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.

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. 

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

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. 

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!!

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

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

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. 

​

 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

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.

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.

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

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,

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!

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

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

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

We're taking it back to the basics again on this blog to explain another one of the components of a proper filtration system: a biofalls box.

A Biofalls box serves the purpose of a biological filtration system for a backyard pond and is where your waterfall 'starts". The biofalls box works as the 2nd part of the filtration system; the first part being the skimmer box. After the water is "skimmed" from the pond into the skimmer box (where the pump lives), it is then pushed up to the "biofalls box" at the top of the waterfall where it then spills over into the stream portion that flows down into the pond.
But then what happens and why?

Inside a biofalls box is where 2 more of your filter pads and all of your biomedia are housed. Biomedia, whether it be bioballs or lava rock, is where all of your beneficial bacteria colonies grow (as well as in the rocks and gravel on the bottom of your pond). The purpose of your biofalls box is that as the water passes through the biofall boxes' biomedia, the beneficial bacteria can essentially break down the invisible particles of dead organic matter in your pond that contribute to poor water quality if not taken care of. It then spills over to your waterfall where it makes it's way down into the pond, completing the recirculating system.

If set up properly, your pond should have no stagnant areas and you should be recirculating your pond's total water volume 2-3 times an hour.

YES a biofalls box is necessary!

LESS work for you means more time to enjoy your water feature free of hassle if you set up the right elements so your pond works FOR you instead of against you. Always remember, there are 5 elements to keeping your pond water clear and if one of them is missing, you have a harder time maintaining that crystal clear water that you strive for. Preventing a maintenance nightmare is much easier than fixing one!


 1) Filtration: Removes harmful debris and provides an area for additional bacteria colonization
 2) Rocks and Gravel: Provides surface area for bacteria to colonize
 3) Recirculating System: Keeps water flowing and oxygenated
 4) Pond Fish: Helps keep algae in check and fertilizes the plants with their waste.
 5) Aquatic Plants: Cleans pond by using nutrients and growing vigorously.

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,

Summertime—the most beautiful time of year and the best chance to truly enjoy the pond.

By Summer, the majority of your pond maintenance should be behind you if you properly performed a Spring Clean-out on your water feature. There are some summer maintenance items that still need to be addressed in order to have a season of clean, clear water to enjoy. By keeping up on these tasks PROACTIVELY, you should have a healthy pond all season long.

You can lose up to an inch of evaporation a day if it’s really really hot outside so you need to make sure the water level stays where it should be. Maintaining the correct water level will ensure that the pump and/or skimmer are able to operate properly which will help keep your pond free of debris. Whether you're topping off your pond with a garden hose or you're filling with an auto-fill valve, the correct operation of your skimmer box provides oxygenated water for your fish, which is important when considering that the summer heat can be tough on oxygen levels.

The more the merrier (though there IS  a fine line)! If at all possible, try to cover at least a third of the pond’s surface area with water lilies. Ideally during the summer, 40-60 percent of your water surface should have coverage.

Keep your plants looking good by trimming them when necessary==same as you would with any regular landscape or house plant. Routine maintenance, including removal of spent blooms, yellowing leaves, and excess growth will get rid of nutrients in the pond (nutrients come from the decomposition of those spent/yellowing leaves), reducing the possibility of algae blooms.

In the extreme heat of the summer, over feeding can lead to oxygen depletion and possible algae blooms (the more they eat, the more they poop!). It’s important to remember that fish can eat and eat until they over eat. Ours ALWAYS pretend like they’re starving. It’s possible that they’re just being friendly when they greet you and not begging for food. A good rule of thumb is not to feed your fish more than they can eat in a period of two to three minutes at a time.

If you have a biological filtration system (also known as a biofalls or “top box” , cleaning off the filter pads will destroy the algae-fighting bacteria that live there, resulting in excess algae growth. It will also disturb the “biomedia” that live up in that box, causing them to either die, or wash down into the pond creating a murky look for a while.

If your lilies are potted, use fertilizer tabs near the base of the plant to encourage more blooms. Lilies planted into the pond, however, pull the nutrients they need right from the pond. There are a lot of benefits to having lilies in your pond: from shade and protection, to reducing the water temperature and of course the sheer beauty of them.

Bacteria sounds bad, but it’s not! Not the beneficial kind anyways. Follow the dosage instructions on the label and add bacteria weekly to compete with the algae for excess nutrients in the water, helping reduce the growth of algae

Avoid using fertilizer in areas that may drain into your pond. Fertilizer will cause a surge of excess nutrients in your pond and actually encourage algae blooms. Similarly, runoff from mulch can cause tanins (tea colored water) from making their way into the pond.

