DreamscapesWatergardens.com

Pond Water Treatments: Flocculant

10/15/2018

Your backyard pond is a beautiful recreation of Mother Nature and should bring you hours and hours of enjoyment. It's not secret that backyard ponds are more enjoyable when you're not constantly handling a maintenance nightmare. Understanding the balance of your ecosystem is key and some pretty simple tips and tricks can eliminate all the lingering frustration.

How to Clear up Cloudy Pond Water:

Rapid Clear is a great way to increase the efficiency of existing mechanical filtration, also known as the skimmer box. Aquascape's Rapid Clear Flocculant is scientifically blended to quickly clear cloudy or discolored* pond water fast by clumping together suspended debris, also referred to as 'flocculation'. Clumping them together allows them to be big enough to get stuck in the skimmer components so that they can be removed from the water entirely during your weekly maintenance process. Most ponds will be crystal clear within 24 hrs.

We often use this product right after we do a new installation, as the stones are always pretty dusty and rinse off into the water upon first filling up the pond. Most commonly this product is used after a big rain storm, as the water gets churned up in the wind and rain through water permeation.

*Discolored in this sense refers to the color of the suspended particles floating in the water. Should your water be discolored with green hues, an algaecide should be applied. Should your water be discolored with tanins from mulch or un-seasoned driftwood, you should consider applying an activated carbon bag.

So Now What???

Dreamscapes also carries a full line of pond supplies from water treatments and fish medications to pond pumps, heaters, fountains, plants and fish! Tadpoles and snails are also available at our Aquatic Retail Center in Lebanon, Pennsylvania seasonally while supplies last from May-August. If you think you need it, we have it!

Retail Hours: April 5th-October 27th 2018:
                           Monday-Wednesday: By Appt
                           Thursday-Friday: 10am-5pm
                           Saturday: 9am-12pm
                   October 28th-April 2019: HOURS BY APPT

Contact Us
2155 State Route 343, Lebanon Pa | 717-272-6555 | info@dreamscapeswatergardens.com

Dreamscapes Watergardens services the city of Lebanon, Lancaster, Harrisburg, Mechanicsburg, Camp Hill, Cleona, Cornwall, Fredericksburg, Indiantown Gap, Jonestown, Kleinfeltersville, Mount Gretna, Myerstown, Newmanstown Palmyra, Quentin, Reistville, Richland, Schaefferstown of Pennsylvania, PA

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Water Treatments: Activated Carbon

10/8/2018

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Activated Carbon--- what is it and why would you ever considering using it for your backyard pond? There are so many different types of water treatments on the market from varying companies and all for different things. It's easy to get confused trying to understand all the backyard pond water treatments available. Hopefully this blog here helps bring some understanding to whether or not you should consider Activated Carbon as a solution to what's going on in your water feature.

What is Activated Carbon? What does Activated Carbon Do?

Simply put: Activated Pond Carbon is made with bamboo carbon, a sustainable resource with incredible ability to remove discoloration from water. Discoloration in this sense is generally a brown color in the water that can come from mulch dyes leeching into the pond after a heavy rain or even from an non-seasoned driftwood piece that is slowly breaking down in your pond. It is important to consider fixing the areas where the mulch is running into your pond to prevent the need for continuous re-application of this product. Similarly, consider where you're pulling your driftwood accent pieces from and always make sure that they're seasoned prior to adding them to your pond.

The highly-effective carbon also removes chlorines and chloramines from the water which can prove harmful to pond fish. Dreamscapes carries activated carbon in our Aquatic Retail Store seasonally from April through October every year. Not sure if you need it for your water feature located near Lebanon, Pennsylvania? Send us a photo on facebook, email or on our website's contact form and we'll let you know!

How to Use Activated Carbon

1 bag of Activated Carbon by Aquascape Inc. is good for ponds up to 800 gallons and last for about a month depending. The kit comes with a mesh bag to put the carbon in and it is important to wash off the carbon first-- otherwise it'll rinse off in your water feature!!

So Now What???

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Iongen System: String Algae Control

10/1/2018

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Say goodbye to string algae with the Aquascape IonGen™ System G2! Ideal for use in Ponds, Pondless® Waterfalls, and other decorative water features, the IonGen effectively kills algae without the use of traditional liquid chemicals.

