Ponderings from Cool Ponds

Your Birds in February

2012-02-09T17:52:00.000-05:00

I Think Birds Are Smarter Than Groundhogs!

So a week or so ago was Groundhog Day and Punxsutawney Phil said six more weeks of winter, right. Well, the birds in my yard are telling me a different story! They're saying spring is upon us. At our house now we always predict snow by the birds rather than the weatherman. Have you seen crazy bird activity in your backyard one day and then awoke to a few inch layer of snow the next day? Well, maybe not this winter, but in winters past. Last August, my mom said it was going to be a mild winter not because of a persimmon, or a woolly worm, but because of her squirrels. (She has lots of squirrels.) They weren't burying anything. And they never did get fat this winter. The animals are so much smarter than us about these things!

So here's my evidence that spring is about to happen:

Last Friday on February 2nd (Groundhog Day) we watched Sand hill Cranes migrate north over our store. They normally migrate in late February. This was February 2nd!
Last week I noticed my goldfinch were starting to turn yellow again. I don't normally notice this until March.
A saw a Robin this week. Now, of course there are flocks of robins that stay around all winter, but this guy was alone. So most likely he was a scout.
The male Cardinals are becoming territorial. In the winter, they flock together to help search for food. During mating season, they pair up and the males keep other males out of their territory.
Other birds are beginning to pair. Last week our nuthatch that usually visits our feeders alone, brought a girlfriend. This morning I saw a pair of downy woodpeckers arrive together. In the winter we have a solitary red-bellied woodpecker that dines in our yard. She arrives in the fall and then leaves when it's time to mate. She's she's already gone.

So maybe I'm crazy or it's just wishful thinking, but this is what I have observed. Research shows that above normal spring temperatures can cause an early migration and nesting.

I guess we'll see. Anyway, keep feeding your birds. If they're going to start nesting, they'll need the extra nutrients!

Written by Staci

Spring Cleaning

2012-02-09T17:43:00.000-05:00

Is a Pond Cleaning Really Necessary Every Year?

That's a good question! We hear it all the time. Maybe yes, maybe no -- it completely depends on your circumstances. What I can say is that a pond cleaning each year is super beneficial for your pond and you! More about the benefits later. First, read the reasons to clean your pond to see if you can relate.

Side note: If you have a Pondless or Pond-free waterfall, you shouldn't need to clean it yearly. Only when a layer of debris forms on top of the basin or if you're getting some muck in your vault will it need to be cleaned.

Some fish are bigger than the net!

Reasons to Clean Your Pond:

You have fish and you feed them. Now, don't say, "But I only feed them when the grand kids come over." Believe me, for a typical grandparent, that's enough to deserve a cleaning.!
Some leaves managed to get into your pond over the fall/winter. Any leaves count. They decay and feed algae.
You had any string algae over the winter. That algae doesn't just go away. It's still there in one form or another.
You don't add beneficial bacteria to your pond regularly. Beneficial bacteria keep your pond clean! It may not keep you from cleaning your pond each year, but it will make the cleaning significantly easier!
You can't remember the last time your pond was cleaned. Okay, this is bad.
You see a layer of muck in your pond bottom or you can't see the rock in the bottom anymore. Even if there's a little layer of muck, that muck will feed algae.

Benefits of Cleaning Your Pond

All the nutrients that can lead to algae blooms will be flushed away. Not only will you have fresh water, but all the muck on the bottom will be gone too. You are off to a fresh start.
Your fish will have fresh water. Nitrites in the old water (from waste, decaying materials, etc.) can be harmful to them.
You'll spend less money on treatments through the year. Since you're starting fresh, you won't be playing catch-up.
After the cleaning, you get to enjoy your water feature rather than work on it!

You might think that a natural pond wouldn't be cleaned each year so if we're trying to imitate Mother Nature, why are we cleaning our ponds? Well, natural bodies of water do get flushed in the spring with rain typically. And once we feed our fish, we're interfering with Mother Nature. So we have to do our part and help her out.

Remember that a pond cleaning alone is not enough to make your pond low maintenance. Do you have the five essential elements of a low maintenance pond -- filtration, circulation, rocks, aquatic plants, and fish? That's an upcoming article.

If you've made the decision to clean your pond, and haven't done it before, you may be thinking, "Okay, now what?" So all of us at Cool Ponds try to make it easy for you. We have a free pond cleaning demonstration each April at our store. Watch our website for the exact date CoolPonds.Net. You can also stop by our store and pick up a free pond cleaning brochure that takes you step by step through the process. Or, our maintenance guys will be happy to clean your pond for you.

We're here to help. Got questions? Just ask!

Written by Staci

Your Birds in January

2012-01-12T11:42:00.001-05:00

Keep the Food Out and
You Won't Be Disappointed

Now I have to say I love snow. So I'm excited to see the first flakes of snow falling as I'm writing this. What I really enjoy is seeing the snow falling and the birds scurrying to fill up before their food is covered. I'm anxious for that. If you don't like snow...sorry. At least it melts!

Types of Birds
You won't see many differences in the birds you see in January from December. What you may notice is large flocks of cardinals. During the breeding season, cardinals are territorial. You'll see them in pairs, but not large groups of them. But come wintertime, they flock together to have an easier time finding food sources. Watch for them at dawn and dusk mostly.

Bird Food in January
Remember that the natural sources of food have been mostly depleted so your birds will greatly appreciate the food you provide for them. When we have really cold nights is when birds need food most. Birds burn a lot of calories just trying to stay warm. Black oil sunflower, peanuts, and suet are still the staples your birds need this time of year. Also provide nyjer seed for finches in a finch feeder. At our house, we use lots of safflower all year round. Cardinals, chickadees and doves love safflower but it's rarely eaten by sparrows, starlings, and squirrels!

Seed blocks are still the way to go in winter. They last a long time which is excellent for us when it's cold! My woodpeckers, chickadees, and nuthatches are crazy about them.

