What a tough year!

The weather has been odd this year which has caused many issues for pond owners. Normal treatment patterns were thrown off by heavy rains and then by none! Algae has appeared out of almost no where with no signs of letting up.

Well short of chemical assistance it will be hard to recover from any heavy blooms this year but the long term care of your pond will still need to be the main focus. Dye can only go so far in assisting with this process alone. Lack of rain has exposed more parts of the pond that used to be just out of reach of U/V rays and has caused additional growth.

Another possible way to help with this would be addition of aeration devices or fountains that help to keep the oxygen levels up and water moving.

Be very careful if you are trying to kill large amounts of algae. Doing so to quickly could be bad for the fish in your pond. Killing of portions of it will take longer and be less attractive but will keep your life in the pond from having major issues ajusting.

As we approach fall, nature will assist most of us in bring the pond back to a more stable setting. Warmer areas will still require more treatment and different approaches. However, all ponds that have algae may be suffering from large amounts of detrious and debris that algae and other unwanted plant life may be using for food. Adding a biological product to your pond will help break down and remove this from your pond. However, if you are using large amounts of copper or have recently treated with copper it is suggested you wait a few days before adding bacteria since the copper can destroy these beneficial bacteria.

If you have any questions related to your pond please contact us via email at support@pondcaredirect.com. Even if you do not end up buying anything from use we are glad to assist you in caring for your pond.

You have a pond care related question?

Well I may have the answer but more importantly I will do my best to assist you in finding an answer to your pond problems. Even if you do not need products I supply or you end up purchasing the product from another company, please feel free to ask me any pond care related questions. In the end the goal for us all is to take better care of our own little (or not so little) bodies of water.

A couple quick spring tips... Get dye in early and remember to watch for water turn over in order to keep dye levels high enough to be effective. Biological treatments are most effective in cooler water and before copper can be used. These products will help break down debris as well as remove muck. Copper should not be added until pond water is consistantly above 55 degrees.

I hope everyone has low algae growth, clean shores and blue water this season! Happy boating, fishing and swimming!

Lets make a deal!

Times are tight and pond care can be expensive. Contact us via email or through facebook to talk with us about best pricing for larger orders, new customer or repeat customers. We are looking to increase our turn over and we can't do it without meeting your needs and offering the best possible prices on our products.

A note for Ebay members that purchase from us: Starting in May our prices will be going up from 1 to 3% to cover new a new fee structure from Ebay. Ebay is going to be taking a 11% fee off of shipping charges. Since we attempt to price all of our products with shipping in mind or with "at cost" shipping prices, we will have to raise our prices so that we are not taking a loss on the cost to ship. This is not by choice and we feel this is very unfair of Ebay to charge a fee on shipping charges that are based on the shipping calculator they supply but we are bound by the rules they set.

For better overall pricing you can also buy directly from www.pondcaredirect.com.

Spring cleaning time...

Spring is the best time to get a jump start on your pond care for the year. Try to think a head and order what you need before it is a problem so you are ready.

Remember that any organic material in your pond will turn into food for algae if it is left untreated. Biological treatments go a long way to helping to break down muck and other organica materials on the pond bottom. However, do not forget to remove any left over algae, dead stems and other plants from last year that may turn into decaying items later this year.

Lastly, removing those unwanted stems will make your pond look better while allowing easier treatment of any new unwanted plants that pop up.

Treating anything takes time...

This is just a friendly reminder to make sure you allow products you use on your pond time to work. Rushing things along by adding additional chemicals can be risky to your pond and the life in and around it. Remember that sometimes slower is better anyway. Like with almost anything a slow change over time to anything tends to be better than a rapid change. When it comes to any form of plant/algae in a pond, killing all of it and in a quick manner can cause unsafe oxygen levels.

So the best methods to treatment are usually have lapses in time and variation of area that is treated. Some products, such as White Cap, have a built in chemical reaction that releases slowly over time and automatically kills off the problem weeds slowly.

One last note is that weeds and algae are normally a sign of a larger issues that are causing the growth. It could be from springs feeding nutrients to your pond, run off water carrying waste or chemicals and even debris that have built up on your ponds bottom. The first two issues may require some changes to your pond or land. The last one can be handled by use of bacteria products. These products contain high doses of bacteria that help to break down the debris that are decaying in your pond that feed algae and weeds.

Do you Ebay?

So why do many companies sell on the web, locally and on Ebay? Like any business it's all about reaching your customers. This is not just the ones you know but even more so the ones you have not yet had an opportunity to serve.

However, keep in mind that many companies, especially my own would gladly work to give you a better price outside Ebay to avoid the high fees Ebay charges for auction purchases.

If you are in the market for pond care goods, please contact our company directly over the phone or through email and we will try our best to give you a very good price.

Remember to stay in front of pond problems as that is much easier than trying to catch up. I can state this from my own ponds treatment this year which was at the bottom of my to do list and now is being treated to fix problems with both algae and duck weed.

Don't waste that copper!

Well it should be common knowledge for pond owners that copper is not effective in ponds that are below 55 degrees. I've been told and followed 60 myself. There is more than one reason for this. Not only does it waste money but it is also more likely to cause issues of contamination and contact with other things that may not be able to handle contact with copper. This can be a real problem with invertabrates in your pond such as snails. When algae is heavy or using up the copper then it breaks down more before coming in contact with other things or before it can leave your pond.

Copper is a great help in controlling algae but if we keep wasting it and using it improperly then all states will follow the ones that have banned the use of copper products in ponds. It will also continue to drive prices up due to higher demands and larger use of a commodity.

The algae season is coming quickly...

While most of the country is able to take a break from normal monthly maintenance of their ponds during the winter months that gives you a moment to reflect and plan for next year. Did the products you use provide the performance you hoped for? Did you use those products properly as far as dosing, timing and quantities?

The great thing about pond products is that there are many choices to select from. There are generally multiple ways to get from A to Z. One thing to note is that some chemicals seem more expensive but that isn’t always the case. It is important to pay attention to how much of a product you have to use for it to be truly effective. Some products last longer and may be more expensive to purchase but will free up more of your time and needing added less often. Some products may treat different ranges of problems in the pond as others may require the purchase of multiple products to treat the same range.

In the end, do not take any of this as good or bad/right or wrong. Again, there is always more than 1 way to do anything. Each person must take the time to determine what they like, how much time they are willing to spend, how much money they are willing to spend and the end look of their pond.

At www.pondcaredirect.com, we sell many different product brands and types. While we would love your business, it is more important that you are happy with your pond. If you have a brand or supplier you work with and it works for you then think before you change it. If we offer the product you want at a better price then we’d love you to make a purchase. If you have questions, please feel free to ask. If you use a product we do not carry, please inform us and we’ll see if we can add it and give you a price quote.

Our next post will be related to the differences in herbicides available on the market today.

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.

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.