Q- I have green water in my pond, what do I do?

A- Add plants! Plants shade your pond and consume the excess nutrients that algae lives on. 60%-80% of the surface of the pond should be covered by plants. Adding chemicals to reduce the algae treats the symptom not the cause and does do harm the plants you do have. Over feeding fish will also cause algae blooms. Feed your fish no more than they can consume in 3 minutes. Time them. This is probably far less than you are now feeding.

 

Q-Will my pond breed mosquito's?

A- Only if you don't have fish in it. Fish eat mosquito larvae. Ponds also breed frogs and dragonflies which in turn will reduce annoying insects in the area. Chemicals can be purchased for fishless ponds to kill larvae but why bother when you can keep a couple fish? We have a couple fish in every propagation tank and even the rain barrels.

 

Q-Do I need to feed the goldfish daily?

A- No, unless you have an large fish supply they'll be fine while you're on vacation a couple of weeks. We only feed the fish in our larger pond, the smaller tanks and propagation tanks get no fish food. They are content but just don't grow as fast.

 

Q- Can I use city water to fill my garden?

A- Yes. When we initially fill it we'll treat the water to remove chlorine/chloramines and after that you can top it off with tap water to compensate for evaporation. 5%-10% at a time will not hurt the fish or plants. If you forget and leave the hose on an hour or two all the fish will die. We suggest having enough chlorine/chloramines remover handy for that possibility. I've done it myself before.

 

Q- Must I have a pump and filter?

A- No, but you must have a balance of fish, oxygenating plants and free sun surface area without them. We have all our propagation ponds without power as well as some clients ponds. We size the pumps and bio filters to match the pond size for minimal maintenance and a pretty water feature. A pump, bio filter and waterfalls enhance the beauty of the pond and make balance much much easier. We recommend it.

 

Q- How do I keep birds and raccoons from eating my fish?

A- We stock a product called the "Scarecrow" It's a motion activated sprinkler that spooks the unwanted guests. After years of experience we use only this. It's environmentally friendly and works!