The key to bird feeding this time of year is consistency. Fill your feeders consistently so the birds will stay around and not go elsewhere in search of food.

Squirrel Busting Food
Contrary to popular belief, it is possible to feed birds without feeding squirrels! Two of our most popular bird foods at Cool Ponds are Cajun Cardinal and Hot Meats. They're infused with hot sauce which the birds can't taste but the squirrels can and don't like! We also have a hot meats suet. These foods are amazing!

Water is Still Most Important
Remember that birds need to stay clean in order to fluff their feathers and stay warm. If you have a pond, you may see birds walking on the ice to get to a patch of open water for a drink or they may be splashing in your creek or waterfall. If you feed the birds...please provide water too!

A clean bird is a warm bird!

So while you're cooped up inside, take a look outside to see what's there. With a little patience you never know what bird new to your backyard you may discover!

Written by Cool Ponds staff member Staci

Winter Happenings

2012-01-12T10:39:00.003-05:00

My Pond Is Confused!

This winter has left few people complaining so far. That may be about to change however. As we have enjoyed the majority of days so far this year in the 40's or even 50's, it's snowing today and a high of 19 degrees tomorrow.

So this has left my pond very confused. When I say my pond, I mean of course the fish and plants living in it. Most likely your pond is confused too. My fish have not gone dormant yet this winter. They beg when we walk by just as if it's the warmer seasons. I have anemopsis and iris sprouting and my acorus has not yet died back for the winter. Sound familiar? Well, don't get caught off guard...winter is bound to happen.

Here's what you need to know for the upcoming winter weather:

If you are using an aerator this winter, the air stones should NOT be at the bottom of your pond...period, no exceptions. You want to keep the water at the bottom of your pond undisturbed because that is the warmest area for fish. Plus, unless the aerator is close to the surface, it will not keep the pond from icing over. What if your stones are at the bottom and you can't move them? Option 1: Unplug it and use a deicer instead. Option 2: Disconnect the airlines and purchase additional lines and stones that can be placed at the surface. Use separate lines for warm seasons and the other lines for cold seasons. This is actually quite common. (Now of course I'm talking about backyard water gardens. If you have a farm pond or clay bottom pond, that's an entirely different story.)

Have a deicer in your pond and ready for action even if you are using an aerator this winter. It may be necessary when the temperatures are in the single digits to use a deicer. Now although we haven't needed it yet, at our house the deicers are in place and ready to go. All we have to do is plug them in when and if it gets cold enough that the aerators or waterfalls can't keep up. The last thing I want is to wake up one morning to the ponds iced over and for Steve to have to go out in the cold and install deicers. Poor guy. (I know, I know, I'm always thinking of him!) How do you know if your deicer is working before you put it in your pond? Put it in the freezer! After chilling for 30 minutes or so you should be able to plug it in (after you take it out of the freezer) and feel it start to warm up.

In case you have forgotten, refresh you memory with the other things you need to know about your pond this winter here.

We've been spoiled this winter. The good news is that it is almost half way through January. "Real" winter can't last too long, right?

Written by Cool Ponds Staff Member Staci

Aeration

2011-12-07T14:06:00.003-05:00

Using an Aerator in Winter

A hole in the pond ice created by an aerator.

At Cool Ponds, we preach the use of aerators in ponds. Not only will it keep your water clean and clear during the heat of summer, but it will also keep a hole in the ice in winter. However, you need to change how you are using your aerator in winter... for the health of your fish.

In the summer, the air stones should drop to the bottom of your pond. The goal is to keep oxygen in the deeper levels for your fish and to give the beneficial bacteria a boost. For winter, it's completely different. You don't want to stir up the water at the bottom of your pond -- it's the warmest and we want to keep it warm for your fish.

To prepare for winter, move the air stones up to just below the water surface. Not only will this prevent disturbing the warm water, but the agitation of the water surface will prevent the water from freezing. Don't worry about getting the stones to the middle of the pond. Dangling on the pond edge is fine. The unfrozen area can be anywhere. As a matter of fact, if you have a skimmer and your pump is running this winter, place the stones close to the skimmer opening to keep the water flowing into it. Only in the very coldest parts of the winter will the pond freeze over. For those days, we recommend having a deicer to use temporarily.

Many people who use aerators, bury their air lines so there isn't messy tubing lying around. This is a great idea. Most of us want our features to look as natural as possible. If you are in this situation, get a second set of air lines and air stones that you use just for winter. Leave the others where they are buried but disconnect them. Connect the winter lines to the aerator and you're ready to go!

Written by Cool Ponds Staff Member Staci

Winter Advice

2011-12-07T13:19:00.004-05:00

Using a Deicer for Your Pond
or Pond-free Waterfall

The most sure-fire way to keep any water feature from completely icing over is to use a deicer. They work great for both ponds and pond-free or pondless waterfalls. A deicer is an electrical appliance that floats (or as in the case of the deicer pictured above can be adapted to sink as well) in the pond and will keep an area of the pond ice-free.

The goal of a deicer in a pond is to keep a small hole or section from freezing so that oxygen can get in and carbon dioxide can get out. For a pond-free waterfall, deicers keep the water flowing so that you can keep it running all year long.

For ponds, if you have a skimmer, keep the deicer as close to the skimmer opening as possible (without it floating into it.) If you have a pond-free place the deicer in the pump vault. It's important to keep the basin full of water all winter so that the deicer stays floating above the pump.

Extension Cords and Deicers
Most deicers have a short cord -- ours only 9' or 10'. Sometimes an extension cord is necessary. However, not just any extension cord is adequate for use with a deicer. Deicers pull a lot of amps. We were happy last year to discover an extension cord made for deicers -- the only cord UL approved for use with deicers. And at 25' long, they fit most any situation. Plus they have a "cord connect" that keeps the connection between the deicer cord and extension cord safe from precipitation.

Use a Deicer Large Enough for Your Feature
If you're simply going to keep a small opening in the ice, it may seem that any size deicer would be adequate for any size pond. This however, is not the case. If you use a deicer that is undersized, it will work harder to keep that opening using way too much electricity and eventually burning itself out. Read the box and literature for each deicer and choose the one appropriate for the volume of your water feature.

