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  • Home
    • FAQ's
    • The Pond Squad
  • About
    • Blog
    • Consult Form
    • Why Hire Us
  • Contact
  • Services
    • Backyard Fish Pond Installation
    • Disappearing Pondless Waterfalls
    • Fountainscapes
    • Pond Maintenance
    • LED Pond LIghting
  • Maintenance & Service
    • Pond Cleaning Services
    • Fall Pond Netting
    • Pond Repair Services
    • Pond Renovations
    • Is Your Pond Leaking?
    • Do I Need a Pond Skimmer
    • What Is a Waterfall Filter?
    • Large Pond & Lake Maintenance
  • Purchase Pond Plants
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The most common problems with ponds in Minnesota

4/29/2020

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PictureClean fish pond in Minnesota



You want a pond but you might want to know what problems come with a pond before purchasing it..  Good idea!  Dave Ramsey says ‘Never buy something you don’t understand.” So, let’s have an honest conversation. 

​What are the most common problems with ponds in Minnesota? In our experience building, repairing, and maintaining ponds over the past 15 years, the following six problems make up the bulk of pond problems. 
​
Six Most Common Pond Problems
  • Algae in the pond
  • ​Pond Losing water- leaks
  • Pump issues- Repair or replace that pump? 
  • ​Animals 
  • Freezing pipes
  • ​Settling of liner edges- losing water
Let’s dive into these common pond problems and discuss tried and true solutions.


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Crystal Clear Pond Water With A Bio Filter in Plymouth, MN

4/28/2020

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Pondless waterfall in Minneapolis, MN
Looking over a pond to see how the water flows through the babbling stream and over the waterfall is exciting. Seeing the beauty in flowering water lilies, watching the antics of koi or gold fish, or admiring the rock work laid out by the artist is inspiring. Being able to admire all of this with crystal clear pond water is amazing! Ponds get a bad reputation for being dirty and smelly in Plymouth, MN. That doesn’t have to be the case if they’re built right. 

Dirty water is typically caused by extra nutrition in the water. That nutrition comes from various sources. Water runoff can flow into your pond water from nearby landscaping and lawn areas bringing extra nutrition. Fish are very beneficial to a balanced working ecosystem but fish waste is also a source of nutrition. All this nutrition is eaten by something: Plants, Algae, and Bacteria! Make way for a filtration system! 


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Twin Cities Pond Care: Deep Clean

4/27/2020

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Fish Pond near Maple Grove, MNGirl enjoying fish in pond
     As winter is giving way to a new beginning for spring, we look forward to meeting our fish friends, who are similar to our “snowbird” friends that disappear for the winter! While our pond fish weren’t someplace warm, we sure do miss them! 
Twin cities residents, is your pond ready to start for spring? Our spring maintenenace techs can help make your spring go a little easier! There are a few options for spring pond cleanings. We’ve labeled them as a “Pond Simple Start” and a “Pond Deep Clean”. This blog is a guide to our "Pond  Care: Deep Clean."


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Pond Simple Start: Pond Cleaning in the Twin Cities, MN Area

4/26/2020

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PictureKoi fish pond near Edina, MN
As winter is giving way to a new beginning for spring, we look forward to meeting our fish friends, who are similar to our “snowbird” friends that disappear for the winter! While our pond fish weren’t someplace warm, we sure do miss them! 
Twin cities residents, is your pond ready to start for spring? Our spring maintenenace techs can help make your spring go a little easier! There are a few options for spring pond cleanings. We’ve labeled them as a “Pond Simple Start” and a “Pond Deep Clean”. This blog is a guide to our "Pond Simple Start."


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How do I care for my pond fish in the spring?

4/21/2020

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koi fish in Minnesota pond
Pond fish health:
We  received a call that went like this, “Lost my fish. I tested the pond water and ammonia and phosphates were high. What do I do?” Similar calls include, “My fish died this spring after being fine all winter”.