Remember, your water garden is there for you to ENJOY and it’s much easier to do so if you’re maintainancing it proactively instead of reactively.

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,

Every spring we get an influx of phone calls from new homeowners who have inherited a pond and are trying to figure out how to maintain it. Other times it's a DIY customer who is designing their very first pond and are planning their maintenance. So naturally, we ask about how the pond (or the plan for the pond) is set up and whether or not that set up includes rocks and gravel. We often find the same 3 questions from new ponders:

                                   “Do Rocks and gravel make ponds dirty?”
– Plain and simple: Rocks and gravel do not make a pond dirty. A pond can only become dirty depending upon how the pond owner manages the pond—i.e. are you over feeding your fish? Are you cleaning out your pond yearly? Are you properly maintaining it at all? Imagine a rock by itself---it doesn’t have any byproducts…it doesn’t ooze any liquids. If you place rocks and gravel into a body of water and just leave it alone what will it do? Sit there. However, if a pond owner overfeeds, overstocks fish, poorly maintains or even neglects that same rock and gravel-filled pond, it will indeed APPEAR dirty. The reality is that a pond without rocks and gravel will be the same amount of dirty—you just don’t notice it as much if the dark waste is against a black liner. In fact, there are benefits to gravel, in that it can actually enhance filtration and water quality in a pond if used correctly with beneficial bacteria products.

                          “Can rocks and gravel kill your fish?”
–It is true that some varieties of rock can fluctuate pH levels, or begin breaking down in the water, thereby causing issues. If you’re using the correct rock however, generally river gravel/pea gravel, then there is no worries about the potential of them killing your fish.

              “Will rocks and gravel will poke holes through the pond liner?”
– While this COULD BE a possible problem if the pond was built incorrectly, it is also true that the damage that rocks and gravel can do to liners is from human error or poor material choices. Don’t just use any jagged/sharps and think about what you’re doing when you place them on the liner and you will see that damage to pond liners from rocks and gravel pretty much never happens. It's also important to consider what type of pond liner you've used or how old it is. We've had DIY customers try to reuse 15-20 year old liners they've found on craigslist, which is ultimately on it's way "out" (i.e. getting brittle). So of course it's set up for rips and tears and isn't the fault of the rocks--- but of the liner itself. Liners made specifically for pond use is DESIGNED to withstand and coexist with rocks and gravel. For example, we've used rocks that weigh a couple tons and haven't had problems-- it's super tough stuff!

We’ve used rocks and gravel in ponds for 2 decades without any of the problems we’ve heard concerns over. These are probably the most common conerns we’ve heard against the use of rock and gravel from being used inside water features. Maybe you have questions about a different argument against the use of rocks and gravel in ponds--- ask them!

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,

How do you know if you should invest the money in a professional to do your spring maintenance on your pond or not? Should you do a spring maintenance on your pond yourself? Is it even necessary to spring cleaning on your waterfeature? Every spring (sometimes even as early as January and February) Dreamscapes gets a number of phone calls from new pond owners and old pond owners alike asking if it's necessary to clean out this pond when spring rolls around and what should they expect from their spring water feature as the temperatures begin to rise again. Even if you're familiar to the pond lifestyle, always remember that what worked for you ONE year, does not mean that it will work for you this year--especially if ANYTHING has changed in your pond.

• Have your fish grown?
  
• Did you add any aquatic plants last season?
• What kind of fall shutdown did you perform on the feature?
  
• Do you like to gamble? No, really--this is a serious question!

The best (or most obvious) indicator that you need to have a Spring Maintenance Service performed on your water feature is if the color of the pond water is anything but clear. Sometimes it's tea colored or muddy looking. Sometimes it's one of many different possible shades of green, indicating algae.

Even when the water is clear, we suggest to stick something (like the end of a broom) to the bottom of the pond and stir it up a bit. If you see the area around the broom get cloudy--- you NEED to do a spring cleaning! Debris and waste can settle pretty well in the long months since the pond was actively running and unless you stir up the settled muck, you may not notice it at all at first. But once the ecosystem is awake again, that left over debris will cause a whole other set of problems for you.

But SOMETIMES the ice thaws and all your fish are belly up and you're just not quite sure why because the water looks clear and the broom isn't stirring anything up.

