Storage of pond care products.

Like many chemicals, pond care products can be stored but with some care. One of the biggest issues for pond care products is extreme cold. Freezing can cause some products to go bad and may cause damage to the plastic bottles which could lead to leaks. Leaking dye can cause many other issues and lots of damage. Chleated copper products should definetly not be allowed to freeze as it will cause a reaction that ruins the product.

It's a good idea to avoid leaving them in areas that get really wet when storing products in the cardboard case. The bottles themselves will be ok and the product should not be affected by this.

Another thing to note is that once the seal is broken, many pond care products will lose potency over time. Storing such products should be for as short of a period as possible and they should be kept in ideal conditions. Just a note that some products, especially biological bacterai products, have a shorter shelf life even if stored sealed and in ideal conditions.

If you have any questions you can email me at anytime.

Time to wheel and deal!

The end of the pond care season for the northern states is upon us. With that it's time to get rid of stock and do anything to make a sale. It is time to look for the good deals. There should be many places with sales going on to clear out inventories until next year. Products, mark up and other things all come in to play when looking for deals as some stores or even individual products have more price control over the end sale prices. So some products may be able to be sold for a much greater discount than others.

With that in mind I'd like to be the first to suggest contact us at www.pondcaredirect.com and making an offer on supplies for next year. Pond care products have good shelf lives and can be kept for quite a while before being used. Breaking the air seal and freezing tend to be the biggest issue with storage and can cause the most damage.

Now could be your best time to save for next years pond treatments. Make an offer. The worst you can get back is a message that they can't sell it for that price. You may even get a counter offer for a price that is a great deal!

Fall is the time to pick up the slack...

Ok, for those of you in the northern areas of the US it is time to pick up the slack to prepare for a better season next year.

I would suggest getting your favorite biological product and adding it now to help break down all that left over sediment from the summer months and for any leaves and other debris making it into your pond right now. Helping clean this up will help to remove lots of food for algae and other weeds next spring.

This can be sound advise for souther ponds as well as biological treatments are most effective in cooler water temps as the bacteria is more active.

Always remember that you never want to use a copper based products rigth after using a biological one since copper will kill this type of treatment. Always wait a couple days after a copper treatment to use biological products to help bring the beneficial bacteria counts back up to a good healthy amount.

Southern ponds require year round treatment against algae and other pond weeds that is many times not the case in the north. However, either way you need to know what steps are needed to keep your pond in it's best shape.

If you need advice on any product, please do not hesitate to contact us. Head over to PondCareDirect.com to see all of our products today if you have any needs.

Increasing Oxygen Levels and Water Movement

There are many different ways to increase the oxygen levels and water flow. In many ways those two things go hand in hand. The end result though is more oxygen in the water. The most common ways to accomplish this is through the use of windmills and electronic aeration units. Both will increase the oxygen levels by causing water movement and surface tension. Costs can be about the same for either option but windmills do not require power.

There are many reasons for adding something to increase your oxygen levels in a pond. This will help buffer against oxygen level drops due to the loss of plant life. This can happen during seasonal changes as well as due to chemical treatments. For those where freezing can occur this helps to add oxygen which can be depleted during a deep freeze.

Adding a method to increase and maintain your ponds oxygen level can be a great investment rather than paying to restock often. We have added an entire line of windmills at great prices, please take a look. If you are interested in an electrical aeration system, please contact us today so we can get you more information.

Why buy bulk?

Well like anything it seems like eventually we all find ourselves out of something needing more of it. Buying quantity saves money and is the smart way to shop. The only real issue is how and where to store additional quantities of products.

Pond care related items are no different. Even if you only use a gallon of dye a season, in time you'll need more. There is almost one statement that over time holds true and that is that it will likely never be cheaper than today to get it.

The key to storing most pond products is keeping them from freezing. Almost all pond related care products have fair shelf life but some can either be ruined or damaged by freezing. On top of the freezing can cause damage to the containers and packaging which may cause leaks or other issues.

So take advantage of this years stocked products being sold at prices that are almost for sure going to be less than next springs pricing when the producst are in high demand. Please feel free to visit us at www.pondcaredirect.com today to take advantage of our great pricing which includes shipping to your door.

Saving a bit of time and money!

