Generally speaking, you should plan to prepare your plants for the chillier days of autumn in late September. When the days are shorter and the temperatures begin to drop giving way to the morning frost, you can be sure it is time to take action. Fall aquatic plant care also helps when trying to secure pond nets during the fall shutdown process to the waterfeature. For more information on the fall/winter shutdown process, please read our blog!

Dreamscapes keeps in stock only HARDY AQUATIC plants. So if you bought your aquatic plants at Dreamscapes Watergardens, rest assured they should come back or you in the Spring of 2018 when you start opening your pond for the season. When these plants are turning yellow and brown, it is not only a signal to stop fertilizing them, but you may consider trimming the dying foliage to about 2 inches above the water level. Semi-evergreen varieties can be left for longer interest. And the best news? You may leave these plants where they are in your pond!

Even if we don’t carry them, we can’t forget the TROPICAL MARGINAL aquatic plants. Here in our Zone 4-5 climate, we treat these plants as annuals, by replacing them each season. Keeping tropical waterlilies indoors over the winter is difficult so we advise our customers to treat them as annuals and purchase a new plant each season and to certainly remember to remove the plant entirely in the Fall so that the foliage doesn’t contribute to sludge build up after it decomposes. An alternative is to treat these tropical plants as houseplants and bring them in for the winter. They may be potted in a sealed clay pot with no drainage holes, or an ordinary pot if you add water regularly. When kept moist, the plants do well in a sunny window or sunroom.

Taking the time to properly care for your aquatic plants will mean happier and healthier plants next spring, and (in turn) a cleaner, healthier, pond ecosystem for your fish. Dreamscapes carries a full line of pond supplies from water treatments and fish medications to pond pumps, heaters, fountains, plants and fish available at our Aquatic Retail Center in Lebanon, Pennsylvania seasonally.  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 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

When your fish are acting different then usual, testing the water is a must! The first thing Dreamscapes tests for is ammonia---ammonia is toxic to fish, as it burns at their gills and makes it hard for the fish to breathe. Because it is a slow and painful death, the damage is already done by the time people notice their fish acting weird.

Ammonia stems from a couple different issues, which hand in hand, all cause a MAJOR issue!
     1) Overfeeding-- Not only does overfeeding add extra poop to the water, but it could also mean the fish don't eat all the food you're tossing in, too! Often times, fish pretend to be starving and as soon as you throw in an extra large handful of food, half of it is destined to sink to the bottom of the pond.
     2) Fish waste- The more you feed fish, the more the fish poop. Consider your "magic fish number" and how having "too many fish" can impact the amount of fish waste piling up in your water...especially if you haven't done or don't usually EVER do a Spring Maintenance on the waterfeature.
     3) Dead organic matter-- whether it's dead algae killed by use of algaecides, dead leaves/pollen from the trees above or dead leaves off of pond lilies and other aquatic plants, dead organic matter all contributes to ammonia!
     4) Beneficial Bacteria-- the weekly application of beneficial bacteria promotes the breaking down of dead organic matter in the pond, which without would contribute to the ammonia levels.

The good news is that water treatments and pond nets are all sold at Dreamscapes Watergardens during regular Aquatic Retail Hours AND we even offer Spring Maintenance and Summer Maintenance service options if you want to let us handle the hassle for you.

​ Depending on the severity of the ammonia, a 25-50 percent water change should be performed immediately on the waterfeature and the addition of Ammonia Neutralizer can decrease the harmfulness of the ammonia until it is removed from the water. Please keep in mind, we have seen some ponds need MULTIPLE water changes before getting back in balance.

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We recommend also adding Pond Salt, as pond salt increases the slime coat of the fish to help protect them from parasites. Salt, however, does not dissipate until a water change has been performed on the feature. Make sure to follow the directions on the back of the container when dosing the pond. Too much salt can kill aquatic plants.   