Is Your Circuit Adequate for Both Your Pump and Deicer?
Many times a pump and deicer cannot be used on the same circuit. Check the amps of your pump, your deicer, anything else running on that circuit (hopefully nothing) and your circuit before using them together. Too little power can cause the circuit to pop resulting in a frozen water feature! You may need to run an extension cord to another outlet on a different circuit.

Does the Deicer Run All the Time?
Most deicers have a built-in thermostat that controls when the deicer runs according to water temperature. That's great except that many times the air temperature warms up quickly and the water temperature does not. If the air temperature changes from 32 degrees one day to 50 degrees the next and the water temperature slowly warms to only 35 degrees, obviously the deicer does not need to run, but it will. That's were the Thermocube comes in. The Thermocube regulates the power to the deicer based on air temperature. A great addition to any deicer. It simply plugs into the outlet and the deicer plugs into it.

Final Thoughts
Remember that although deicers are an excellent way to keep an opening in the ice, they also use a lot of electricity. Consider using a deicer as a backup and an aerator at all times for the most effective and economical solution.

Written by Cool Ponds staff member Staci

For the Birds

2011-12-06T17:22:00.000-05:00

Your Back Yard Birds in December

One reason I like birding, is that it's always changing with the seasons. Like clockwork, I know which birds are coming and which are going. Even some birds that aren't migratory only visit my yard during certain seasons. But, it always keeps bird watching interesting. This will be the first of a monthly blog about what you can expect and what you should be doing for your backyard birds each month

Blue Jays love peanuts in the shell as do Titmice and White Breasted Nuthatches.

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Common birds to expect this month in central Indiana:

Blue Jay
Carolina Chickadee (north of Marion, IN you will see the Black-Capped Chickadee)
Carolina Wren
Dark-eyed Junco
Downy woodpecker
English sparrow
European Starling
Goldfinch
House Finch
Mourning Dove
Northern Cardinal
Song Sparrow
White Throated Sparrow
White Crowned Sparrow
White Breasted Nuthatch

Bird Feeding in December
As natural sources of food become more scarce, if you keep quality food in your feeders, birds will frequent your yard. If you are hit and miss about filling your feeders, they may find the neighbors yard more inviting. Remember not to use cheap commercial mixes because they're full of fillers.

If you are looking for an inexpensive seed, use straight oil sunflower. Peanuts and sunflower are great high energy foods for birds this time of year. Don't forget to put out some suet as well. Suet in several places in your yard is a good idea.

Small, ground feeding birds such as the dark-eyed junco and native sparrows will benefit from millet or sunflower chips. Keep your goldfinch happy with plenty of fresh nyjer seed. Even if they don't enply the feeder, it's good to replace it often. Goldfinch are particular about their seed and will just as soon find another source as to eat old seed. Goldfinch also like their feeders placed away from the other feeders in your yard.

Dark-eyed Juncos are ground feeders.

If you're not able to get out to fill your feeders daily, consider a seed block. Seed blocks are filled with high energy seed (and some have fruit also) and last several days to a couple of weeks. My downy woodpeckers love the "Nutsie" blocks we bring home. They choose those over any other type of food or suet.

Block feeders are great for the birds and us in cold weather!

What About Water?
Natural bird food is becoming scarce but what becomes even more scarce for birds in the coldest parts of winter is a thawed water source. Not only do birds need to drink, but they need to bathe as well. A bird bathes to clean and fluff it's feathers for warmth. If your water feature is running, is there a shallow place in the waterfall or creek for birds to bathe? If not, or if your water feature isn't running, why not add a bird bath with a deicer? Your birds will really appreciate it! (And it's a lot of fun to watch!)

Cardinal taking a bath in my waterfall last month. Photo taken by BirdCam.

Birdwatching is an excellent hobby and we're in the middle of prime birdwatching season. Remember bird watchers on your shopping list this year with a new feeder, specialty seed, book, or bird inspired gift. Happy holidays to you and your birds!

Written by Cool Ponds Staff Member Staci

Winter Advice

2011-12-06T16:32:00.003-05:00

It Looks Like Winter Has Arrived

Before the throngs of winter are upon us, it might be a good idea to brush up on our winter water feature preparedness! Here's a few thoughts to get you through the cold winter months...

If you have fish, you must keep a hole in the ice for gas exchange.
Of course you know that fish need oxygen but more importantly, just like us, they need to expel carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is also produced by any decaying organic materials in your pond -- leaves, dead plants, muck in the pond bottom. Often times if there's a fish kill it's because of the carbon dioxide build up more than the lack of oxygen. So how to keep this hole in the ice?

An aerator makes a fine hole in the ice!

Use an Aerator -- An aerator with air stones placed just under the surface of the water will agitate the water enough to keep an opening most of the winter. There may be times when the temperature is in the single digits for an extend period of time that it will ice over, but this is rare. Plus an aerator only uses 8 watts or less of electricity! Do not let the air stones rest on the pond bottom. The water on the bottom is the warmest -- it should not be disturbed. Read more information about aeration here.

Use a Deicer -- A floating deicer will keep a hole in the ice also. With an internal thermostat, the deicer will heat up when the water temperature approaches freezing and then shut off when the water warms to around 40 again. Deicers are an excellent way to keep a hole in the ice; however, water temperatures warm up more slowly than air temperatures. So even if the temperatures warm up into the 50's one day, the water may not warm up enough to turn off the deicer. Why is that a problem? Deicers for a medium sized pond will run 500 to 1500 watts -- that can be a lot of unnecessary electrical consumption. Read more information about deicers here.

Our advice is to run an aerator always, but have a deicer for backup for extreme cold spells.