There are several reasons to order a head of time for next seasons products. Always try to plan on buying product before you need them so you can shop to get the best price you can. If you have specific package needs, please contact us today with your list of products and quantities you want. We can try to make the best package for you based on your needs for a great price.

The first being that in almost all cases, prices will never be cheaper than they are today. While there are exceptions, with the cost of shipping and general product creation going up it is likely that you'll see an increase in prices before a drop.

Another reason to buy your products early is having them on hand when you need them will allow you to keep up before problems get out of hand. Once problems get larger it can cost more money, more chemicals and more time to get it back under control.

Visit PondCareDirect.com today to see our full list of products. We have all of them priced delivered to your door. No driving from store to store which wastes time and fuel.

Did you miss?

We try to keep information posted based on the time of year and products that you may need to purchase or use related to that time of the year. One thing to keep in mind is that southern states may need to keep normal treatments year round were many northern states will have winter months that there is little to no work needed.

I have recently created blog entrires relating to fluiridone, end of summer/dry season issues, northern pond biological treatments and a couple posts related to brands. Please take the time to catch up if you need to. Feel free to ask me questions via email when you have any.

A quick note again on biological treatment as this part of the year is easily the highest need for such a treatment. Biological treatments are used for breaking down various debris that end up in your pond. This can include grass from mowing, dead plant life from treatment, leaves and waste carried by water running in to the pond from surrounding areas. All of the above items are food for algae. Biological treatment will break this down so that it is not usable as food which will slow algae growth. Biological products are best used a couple days after copper is used for spot treating (or copper related products are applied) and also are most effective when the water is at 70 degrees or lower. Always remember that applying copper kills these beneficial bacteria, so never apply biological treatments before applications of copper based products.

We carry a great biological treatment called by Natural Pond Cleaner by Sanco Industries. This product goes a long way and will store if needed as long as it is kept above 40 degrees. Please visit our other products page at www.pondcaredirect.com for current pricing. Note that the price given includes shipping to your home or business.

The benefits of fluridone!

We are very happy to carry Whitecap, which is a fluiridone based product. This product has the same percentage of fluiridone as both Sonar and Avast.

The benefits of fluiridone based products are not hard to find. This product is super long lasting and has been found to last 12 months with some cases lasting 18-24 months. Another great benefit is that this product controls most variations of pond weeds completely. This will eliminate many other required treatments which will save you money and time. The last major benefit specific to this product is the way it kills the unwanted plant life in your pond. It will take some time to show signs unlike other herbicides but is doing so intentionally to keep from causing oxygen level changes that can cause fish and other pond life death.

Like all products, the treatment rates will depend on what you are trying to control as well as the size and average depth of your pond or lake. General maintenance levels are 8oz per acre at 3ft depth. This will give you about a 30ppm coverage. Many harder weeds and controlling shore line weeds that grow in to the pond or lake from the shore require 50ppm. Duckweed requires 75ppm and watermeal 90ppm.

As a pond owner it is always good to have spot treatment chemicals on hand such as copper sulfate or Cutrine just incase you have inclimate weather or some other issue that causes problems. These cases should occur very little if any. It is also suggested that you keep other herbicides on hand just incase you have a need. Many shoreline weeds are only partially controlled by this product. CattPlex is a great pond safe herbicide that would be good to have on hand for shoreline clean up. This product does not replace dye for adding pond color.

Treating with Whitecap will have a front end cost. However, the time and money you save over the next year will allow you to enjoy your pond, not always work on it. Stronger rate of use will be more effective for a longer time.

If you have any questions, please contact us. If you would like to see our prices and products please visit us today.

The dry season.

We are in to the dry part of the summer now for most of the country but this can and it is likely the worst time for algae.

Keep in mind that warm weather doubled with more blue sky days equals more sunlight penetration. It is now that it's the most important to have active copper treatments, water safe herbicide spray and a good dye level in your pond.

Always take care when treating with any method not to treat to much of the pond at one time as it can cause unsafe levels of oxygen. I would suggest copper treatments be done on about half the pond with about two weeks before doing the other half. Chleated copper treatments like Cutrine Plus or Crystal Plex is different than powder or crystals since they are active and kill algae that they come in contact with over time. Herbicides should be used more like spot treating with copper powder or crystals and done in portions to keep from causing issues.

