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.
Friday, April 10, 2009
Friday, March 27, 2009
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.
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.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Avoiding the big freeze.
For those of you in the north you may want to try to watch for issues caused by a full freeze of the pond surface. There have been times when this can cause low levels of oxygen that can cause mass dealth to your pond life.
It is important to note that the transfer of oxygen into the water mostly occurs on the surface of the water. There are many different methods to help keep some amount of the surface from freezing but the most common is the use of fountains or wind mills. Both of these options require maintenance and some work. There are many variations of both products available, but a couple key things to think about would include do I have enough wind crossing over the pond to push a wind mill or can I get power to my pond to run a pump? There are solar versions of fountains that I have seen for sale, but I can't say that I've ever seen one in use.
When using either, making sure they are anchored securely is probably your toughest job. This can sometimes require the use of ropes or wire that is anchored to objects on the shore line.
A note of caution for you would be to always keep your distance from areas that use any method to keep the surface from freezing as the areas near that object will likely be weaker too and no one wants to fall through the ice.
Luckily for us all, nature helps us out quite a bit by lowering the fish activities and likewise the food and oxygen requirements. However, having a good lasting surface point to transfer oxygen to the water is only going to help the pond life out in any pond.
We do not sell any products related to this topic, but as a pond owner and someone attempting to supply important information related to pond care I wanted to pass this along. I hope someone finds this information useful.
It is important to note that the transfer of oxygen into the water mostly occurs on the surface of the water. There are many different methods to help keep some amount of the surface from freezing but the most common is the use of fountains or wind mills. Both of these options require maintenance and some work. There are many variations of both products available, but a couple key things to think about would include do I have enough wind crossing over the pond to push a wind mill or can I get power to my pond to run a pump? There are solar versions of fountains that I have seen for sale, but I can't say that I've ever seen one in use.
When using either, making sure they are anchored securely is probably your toughest job. This can sometimes require the use of ropes or wire that is anchored to objects on the shore line.
A note of caution for you would be to always keep your distance from areas that use any method to keep the surface from freezing as the areas near that object will likely be weaker too and no one wants to fall through the ice.
Luckily for us all, nature helps us out quite a bit by lowering the fish activities and likewise the food and oxygen requirements. However, having a good lasting surface point to transfer oxygen to the water is only going to help the pond life out in any pond.
We do not sell any products related to this topic, but as a pond owner and someone attempting to supply important information related to pond care I wanted to pass this along. I hope someone finds this information useful.
Friday, November 21, 2008
Care for your pond and lake banks...
Remember to take caution in how you treat and care for your pond or lakes banks. Killing off all the plant life can lead to lots of erosion. It is almost never a good idea to spray weed/plant killer around the entire pond or lake shore line. If you have used stone, wood or concrete to firm up your banks then you may be albe to do this without erosion problems.
We always suggest determining the drainage of the areas around your pond and treating to best handle this. It is not the easiest thing to determine, but many times you can look for eroded areas around your pond already, which are likely in lower areas of the shore line. We suggest using a trimmer or mowing those areas and keeping as much live plant/grass life in the high flow areas as possible to help save your shore line. If you have areas that still erode away, use of larger stones can help slow this process and still give a way for the water to flow into your pond or lake. We suggest backfilling areas with dirt and putting down new grass seed after you have effectively handled an issue where erosion was heavy.
Controlling erosion is important for many reasons, including safety when walking or mowing near the pond edges. This will also help to keep from raising areas of your ponds bottom which could lead to increased algae growth by making the pond shallower in places.
If you need a product to control algae or to handle weed control remember to stop over at our website, www.pondcaredirect.com and place your order today.
We always suggest determining the drainage of the areas around your pond and treating to best handle this. It is not the easiest thing to determine, but many times you can look for eroded areas around your pond already, which are likely in lower areas of the shore line. We suggest using a trimmer or mowing those areas and keeping as much live plant/grass life in the high flow areas as possible to help save your shore line. If you have areas that still erode away, use of larger stones can help slow this process and still give a way for the water to flow into your pond or lake. We suggest backfilling areas with dirt and putting down new grass seed after you have effectively handled an issue where erosion was heavy.
