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Is a Spring Pond Clean-Out REALLY Necessary?

2/12/2018

2 Comments

 
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!

Visual Indicators

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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 and Water Balance

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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.


Algae and Poor Water Quality

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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.

So now what?

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 | [email protected]

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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Spring Water Feature Maintenance: Pondless Waterfall

1/22/2018

4 Comments

 
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Every season we go into great detail on the benefits, processes and pricing for Spring Maintenance/Opening Services for backyard koi ponds in Central Pennyslvania. But what about pondless waterfalls, also known as disappearing waterfalls? What kind of work, if any, is put into a pondless waterfall to get it up and running for the spring and summer seasons? Should you contract a professional contractor to service your disappearing waterfall in the spring or are you able to tackle it DIY style?

Pondless Waterfall Opening

What: Pondless Waterfall Spring Opening
Why: A majority of water feature owners "shut down" their waterfalls late Fall/early Winter by pulling the pump and bleeding the pipes free of water to avoid extra work when freezing temperatures hit. Despite possibly adding a net to the feature to prevent leaves from falling all over the stream, by spring your waterfall may be looking a different color than you remember it. You may find a majority of your waterfall covered with dead/black algae residual and leaf debris, while your basin may have become home to a few inches of sludge-like matter that coincidentally fertilizes MORE algae growth come warmer temperatures. If not taken care of, these factors together create a maintenance nightmare by June and July.

Process

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When Dreamscapes opens pondless waterfalls near Lebanon and Harrisburg Pennsylvania, we follow the following process:

  • Manually remove any debris from stream portion: i.e. leaves, sticks, etc.
  • Cut and divide aquatic plants, as needed
  • Pressure wash, as needed, areas with unsightly residual build up.
  • Shop-vac out the basin reservoir of all accumulated sludge and old water
  • Re-fill basin with water
  • Put pump in water and attach the hosing to the pump fitting with a hose clamp.


    At this point, we check for any diverting water from rock displacement or low liner caused by rocks settling over winter.

Pondless Waterfall Maintenance Price

Every April-June, Dreamscapes services approximately 200 water features within Lebanon County, Lancaster County, Dauphin County and Cumberland County for spring maintenance. For pondless waterfalls up to 25' in length, we charge $525 for our spring maintenance service. Custom waterfalls larger than that may result in additional servicing fees. Click here for information on our 2018 backyard koi pond pricing.

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 | [email protected]

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,
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The Benefit of Gravel in Backyard Ponds

10/2/2017

7 Comments

 
There is the obvious aesthetic value---your pond will look more natural if you have varying sizes of rocks and gravel inside the waterfeature. But how about thinking of it as a filter, too. If you are using gravel in your pond, whether intentionally as filtration or because you like how it looks, you must treat it and consider it as a form of filtration because that is what it is going to do.

Why Gravel?

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Filtration systems are designed to remove something specific. The mechanical filtration system, for example, will remove large debris and prevent the pump from getting clogged. The gravel filtration system, much like the biological filtration system) will break down sediment and waste by use of millions of microbes (beneficial bacteria…also know as that stuff you should be adding weekly to the pond).

Beneficial bacteria grows all over the gravel in forms of colonies (same way it does in your biomedia in your "top box"). Gravel has an almost immediate impact on water clarity, and then it goes to work on water quality because the tiny microbes eat at the tiny particles that are in your water. The more space you allow beneficial bacteria to colonize, the better chance your pond has at staying in balance. 

Gravel Cleaning:

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Of course, like any type of filter it needs to be cleaned or it loses its filtering ability. We recommend cleaning your gravel every Spring in the Central Pennsylvania area, as old beneficial bacteria dies off over the winter and needs removed from the pond, so as to make room for more beneficial bacteria (sounds simple, right?). The cleaning of the rocks and gravel also removes poor water conditions from the pond, as explained in this more thorough Spring Cleaning blog.

We often hear people exclaim that when they tried adding gravel it was too hard to clean and it got mucky looking. Cleaning it in the spring with a pressure washer makes the job easier and during summer, remember: dirty rocks means it is doing its job. If a filter did not get dirty, then it is not filtering right? Yes, gravel will get dirty, so maintain it, clean it and let it continue to do its job. If you don’t clear your gravel, it will get so jammed packed and cluttered with debris. If you really neglect it you will cause your water quality to suffer.

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So What Now?