Please feel free to visit us at www.pondcaredirect.com to see our available products and pricing.

August and September

It's time to be prepared and not to get behind. Once you fall behind it can be very hard and expensive to get your pond back in shape.

August is the warmest time of the year and requires that you keep up on your maintenance. Remember that you will have loss of the chemicals over time for several reasons. If your pond has lost some coloration since the spring it is best to get that back to the right level by the time the hot and dry season arrives.

September is already moving toward the next part of the ponds cycle. This is especially true in northern states. It's time to get the biological treatment in when it's most effective. Natural Pond Cleaner is one of those products and will break down waste in your pond. This type of treament is best if used year round but will be most effective in the spring and fall when it's cooler.

If you have any chemical needs, please feel free to stop over at www.pondcaredirect.com to check our price list. Shipping and taxes (for Indiana residents) are included in the price listed.

Should you change brands?

Well this is a good question. I have mentioned before that you need to find products you like and get patterns down that make using the products you have selected work effectively.

With that said there may be a time to change due to better products becoming available or to save some money. This is not always as easy as it sounds though. Always take care to compare the products you currently use to the new products line by line. If the newer product contains less active ingredients or is harder to use then it may not be a good idea to change or you will atleast have to figure out how many of the new product it takes to equal the coverage of the old to get a fair cost comparison. It is also important to note that sometimes a single product serves more than one purpose. There are dyes that contain biological treatments and some copper products that contain dye. Replacing those can be hard to figure out since the coverage rates of the original product and new product are likely to be much different.

In the end, we would love to have your business, but never switch to anything without taking the time to review product specifications prior to making your change. We will gladly attempt to answer any questions you have via email at info@pondcaredirect.com. Please stop over at www.pondcaredirect.com to view our complete product list.

Keeping up on things is the key...

You need to keep one step in front of problems that can occur in your pond. Issues with algae, weeds, waste build up and other issues can slowly appear over time when left untreated. The issue is the point that the slow build up becomes an obvious issue. Many weeds form root systems that can span large areas and multiply quickly. Algae tends to multiply quickly once it has gone untreated for a short time. There are many methods to keeping ahead of these problems and it is important you pick one.

Keeping algae down is not always the easiest thing. Waste is a huge feeder of algae. Using biological treatments, such as Natural Pond Cleaner, will help remove some of the food that algae may be using to grow. Another method is to treat using copper solution algaecides such as Cutrine Plus or Crystal Plex to have free floating copper to kill algae as it forms. Dyes will also help lower growth by helping to lower the amount of sun light that penetrates in to the water. Many powder forms of algaecides and powdered copper sulfate crystals are effective for killing algae but they are for treating algae after it's formed. The real key is to stop it before it starts.

Many plants that grow around the pond can be killed early on before they grab and take over large areas of your pond. Some can spread at quick rates and take over even larger ponds in a couple years without treatment. Using a good pond safe herbice like Weed Plex at the first sign of unwanted plants/weeds is a great way to control issues like this. You can either spray in the area of, in the water near or pour the mixture directly into the areas you see issues that have not yet broke the surface of the water. However, it is truely the most effective to spray them once they are above the water line. Adding a sticking agent (aka:Sticker/Spreader/Extender/Adjuvant/Surfactant) will make the product even more effective.

As a final note though, it is important to note that there are restrictions based on individual locations that may restrict the use of copper, herbicides and algaecides. Though dyes and biological pond cleaners are all natural and do not have the same level of restrictions. Also many of these products are not safe for use in decorative ponds or with Koi.

We carry most of these product types at PondCareDirect.com at some of the best prices around. All of our products include delivery, shipping and taxes if applicable.

What are bioligical products needed for?

Biological products help to break down build up on your ponds bottom. This might include leaves, branches, dead plants and even dead fish to name a few things. These items will foster algae growth if left alone. The algae will use that as a food source and be much harder to control.

The best way to control this build up is maintaning the level of bacteria in your pond. Adding biological products is a great way to increase the amount of bacteria. It is also a natural way to help control algae growth.

This type of product is most effective in colder water but can and should be used during normal months that require care which differ depending on your location. The best times to add this product are spring and fall when the water is to cold for use of copper based products. This normally is the same times when there is the most build up in the bottom of the pond. It is also important to know that using copper sulfate to kill algae also kills these beneficial bacteria. So another good time is a couple days after treating the pond with copper sulfate.

