Thank you for a great 2008! Your help requested for preparing for 2009.

Thank you for a great 2008! We have had a great time working and talking with all of you this year. We are looking forward to the people we get to meet and the projects we get to complete in 2009.

I don’t think anyone will argue with me saying that winter has definitely set in this year already. The snow, the ice, the cold, the wind chills, the brief thaws, the freezing rain, and everything else that comes with winter has been thrown at us already. It is snowing now, and they are forecasting 8” to 12”+ for Thursday, more on Saturday, and again for next week.

What does this have to do with your pond, aquatic plants, and fish? Hopefully you did not hold off on your winterization too long and were able to remove and clean the filters, remove the organic debris, and trim the aquatic plants back. If you removed the pump from the system for the winter, you should be storing it in water to keep the seals from drying and possibly cracking. Be sure to check the water level in the container periodically throughout the winter to make sure the water did not evaporate away. Add water as needed.

Your aquatic plants and fish should be just fine with the temperature fluctuations that we are having. With the snow that has fallen in some areas already this year, there is plenty of protection for your plants (e.g. their roots are protected from drying out). The water temperature in your pond likely did not fluctuate much, if at all, with the short warm-up. If you have a stream running with large drops, the water temperature may have changed a bit a bit more. However, the layer of ice over your pond probably just melted a bit more (like ice cubes in a glass of lemonade).

Your fish are probably just hanging out at the bottom of the pond, dreaming of warmer more active days. Our pond was about 4/5 open two days ago. Overnight, if froze over to only be about ¼ open, with the small pump and de-icer being responsible for maintaining the openings – so far so good. If you have not put a de-icer in your pond yet this year, you will want to do that now. There several varieties of de-icer’s available. Make sure that you get one that is suitable for your pond. The size of your pond (volume of water), and the type of liner present are the main factors to consider when choosing the one for you. The varieties available through us are save for EPDM liner ponds (i.e. even if they came in contact with the liner, they won’t melt a hole through it – very important!!!).

If our pond has frozen over and you still need to get the pump and/or de-icer installed yet, do not “bang” or “pound” on the ice. The sound waves are detrimental to your fish. Some de-icer’s are able to melt their way through the ice if it is relatively thin yet. One approach is to use hot water, but that can take a while. I have heard of people using ice augers. This should be fine as long as there is no banging. Also, be sure you do not fall through the ice, and make sure your family members or your neighbors are not around to take pictures of you with the auger on your pond – but the stories could be interesting.

With winter set in and our fish resting until spring, we are busy preparing for next year. We are currently working on a couple of designs for some projects to get started as soon as the frost is gone next spring, and then there is all that paperwork – a necessary evil. Where we would like your help, is with assessing and improving our services, product line, and availability. We strive to provide excellent customer service, and high quality products. We are continuing to attend seminars and training events that are focused on the landscaping and water gardening industry, and on operating a successful business. In 2006, we joined the Water Garden Excellence (WGE) program, and in 2007, we were honored to become part of the Certified Aquascape Contractor (CAC) program. Anyone interested in joining the WGE can do so, but only a select few are allowed into the CAC program. We are proud of being accepted into the CAC program. We are currently the only CAC in this area of Wisconsin.

We have offered, and will continue to offer, the full Aquascape, Inc. product line – both the Aquascape™ products for DIY consumers (available directly through us or at Dave’s Milton Ace Hardware store, and Dave’s Evansville Ace Hardware store), and the AquascapePro™ products that are available to contractors that we use when installing water features for you (you can get these through us or as special order items through Dave’s Ace Hardware stores). In addition to the pond products, we also use high quality material for the landscaping projects such as the edging for planting beds and quality plants from well-established nurseries, and hardscaping projects such as quality blocks for paver patios and walkways, and retaining walls.

Please contact us and give us your feedback. We want to hear from you regarding what you like, and dislike regarding our current products and services. Are there products that that you would like us to offer, such as something that you are having a hard time finding? We hope to improve our website over the winter, so let us know what you would like to have available there? Are there any services that you would like us to offer, that we currently do not. We are currently developing a maintenance program for those of you that want someone to do all the dirty work for you (monthly, bi-weekly, weekly, etc.). Let us know if you are interested in taking advantage of this.

Are there improvements that we need to make to our existing service, whether it is when we are on-site working on projects, or are there things we can improve on regarding how we handle your calls and emails? We are here to serve you and help give you the lifestyle that you want and deserve.

Thank you in advance for your feedback. Have a great winter!

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Pond Winterization

It sure has been getting cooler at night. Yesterday morning I had to break out the ice scraper to clear the windshield. That was a good reminder that winter is on its way. Watching the weather, I saw that there is another snow storm out west, with a chance for some flurries to get to our area later this week or over the weekend. It won’t last though, right?

