Category: Pond Fish / Water Care

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GregRobert has carried quality pond supplies for close to a decade and wants to earn your business if you are a pondkeeper!

Due to the mild temperatures this spring, the 2012 pond season has begun earlier than normal.

It’s time to purchase your pond starter products.

It is important that your run your pond pump for a week or two before you start feeding your fish.  If you are adding tap water to your pond this spring, be sure to use a Water Prep solution like Laguna’s.

For a new pond:

Use 50 ml per 265 gallons of pond water. Use the provided vial for an accurate measurement. Fill your pond with water and then add this product to the directly to the pond.
This method is not recommended when fish are already in the pond.

Water replacement:

Use 50 ml per 265 gallons of pond water every time water is added from the tap. To ensure maximum protection for fish already in a pond, dose the pond to be topped or filled before any new water is added.
Source: California Waterscapes.
 

 

We haven’t had a very harsh autumn in many parts of the United States, so it’s tempting to put off the yearly pond maintenance of preparing your pond plants for winter – but if you haven’t done so yet – it’s high time to take care of this chore.

It’s a guarantee that cold weather is approaching.

It is important to take the necessary steps to prepare your pond plants for the winter months – sooner rather than later.

• Trim hardy lotus and lilies and then put them in the deepest part of your pond. Use a burlap cover and string for easy removal.
• Other hardy plants (grasses, cattails, and iris) do not need to be trimmed back. You can leave them on the shelf in more temperate areas (ex.: garden zone 7 or above) or put them at the bottom of the pond in colder climates.
• Remove and/or compost tropical oxygenators and floating plants (ex.: lettuce and hyacinths).
• If you have space, you can bring your plants inside. Put them in boxes (or plastic tubs like Tubtrugs) lined with trash bags and place them in your basement. You need to provide them with light and keep them damp. Check on your plants at least once a week.

Winter Quick Check List Reminder:

1. Skim your pond weekly to remove leaves and plant matter
2. Switch to a spring/fall formulated fish food
3. Dose pond water regularly with Laguna Bio Booster until water temperature reaches 50 °F (10 °C)
4. Remove, clean and store pond equipment
5. Disconnect waterfall
6. Install a Pond Heater, De-icer or Aeration Kit
7. Prepare your pond plants for the winter – as indicated above.

In most parts of the United States, water temperatures in Backyard Ponds start to dip in early fall.

Prepare for this shift by understanding how to start changing fish food and nutritional diets to accommodate the changes these cold-blooded friends will undergo.

We recommend following a Seasonal Feeding Cycle like Tetra Pond publishes. When temperatures are between 39°F and 50°F, a wheat-germ based diet is best for your pond fish. We like the Tetra Pond Variety Blend pictured to the right.

Wheat-germ is ideal to transition fish in (and out) of winter because it is highly digestible at low temperatures.

This is especially important because in the colder months, fishes’ metabolism and the pond’s ammonia-reducing biological activity are greatly diminished.

Additionally, a food that is highly digestible minimizes waste, allowing the pond filtration system to work more effectively for a cleaner ecosystem.