If your pond is running this winter, keep an eye out for backups.
Backups of leaves or ice can cause water loss in a hurry. Keep leaves cleared out and ice broken away from streams and waterfalls. Backups of debris or ice will dam water flowing in a waterfall or creek causing water to be forced out. Many times when it's very cold, ice domes will form over a waterfall or creek. That's okay as long as the water is flowing under the dome and not escaping.

Watch for backups on waterfalls and streams.

Don't EVER unplug your pump without removing it from your water feature during the winter.
It may be tempting when you see ice starting to form on your water feature to simply unplug your pump, but please don't do it! First of all, if your pump is not disconnected from your plumbing on your feature, water will remain in the pipes. When the water is not running through the pipes it is likely to freeze which can lead to costly and invasive repairs. Secondly, although your pump itself may be too deep to freeze,it's not meant to be in that cold of water without running. If you're not going to run your water feature, take the pump out of the water, bring it inside to a freeze-proof location, and unless it's a magnetic drive, store it in a bucket of water to keep the seals inside the pump from drying out.

This is important....be prepared to add water to your feature

Many times our water features need filled and we realize the hoses are frozen, the spigots are shut off and five gallon buckets just won't do it! If we have a really cold winter and a lot of ice forms on our water features, YOU WILL ADD WATER, MORE AND MORE WATER. I just can't stress this enough. Remember the ice is forming above the normal water level. The ice is in effect "wicking" the water right out of the feature. It may even seem like you are adding so much water that you have a leak. Also, the dry winter air will cause your feature to need more water. Just be prepared now. Do you have a hose thawed? Do you have an outdoor spigot you can use? Many times at my house we have hooked up a hose to the kitchen faucet -- works like a charm. We've now evolved to using one of our handy dandy heated hoses. Just plug the hose into an electrical outlet and it's good to go. Turn the water on and you're filling!

Our electric hose is our new best friend at our house!

If you have a pond-free waterfall...
Other than adding water to your water feature and watching for dams, you may not need to do anything this winter! If ice becomes a problem, place a deicer in your pump vault. The deicer will warm the water enough to keep it flowing instead of icing. Just unplug the deicer when it's not needed.

Take some time to enjoy your water feature this season.
For me, I enjoy my water features during the winter probably more than any other season. And so do the animals that live in and visit my yard. Hopefully you can see your water feature from inside your home and take some time just to watch and enjoy it!

Written by Cool Ponds Staff Member Staci

For the Birds

2011-11-08T18:50:00.001-05:00

Better Bird Foods Mean Better Birds

I'm a complete believer in just what the title of this post says. If you offer quality food and food that the birds will actually eat... you'll get a better variety of birds. If that's what you want, anyway. Some bird watchers are happy with whatever birds show up, but not at our house. We keep a count -- we up to 55 different varieties in our yard. There's no question, it's easy to pick up a bag of bird food when and where ever you're shopping. But what you get in that bag at a box store, most likely isn't going to net you more than a few types of birds and eventually they may stop coming.

So why not? What's so different from the food in a grocery store or box store than our store or other specialty bird store? Fillers, fillers, fillers. Check the contents ... ingredients such as milo, red millet, and wheat are not eaten by birds in our area. Some white proso millet is okay, but it's eaten by ground feeding birds such as sparrows, juncos, and doves. In the photo of the box store seed below, the small yellowish seeds are the white proso millet, the large seeds are sunflower seeds, and everything else is filler. Even if you took out the fillers, the ratio of the millet to sunflower is way off.

Box Store "Songbird" Blend

Mostly Fillers

"Blue Ribbon Blend"

Only what the birds will eat.

In the photo of the Blue Ribbon Blend, the predominant seed is sunflower, followed by sunflower meats, then some cracked corn and white proso millet. If you were to use the seed in the first photo, the birds would initially pick out the sunflower, throw the rest on the ground, and after a while simply stop coming because you're not offering what they'll eat. This happens a lot only to end in frustration and a mess of uneaten seed on the ground.

Luckily, there's a better way. You can choose other seeds that will not end up as a mess on the ground.


Black Oil Sunflower -- Enjoyed by many birds

If you're looking for an economical seed, choose Black Oil Sunflower. Very few birds don't eat this type of seed and it gives them the nutrients they need. The only downside is the shells. Part of what you are paying for doesn't get used and ends up as waste on the ground.

Sunflower chips or hearts -- no mess!

Another option is Sunflower Hearts or Chips. This is simply black oil sunflower that has been shelled. You'll pay more per pound, but everything you buy will get eaten and there's no mess to clean up later!

Safflower -- Not eaten by English sparrows and stalings

If you're tired of feeding English sparrows, starlings, and squirrels..try Safflower. Safflower is loved by cardinals, chickadees, nuthatches and titmice. This is a staple at our house! We fill two platform feeders and they are the first to get visited each morning by cardinals. I recommend you don't place it in a tube feeder. English sparrows will perch on the tube and continue to throw all the safflower on the ground as they search for something they want. They can make a real mess.

Nutberry Suet Blend -- Attracts fruit eating birds

This is our all-time favorite at our house, Nutberry Suet Blend. This is truly gourmet bird food, but it has attracted more birds to our backyard than any other food...period. And the customers that buy this food regularly swear by it! It contains sunflower meats, peanuts, pecans, blueberry flavored cranberries, cherries, apple slices, and insect suet kibbles. (If it weren't for those insect kibbles, I'd swear it was trail mix!) This food draws in the fruit eating birds. Northern mocking birds and catbirds enjoy this very much at our house.


"Hot" foods -- Can't be eaten by squirrels!

Finally there are the "hot" foods. These are infused with Habanero chilli peppers. Birds can't taste peppers -- but squirrels can! Both Hot Meats (Sunflower chips with pepper sauce) and Cajun Cardinal (Sunflower chips and safflower with pepper sauce) work really well for keeping squirrels from cleaning out your feeders. If squirrels are an issue for you... you may want to give these a try!

If bringing a variety of birds to your yard is important to you, then try some new foods. We continue to try new foods all the time. Stay away from the cheap mixes -- if you're looking for an economical way to feed the birds, skip the cheap mixes and go strictly with black oil sunflower. You may not get as many unusual birds, but there will be no seed wasted and the birds will get what they love.