Often, people blame fish death on temperature swings. We are not vets, and we have seen fish die from temperature swings. Against our suggestion, a customer purchased fish from a 70 degree store, transported them in a 75 degree car, and 15 minutes after arrival put them in a 45 degree pond. That was temperature shock and the fish died.
Experience shows us gradual temperature change does not hurt fish. When our techs are cleaning ponds, the water is changed completely in a few hours. By slowly changing water temperatures over a longer period of time, the fish have never died in our process. This leads us to believe the problem is a water quality issue.


When your summer filtration is shut down, your pond may have higher than normal levels of ammonia, nitrites, and phosphates. This occurs in spring and again in autumn for Minesota ponds. (The time frame may be different if you don't live in Minnesota.) Ammonia and nitrites are toxic to fish. 
​

Where do the toxic ammonia and nitrites come from? 

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Things you can do with your Pond

4/16/2020

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Bird feeders near pond in Greenfield, MN
Picture
Have friends over for an evening near the pond.
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Visiting Grandma, Ramsey, MN
Things you can do with your pond:
  • Host an evening of fun around your pond: dinner, snacks, drinks etc. 
  • Use the event to raise money for your favorite charity.
  • ”Name my fish” contest. Donate funds to charity
  • Have friends and neighbors over on night to unite. Ponds make great meeting places. They are so relaxing!
  • Take photos of your pond, flowers, and animals. Post them on social media. Use the pics for cards, an email signature, or wall hanging
  • Sit with your kids near the pond. Teach them how to listen and observe nature.
  • Train your fish to come when you tap on a rock. They can learn to eat out of your hand. (It works best if this happens at the same time each day.)
  • Rest your sore feet in the cool water after a walk or run. 
  • Open your window at night so you can hear the water flowing.
  • Tell your neighbor to open their window too.
  • Invite a graduating senior to take their senior pictures near your waterfall or pond.
  • Hang a bird feeder near your pond.  Create a list to see how many different birds visit your pond.
  • Put lights in the pond.  Stay up and watch who visits the pond in the evening. (Racoons and cats visited ours.)
  • Take photos of your pond.  Have them framed. Donate the pictures to a silent auction or bring them to a senior residence or nursing home to help decorate the walls.
  • Use photos of your pond to create puzzles.  Give the puzzles to someone who is sick or shut in.​

Author

by Becky Chudek, lead horticulturist for Minnesota Waterscapes

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Is My Pond Safe for My Pet?

4/14/2020

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Dog, koi fish pond, Minnesota
Dog watching fish in pond
If you ask us, "Is my pond safe for my pet?" We will say, "It depends on which style of pond you have."  If you have an ecosystem pond, the answer is “YES!”  Ecosystem ponds mimik nature in the way they use filtration systems, plants, fish, and beneficial bacteria to stay clean and clear. 
​If you are using a system other than an ecosystem pond, check before letting your pet drink or swim in your pond.  Chlorine, salts, or other chemicals are used to clean ponds but are not safe for pets.

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Where can I buy pond plants in Minnesota?

4/9/2020

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Many species of siberian iris and MN native blue flag iris enjoy pond life!
Spring blooming marsh marigold
2019 was a difficult year to find pond plants.  The local grower (Cook Water Farms) retired and no longer services the retail location on Hoffman Ave in White Bear Lake. But, good news!  Minnesota Waterscapes has taken up the batton of raising fresh, local aquatic plants for your water garden needs!  Besides being right here in the Minneapolis area, we are also growing  our plants organically! This means our plants will be healthy and safe for pets and fish. 