Ammonia- the silent killer of the pond world. Ammonia does not always stick out like a sore thumb, unless of course all your fish went belly up before you realized it's presence. The visual clue of ammonia spikes barely exist---which is why it's always important to start each season with a clean slate. Gambling with your fishy friends life can be more frustrating than it's worth.

Ammonia exists from the decomposition of waste (fish still poop over the cold winter months), dead organic matter like leaves, and even frogs and fish that didn't make it through the winter. Any ammonia is absolutely toxic to fish and pretty much invisible. The easiest way to treat ammonia spikes is by removing it: i.e. drain and clean.

Aside of ammonia spikes, if your pH, phosphates or nitrites are out of balance, a drain and clean essentially resets your water feature so your ecosystem starts the pond season in good shape. You should also consider testing your pond water balance regularly during the season so that you can correct any issues before they become fatal for your fish! Click here to read more about keeping your pond water clean by reading this blog.

All the muck and build up left over on the bottom of your pond contributes to the growth of algae during the warmer temperatures. While algaecides are designed to kill algae, they are temperature sensitive which gives algae free reign to feed off of those excess nutrients until May. By that point, getting the pond in balance in order to ENJOY your water feature may be a losing battle.

Lastly, your fish are often curious and bored and if there is an abundance of muck and sludge, it is common to have it stirred up frequently during the summer as the fish root around.

You know your backyard pond better than anyone else and are the one that gets to enjoy it regularly. If you're able and willing to perform a spring maintenance on your own-- do it! If you're looking for a professional to handle the spring maintenance hassle for you, give Dreamscapes a call!

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

Even if the water looks clear, regularly testing your pond water is something we all should be doing.  How "regular" depends on the condition of the pond—if you have a heavy fish load or lack a filtration system, you may want to test more often. At Dreamscapes, we prefer to test our outdoor display ponds monthly but the indoor retail tanks every other day during the season. If you notice something out of normal, such as the fish acting different or getting sick, we recommend testing it weekly.  Similarly, when the bacteria colonies are just waking up in the spring and you start feeding fish, we recommend testing the pond often for ammonia and nitrites.

Ammonia –  Ultimately, we want to aim for ZERO ammonia because ammonia is INCREDIBLY toxic to fish.  In a properly cycled and balanced pond, this is not hard to do.  In an overstocked pond, or an under-filtered one, you can easily see elevated ammonia levels.  This is caused by the waste produced by the fish (and other critters like birds and frogs), as well as, leaves decomposing in the water.

pH- Most pond owners look for a pH of about 7.0 – 8.0 but here at Dreamscapes Watergardens, we tend to run at around a 9.0.  Koi generally like a higher pH. The most important thing to note is that while 7.5 and 9.0 are both healthy, a swing in pH can most certainly shock and harm a fish. Thus it is important to acclimate fish properly no matter where you buy them or adopt them from.

Nitrite – Less toxic than ammonia, but still very toxic, we want our nitrite levels to be ZERO.  Nitrite is the second stage of the nitrogen cycle and is the result of ammonia being broken down. In the spring, nitrite poisoning can be common if the conversions are not working properly.

Temperature – Temperature can affect what levels of ammonia become toxic, as well as respiration and metabolism in your fish.  Koi typically can tolerate a broad range of temperatures, from iced over ponds to 90F and we find they typically do well in ponds that stay under 80F in the summer.  The warmer the water is, the more need there will be to oxygenate the water as well. The temperature of the pond is also important to know when it comes to feeding the appropriate food to your fish.

Hardness – Koi do better in hard water because of the relation of salt within their bodies to the dissolved salts in the pond.  Hard water allows koi to ease up on osmoregulation, and therefore reduce stress on your fish.  

Phosphate – Another fertilizer for algae in your pond, its not uncommon to see it introduced from private wells.  If algae is a problem, and all other things have been considered (water changes, feeding, filtration), we look at phosphates as a potential source for algae to grow from.

Copper – Generally only tested if you used a copper based medication or if you are currently using the Aquascape Ion Gen system.  Copper at excessive levels will inhibit plant growth and can damage the skin and gills on your fish. If you notice your fish acting funky or even dying while the other levels are fine, test for copper and check your Iongen. Your Iongen should ONLY BE TURNED ON if string algae is present. If string algae is not present (such as in the spring) unnecessary Copper is released into the water and not absorbed.

For the safety of your fish, Dreamscapes performs FREE WATER TESTS during regular business hours for customers. 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, waterfalls, POOL WATERFALLS or fountain 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