Controlling erosion is important for many reasons, including safety when walking or mowing near the pond edges. This will also help to keep from raising areas of your ponds bottom which could lead to increased algae growth by making the pond shallower in places.
If you need a product to control algae or to handle weed control remember to stop over at our website, www.pondcaredirect.com and place your order today.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Cold days still require some work.
It is important to understand how to keep your pond in the best shape year around. All the weather is getting cooler but that does not mean that your pond does not need care.
In the south where it stays warmer, this is still the best time to try a biological cleaning checmical additive. Your time for this product to be effective is very limited due to the warmer water conditions. This hold true in the north too, but applying this before the pond is froze over is the real key. Once the water movement stops then the chemicals tend to become less effective.
Warmer climates need to keep in mind that algae can bloom at anytime, so keep your pond clear with cleated copper sulfate from Sanco. All these products are available through www.pondcaredirect.com and will be shipped directly to your door cheaper than the local shops. Save time and money, shop with us today.
In the south where it stays warmer, this is still the best time to try a biological cleaning checmical additive. Your time for this product to be effective is very limited due to the warmer water conditions. This hold true in the north too, but applying this before the pond is froze over is the real key. Once the water movement stops then the chemicals tend to become less effective.
Warmer climates need to keep in mind that algae can bloom at anytime, so keep your pond clear with cleated copper sulfate from Sanco. All these products are available through www.pondcaredirect.com and will be shipped directly to your door cheaper than the local shops. Save time and money, shop with us today.
Monday, November 10, 2008
How to more safely apply chemicals.
When adding chemicals to your pond or lake take some care to distribute the product to various locations in the pond. Doing this will make the products disperse quicker and more evenly throughout the pond. It also poses less danger to pond life by minimizing the strength the a chemical in a particular area.
However, you may want to leave some area around natural run off or spill ways. This will make sure that you do not waste your chemicals and also will allow the natural flow of the pond to take chemicals through the entire length of the water area.
If you are willing to take the time to dilute the chemicals then you'll help make the applications more safe and assist in the distribution of the chemicals. Using a boat to move in while applying chemicals also aids in this process.
Best of luck. Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at info@pondcaredirect.com.
However, you may want to leave some area around natural run off or spill ways. This will make sure that you do not waste your chemicals and also will allow the natural flow of the pond to take chemicals through the entire length of the water area.
If you are willing to take the time to dilute the chemicals then you'll help make the applications more safe and assist in the distribution of the chemicals. Using a boat to move in while applying chemicals also aids in this process.
Best of luck. Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at info@pondcaredirect.com.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Determining how much of a chemical to use...
Always take the time to review and follow the instructions with each package of product you use to treat your pond. The results of not following those directions can be horrible. I have seen people kill off all the live stock in a pond and not by some sort of poison effect either. I have seen ponds where to much of a herbicide was used and it killed off all the plant life in and around the pond. This caused a sudden change in oxygen levels which in turn caused all of the pond life to perish.
Treating your pond should always be done in a controlled way. It is always my suggestion to treat no more than half your pond at one time. This is especially true with chemicals that can cause more of an impact, such as a herbicide. This is less true for lake and pond dye unless you are trying to make a very strong color change. You are probably safe to use copper sulfate to kill spot algae around an entire pond all at once too. However, it may be best to wait a few days between each treatment of any kind to see how the pond reacts and to allow your pond life to acclimate.
At Pond Care Direct we sell only products from Sanco Industries. They have various documents and web links available to help with application and dosing of these products. If you should have any questions, please contact us at info@pondcaredirect.com anytime.
Treating your pond should always be done in a controlled way. It is always my suggestion to treat no more than half your pond at one time. This is especially true with chemicals that can cause more of an impact, such as a herbicide. This is less true for lake and pond dye unless you are trying to make a very strong color change. You are probably safe to use copper sulfate to kill spot algae around an entire pond all at once too. However, it may be best to wait a few days between each treatment of any kind to see how the pond reacts and to allow your pond life to acclimate.
At Pond Care Direct we sell only products from Sanco Industries. They have various documents and web links available to help with application and dosing of these products. If you should have any questions, please contact us at info@pondcaredirect.com anytime.
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