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6 conditions to consider when purchasing a Pond pump

4/6/2020

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“I need to replace my pond pump.”  This may be you!  Finding the properly sized pump can be confusing.  Should you buy a pump online? Should you get it from a contractor?  What kind of information should you look for on the pump box?
How long will the typical pond pump operate? ​We have seen people run down to the hardware store, grab an inexpensive pump off the shelf, and throw it in the pond. Two years later that pump fails, so they do the same thing again and repeat. If your pump lasted only 1-3 years, it’s probably not the right pump. When properly sized, we regularily see pumps last 6-10 years.
Below are six things to consider and to understand before purchasing a new pond pump.
  1. Upfront cost.
    Yes, some pond pumps will cost more up front. Often we’ll find a box store pump for a fraction of the price to purchase. Then we look at the specs and find out those box store pumps take 5 times as much electricity. Depending on the pump, the difference between upfront cost and electrical consumption cost can be significant.  A cheap pump may cost more to operate in the long run.
  2. Waterfall volume:  How much water do you need coming over your first waterfall? A good rule of thumb is 1500 gallons per hour (GPH) per foot wide of stream.  If your waterfall is 2 feet wide, you need at least 3000 GPH. (1500 x 2 ft) We also recommend turning the water over at least 50% per hour. This technique helps maintain water clarity.
  3. Head height:
    Every pump has a graph associated with it. On that graph, the pump output is compared to something called Total Dynamic Head. To calculate that you need 2 things, and remember these are generalizations covering most pond applications we work with:
     A. The waterfall height when compared to the pond surface water. This is “straight up”, not how long the stream is.
    B. How long the pipe in the ground is. Add 1 foot of “head height” for every 10 feet of pipe.
    Technicians have calculated how the pump will handle different situations. It will be on the graph. Check the chart and choose the pump you’ll need.  
    Incorrect head height is the main reason pumps fail within 2 years of purchase. In direct drive pumps, when the pump is not sized in the correct “operating zone”, it figuratively rattles and bounces and wears out seals rather quickly. 
  4. Electrical consumption
    Sewage pumps are designed to take sewage, grind it up a bit, and push it up a hill. They require lots of power and are intended to run only occasionally. Use this pump and your electric bill will be well over $100 for your pond!
    A big factor of electrical consumption depends on the ability of a pump to handle small solids (leaves, algae, etc). Solids handling pumps require more electricity. There are both “direct drive” pumps and “magnetic drive" pumps. If you don’t mind potential monthly maintenance, you can save even more by selecting a magnetic drive pump that is not a solids handling pump. 
  5. Adjustable flow pumps can be adjusted to provide different amounts of sound from the waterfalls. You may want a feature that runs at one speed to keep the ecosystem pond healthy but can be turned up when you want more sound. These pumps are a perfect fit for disappearing waterfalls.  They also come with a remote to turn them on and off and adjust the flow.
  6. Do you want your pond pump to turn on and off at a certain time? You can install a timer like you would use for holiday lights. Also, some pumps come with an app so you can set them for a specific time and control it from your phone. These apps also monitor power consumption and can be linked to your pond service technician, sending alerts when power consumption is incorrect.

There are many details when choosing a new pond pump. This post skims the surface of pump specs.  If you have further questions or need help, contact us to set up a free phone consultation with a service technician.

Author

By Jeff Chudek, Master certified Aquascape contractor, builder of many ponds

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    Author

    Jeff Chudek has been building ponds and waterfalls professionally since 2005. As a kid, his favorite time of year was spring, because the spring thaw created so much mud and puddles, and all the trees and plants were waking up. He loves figuring out the best way to use something, and fixing things that are broken. He's good at coming up with ideas, and helping choose the best idea for you.

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  • Home
    • FAQ's
    • The Pond Squad
  • About
    • Blog
    • Consult Form
    • Why Hire Us
  • Contact
  • Services
    • Backyard Fish Pond Installation
    • Disappearing Pondless Waterfalls
    • Fountainscapes
    • Pond Maintenance
    • LED Pond LIghting
  • Maintenance & Service
    • Pond Cleaning Services
    • Fall Pond Netting
    • Pond Repair Services
    • Pond Renovations
    • Is Your Pond Leaking?
    • Do I Need a Pond Skimmer
    • What Is a Waterfall Filter?
    • Large Pond & Lake Maintenance
  • Purchase Pond Plants