Mark

Can Adding A Pond Aerator Reduce Algae?

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There is a common misconception that many pond owners help perpetuate, and that’s simply that pond aeration can stop algae growth. This statement, indirectly, has some truth to it, but generally speaking simply getting an aerator in your pond may or may not help with algae problems. One can’t blame a happy pond owner when … Read more

The Effortless Bird Feeder

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Now I know that most of our discussions hear revolve around ponds and pond algae. But I don’t want you to think that I’m obsessed with it. Well OK, maybe I am obsessed with algae, but I have other interests too! Seriously though, things have slowed down a bit in the realm of pond algae … Read more

Winter Aeration For Shallow Ponds

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A few pond owners have contacted me recently with some very good questions on how to aerate a larger pond that’s pretty shallow. Should they do it in the winter and if so, how?

To be more specific, we’re talking about ponds in the 1/8 to 1/2 an acre in surface area and something in the range of 3 to 6 feet deep. In ponds like this, a traditional aeration package probably would help but it’s not really well suited to the depth of the pond. For a pond with some depth to it, I usually suggest moving a single diffuser from the deepest part of the pond in the summer, to a more shallow location in the winter months. This article on winter pond aeration explains it in more detail.

But in shallow waters during most of the year, you normally will need more diffusers to cover the same size of pond, as you would a single diffuser in a pond that’s 10 to 15 feet deep or greater. In other words, the deeper the pond, the less diffusers you’ll need. So shallow pond aeration kits were developed to work specifically in large ponds with shallow conditions. They use a single compressor coupled to multiple diffusers spread throughout the pond. The compressors are usually a bit less powerful and this needs to be kept in mind when using them in colder weather.

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Updated Information For The Laguna Pond Aerator

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We’ve recently gotten several questions related to the Laguna Small Pond Aerator that we wanted to address here. First, since the unit is intended to be used to help keep ice from forming on the surface of a pond the question came up about cold weather operations and winter use. The Laguna will work well … Read more

Geese, Geese Go Away

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Last weekend the weather here in Iowa was quite nice. I really enjoy taking my old dog on a long walk around a local nature preserve and recreational area. Normally we have a pretty good time.

On this particular day I noticed something that was a bit out of the ordinary for this place. There’s a one acre lake there that’s a popular little fishing hole for a lot of locals and most days it’s crystal clear and looking great. The grounds are normally kept very clean, but not today.

I don’t really want to complain about nature…it’s not in my mindset, but let’s face it, when geese get over populated on a small pond they can create quite a mess. There was goose crap everywhere. My dog loved it…me, not so much.

During the fall around many parts of the country, non-resident geese will migrate through, or set up winter shop in local ponds around here. It’s probably the same where you are. They also like to hang out on the Mississippi River, which is only a mile or so from the pond being mentioned here. My point being that they have a lot of options when it comes to taking up a temporary residence.

So a question came to mind, how can you safely (for the geese) deter them from hanging around so much in a particular pond? This obviously is not for people who like to have them around (I generally do), but in some cases, and in large numbers, they can cause problems.

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Using Your Email Safely

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This article and video are a bit off topic for us, but since we’re an online retailer and consulting service for ponds, it’s always been important for me to be honest and upstanding when dealing with people. It’s hard sometimes to trust folks when you can’t deal with them face to face.

And unfortunately not everyone uses the internet for honorable means.

In recent days (and I assume some of this is due to the holiday season) I’ve been getting more junk in my email inbox. Most of these are just harmless annoyances, but some are certainly more dangerous.

In the video below I expose several emails that I’ve received lately that appear to be from legit shipping companies. However they contain attachments that, if opened, could certainly cause some issues with my computer, or my privacy.

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