What brand and product type should I use?

Determining this can have many different variables, such as price, size of your pond, product availability and more. There is not a perfect answer. However, in most cases it's getting the one you are happy with. For instance pond dye is available in many different brands. It can be found at different conncentration levels. Lastly it can be found in liquid and water soluble forms as well.

In the end you will have to decide what you like and want to use. Always make sure to check the labels on the products though for rate of usage. Just because two dyes are both in one gallon jugs does not mean they have the same coverage area.

You will normally pay a premium for water soluable packs. Larger quantities will generally be less expensive. Cheaper is not always better and likewise more expensive is not always better either!

Dye colors, is there a difference?

As a pond owner myself I have decided that I like one color over the other. In general there is no difference in the effectiveness of the various colors themselves. Some dyes will cause reactions that cloud the water, some will reflect the light better, but in the end the goal of lowering the amount of sunlight penetrating into the water still is accomplished. So try to find the brand and color/color combination that you like and use it.

The thing to pay attention to the most when selecting a dye for your pond is the quantity of each brand that is required to effectively cover your ponds size. Different brands and colors may have different rates of use and could change the amount of dye that is needed to do an effective job.

If you are looking for dye for your pond right now, please feel free to check our our products at Pond Care Direct today. We carry True Blue and three colors of Sanco dye.

Why use dye?

Depending on your own personal preferences, the various colors of dyes available can be used to make your ponds color attractive to you. You'll find that some people like a greener color, others like deep blue while others like it lighter or darker depending on taste.

More iportantly though is the ability to combat the growth of algae and other unwanted plants and weeds. The dye itself is not able to kill any plant or algae but is an effective tool in slowing growth. Dyes will cause two different effects to your water that both help to lower sun light penetration. The first is creating a more reflection off the surface of the pond. Secondly it will shorten the depth that the light can penetrate in to the water.

At pondcaredirect.com, we carry two dye options, Crystal Blue and Ocean Blue. Crystal Blue is a darker blue when compared with Ocean Blue. These two dyes can be mixed if either one is not to your liking. Visit www.pondcaredirect.com/products.asp to buy these products at a great price shipped directly to your door step.

While dye is a great means to help combat algae growth it will not remove existing algae from your pond. Biological treatments will remove waste which can help to feed algae growth and clean up the bottom of your pond. Copper based products can help to destroy existing algae. Some states do not allow use of some chemicals without a license. If you live in one of those states you will need to do some research to find what other options you have to remove existing algae from your pond.

Jump into spring!

Spring is upon us and those of us in the north are now getting ready for our spring treaments. There are several things to keep in mind when getting started each new season to ensure the look and health of your pond.

Some questions to ask would include: Can I use the left over supplies I have sitting around? When can I start treating my pond? Do I need more supplies before I start treatments?

Most pond care products have a fairly long shelf life, I will give the basic information in this post. Powder/Crystal copper sulfate can be stored in almost any conditions and will be ok for use for years as long as it is kept dry. Pond dye has virtually and unlimited shelf life, though after long periods of storage it might not color quite as well requiring more product to be used. Biological treatement is probably has the shortest shelf life, no more than 2 years and should always be kept above freezing. Liquid copper solutions should be stored above freezing and can be used over several years if needed.

Determining when to treat ponds is not as much an exact answer as preference many times but some products do have rules that should be followed. Many people use biological and and dye treatments in the fall to ensure a better spring open. Some people actually put holes in the ice on the pond before the thaw and pour in dye so it's effective as soon as algae can start forming. In any case, both biological treatment and dye should be used early in the season. Biological treatments work best in cool water. Dry copper should not be added before the water is 60 degrees. Using it below that will make if very ineffective. Liquid copper solutions will have information on them as to when they should be used as well. Crystal Plex by Sanco, can be used at 50 degrees.

Make sure you have enough of the products to handle your pond care needs. Early treatment and maintaning your pond will make your care much easier to handle and you'll have a better looking and healthier pond in the end. If you need to restock, please keep us in mind. You can visit our website to pick up great products by Sanco delivered straight to your door. Please note that dry copper products are not available outside of our local area due to shipping costs.