Hope you're enjoying your bird watching this fall. We certainly are!

Thanks for reading!

Written by Cool Ponds Staff Member Staci

For the Birds

2011-10-18T16:10:00.002-04:00

Setting the Right Table is Important in Bringing in a Wide Variety of Interesting Birds

As Cool Ponds becomes more and more a habitat resource and not just a pond store, we're hearing more often..."The only birds I attract are sparrows. How can I get a better variety of birds?" If this is you, don't get discouraged. Unfortunately, using the wrong type of feeder and the wrong food can disillusion potential birds and frustrate us leading us to give up. Don't worry, we can help.

It's important to "set the table" so to speak to fit the appropriate guest. Some species such as native sparrows (these are good sparrows -- not the non-native english sparrows) and juncos prefer to feed on the ground.Chickadees and Finches prefer to eat from an elevated feeder. Nuthatches and woodpeckers, or "clingers." are used to clinging to a tree trunk for food and prefer to eat in that manner. Birds such as doves, cardinals, and blue jays will eat from a feeder, the ground, or a tree wherever a safe opportunity arises. By selecting feeders that appeal to certain birds, we can choose which birds we invite.

There are a set of basic feeders that every bird enthusiast should have to attract the widest variety of birds to their backyard. Here are four feeders you should have to attract a good variety of birds:

Platform Feeder

Attracts the most birds
Can be paired with a weather shield or baffle to keep food dry and squirrels out.

Hopper Feeder

Attracts all sizes of birds
Ledge should be large enough for a cardinal
Holds large quantities of food

Nyjer Tube Feeder

Attracts birds in the finch family
Small openings exclude sparrows
To feed only goldfinch and exclude other finch, use an upside down nyjer feeder (shown)

Suet Feeder

Attracts "clingers" -- nuthatchs, creepers, woodpeckers, chickadees
Other birds eat suet such as Northern Mocking birds and Carolina Wrens
Contrary to popular belief, birds need suet all year -- no melt suet can be used in summer

These are the feeders we feel will provide a good all-around variety of feeding styles and will hold the food needed to attract a wide variety of birds. Many people new to bird feeding select a tube feeder as their first (only) feeder. Although tube feeders have their place, they exclude many, many desirable birds while allowing the undesirables. Choose a tube feeder as a supplement, not your primary feeder. If you could only choose one -- I would without hesitation choose a platform feeder. All the great discoveries I've made in my backyard have been on a platform feeder or on the ground!

Also, remember your bird feeder is an investment. You want it to last, be a great source of entertainment and be easy to clean as well. We hope you'll check out the feeders above at Cool Ponds. Plus if you buy a feeder from Cool Ponds, we clean it for you free! Just drop it off the first Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday of the month and pick it up the following Saturday.

Next post -- types of food to offer. Or don't wait, stop in for our bird feeding brochure.

Written by staff member Staci

Trouble in Paradise

2011-09-14T10:59:00.001-04:00

Keeping Your Aquatic Plants Under Control

So with a summer like we've had (and last summer too) don't you love your aquatic plants! They grow and thrive no matter how much rain we've had or hot it gets -- especially if you have tropical plants too. Tropical plants really love the heat.

But remember to keep those plants under control, too. I was reminded of this yesterday when I came home from work to find our pumps were gurgling inside the skimmers. The pond had dropped close to four inches. Upon investigation my son Steven and I found the issue -- a combination of flourishing creeping Jenny and string algae had made a dam in our creek. After a little plant and algae removal, the creek could flow normally.

The Creeping Jenny and Water Celery have combined on the right side of the center boulder to create a nice dam and completely block the water flow. I'm wondering if the Army Corps of Engineers could use this somehow? This actually is an old photo of our pond and completely unrelated to yesterday's incident! Our plants are crazy!

Incidents involving damming of a creek happen most often with floating plants placed in the waterfall or in a creek. Water hyacinth and water lettuce grow so rapidly that they can dam water flow in just a matter of days. This has happened to us so often in fact that we never place floating plants anywhere other than the pond now.

String algae can be an issue in a creek as well because it can raise the water level. If you have experienced string algae, especially in a creek, you know it can grow extremely fast. As it grows, it displaces the water. If your creek is shallow, it's banks can overflow pretty easily. Its a good idea to keep it pulled and treated so it doesn't get to that point.

Now is a good time of year to thin back hardy plants if they're getting out of control. They won't have time before winter to fill back in again. Plus, if you wait until spring, it will be difficult until the plant is well underway to determine how much to remove. By thinning your plants now, they will be ready when spring arrives.

Sometimes it's difficult to realize how much a plant has grown. Do you have photos of your pond through the years? Get them out and compare the difference to today... you might be surprised!

Written by Cool Ponds staff member Staci

Cool Ponds Preferred Rewards

2011-09-13T17:50:00.000-04:00

Now There's No Excuse

When we were trying to decide what to call our business many years ago, the words "low-cost," "discount," and "cheap" were not considered. Now, I'm not saying we were set on having high prices... not at all, just that price has never been what Cool Ponds is about. (There's a story behind how the name Cool Ponds came about too... maybe later.)

Our focus has always been education. Education of ourselves so that we can bring you the best, most accurate information; and education of our customers so that they can have the best, most enjoyable water gardening experience. So, in order to do that, we had to have staff...knowledgeable staff. Not just someone who sits behind a register, or processes an order, but people who know water gardening and live water gardening.

And that is what we have done...provided the service, the products, and the answers -- and it's worked out beautifully for all of us. Our customers are happy, our business is growing, and magnificent water features are being installed both by Cool Ponds and our customers all over central Indiana.