Located in Lebanon, Pennsylvania, Dreamscapes Watergardens installs and renovates 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

We hear it a lot: "HELP-- my fish are dying!" Sometimes the fish act different first. Other times, you find them floating belly up one after another. Dreamscapes Watergardens does NOT have koi vets on staff and is not a water company that tests for contaminates (i.e. pesticide, fertilizer, wasp spray, etc) that are all absolutely fatal to fish. Dreamscapes does, however, test for ammonia, pH, nirtites and phosphates, which are all treatable. If caught early enough, you can save the rest of your fish from catching whatever the first fish has. Pay attention to your fish activity and test your water regularly so that you can be proactive when things get fishy (pun intended).

You know your fish the best---- after all, you probably see them multiple times a day if you're a true pond-lover (and I imagine you are if you're reading this blog). When your fish start acting different than normal--something's going on! Disclaimer: pond fish sometimes act different when a predator has been around and during mating seasons--so if you haven't read our Heron Blog, consider reading it so you're not confused! 


It is a bad sign when a fish that is typically social or busy starts to segregate themselves and/or stays at the bottom of the pond clamping their fins. Jumping out of the water, scratching themselves on rocks, swimming much slower than normal or not with the other fish as usual are all signs that you should look into the health of your fish and the health of your pond water.

Though, not always easily visible, physical markings can be identified for ulcers, parasites, ich, fungal and other diseases/infections that lead to health complications for the fish that may be fatal. If you notice your fish acting weird, look for a change in their appearance so that you can identify if the issue is treatable. Each infection/disease has a distinct look to it. Knowing what's wrong with one fish can lead you to the fish medication that may save that fish or at least help prevent the other fish from catching it. Some fish need to be quarantined during medication so it is important to know what you're dealing with!
A helpful tool at helping to diagnosed and resolve potential fish problems and diseases, consider checking out the world renowned koi vet: Dr. Erik Johnson's webpage or the Koi Crisis website.

Water Quality is the #1 reason why fish get sick or die. There are parasites in your water no matter what you do because Mother Nature continually exists around your pond. A fish's slime coat protects them from these parasites but if stressed out because of poor water quality, the slime coat breaks down and the fish is susceptible to diseases. Consider adding Pond Salt to the water to increase the slime coat of the fish to be safe.

To maintain good balance in your water, consider your routine maintenance and your seasonal maintenance--
          Was the waterfeature properly shut down in the fall?
          Was a Spring Cleaning performed on the waterfeature?
          What water treatments are you adding weekly or should be adding?
          Is your filtration system big enough for your total gallons of water?
          Do you have TOO MANY fish?
          Are you overfeeding the fish?
          Do you have enough aquatic plants in your pond?

Pay attention to your fish activity and test your water regularly so that you can be proactive when things get fishy (pun intended)!!! Dreamscapes performs free water tests during regular operating hours for ammonia, pH, nitrite and phosphate levels. Dreamscapes 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 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

What do you do when you have an existing water feature that leaks a whole, whole lot and you decide you wish it looked different, too? Get Dreamscapes to renovate it into a piece you LOVE and a waterfall that works! Water feature/water garden renovations make up the bulk of our projects because the possibilities are endless and facelifts on water features can change EVERYTHING--bringing new life to existing areas.  In this case, though, we tore out the entire old water feature for this MAJOR pondless waterfall upgrade in Carlisle, Pennsylvania (PA).

The original waterfall was roughly 3'x5' long with a 1'x10' long trough shaped pooling portion at the bottom. We were able to re-use about 3 tons of the existing stone and even the existing biofalls to do this Carlisle watergarden renovation into a 10-12 foot wide waterfall that has 3 different starting points and completed with underwater lights to allow for evening enjoyment.

The homeowner LOVES it---the set up of the rocks create different types of falls: some more crashing/faster than others and allows so much more of that beautiful water flowing sound than the initial waterfeature. The aquatic plants will continue to become more lush as they grow-- creating a more natural look. We can't wait to see photos of it lit up at night. What do you think?

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 1st-May 27th:          Weds-Friday: 10am-5pm; Sat: 9am-3pm
                     June-November 25th        Thurs-Friday: 10am-5pm; Sat 9am-12pm
                     Nov 28th-April 2018:        Hours By Appointment


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