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.
Monday, July 20, 2009
Thursday, July 16, 2009
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.
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.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
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.
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.
Friday, June 26, 2009
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.
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.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
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!
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!
Thursday, May 21, 2009
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.
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.
Friday, April 10, 2009
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.
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.
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