But that wasn't enough. There were those 5 or 6 customers out of 100 that just didn't get it. They would call or stop in and ask questions...that's great -- that's what we're here for. But then they wouldn't buy... not only that... they would buy somewhere else. Or they would ask us questions about a purchase they made elsewhere because where they purchased it wouldn't help. Always it came down to price. Several times a week, as a matter of fact, someone will inquire about a problem and then say they will buy it somewhere else because it's cheaper. Of course it's cheaper... there was no service included with it!

Well, as I said before, "discount" isn't part of our name. Our prices aren't arbitrary... all our products are sold at MSRP (Manufacturers Suggested Retail Price.). And all the manufacturers we carry have MAP policies. (Minimum Advertised Pricing.) So if we advertise below their MAP, usually 20% off, we could risk losing that vendor. However, there's not an item we sell that isn't on sale at least once each year, usually 4-6 times each year. There's rarely a time when our newsletter doesn't have a 15% - 20% off coupon in it. So basically that means that any items we sell can't be purchased for less elsewhere. (If they are available at a lower price than ours with a coupon, then that retailer is in danger of losing that vendor. Vendors are serious about it.)

So.... even though we hope to help everyone with their water gardening needs, we can't lower our prices for just a hand full of people. Remember our focus...education...which means knowledgeable staff... that equals overhead. What we will do, however, is reward those who make investments with Cool Ponds with the Cool Ponds Preferred Rewards Program. (Read about the program here.) Let's face it... If you purchase a kit from Cool Ponds during a sale or using a coupon, it's not possible to buy a comparable kit for less money. Period. You can buy a kit for less, but it will not be of the quality of ours and it will cost more down the road.

Again, we want to help everyone. But we can't help with items you didn't purchase at Cool Ponds. Now...there's no excuse. How can you pass up a 15% discount on everything. There's no need to wait for a sale or coupon. Buy it when you need it. But buy your kit at Cool Ponds. Let's start this relationship right...and continue it long in the future. I'm stepping down from my soap box now...Thanks for reading. I hope you'll comment on this post.

Written by Cool Ponds staff member Staci

Important Green Water Advice

2011-07-29T10:00:00.001-04:00

Some of you who visited us earlier this month may have noticed our experiment in our front yard. We decided to turn over our smallest pond to nature and see how long it took us to go from green to clean.

It only took a few days of stewing in the hot sun for the suspended, single-celled algae to take over. The pond is pictured below.

Are you cringing? We are too.

Once the pond had reached its green capacity, we added Biological Clarifier (a beneficial bacteria) daily and dropped airstones in the deepest pocket of the pond. The extra oxygen gave the bacteria the extra boost it needed to battle the algae; without the airstones, the clarifying process would take much longer.

After a week, the pond looked dramatically better. But it wasn't quite there yet.

And then over night--eight days after we started treating the pond--we could see the gravel on the bottom!

Not every pond will see these exact same results. This pond is about 500 gallons, has six goldfish that are fed five times a week, has very little debris (It's cleaned annually.) and is in full sun. If any of these attributes are different in your pond, you may have more or less luck clearing your pond as quickly as we did. However, we've advised this same treatment plan for many of our customers who have had tremendous success also.

Leaking? Maybe Not!

2011-07-14T10:00:00.002-04:00

Only a few posts ago I wrote about what happens when it rains too much. Now it finally feels like summer, and most of us are dragging our hoses to our water features daily.

We've been getting a lot of panicked calls from pond owners who afraid they might have a leak. I'm here to assuage you. If you're losing an inch or two of water a day (or maybe even a little more), that's completely normal. Water evaporates quickly in ponds that have waterfalls, streams, and plants. There's nothing wrong with having any of those things; refilling your water feature daily or every other day is just a small price to pay for being able to enjoy your own piece of Mother Nature.

Some people are also concerned that topping off their water features might put too much chlorine into the water. You can save your Pond Detoxifier, folks. Unless you're changing 25% or more of your water, you don't have to worry about dechlorinator.

And what about automatic fill valves? While they seem like a good idea, they can cause major problems. We don't install them on our features. A small slip-up on the fill valve's part means it might leave the hose running, and if you're not there to stop it in time, you could lose all your fish. Save yourself a major headache (and possible heartache) and simply keep an eye on your water level daily.

How do you know how much to fill? It's a common misperception that there is a water line on your rocks, and that's where you need to fill to; however rocks are porous and soak up moisture. That line might be way above where you actually need to top off to. Instead, look at the water level from inside your skimmer. The water level should be about 3/4" from the top of your skimmer opening.

Stay cool, water gardeners!

--written by Cool Ponds staff member Kasey Wicker

Incredible Installations

2011-06-23T13:35:00.000-04:00

Mother Nature Would Be Impressed!

   Our crew has installed several hundred water features over the past seven years. I have really almost lost track. Their ability to mimic Mother Nature is unbelievable. I'm like a proud father when I get to visit a new water feature that David and the crew has just installed. The pond and pond free waterfalls the crew is installing look great to me...and our customers. Apparently they are impressing Mother Nature as well.

     As I get a chance to visit past installations and talk to our customers I am finding out just how much of an impact we have. People are enjoying not only the fish, plants and waterfalls, but the critters that the water attracts as well. They get to watch birds, dragonflies, frogs, toads, turtles and ducks on a daily basis. I know that I personally have had as many as 12 different dragonflies at once in my pond at home. Now I am seeing some more unusual birds around the water, especially during migration. There is an increase in the amount of Leopard frogs we see these days in our water features as well. What is so exciting about that? Leopard frog populations have been on the decline in Indiana. While they were not endangered yet, they were still at risk because of a lack of non polluted water. My deduction--"Cool Ponds installs some clean water features." What an honor.

     Why do I feel so compelled to blog about this?   I know that experiencing nature up close and personal is becoming a lost activity. So many people opt to stay at home. It is easy to become stimulated only by our endless electronic media. Taking even a little time to stop and watch a little nature can be a very relaxing way to start and end the day. Soaking in just a little bit of Mother Nature aids in grounding a person back to the moment, back to reality. Many of our customers get to enjoy this therapy anytime of day they wish.