Gravel filtration for ponds is an effective, inexpensive and low maintenance method of filtering a pond ++++ it makes your pond look more natural (that’s a bonus!!!). Pond filtration works best when many types of filtration is working together—mechanical, biological and gravel! 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 | [email protected]
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
7 Comments

Ammonia Levels in a Backyard Pond

8/21/2017

0 Comments

 
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 Prevention

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​To PREVENT ammonia, we recommend a drain & pressure washing cleaning to be done on the waterfeature every Spring. Ammonia spikes are invisible in the water, meaning that you won't always notice it at the time that you could have saved your fish during. EVEN if your pond water look crystal clear, you may have a build up of sludge in between the rocks and gravel on the bottom of the pond. If you wait until your water looks foul and has an odor, chances are you are way too late to save the fish.

Causes of Ammonia Spikes

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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.

Ammonia "Treatment"

​ 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.

Fish Health Safety

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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.   

So Now What?

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 | [email protected]

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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How to do a Spring Pond Cleanout in Central Pennsylvania, Lebanon PA

3/27/2017

0 Comments

 
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So you want to try your hand at opening your own pond this spring?  Its certainly not a job for everyone but with the right mindset and the correct materials/tools—it is most certainly achievable.

There are several items you should have  to make this job easier.  A full Pond Clean out in the Spring is highly recommended for a good healthy pond, as it removes build up debris/sludge/muck, as well as, puts your pond water back in balance, should it have spiked in fatal areas such as ammonia, pH, nitrates and nitrites. Even if your pond water is CLEAR---your pond balance may still be dangerously elevated! 

Did you know?: Cleaning your pond in the Spring actually simulates mother nature.  In nature lakes which are fed by streams and  rivers get flushed out when the heavy Spring rains fall. Man-made ponds clearly don't have the same kind of flushing-out system in place naturally. Cue Pond Cleanout/Maintenance Season!


Tool/Materials Needed:

  • Cleanout Pump –We advise against using your waterfall pump for this, as there is a good chance your waterfall pump is a solids handling pump and has no protective strainer.  Get a GOOD cleanout pump with a strainer protecting the intake, and enough hose to get your water where you want it to go so it doesn’t cover your lawn with a thick brown sludge.
  • Nets, Tubs and Aerators – You will need enough tubs to house your fish so be aware of how many fish you have so that there is enough oxygen in each tub for them to share, as aerators can only help so much. If you fish are 12" or larger, you will need a quality sock net to remove them, as big koi can easily break their backs if you try to net them with a shallow net.
  • Power Washer – Look for a wider spray pattern tip to use, as a narrow tip can act like a laser beam and slice your liner. 
  • Wet / Dry Shop Vac –
  • Waders – Cleaning out a pond in the spring can be extremely cold and waders help to keep you clean, dry and ultimately a little bit warmer.
  • New Filter Mats / Skimmer Mat – Depending on the condition of your mats last fall when you shut down the pond, you may want to consider replacing them during your spring opening.  If they tear easily, it’s time to replace them.
  • Startup additives – We use Cold Weather Beneficial Bacteria and Pond Detoxifier (both by Aquascape Inc).
  • Small buckets for debris cleanup
  • Pond Equipment that you removed for winterization (parts like skimmer or biofalls racks, checkvalve for your pump, control panel for an iongen, etc)
  • Channel locks come in handy to remove biofalls plugs as well as tighten up check valve unions.
  • Waterfall Foam – Used to reset rocks that have fallen from the waterfall, or for re-applying foam where it has dried or pulled away from rocks allowing water to escape behind the rocks.
  • Replacement light bulbs –
  • Replacement IonGen Probe (if you have an IonGen, its good to have a spare on hand)

Cleanout Process:

