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Q - We had to drain most of the water from our pond. After the water got so low, we were cleaning the "much" out - talk about a bad odor! So we decided to scoop the gravel & goo out intending to rinse it off & return the gravel - now we're not sure that's the right thing to do... - BARB
A - The gravel generally does contain good bacteria, but with it being covered with muck this is not the case. You can either wash it off or dispose of it & get new gravel - putting down 1" to 2". SludgeAway from Ecological Laboratories works very well at getting rid of the sludge. When you get rid of the sludge, the odor will go away. - BILL |
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Q - What causes foam in my pond? - DIANNA
A - Most often foam is caused by a large content of suspended organic matter in the water. If you have fish, overfeeding will cause this extra organic matter. We suggest cutting back on the feeding & then adding a product like Simply Clear - its fast-acting bacteria will eat the organic matter & then drop to the pond's floor. If you then have a sludge or muck build-up on the pond's floor, apply a treatment of Microbe-Lift Sludge Away. - DON |
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Q - We had to turn off our pond for a week & the algae really took over - How do I get it out? - JENKINS
A - Even though it sounds unpleasant, we suggest putting on some good water gardening gloves & getting in there & removing the bigger clumps of hair algae by hand. For a quick cleaning, you should add Microbe-Lift Sludge Away to take care of the mess on the pond's floor & then an additive like AlgaeFix or GreenClean to take care of the smaller algae & weeds & thus help the water clear up. - DON |
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Q - Is the algae on the rocks the good kind or the bad kind? - KRISTI
A - Algae is not necessarily bad unless the quantity becomes so much that its consumption of oxygen suffocates the fish. It is unsightly to many people. It can cover beautiful stones & rocks. Algaefix & GreenClean can used to kill it.
Aquatic plants will help reduce string & hair algae & eliminate green water algae. - BILL |
| Q - Is hair algae really a bad thing? - KEN & BARB A - Hair algae is a plant & therefore not necessarily a bad thing. Like other aquatic plants, it is actually beneficial in that it provides oxygen during the day, consumes harmful nutrients & can help with the general health of aquatic life like frogs, Koi & other fish. But it also consumes oxygen during the night & it may clog certain mechanics in one's pond. - BILL |
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Q - I have used GreenClean & it has cleaned the green out of the pond, but now the water has a milky color... - SABIE
A - I recommend using Simply Clear Pond Care additive & adding submerged aquatic plants Anacharis & Hornwort. A partial water change (10%) would also help. - BILL |
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Q - (In my pond) I noticed today a long coil, that looks like thick string at the bottom of my pond. I seem to remember that at one of the pond seminars you gave, we were told that bull frogs lay eggs that look like long strings...
- KAREN
A - It could be a form of algae, but try to get a very close look at one of these strands. If there are dark dots in the strand, these are most likely bull frog eggs. Congratulations on your new pond critters! - BILL |
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Q - We just enlarged our pond to 125 gallons. What size pump do we need now?
Also, what size pump should we use for a spitter? - BJA
A - For biological filtration, I would recommend a 100 to 300 gallon per hour (GPH) pump. For your spitter, it depends on the height of the spitter &
the diameter of tubing in the spitter. Normally, a 65 to 140 GPH pump will work. Many pumps of this size have a flow control on them. - BILL |
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Q - I was in your store & saw these floating alligators. Would these support the small turtles & have in my pond? - ALISHIA
A - They are made of a heavy-duty, Styrofoam type material. It should be buoyant enough to support your turtles. In addition to being decorative, the floating alligator is a deterrent to the Heron bird, which likes to feed on pond life. - DON |
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Q - Would it be better if I use the foam vs. lava rock, to allow easy access to pump/fountain filter removal & cleaning? - KRISTI
A - In my opinion, the lava rock is easier to keep in place vs. the biocubes. Filter
mat wrapped between the basket & the lava rock is fine & the matting can be put over the lava rock in the basket as well. - BILL |
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Q - I have a 2-part pond. The smaller top part has no fish in it and it empties into
the larger part (with fish). I'm wondering if mosquitoes may be hatching in the top part??? Is there a product available to kill them and is it safe for the fish? - JOLENE
A - There are a couple of products which will kill the mosquito larvae and are safe not only for fish, but also dogs, cats & humans. The products are - Mosquito Dunks or Mosquito Bits, & Microblift's Biological Mosquito Control. All of these use naturally occurring biological organisms which kill the mosquito larvae. - BILL |
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Q - What should I do with my pond pump during the winter months? - KEITH
A - Remove your pump & clean it the best you can. Then store it in a bucket of
distilled water, out of the way but in a spot that the water will not freeze (ex. a
basement or heated garage.) Don't forget to have you aeration kit & heater
running in your pond. - GENE |
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Q - Last year I purchased from you 50 Hornwort and 25 Anacharis. This year they
have taken over the pond almost. I need to thin them out. Should I pull them out
or cut them what would be best? THANKYOU. - RONALD
A - By growing & multiplying, these plants are doing their job of filtering the
water & removing nutrients & toxins. We suggest thinning the Hornwort by
pulling some out & cutting back or thinning them some. Too much plant life can
rob oxygen at night during the heat of summer causing fish & bacteria to
die from too little oxygen. - BILL |
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Q - I have a couple of tropical pond plants (Spider Lily & a Taro plant) that I have
had over the winter. When can I put them in the pond or is it even safe to do that
now? - WANDA
A - Here at the garden center, we have already put our tropical plants into the
pond. But keep an eye on the weather. Taro, in particular, does not like
temperatures much below 45 - 50 degrees F. If it is predicted to get colder, bring
them inside or into the garage for the night. - BILL |
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Q - Is it possible that the Anacharis in our pond survived the winter or should we
pull it all out & replace it? - KEN & BARB
A - Anacharis (Egeria densa) is a submerged aquatic plant used in water
gardening ponds. It competes with algae by absorbing a great number of
nutrients from the water. In our ponds at the garden center, the Anacharis
have survived for about 7 out of 10 years. If it is still green, it will soon start to grow (as soon as the water temperature is warm enough.) We try to cut it down to a couple of inches tall in late September, just before the water gets too cold. This removes the nutrients stored in the plant. - BILL |
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