bottom where bacteria consume them. Ultraviolet clarifiers are completely ineffective for string algae as the string algae never passes through the UV Clarifier.

EPA registered algaecides are very effective at controlling string algae. Oxidizing algaecides, such as CrystalClear Algae-Off, work upon contact by removing algae directly from rocks and the pond bottom. Algaecides, such as Pond Care AlgaeFix, work over time to kill string algae- usually within a week. We use both products and both have been proven to work every time. Liquid treatments may claim to control single-cell algae that causes green pond water, but we have had very little success using them for this application.

Other products that have not been registered by the EPA as algaecides can be very effective at algae control as well. The EPA is very sensitive that any product that claims to control, kill or eliminate algae must be registered as such. A very hefty fine will be levied against any manufacturer who does not comply, and several in the water garden industry have learned that painful lesson firsthand. The EPA approval process is rumored by cost manufacturers in excess of $250,000 for each product they register. This cost deters many manufacturers from listing products that are very effective in algae control from going through the EPA registration process.