The system helps to control algae growth throughout the entire system (up to 25,000 gallons) by using a microprocessor that sends a signal to its ionproducing probe. The Aquascape IonGen System G2 is compatible with water containing fish and plants and typically costs less than $1 per month in electric costs. It’s simple to install, energy efficient design makes the Iongen a perfect choice for the discriminating pond owner or professional.

Controls unsightly algae without chemicals
Simple, tool-free installation
Energy efficient (less than $1 a month in electricity cost)
Includes electronic control panel, transformer, flow chamber, probe, and multiple fittings
3-Year Limited Warranty

When To Use:

While there are many different types of algae, string algae tends to be biggest pain as it can become quite large and requires manual removal if left to become out of control. Thus, the iongen system is designed to eliminate string algae growth and ONLY string algae growth.

Though not confirmed, we have found that it may be unsafe for fish to operate at high levels when algae is not present in the pond. Because of which, we recommend only plugging it in when string algae is present in the pond and then reducing the strength level when the issue is rectified. It also saves on the probe usage.

So Now What?

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Do Koi Fish and Gold Fish Get Along in the Same Pond?

9/24/2018

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This is a question we get a lot with new pond owners who are just getting their feet wet. What pond fish cohabit well and what pond fish species should we not put together?

Pond Fish for Sale in Lebanon Pa

At our Aquatic Retail Center in Lebanon, Pennsylvania, Dreamscapes sells ONLY pond fish that will over-winter well and will successfully cohabit together. We do this to reduce confusion or any misunderstanding. Our most popular fish, the koi fish, we sell from 3"-12" in size from late April-September. We also sell 3"-4" comet goldfish, 3"-4" shubunkin goldfish, 5" golden orfe fish, and 5" pond sharks seasonally. All of these pond fish get along great together in the pond no matter the difference in actual fish size.

Channel Catfish

Channel Catfish are a very tricky fish to try to successfully keep with other pond fish in a backyard water garden in Pennsylvania because they will put their mouths over anything they can get them on. Often times, they suck the eyeballs off of weaker fish in the pond. We've always told customers that as long as the catfish is smaller than your other fish, it should be okay to have them in your pond. Eventually, however, that catfish will grow and may be problematic for baby fish or small fish that you introduce in later years.

Trout

While trout are a cold-water fish, we still often get inquires about adding them to backyard ponds in Central Pennsylvania. Trout need to live in a spring-fed body of water in order to maintain water temperatures suitable to survive.

Fish Personality

A few misconceptions about cohabitation lies in the misunderstanding of fish personality traits.
--In the Spring, you may notice fish aggressively pushing up against each other and rocks, sometimes enough to leave marks on the fish. This is common activity observed when fish are mating. Shortly after, you may find was appear to be foam, or soap bubbles, covering the pond.
--New fish added to the pond often take some time to get familiar with their surroundings before they either stop hiding or become as personable as your older fish. If you're noticing your fish hiding and acting differently than normal and they haven't been added to the point more recently, consider your water balance or if you may have had a predator lurking.
--You may still have a bully fish that is not attributed to their species. Every so often we hear of clients have a territorial fish that seem to bully the other fish. Generally speaking, this is not a common personality trait, however, it is possible!
--Some fish, like pond sharks, are not personable fish and they always hang out on the bottom or sides of the pond (on their own) eating algae all day.

So Now What??

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How Much Does a Professional Waterfall Installation Cost?

9/17/2018

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Did you Know???

Natural landscapes have a healing effect on the human body and can lower your heart rate and blood pressure, according tot he Sustainable Sites Initiative, Standards and Guidelines Preliminary Report of 2007.
Pondless waterfalls are the easiest to maintain with little to no maintenance required, allowing you more time to relax and enjoy your beautiful water feature with friends and family.
Water features attract birds and butterflies, and come in a variety of types and styles, perfect for any budget or landscape.

Imagine stepping outside your home into your very own backyard oasis, complete with a beautiful water feature. Sit back and listen to the soothing sounds of running water as you enjoy the enchanting sights of nature. Feel the cares of the world slip from your shoulders as you experience your personal vacation spot!

Spend more quality time with family outdoors.
Enjoy the delight of your children or grandchildren as they explore nature, up close and personal.
Gather and entertain friends and family outside near your beautiful water feature.

You'll wonder what took you so long to discover and enjoy the water feature lifestyle!

Aquascape Pondless Waterfall

Dreamscapes Watergardens installs pondless waterfall as small as 4' in length and as large as you can imagine. Pondless waterfalls are great for travelers or those who work away from home a majority of their time because you can unplug for weeks at a time without having to worry about the ecosystem living inside like a backyard koi pond would.