 If your waterfall was run during the winter, unplug it, and remove the checkvalve, this is to drain your lines and any water in your biofalls.  If you waterfall was off in the winter, remove the 2″ plug that’s in your biofalls (if you installed one last fall), and let the biofalls drain into the pond.
  • Place your cleanout pump in the pond.  Depending on the pond size circumstances, you can either place it on the bottom immediately, or place it on a shelf to start.  If you can’t reach the bottom because its in the center of a very large pond ( we don’t recommend throwing the pump), start on a shelf and drain it to that level, then move it to the next lower shelf.
  • Direct pond water into holding tubs for fish.  We use 100 gallon tubs and it is imperative that you net the top of the tub and use a bubbler in each tub that will hold fish because the fish are known to try to jump out of the tubs.  An aerator is recommended because smaller volume of water means lower dissolved oxygen levels.
  • Catch fish: Wait for the water to be 12″ or less before even attempting to net your fish. Chasing fish could stress them out and reduce their slime coat if you try when the water is higher than this.
    * If you have larger koi, 12″-18″ plus sized fish you should be using a sock net.  The other nets are for smaller fish and goldfish, and will not properly support the back of your larger koi. Koi can break their backs  from being curled up in too small of a net. NEVER attempt to move more than 1 large koi at a time in a sock net because koi are more delicate as they get larger.
    * Use this time to inspect your fish.  Take a look at the fins and scales while checking the body for any parasites or ulcers. 
  • Continue to drain the pond and start to collect the debris and leaves that have settled in the pond into a bucket. Cut back some of the perennials.
  • Powerwash.   We usually turn the cleanout pump back on for this, as you will want to continually remove the dirty water. We’re powerwashing to remove algae stains and to dislodge jammed up sludge/debris from in between rocks and gravel. Be careful with the powerwasher where the gravel and bare liner, and be sure to use the tips with a wider spray pattern or a 30 degree tip. The gravel is blown EVERYWHERE if you are not careful and the zero degree (laser beam) tips will cut thru liner quick as a razor, so do NOT use them.
  • Rinse all rocks and gravel one last time to get any detritus that splashed around down to the pump for evacuation from the pond.  At this point we try to rinse an area until the water runs clear.  
  • Clean skimmer: You can put the cleanout pump right into the skimmer to drain the majority of water and vacuum the rest the water and sludge out with the shop vac.  Be forewarned!  You’re skimmer has the potential to really stink!  If any mice or frogs got in there over the winter, you’ll be quick to find out!  Vacuum them up.
  • Clean Biofalls: Remove as much of the debris as possible, as anything left behind will usually only add to the nutrients that algae need to thrive.  Your biofalls may have filled with leaves in the fall, you’ll want to remove those and any other debris that’s fallen in.  If you haven’t already removed the 2″ plug (see step 1), you will want to do that now.
  • Hookup biofalls and skimmer according to the manufacturer’s instructions.  For the Aquascape systems we typically service, this means putting the rack, then filter pads, and finally media bags filled with bioballs in the biofalls.  And attaching the pump to the check valve and hooking them up in your skimmer, inserting the filter rack, and filter in the skimmer, and then finally installing the basket and lid for the skimmer.  *TIP* Always be sure to plug in your pump for a quick spin up to make sure its moving BEFORE you install it in the skimmer.  Many pumps may need a little “kickstart” after not running them all winter.
  • Remove the cleanout pump from the deep end of your pond.  A trick we use is to NOT unplug the pump until you have fully removed it from the pond.  When you unplug it while it is still in the pond, water will backwash down and run back into the pond, usually bringing some muddy water (that you just worked so hard to remove) back with it.  If you wait until the pump is removed and on the lawn, any backwashed water will not go into the pond. 
  • Add some Pond Detox and Cold Weather Beneficial Bacteria.  This will help to neutralize any ammonia, chlorine or chloramine, as well as detoxify heavy metals and make the water safe for your fish.
  • Now, if you have extra water saved from when you drained the pond, we start adding that back.  You can also return the fish to the pond, carefully netting them out of the tub at this time as well.  Usually its a quick 200-500 gallons, but its enough to fill the lower shelf and get the fish back in.  Its also water that the fish have been used to (original pond water) and helps ease the transition, considering many times you change out 80% or more of the original water.

Now What?

Now, if all of that didn’t scare you off, you can expect it to take a solid day if you plan to do a typical 11×16 pond by yourself.   When we have a crew cleaning a pond, both guys work as a team and it only takes a few hours depending on size.
If you feel like this is a task is a bit much for you to undertake and you would rather have someone else do it--contact us!!!  Dreamscapes Watergardens performs 200 koi pond and waterfall cleanouts/openings each spring, and our crews are the best in the business.  

For more specific information on your koi pond and/or waterfall Spring Cleaning/Opening, 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 | [email protected]

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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Spring Watergarden Expectations in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania

2/22/2017

0 Comments

 
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Spring—everyone’s much anticipated time of year after the Winter cold.  For many of us, Spring means that nature is slowly returning to our yards in the form of visiting squirrels and chipmunks who have come out of hibernation, the birds return, the spring plantings start to show some life and our ponds also start to wake up.


Fish Feeding:

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As the weather dances between warm and cold and your fish begin to stir, your first inclination may be to feed them.  After all, they look pretty active, pretty friendly and pretty hungry, right?  Hold on!  Before giving them ANY FOOD, give them a chance to really wake up. If the water temperature is below 50 still, don't feed them. Even if they appear to be begging and pleading for you to feed them, the reality is that their metabolism isn't working correctly yet and feeding them could give them digestion issues. There is plenty of natural food in a healthy pond to sustain them if they want a snack.


