 Clean 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
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 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!  Girl 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."  Koi 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." 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?
Authorby Becky Chudek, lead horticulturist for Minnesota Waterscapes  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. 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.
“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.
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. AuthorBy Jeff Chudek, Master certified Aquascape contractor, builder of many ponds |
AuthorJeff 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. Archives
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