Get Great Deals on Pond Supplies at the Bargain Basement

In case you weren’t aware, Pondliner.com has a Bargain Basement that features all kind of great pond supplies at discounted prices. What’s better than getting a brand new pond pump? Getting a brand new pond pump at a great price!

Just like the best time to buy a winter jacket is at the beginning of spring, we think the best time to buy pond supplies can be when they’re out of season. If you think it may be time to replace an essential part of your backyard water garden, consider doing it while the weather is cold. That way, you can get a great deal on the part you need, and you’ll be ready to start replacing, rebuilding, expanding or enhancing as soon as the weather starts turning warmer.

Just a few of the products you can find in our Bargain Basement include:

• Pond pumps
• Pond heaters / pond deicers
• Pond lights
• Pond filters
• UV sterilizers/clarifiers
• Pond liners / pond underlay
• Pond skimmers
• Pond vacuums

You get the idea. Pretty much any type of pond supplies or accessories you need can be found on clearance in this expansive section. Browse through the available products today, and treat yourself to a high-quality piece of pond equipment at a great price.

*Image provided by www.vectorportal.com

The Power of Cold Weather Fish Food

As humans, we often eat different kinds of food – and different amounts of it – depending on the weather. For many of us, summer is a time to eat lighter foods like salads, grilled fish, chicken, and fruit. We also tend to eat less food when we’re hot. On the other hand, fall and winter is a time to load up on comfort foods like hearty stews and soups, mashed potatoes and pot roast.

Fish in your backyard water garden are pretty much the opposite, because they need more food in the warmer months of the year and less food during winter. That’s because fish go into a form of hibernation when it gets cold. Their metabolism slows down steadily until it is almost nonexistent, and they spend the majority of their time hovering at the bottom of your pond to avoid freezing to death.

Because of this lack of metabolism, their digestive systems can’t process large amounts of food, or food that has high levels of protein. And during the coldest weather, they actually don’t need to eat at all.

So how should you handle the changing metabolism levels and food needs of your fish?

Feed them the type of food that is appropriate for the weather conditions they are experiencing.

For the winter months, that means giving them cold weather fish food. It's made with lesser amounts of protein and is instead comprised mostly of wheat germ, an ingredient that is easily digested and contains a higher level of fats. Switching to this kind of food is extremely important, because if you continue to feed your fish food they can’t process, they will produce excess amounts of ammonia that can actually poison the water they are living in.

Another benefit of cold weather fish food is that it has important probiotics that help produce enzymes that break down carbohydrates, protein and fat. So the food you’re feeding your fish is essentially helping their digestive systems to process it. Pretty neat system, huh?

Most pond supplies experts recommend switching to cold weather fish food any time nighttime temperatures can go below 55 degrees Fahrenheit, or when the water temperature drops to 65 degrees Fahrenheit. Once your fish stop coming to the surface for food, or the water falls below 42 degrees Fahrenheit, you can stop feeding them altogether until the temperature starts rising again.

Have questions about cold weather fish food, or how to properly care for your fish during winter? The pond supplies experts at Pondliner can help. Just give us a call today!

*Image provided by Eustaquio Santimano on Flickr

How to Keep Your Pond Pump from Clogging this Fall

Your pond pump is an essential part of what keeps your favorite ecosystem functioning. During the fall, it has to work extra hard to try to combat all the leaves, sticks and other falling debris bombarding your pond on a daily basis.

Because of all the falling debris, your pump would probably need to be cleaned out daily just to keep the water flowing. Not only is that a time-consuming process, but it can really disturb the ecosystem you’ve worked so hard to create.

Since your pond pump takes care of your fish and pond plants, what can you do to take care of it during this strenuous season?

You can change the size of your filter screen, but if you have a significant amount of debris coming off the trees around your pond, it’s unlikely that this will make much of a difference. A better idea is to get in there and give your pump an extra hand. Instead of waiting for it to filter everything, you can manually clear out the leaves and other material a couple times a week.

Using a pond skimmer can get things on the surface, but you can even go a step further and remove matter from the pond floor using a swimming pool leaf-raking net, or some other similar device. This will cloud the water temporarily, so you may want to follow it by exchanging out some of the pond water.

If you find that this isn’t enough to combat all the crazy debris falling off the trees and plants in your backyard, you may even want to consider redirecting your pond pump system outside of your pond to an external basin. Sink your basin of choice into the ground a few feet away from your pond. You can connect it to your pond either with an underground pipe, or an aboveground PVC pipe. By placing your pond pump inside this basin, the water will be drawn into it, and the accompanying debris will be trapped.

Take care of your pond pump this fall, and it will take care of you. For more tips on how to stay on top of pond maintenance for this busy season, contact a pond supplies professional today.

*Image provided by Wonderlane on Flickr.