   The crew never tries to trick Mother Nature. They work with her. Making a man made object become a natural beauty is a gift that they seem to endlessly repeat at home after home. So many of our installations this past year and this year so far have been remodels. Those customers now have the best water feature anyone can offer in an installation and the Mother Nature will enjoy it too. I look forward to hearing their stories about how they get to enjoy the interaction between their new treat and the critters that it attracts. It will change their lives. Again, what an honor.

Written by Cool Ponds staff member Steve

Rain Giving You the Blues?

2011-06-23T12:42:00.000-04:00

So far this month, we've had 5.93" of rainfall at the shop (that's almost 2" above normal).

That number may not sound like a lot, but let's look at it this way: 1" of rainfall on a 2000 square foot roof is 1,250 gallons of water. So with the total amount of rainfall we've had this month, that's about 7,400 gallons. In Cool Ponds terms, that's two Journey-sized ponds full of water, plus a few hundred gallons extra!

Allowing rainwater to fall from your roof and flood paved streets or block up already struggling storm drains just doesn't make sense. That water is wasted. Not taking advantage of this plethora of rain is draining natural resources and your wallet.

Here at the shop, we've drastically reduced our water bill and environmental impact by installing a rainwater harvesting system. Rain from our roof drains into our permeable paver patio and is stored underneath the patio in a rubber liner reservoir. In the reservoir, we have a pump vault which powers a small waterfall to provide aeration to the reservoir and a hose which we can use to water plants or fill our patio bowls.

Underneath this patio is 1,200 gallons of usable rainwater!

We use the rainwater from this hose to top off our ponds, water our plants, and fill our bird baths.

This attractive water fall aerates the reservoir underneath the patio.

Aquascape's Ed Beaulieu explains a little bit more about how the system works in this video.

Interested in learning more? I've found some great resources that express the importance of water conservation much more eloquently than I can. Check out Harvest H2O, Indianapolis' Green Infrastructure Info Page, and Water Use It Wisely, with all kinds of water-saving tips.

--written by Cool Ponds staff member Kasey Wicker

Your Water Garden Guide

2011-06-22T16:50:00.000-04:00

It's Summer! Now What?

Hopefully your water feature has settled down for the season. The plants are blooming. Your fish are swimming happily. You have clear water and string algae is being kept at bay. If not, you seriously need to come visit us. Let Cool Ponds help you (and your water feature) on the right track.

Here are some tips for caring for your pond now that it's summer...

Be mindful of how and what you are feeding your fish. We've had a lot of customers with green water lately. Many of their problems can be traced to the type of food they're using and how often. Just because you purchased food at a pet store doesn't mean its good food. And if you bought it at a box store...you might as well dump...well, you know...into your pond. Poor food = poor water quality. All the food we carry at Cool Ponds is high quality. And never feed fish as much as listed on the fish food label! Only feed them what they'll eat in a minute or two, once a day max.

Use beneficial bacteria weekly. Don't wait to add it once there's a problem. Use it regularly to keep your water clear and debris from building up on the bottom. Remember...not all brands are equal. Different strands of bacteria provide different benefits and different brands contain different strands. Use the bacteria that Cool Ponds recommends for best results.

Make sure your pond has adequate oxygenation. You may think you have enough oxygen because of your waterfall, but you may be surprised. Most ponds can benefit from extra oxygen from an aerator. Not only is it good for your fish, it helps the bacteria work better at keeping your pond water clear and clean. In the winter, you can raise the airstones closer to the surface to keep a hole in the ice.

To keep water lilies blooming, fertilize them every two weeks. If you have re-potted them with one a year fertilizer...never mind, you get to skip this step!

Keep an eye on your water level. It tends to be erratic in summer. Dry, windy conditions will mean more refilling. Humid conditions usually require less refilling. Don't automatically assume you have a leak if your water level drops an inch or two in a day. In dry, sunny weather it can happen with evaporation alone.

Keep string algae under control. (If your water isn't clear, disregard this line. Get your water clear first.) Cool Ponds can provide the treatments you need to prevent string algae....really!

Watch those floating plants. Water hyacinths in a waterfall box can easily dam up the weir causing it to back flow. If you are having trouble keeping them out of your skimmer, pick up a floating plant ring from Cool Ponds.

Thin back marginal plants as they get crazy! In a healthy pond, marginal plants will grow and grow. Don't be afraid to thin them back as they begin to block views, waterfall, open water, etc.

For immediate impact and a little "dressing" on your pond, add some beautiful, blooming tropical marginal plants. They'll keep combating algae well into late fall after the hardy plants become dormant and put on quite a show too!

Now, take some time to enjoy your pond too. This is one of the best times of year for enjoying water gardening and the nature it attracts. I know I intend to!!!

Written by Cool Ponds staff member Staci

Behind-the-Scenes: Cool Ponds' Choice Filtration

2011-06-18T10:00:00.001-04:00

Our filtration system works with Mother Nature.

Did you know that a good filtration system is a key part of keeping your water clear? The warming temperatures are making our ponds great breeding grounds for single-celled algae that causes green water. But we don't have to be victims. We can work with Mother Nature to prevent algae from growing in our ponds, and one step in doing so includes proper filtration.

First of all it's important to understand the different types of filters. Despite the brand or shape, most filters can be defined as either mechanical or biological. Mechanical filters remove fine or large debris from the pond. Cool Ponds' features use a combination of both. Today I'm going to be talking about biological filtration, which is key in combatting green water.

Biological filters grow beneficial, aerobic bacteria, e.g. Biological Clarifier. Cool Ponds uses the Biofalls system or pressure filters (picture respectively below). The type you use depends largely on your pond size. Smaller ponds (under 500 gallons) will benefit from external pressure filters. Larger ponds benefit from Biofalls. Keep in mind that the size of pump you use will also determine the size filtration you need. Ask a Cool Ponds employee next time you're in the store if you have a question about your particular situation.