The price quotes below are for complete pondless waterfall installations by Dreamscapes Watergardens in 2018:
6' Aquascape Pondless Waterfall: Starting at $5,999 Installed
16' Aquascape Pondless Waterfall: Starting at $9,499 Installed
26' Aquascape Pondless Waterfall: Starting at $14,999 Installed

Dreamscapes also install water features of custom lengths, widths and heights at custom pricing!! Contact us for more information!!

Located in Lebanon, Pennsylvania, Dreamscapes Watergardens installs koi fish ponds and pondless waterfalls (disappearing waterfalls) all over the Central Pennsylvania area. For more information on koi ponds and waterfeature installations, please contact us directly!

Dreamscapes also carries a full line of pond supplies from water treatments and fish medications to pond pumps, heaters, fountains, plants and fish! Tadpoles and snails are also available at our Aquatic Retail Center in Lebanon, Pennsylvania seasonally while supplies last from May-August. If you think you need it, we have it!

Retail Hours: April 5th-October 27th 2018:
                           Monday-Wednesday: By Appt
                           Thursday-Friday: 10am-5pm
                           Saturday: 9am-12pm
                   October 28th-April 2019: HOURS BY APPT

Contact Us
2155 State Route 343, Lebanon Pa | 717-272-6555 | info@dreamscapeswatergardens.com

Dreamscapes Watergardens services the city of Lebanon, Lancaster, Harrisburg, Mechanicsburg, Camp Hill, Cleona, Cornwall, Fredericksburg, Indiantown Gap, Jonestown, Kleinfeltersville, Mount Gretna, Myerstown, Newmanstown Palmyra, Quentin, Reistville, Richland, Schaefferstown of Pennsylvania, PA

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Backyard Pond and Waterfalls: A Therapeutic Approach

9/10/2018

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There are many benefits of water features that far outweigh the beautiful aesthetic approach. From increased family time, to health and wellness and environmental conservation, it is pretty safe to say that water features are for EVERY body..even if you just don't know it yet.

Did you know?

....that water features have been proven to provide soothing sights and sounds that help you relax and de-stress in today's busy world? It's true! In the Standards and Guidelines Preliminary Report of 2007, the Sustainability Sites Initiative reports that water features lower your blood pressure and improve your physical and mental health as you prop your feet up and enjoy the therapeutic effects of Mother Nature. In fact, hospital patients who have a view of natural landscapes recover faster from surgery and require less pain medication. In addition, heart rate, blood preassure, and other measures return to normal levels more quickly when people view natural rather than urban landscapes after a stressful experience.

Local Examples:

It is becoming more common to see medical care facilities, senior care homes, and churches marketing their water feature as highlights to their facilities for the reason of therapeutic approach to care and relaxation. We've even been contracted to install them at local public schools so that the students have a place to decompress before and after school. To see an example of a water feature we installed at the Sechlar Family Cancer Center, click here to read our blog on that project! Similarly, check out the Fountain Installation project we installed at the Northern Lebanon Middle School a few years ago. The Prayer Garden at Lebanon Area Evangelical Free Church serves symbolic purpose as it greets all of the worshipers and attendees to the church. Lastly, we installed a beautiful pond with a waterfall at the Retirement Community at ECC Stoneridge at Poplar Run in Myerstown, PA so that the folks can sit and enjoy the beauty that comes from pond fish and rushing waters. Check out the Stoneridge Water Feature by clicking here!

So Now What?

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Pond Leaks: Screws and Gromets

9/3/2018

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Ponds leak for all sorts of varying reasons: low liner, liner tears/chew holes, plumbing breakage or even a dammed up waterfall from plant over-growth. For the average DIY pond owner, the above issues are pretty easy to detect and to fix. Having checked for liner and waterfall issues, DIY pond owner's regularly call about their mystery leak.So what about when you've tried everything that's been the problem before and you can't figure out what's happening this time?

Screws and Gromets

What are screws and gromets in a pond? Screws and gromets are the hardware pieces that hold the face plate of the skimmer box to the actual skimmer box, securing the liner between the two. If you don't know what a skimmer box is or need a refresher, click here to read our blog on skimmer boxes!

Brass screws and gromets are typically sold with and used during the original installation of a pond's skimmer box and tend to rust/disintegrate within the first 10 years after installation. Because you never have to use, look at, clean or even pay attention to screws and gromets, it's easy to forget that they exist as a part of your backyard pond altogether.