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Once your water is consistently above 50 degrees (late April for Central PA), you can slowly start to feed them a fish food formula designed for colder weather called “Spring / Fall” food. This food has a higher concentration of “wheat germ” that helps with digestion during this time when the fish still have a slow metabolism.

Dreamscapes  ONLY recommends feeding summer foods once your water temperature has climbed up and past 65 degrees.  In our central Pennsylvania area, this roughly translates into sometime in mid-late June. The safest bet is to consider plopping in a pond thermometer and follow the water temperature on your own.

Plants and Algae:

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As your pond warms up, you may also notice that your perennial marginals should be showing some new growth.  This is a great time to trim and remove the dead leaves left from last year.  Don’t be afraid to cut off some new growth in the process, it will quickly heal and continue to put out new shoots.  You may also notice the growth of undesirable algae at this time, and there’s not too much that can be done about it.  This is because undesirable algae can grow at lower temperatures when your marginal pond plants have not grown enough to contribute to algae prevention.

As we get further into spring, air and water temperaturess continue to increase and your marginal plants will also increase their activity, competing with the algae for available nutrients. In a properly planted pond with a balance of plants and fish, the plants will eventually out-compete the algae for nutrients and you should see string algae start to fade back a little.  Depending on how many marginals you have in and around your pond, you may need to help in algae removal with some manual removal or even a spring opening / drain and clean.  Every pond is different.

Spring Waterfeature Maintenance

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By doing an annual drain and clean (also known as Spring Pond Maintenance or Spring Pond Cleaning), you make a great first step to setting your pond up for the season by minimizing the amount of excess nutrients that will be available to undesirable algae.  Leaves, debris and accumulated fish waste that have collected on the bottom of your pond will fuel algae growth. In order to properly clean out your pond , you will need to remove your fish into holding tanks for their safety. This is also a good time to inspect your fish for any injuries or anything out of the ordinary.

Dreamscapes performs 200 Spring Pond Openings every year from mid-March until June. It is quite literally a crappy job, as our guys generally leave covered in pond fish waste. Depending upon your size waterfeature, expect this process to take 4-8 hours. We've been at ponds for a full 12 hours before, depending upon the size pond and how much build up is on the bottom! Our process is as follows:
1) Remove fish into holding tanks                          
2) Remove debris from pond                                                    
3) Pressure wash pond rocks and waterfall, if existing   
4) Vacuum out skimmer box & biofalls                                  
5) Check & clean filter components                                   
6) Check Iongen Probe, if applicable
7) Test pump
8) Divide plants if needed
9) Add Dechlor
10) Introduce fish back into pond

The pressure washing should be your most time consuming part, as there are a lot of crevices in a pond for sludge to hide. At this time, we're continually pumping out the dirty water that accumulates at the center of the pond.

When adding fish BACK to the pond, add the fish and the holding-tank water first before fresh water. If your hose runs on city water, add a dechlorinator to remove the heavy metals that are toxic to fish. Finally, remember to leave the hose on a very slow trickle, as a 10 degree swing in temperature could throw your fish into shock and become fatal.

Biological Filtration

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In the spring, you will also want to closely monitor your water chemistry.  The main reason for this is that your biological filters and/or your pressure filters have also been acting at a reduced capacity for the winter or even turned off entirely.  Without a fully functioning biological filter, ammonia and nitrite levels can rise, especially when you start to feed your fish.  If you slowly increase the amount you feed the fish, you can slowly build up the biological filter at the same time.
If you have a biofalls that was shut down for the winter, it will essentially be sterile and brand new in the spring, with no biological colony present.  The sooner you can get the filter pads and bioballs / lava rocks back in, the sooner you can begin regenerating your biological colony.  Note!  Be sure to check your filter pads at this time.  Give them the “tear test”.  If you hold the filter with both hands and try to tear it, there should be a lot of resistance.  If it tears easily, this is an indication that its time to replace the filter pad.

Leaks

Don’t forget to keep an eye on water levels during this time as well.  This is primarily due to the fact that most of us turn off our waterfalls in the winter and we have had instances where mice, chipmunks or other rodents chew a hole in the liner behind or around the waterfall.  During the summer, the running waterfall prevents them from accessing these areas, but in the winter, they sometimes like to nest there and use our rubber liners as insulation.  So if you notice you have trouble maintaining your water level after turning on your waterfall, when you didn’t have trouble last year, this is the first thing I would look for.

So what now?


For more specific information on algae and your pond, please contact us directly!

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 | [email protected]

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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