With the coming of winter, you need to decide once again if you want to keep your pond running all winter, or shut it down? Either way, you will want to get as much organic matter as possible out of the pond (leaves, sticks, etc.), cut back your pond plants – marginals should be cut back to about one inch above the water level, and your lilies (hardy) should have their pads and remaining blossoms cut back close to the tuber. If possible, you should cover your pond with a protective netting to keep the leaves and other flying debris from blowing into your pond. The netting can be removed after your leaves and your neighbors have dropped and have been cleaned up. Some people leave the net on all winter. Be sure to support the net so it does not droop into the pond.

You should stop feeding your fish when the water temperature drops to 50 degrees F and below.

You will want to have a smaller pump available for when you shut your main pump off for the season, the one that runs your stream, waterfall, and keeps the biological filtration operational. The smaller pump will be used to agitate the water throughout the winter. You can use the main pump you use throughout the season, but it may be too large/powerful for this purpose. This is done to increase the gas exchange between the water and the air. Be sure to set the pump on a shelf, rather than the bottom of the pond. This is done to minimize the risk of supercooling the water in the pond. Furthermore, the water coming out of the pump should be directed to the surface, but only so that it disturbs, but doesn’t break, the surface. If the water breaks the surface of the pond, you could end up with an interesting ice sculpture when the freezing temperature comes to stay.

In addition to a smaller pump on a shelf, you will want to have a de-icer. A de-icer is a small heater type of device that will maintain an opening in the ice for gas exchange between the water and the air. When used in conjunction with the smaller pump, you can rest assured that one or the other will be operating for you throughout the winter. The de-icer will be place away from the pump. Placing it to close to the pump could force the de-icer to run more than it need to and cause it to burn out before the winter is over. De-icers come in various sizes, colors, shapes, etc. Be sure to select one that is the right one for your pond. We have a few different styles/strengths in stock. We have 100-watt, 200-watt, and 1250-watt options in stock to choose from. Each one is thermostatically controlled so it will only operate when necessary. This saves electricity and money, but will still ensure an opening in the ice for your fish.

If you have an Aquascape system, or other system that relies on biological filtration with filter pads, biomedia, and such, you can remove and clean these items and store them in a dry location for the winter. Your pump should be stored submerged in a container of water in a location where it will not freeze. This is to help prevent the seals from cracking, until you start your system up again in the spring.

You may need to blow the water out of the pipes if they were not installed to allow them to drain when the pump was turned off/removed. Leaving water in the pipes over winter will likely result in split/destroyed pipes that need to be replaced in the spring. Believe me, it’s no fun replacing those.

As always, this is just a brief discussion on some of the things that can be done to winterize your pond. Every manufacturer will have their own specific maintenance procedures to follow. The main thing is to protect your fish so they will be around to greet you again in the spring.

Please contact us with any questions or post a comment or two for all to read.

Thank you once again for visiting our Blog, and if you would like us to cover any particular topic, please let us know.

Shawn

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Fall Pond Maintenance

With the cooler temperatures coming around, it is time to change your pond maintenance routine a bit to prepare your pond, aquatic plants and fish for the winter. You will want to stop fertilizing your aquatic plants, and begin to monitor your water temperature more closely.

The water temperature is important because it impacts the effectiveness of the water quality/clarity and algae control products you use. Furthermore, your fish are cold blooded and as the temperature drops, their metabolism and ability to digest food decreases.

The water temperatures that you want to be aware depend on the brand of products you use. Those of you using Aquascape products you will want to watch for the following: 40, 50, 60 and 65 degrees Fahrenheit (F). Other manufacturers likely have similar temperature thresholds, so you will want to refer to the product labels to verify.

The above temperatures are important to save you money and for the health of your fish. Below 65F is when you want to switch to a low protein fish food such as Koi Balance LoTemp. Protein is harder for your fish to digest, so the LoTemp fish food is the recommended choice for feeding below 65F. This can be fed as long as water temps are above 50F. 60F is the temperature when you will want to stop using the regular formula of bacteria (AquaClearer Extreme – liquid or powder), and S.A.B. (String Algae Buster). Below 60F, these products will no longer work as effectively as intended. 40F is important because below that water temperature is when the AquaClearer Extreme Cold Water bacteria is no longer effective. This formula is recommended for use above 40F.

Consider covering your pond and stream with netting to minimize the amount of leaves and other debris getting into the pond. You will want to continue to remove leaves and other organic matter that does get into the pond, as you have done throughout the rest of the season.

Also, as the leaves on aquatic plants begin to yellow and die back, you will want to remove them.

