Spring Cleaning!

Small Ponds less than 1.000 Gal - 2 Men Crew  $150.oo X hour

Regular and Large Ponds 1.000 or more - 3 men Crew &185 x hour

Cleaning Includes:
Put fish in secure and safe container, empty completely the pond, pressure wash, fills back the pond and treat water, put aquatic plants back and decorative items, and ultimate put the fish back in the pond.
We can put your new aquatic plants in the pond for you.

How many fish can I have in my pond?

This is one of the most common questions pond owners ask, and there are no simple answers.
Most recommendations that you'll hear involve formulas expressed in terms of inches of fish per 100 or 1000 gallons.  Following that formula without some modifications can be risky.  Consider that one 24" koi and 12 two inch koi both constitute 24 inches of fish, yet the one large koi weighs at least 10 times as much as the 12 small fish and will therefore need to consume 10 times the amount of food to thrive.  The amount of food going into the pond and therefore the amount of waste coming out of the fish is the biggest contributor to poor water quality, mostly in the form of excessive ammonia and nitrite readings.

So in order to allow for this huge difference in weight per length of fish, we will divide the sizes of koi into  small, medium, and large. If we assume small koi or goldfish are 3 to 6 inches, medium koi are 6 to 12 inches and large koi are 12 to 24 inches, recommendations for inches of fish per gallon make a little more sense.
We also need to consider what type of pond and what type of pond keeper we're dealing with.  Is it a "natural" pond with little or no filtration, or one with the latest advanced filtration?  Is the hobbyist  diligent about water changes and filter maintenance?  Does the pond have adequate circulation? Is it in the sun most of the day?  Do they want to grow and maintain show fish, or are they more interested in goldfish?  Also realize that koi will grow quickly, and a reasonably stocked pond will become overcrowded soon.
So here are my recommendations:

Small Fish (3-6 inches)  10 to 15 fish per 1000 gallons

Medium Fish (6-12 inches) 5 to 10 fish per 1000 gallons

Large Fish (12-24 inches) 1 to 3 fish per 1000 gallons

Given that there are so many variables involved, realize that these guidelines are very general and should be used as only as a starting point in discussions with your customer.

Randy LeFever 

Pond-Vent Ice Preventer 900

Every winter, the same problem occurs: The pond freezes up completely, and toxic gases build up at the bottom of the pond and cannot escape. Toxic gases create a lack of oxygen in the water and cause the poisoning of living organisms. Due to this lack of oxygen, fish and microorganisms have practically no chance of survival.

The OASE Pond-Vent Ice Preventer 900 is the solution to this problem.

How does it work?

The Pond-Vent pump pulls the lower layer of water (which has been warmed up to around 39°F by the higher temperature of the earth) from the bottom of the pond. The water is then pumped through the hose, using extremely little energy, and is let out at the surface directly below the floating bowl. 220 gallons per hour are being delivered by the Pond-Vent without breaking up the water layers. The warmth of the water is sufficient to keep a hole with a radius of 11-11.5" ice free. This allows toxic gases caused by decomposition processes (fish excrement, leaves, etc.) to evaporate. This aeration process helps ensure the survival of fish and other microorganisms. In order to operate the Pond-Vent Ice Preventer properly, the pump, which hangs on the floating bowl, should be 8" above the bottom of the pond. The depth of the pond should be 24-32". The enclosed hose, which connects to the floating bowl, is 32" long and can be shortened if necessary. This product has been thoroughly tested and functions in temperatures as low as -4° F.

Dual Purpose Pump: The Pond-Vent ice preventer 900 includes a 1/2" cascade nozzle so that it can be used as a fountain pump during the warmer seasons of the year.

Available at Splendor Koi & pond 770 321 3473  $76.99

Happy Thanksgiving!

MICROBE-LIFT Autumn/Winter Prep

Specially Formulated for Pond Winterization

Will Get Your Pond Water Ready for a Clean & Clear Spring!

MICROBE-LIFT/AWP helps accelerate the decomposition of leaves, sediment and other organic matter during the fall and winter months. MICROBE-LIFT/AWP will also jump start your pond to a healthier environment in the spring.

MICROBE-LIFT/AWP is a two-part system of liquid bacteria and dry, water soluble packets containing a blend of cellulase enzymes, cellulase-producing bacteria and a cold weather bacteria. The cellulase enzymes, along with the cellulase-producing bacteria, are the key to accelerating the breakdown of leaves, organic sediment and sludge all winter long. The cold weather bacteria and liquid bacteria take care of the initial breakdown by-products.

Continues to provide sustained biological activity even in water temperatures under 40^oF. (4^oC.)

• Contains psychrophilic strains (cold weather bacteria)
• If frozen, bacteria will remain effective after thawing out
• Effective in darker conditions (under ice and snow)
• Helps to maintain a healthy immune system for your fish during the winter months

What Should You Do Now With Your Pond?

If you have done the Sabbactisun/Parazoryne winter prep work to insure less pathogenic organisms in your fishes' environment, you should also see that the pond is as clean as humanly possible and stretch a net across the pond to keep leaves from entering the pond.

As leaves collect on the netting, scoop them off before they become too heavy.  Whereas trees provide valuable shade to koi ponds in summer, they now need vigilance to not become a nuisance in winter.  Leaves are slow to break down in water.  They give off tannin that discolor the water and lower pH.  They provide an ideal habitat for pathogens in your otherwise clean pond.  Use ML/Autumn Winter Prep and a good netting over the pond to minimize potential dangers.

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