What the heck is an IonGen™?

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Spring is just around the corner! The warm weather we are having is giving me spring fever. Yesterday I was walking down a sidewalk and I caught the smell of dirt. It was a great reminder of what is soon to come. I am sure there will be a few cold spells and several inches of snowfall yet, but the days are getting longer and the sun is warmer. Pond season is soon upon us.

 

We are preparing for the season and getting ready to prepare and start up the ponds again. We will be trying out a new product this year for tackling our algae control throughout the season. It is called the IonGen™ System by Aquascape, Inc. The IonGen™ System has been available to the public for over a year now. The reviews have been great. Any issues that came up during the prototype period prior to being available to the public, and any that came up over the past year have been addressed. Following is a description and picture of the new system from Aquascape, Inc.

 
Electronic clarifier for ponds and pondless waterfall systems. Simple to install.
 

  The Aquascape IonGen™ is a water clarifier solution for ponds, Pondless Waterfalls, and other decorative water features. The IonGen™ drastically reduces pond maintenance and provides crystal clear water without the use of chemicals. A microprocessor inside the IonGen™ control panel causes the outermost atoms of copper, silver and zinc to lose an electron, creating a positive ion. The positive ion attempts to flow from one of the Probe’s bars to the other and is swept away by the flow of water where the ion can begin to treat the water. The IonGen™ Probe is self cleaning, using reverse polarity to prevent scale and debris build-up on the Probe’s bars. The metal alloys in the Probe are scientifically blended and tested to produce maximum results. The IonGen™ System is safe for fish and plants and is not toxic to any animals that may drink from the pond.
Iongen System by Aquascape, Inc.

  •  Features:
    • Treats up to 25,000 gallons
    • Less than $1/month in electricity
  • Includes: 2″ PVC tee, control panel, 6 watt transformer, 1 Probe, Copper test strips.

If you are interested in purchasing one of these units for your pond, give us a call. Based on the reviews from others that have used this system, this will be a great addition to the system, and drastically reduce the time you need to spend maintaining your pond. We will update you as the season gets into full swing to let you know how it’s working. Feel free to contact us at 608-373-7040, or Shawn@AquaticInnovators.com if you want to know sooner, would like more information, or with any questions.

 

Enjoy the rest of the winter, and get ready for spring.

 

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Basic Pond Maintenance

Welcome to Summer!  OK, it isn’t officially summer yet, but I think we can safely say there won’t be any frost for a while, and the forecast for the next week is hot and sticky with a chance of rain every day for about a week.  Spring came a bit earlier this year than the past couple of years, so your ponds and water features should be fully cycled by now.  Your water should be pretty clear if not crystal clear by now, your aquatic plants will be blooming, and your fish begging for food every time they see you.

Like anything, there are always things that you can do to maintain, or tinker with your pond or water feature.  I am always tinkering with our pond.  Not necessarily because something needs to be done (other than finish it  🙂  ), but because I find it relaxing, and can feel the stress melting away while doing it.  A couple of weeks ago, I was actually in our pond planting some water lilies.  The water was 84 degrees F.  It felt great.  Our pond is still a work in progress.  It is functional, but the landscaping around it and plantings within still need some work.  Below is a picture of our pond from a couple of weeks ago.  When the picture was taken, only one of the two pumps was operating.  We don’t always have both pumps running to save on electricity costs.  The second pump more than doubles the flow of water.  Each of the waterfalls is about 2 1/2 feet wide.  The center of the pond is 5 1/2 feet deep.  If you want to know more about why we have multiple pumps (other than to save electricity) and their placement, contact us and we would be happy to explain.

If you are interested in a printable listing of the basics of what you could/should be doing for maintenance of your pond, please visit the pond maintenance page on our website.  There you will be able to download the pdf. document.  If you haven’t been to our website for a while, take a look around you will see that we have made some changes, with more to come.  Suggestions are always welcome.

Here is a link to the pond maintenance page:  Pond Maintenance Information

Also, be sure to check out our Facebook page.  We have been updating that a bit more frequently than the blog.  A link to our Facebook page is on our home page.

Have a great season!

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