There is still plenty of time to enjoy your ponds before winter sets in, so you do not need to think about shutting your system down for the season yet. However, now is the time to begin thinking about the maintenance items listed above.

This time of year may even be one of the best times of the year to enjoy your pond because the nights are cooler, you can have a fire going on the patio, and the mosquitoes aren’t as numerous allowing you to actually be able to sit around for more than five minutes without being driven back inside.

Happy Ponding!!!

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Aquatic Innovators, LLC Installs Water Features at House in SCWBA Parade of Homes

We are excited to tell you that we have two water features installed at a home in the Janesville area that is part of the South Central Wisconsin Builders Association (SCWBA) annual Parade of Homes which starts this coming weekend.

We would love to meet with you and talk about water features. We are planning on being at the home both weekends, as well as Thursday and Friday evenings, so stop on by. Be sure to check the SCWBA website http://www.scwbaonline.com/ for details regarding hours, and where you can purchase tickets. The house on the tour is number 13. Click on the Click here to view a MAP and get more information. to view the map. The following link provide more information about the home: http://www.scwbaonline.com/Events/ParadeofHomes2008/SocknessBuildersInc13/tabid/1725/Default.aspx

The two features that we built at the home include:

  1. One that we would call a semi-formal water feature that incorporates a tall “seat wall” that has a waterfall that comes out the middle of the wall and drops into a shallow pool. The water feature was built using multiple styles of Unilock retaining wall blocks and pavers. Underwater lights were installed so the water feature can be enjoyed at night as well. The water feature is located so that it can be seen as you enter the home, looking straight ahead through the large picture windows in the back of the home. It is also visible from every room in the house with a window facing the back yard.
  2. The second feature is located in the front yard and is a smaller water feature that incorporates a Rimrock Spire stone that has been cored out to force water up through the center of it. The water cascades down the sides as it reaches the top of the stone. A basin is located beneath the stone and holds up to 75 gallons of water. This volume of water helps minimize the maintenance (i.e. how often you need to add water).

We hope to see you out there. If you are unable to make it, but would like to know more about the water features or see pictures of them, give us a call or send us an email.

Have a great day!

Shawn

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Late Summer Ponds

Welcome to late August 2008! By this time, unless you just recently built your pond or you completed a major cleaning of your ponds ecosystem, your pond should have cycled, balanced and your water should be crystal clear and your algae under control. You should be relaxing by your pond with very little maintenance.

We have finally had to add water to our pond a couple of times since it finally stopped raining on a daily basis. In fact our lawn has started to turn a crunchy golden brown and go dormant for a while. The recent scattered storms have not been enough to stop that process. One benefit of course is not having to mow the lawn as often – saves time and gas!

For those of you whose ponds have not fully balanced, we would like to hear from you. Send me an email at Shawn@AquaticInnovators.com or submit a comment to the blog describing the issue(s) you are having. Additional contact information can be found on our website at https://aquaticinnovators.com./
Include as much detail about your system as possible, including the size of your pond (volume of water, amount of surface area, max and average depth, shape of your pond, etc.), what type of filtration system you have, how much sunlight your pond gets, how many, the size and type of fish (and other aquatic family members) you have, and how often and the type of food you feed your fish. Include a little bit about the number and types of plants you have as well as the water quality parameters if you have tested your water recently as well. Have you added any new fish or plants to your system? What products (natural or man made chemicals) have you added to your water? Where are you located (state, city, etc.)? Do you have rocks and/or gravel in your pond? How long ago was your pond installed? Are you on well or city water supply? Is this the first time this issue has come up for your pond? Anything else you think may be important. If you are able to, include a picture or two of your pond.

As you can see from the questions above (not all-inclusive), there are all sorts of things that can impact your system. One thing to keep in mind is that poor water quality is the leading cause of problems for your fish.

If your pond is doing well, I would like to hear from you as well.

Thanks for checking in and have a great day! I look forward to hearing from you.

Shawn

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Welcome!

Welcome to our blog! We hope that you find the information that begins to accumulate here to be useful and enjoyable, and invite you to leave comments with questions, and suggestions. Have a great day!

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2008

Wow, what a year! Starting the year with record snowfall amounts for the winter, cooler than normal temperatures for the spring, and now flooding that nobody has ever seen around here.

With all that, people have experienced a variety of issues with their ponds. All in all though, it seems as though everyone is doing well now. The warmer weather and sunny days has really made a difference. The ponds are now balanced out for the season and the aquatic plants (after the slow start) are showing their annual growth potential and their beauty. The main one right now is that the water lilies are really beginning to bloom consistently.

Now get outside, sit by your pond and have a great summer day!

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