Pond Leaks Because of Screws and Gromets

Before you start removing and repairing the screws and gromets on your skimmer box's face plate, it's always a good idea to make sure that the screws and gromets are indeed the problem causing the leak. We trial and error this by turning the pump off, filling up the pond to it's normal level and letting the pond sit over night. The pond will continue to lose water and drop until it find's the whole causing the leak. If the screws and gromets are the problem, the water level will drop until it reaches the lowest screw that's rusted/disintegrated. With the water removed, it should be visibly obvious if a screws are rusted/disintegrated.

Another way to check is by digging along the front-side of the skimmer box until you can wiggle your hand behind the liner by the face-plate. If there is water or even moisture back behind that liner, that's a great indication that water is being lost through the deterioration of the screws.

Solution

To solve a leak of this nature, first you're in need of removing the screws and gromets from the face-plate. Keep in mind that it is important to replace ALL the screws and gromets, whether or not they're all compromised. Removing the screws often requires drilling the old screws out.

To replace with new screws and gromets requires very special precision, as you need to line up the new screws where the old screws have made holes in the liner. Similarly, if any screw is every a little crooked, you can expect to continue losing water. Thus it is important to take your time doing this type of repair.

Stainless Steel Screws and Gromets are the best replacements for the original brass screws and gromets that we've found. You can purchase these pieces at any Fastenal store. Tip: don't forget to use the silicone when replacing the screws and gromets!!

So Now What???

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What is a Pond Check Valve?

8/27/2018

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Something you’ll definitely want to invest in when it comes to keeping your pond functioning correctly is the check valve. The check valve helps prevent water from draining back into the pond when the power to your pump is cut. This is beneficial for more than one reason but first let's discuss what it looks like and where it goes.

Check Valve Assembly

This is what a check valve looks like and it attaches directly to the pump inside the skimmer box. Inside this check valve is a rubber stopper that regulates the flow of the water through the plumbing, in that the force of the water pushes the stopper up and out of the way when the pump is functioning correctly. When the power is cut, that stopper drops back down and seals the hose off so that the water is essentially trapped inside the plumbing until the pump is turned back on. It is important that the check valve is disconnected for the winter during your water feature shut down process so that the water does not freeze in the plumbing, causing cracked pipes and pond leaks.

Benefits of a Check Valve

The reason a check valve is important is because you need to keep water in your biological filter so that the beneficial bacteria colonies can continue to grow. If you lose power and the water washes down your waterfall and plumbing, you expose the bacteria to air and the bacteria will die. Without beneficial bacteria, you throw off the balance of your ecosystem which inevitably causes the return of algae. Rebuilding your beneficial bacteria colonies does not happen over night so it is most productive to PREVENT killing your beneficial bacteria.

Another benefit to a check valve is what is prevented when the water stops circulating during a power outage. For big ponds with big, beautiful waterfalls, there is always extra water tied up in the plumbing and on the falls, at all times. If a check valve is not present, when your power is cut without a check valve, all that extra water has no where to go except out of the pond, flooding your patio and yard. You now have to add all the water back to the pond and depending upon the amount of water displaced, you may find some beached fish in the after-math.

So Now What???

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Snails and Pond Algae in Central Pennsylvania

8/20/2018

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Snails...a novelty of the pond world. They're slimy, slow and have an appetite to eat algae. At Dreamscapes Watergardens, we sell Trapdoor Snails for backyard ponds near Lebanon, Mechanicsburg, Harrisburg, Hershey, and Camp Hill areas of Pennsylvania seasonally from April-August in our Aquatic Retail Center. They're pretty cheap (and pretty fascinating) critters to add to your pond, though, you can't be too sure that you'll see them very often due to their size.

We always find that kids LOVE to spend time trying to find the snails in the pond--the ultimate "Where's Waldo" game.

Snail Appetite

Trapdoor snails in Central Pennsylvania definitely have an appetite for algae, rarely eating anything else. So if you're prone to having algae in your pond, these critters will absolutely thrive off of it and be very happy in your backyard pond. A common misconception, however, is that snails will be the solution to your algae struggles. While they're definitely fun to spot wiggling around your ecosystem, realistically, you would have to have hundreds of snails in order to beat an algae issue. Thereby, snails will never be the end-all-be-all to algae growth-- thus we call them a novelty.

