I need a net to protect my pond from leaves. Which one works the best?

thepondguy.com

A: Colorful fall leaves are beautiful, but once they start falling, they can be a hassle—especially when you have a backyard pond. When they drop into the water, they turn it into leaf tea, add to the nutrient load, and as they break down, build up as muck on the pond bottom. A net is your best op...

I see unique koi online but I can't find them at the pet shop. Do they only sell certain ones, or do they change when they get bigger?

thepondguy.com

A:  It's easy to spend hours online ogling champion koi. The fishes' near-perfect silhouettes, vivid color palettes and balanced scale patterns – not to mention their healthy size – inspire hobbyists to go on their own quests for the Holy Grail of pond fish. So they search pet store aquariums. ...

We just purchased a house and it has a backyard swimming pond. How do we measure it?

thepondguy.com

A: Surface area and pond depth are important measurements to know. They'll help you determine dosage rates with chemicals like algaecide. They'll help you calculate the right-size aeration system for your pond. And they'll help you figure out how many and what types of fish to stock. Finding those m...

Ride 2 End Suicide

ride2endsuicide.com

Ride 2 End Suicide is proud to announce the 4th Annual Ride 2 End Suicide on Saturday, September 7, 2019. The charity bike ride, fundraiser lunch and raffle will start and end at Capital Banquet Center, located at 12350 31 Mile Road, east of Van Dyke Road. Each participant will ride 15 miles north o...

I've been trapping leeches with success. Will the rest die this winter or do I need to continue next spring?

thepondguy.com

A: Those little bloodsuckers sure steal the fun, don't they? Hitching a ride with waterfowl, amphibians, small mammals—even your muck boots—leeches love living in mucky debris at the bottom of your pond. They settle in and wait for worms, snails, insect larvae, small water-loving animals and eve...

Do I need to hire someone to install lighting in my pond, or is that something I can do?

thepondguy.com

A:  Unless you're planning a Bellagio-esque display in your backyard, you can most certainly install some show-stopping lighting. It's perfect for the do-it-yourselfer: A simple transformer and some quick connections allow any homeowner to take their water feature to the next level. Layout Lighting...

My water turned brown last year. How do I stop it from happening again?

thepondguy.com

A:  There's only one thing worse than green water—and that's brown water. In some ponds or water features, the end of summer or beginning of fall brings with it this discolored water. It's caused by one of two reasons: Debris Tea: When leaves or pine needles fall into your pond, the tannins in th...

I try to keep my pond clean, but is there anything else I should do to prevent my fish from getting sick?

thepondguy.com

A: Prevention really is the best medicine—and that's true for humans as well as fish. Keeping your pond clean, filtered and well aerated is a great start at preventing disease, but there's more you can do to ensure your finned friends stay happy and healthy. Here's what we prescribe: Vacuum Debris...

I know a net won't fit on my pond, so how do I keep the leaves out?

thepondguy.com

A: Big lake? Blowing leaves? No problem! Though it might seem like an impossible task to keep those drifting fall leaves from landing in your pond or lake, it is possible to manage them even without the use of pond netting. With a little bit of planning you can use this three-step solution. Here's ...

I am seeing quite a few tracks near my pond. Who do they belong to?

thepondguy.com

A: Water attracts all sorts of critters. From bugs, birds and deer to reptiles, raccoons and muskrat - and even an occasional coyote or bear - wildlife of all shapes and sizes frequent ponds and lakes. If you're experiencing visitors near your pond, that's great! You should be excited to have the an...

I have a small pondless fountain that's cloudy and slimy. What can I use to clean it?

thepondguy.com

A:  Pondless, fishless water features are known for being low maintenance – but even they get slimy and scummy and in need of some attention. Dust and debris blow into the water, leaves and twigs somehow find their way into the basin, and algae starts to grow on the surfaces. As all that stuff bu...

How can I tell if I have male or female koi?

thepondguy.com

A:  If only koi were as easy to sex as a pair of peacocks! Like those fanciful birds, koi are sexually dimorphic – meaning the males and females look and behave differently – but it's not an easy distinction to discern. They grow to roughly the same size and they both have colorful scales, yet ...

If PondClear and MuckAway are both beneficial bacteria products, what is the difference?

thepondguy.com

A: In 1998, an American microbiologist worked out that the number of bacteria on Earth at that time was five million trillion trillion. This is the number 5 followed by thirty zeroes – an impossible number to comprehend. That's a lot of microorganisms. With all those different types of bacteria, i...

Why should I aerate my pond?

thepondguy.com

A: We talk a lot about the importance of aeration – and for good reason. Aeration with the Airmax ® Aeration System , which involves diffusing oxygen into the water below the surface, benefits the quality of your pond or lake in myriad ways, including these top five reasons: Reduces Pond Muck: Ae...

My fish's fins are starting to look red. Do they have fin rot?

thepondguy.com

A: Inflamed, red patched on its fins … faded color on its fin tips … frayed, decaying tissue around its mouth or fins … yep, it sounds like your fish pals are fighting fin rot. One of the most common and preventable diseases in pond and aquarium fish, fish rot typically starts around the edges...