Pond Algae Control

If you're looking for true measures for how to control your algae, you've still come to the right place! There are 5 elements of a healthy ecosystem and without one of those elements, your pond balance is thrown off wack and inevitably into an green algae phase. We recommend making sure you have all of these elements in place instead of committing to an army of snails. Sometimes, however, string algae is absolutely inevitable and unbeatable. In these cases, we recommend an Iongen System designed to control String Algae by use of copper.

For more tips of controlling algae, read some of our other blogs:
Controlling String Algae in my Backyard Fish Pond
String Algae in Lebanon Pennsylvania Ponds and Waterfalls
Keep your Koi Pond Water Clean in Lebanon County Pennsylvania

So Now What???

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How Many Gallons is my Pond?

8/13/2018

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Trying to figure out the best maintenance practices for your water feature is IMPOSSIBLE if you don't know the total gallons of water you're operating. Thus, how to calculate the gallons of your pond is a frequent question we get asked at our Aquatic Retail Store at Dreamscapes Watergardens. If you're reading this and wondering, "Why do I need to know how many gallons of water my pond holds?"...you have some work to do and some blogs to read. Not only is pond volume important to know for water treatment applications, but it's also necessary when considering "How Many Fish Can I Have in My Pond?" and even pond pump and filtration spec. information!

Pond Volume Calculation

When calculating your total volume of water, you must take into account the set-up of your pond: are there rocks and gravel in the pond and are there plant shelves? Also if you generally have a waterfall running, there is always MORE water hanging out in the plumbing, filtration system and coming down the waterfall at all times.

Take the measurements of your pond by length, width, and AVERAGE depth and plug those numbers in to the formulas below.

No Rocks and Gravel: Length x Width x Average Depth x 7.48
YES Rocks and Gravel: Length x Width x Average Depth x 7.48 x 0.4

Standard Pond Volume Calculations:

Below is a rough estimate for typical pond sizes:
4x6 = 300 gallons of water
6x8 = 400 gallons of water
8x11 = 500 gallons of water
11x11 = 700 gallons of water
11x16 = 1000 gallons of water
16x16 = 1500 gallons of water
16x21 = 2000 gallons of water

So Now What???

Now that you know how many gallons of water your pond holds, you can re-evaluate the way that you're applying water treatments, if you have too many fish and even if your pump is big enough to recirculate your water. ALL of these components drastically change the quality of your water and even the health of your fish.

Dreamscapes has a full service maintenance program that travels all over the Lebanon, Lancaster and Dauphin County areas. We also carry a full line of pond supplies from water treatments and fish medications to pond pumps, heaters, fountains, plants and fish! Tadpoles and snails are also available at our Aquatic Retail Center in Lebanon, Pennsylvania seasonally while supplies last from May-August. If you think you need it, we have it!

Retail Hours:   April 5th-May 27th: Wednesday-Friday: 10am-5pm; Sat: 9am-1pm
                   Mon & Tues: Hours By Appointment
                     May 28th-Nov 25th:        Thursday-Friday: 10am-5pm; Sat 9am-12pm
                                                         Mon, Tues, Weds: Hours By Appointment
                     Nov 26th-April 2018:       All Hours By Appointment

Contact Us
2155 State Route 343, Lebanon Pa | 717-272-6555 | info@dreamscapeswatergardens.com

Dreamscapes Watergardens services koi ponds and waterfalls in the city of Lebanon, Lancaster, Harrisburg, Mechanicsburg, Camp Hill, Cleona, Cornwall, Fredericksburg, Indiantown Gap, Jonestown, Kleinfeltersville, Mount Gretna, Myerstown, Newmanstown Palmyra, Quentin, Reistville, Richland, Schaefferstown of Pennsylvania, PA

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How to Clear up Cloudy Pond Water:

So Now What???

What is Activated Carbon? What does Activated Carbon Do?

How to Use Activated Carbon

So Now What???

When To Use:

So Now What?

Pond Fish for Sale in Lebanon Pa

Channel Catfish

Trout

Fish Personality

So Now What??

Did you Know???

Aquascape Pondless Waterfall

Did you know?

Local Examples:

So Now What?

Screws and Gromets

Pond Leaks Because of Screws and Gromets

Solution

So Now What???

Check Valve Assembly

Benefits of a Check Valve

So Now What???

Snail Appetite

Pond Algae Control

So Now What???

Pond Volume Calculation

Standard Pond Volume Calculations:

So Now What???

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