Mechanical filters are fine to clean, especially if they're so clogged that they're slowing down water flow, but biological filters should be left alone (even if they look gross). The sludge building up in biological filters is actually beneficial bacteria. Cleaning this out destroys your green-water-battling bacteria colonies.

5 Tropical Plants I Can't Do Without

2011-06-11T10:00:00.001-04:00

It was a tough choice, but I finally chose my favorites!

With such a large variety of aquatic plants, it can be a little overwhelming at first, but it's also very exciting. There's a common misperception that the only aquatic plants available to water gardeners are cattails, iris, and water lilies. Not true. I've even got a photo to prove it:

Now that the weather is (finally) warming up, a lot of us are just itching to start planting. If you're not sure where to start in your water garden, I've got a few suggestions. These are my top five favorite tropical marginal plants. In my opinion, tropical marginals trump hardy marginals because they come in a wider variety of colors and textures, and the blooming plants out-perform hardy bloomers by a landslide. Although they only last one season, they'll continue to grow until they freeze (much longer than hardies, who stop growing in mid-October), and if you choose to bring them inside, they make wonderful house plants.

1. Papyrus

Planting papyrus in your pond's plant shelf will add a fun and unique texture, which is something difficult to find in hardy plants. I just can't help myself from fluffing its feathery top! Papyrus also makes a great center piece in a patio pond.

2. Water Canna

Water canna are an elegant way to bring color to your water garden. There are several varieties. Pictured below are a dwarf variety and a variegated (respectively) both with brilliant orange blooms. There is also a bronze-leafed variety with deep red blossoms. Water canna bloom quite frequently throughout the summer. They look great in ponds or even planted in pots by themselves. We keep them in decorative planters on our front porch!

3. Taro

Taro adds an elegant flourish to any pond. Its broad leaves vary in color from deep purple to light green. It tends to grow a little tall, so give it plenty of room to grow and spread.

4. Water Garlic

If you're interested in scents, this fragrant little beauty will delight you. As the name implies, it smells like garlic! Its slender, pale leaves only reach about 10" tall, but the bloom extends almost twice that height. The cute purple blossoms are pictured below.

Garlic can be seen in the bottom right of the patio pond.

5. Ornamental Rice

If you're looking for some foliage that's not green, I recommend ornamental rice. This dark red grass loves water, so make sure you plant it an inch or two in the water.

These five marginal plants are just a sampling of the wide variety of plants you can add to your pond, and these are all available at our store.

So readers, what are your favorite aquatic plants?

--written by Cool Ponds' staff member Kasey Wicker

Behind-the-Scenes: Learn How We Install--First-hand!

2011-06-04T10:00:00.000-04:00

Our crew are artists. They've designed and built hundreds of water features, so obviously there are lots of tricks that first-time builders (or even second or third-time builders!) don't know. But I have good news: we'll divulge our secret install tricks to you.

Our Build-A-Pond and Build-A-Pondfree classes offer exclusive Cool Ponds knowledge. You will actually build a pond from scratch with our professional crew.

Not sure how to disguise your biofalls? We can help.
Not sure how to stack rock so that it's stable and attractive? We can help.
Not sure where or how to plant your aquatic plants? We can help with that too.

This all-day, once-a-year seminar has limited space, so don't miss this opportunity to get the professional look without the professional price! Please pre-register before June 8th! The Build-A-Pond class is June 11, and the Build-A-Pondree class is June 18.

These two classes are held at Cool Ponds. The $75 fee includes lunch, snacks, and educational materials and will be refunded with a kit purchase.

To register online or for more information, please click here for the Build-A-Pond class and here for the Build-A-Pondfree class.

Pond-Free Waterfalls Are Cool!

2011-05-26T17:29:00.000-04:00

What the Heck is a Pondless or Pond-Free Waterfall?

If you don't know what a pond-free waterfall is yet, have no fear I will explain it to you. We were first trained and began installing them about 7 years ago. These types of features have become really popular lately. A Pond-Free has benefits that appeal to many people who may not want a pond.

A pond-free waterfall is just as it sounds -- a waterfall without a pond. There is a basin where the pond would normally be, but it is disguised by rocks.

Pond-free waterfall diagram.

It is built similar to a pond but with different components. The pump sits in a vault and the reservoir at the bottom is filled with boxes that hold water in them with rock and gravel camouflaging them.

People choose a Pond-free waterfall for various reasons. This is what we hear most often:

Less maintenance. It's easier to remove debris without a body of water and no ecosystem to maintain.
Takes up less space. A pond-free can be sized to go most anywhere.
No body of water if you worry about kids falling in.
Only run it when you want to -- again, no ecosystem to maintain.
They just don't care if they have fish or waterlilies. You can still plant beautiful marginal plants in a pond-free!


One of our Pond-free displays at the 2011 Indiana Flower and Patio Show.

Pond-free waterfalls are like ponds in that they can be designed to be any shape or size. The above photo is a Pond-free with a 7' creek. The photo below shows a Pond-free with a 25' creek.


Our Pond-Free waterfall at the Marion County Fairgrounds.

Of course, we have many pond-free waterfalls displays at our store. Stop by...we'll be happy to take you on a tour!

Written by Cool Ponds staff member Staci

Behind-the-Scenes: Why we love our fountain kits

2011-05-26T13:51:00.002-04:00

Not all of us have the space or budget for a pond, but that doesn't mean you have to go without!

Fountain kits are a space-saving, affordable way to enjoy a water feature. You can still have plants, running water, and even fish! Cool Ponds offers several fountain kit options.

Birds love bathing in this millstone. Its height makes it an unimposing addition to any garden.

This black three-tier fountain is perfect for those searching for a more formal look.

The mini aquabasin kits are easy to install and come in a variety of styles. Stop by the store to see all available models!

Patio Ponds are available in three sizes. Each size has a built-in plant shelf which makes planting marginals a breeze! We have added a hummingbird dripper fountain to this Patio Pond, creating a pleasant sound for your deck, patio, or sun room.

Patio Ponds accommodate a wide range of aquatic plants. The plant shelf is perfect for any marginal, and the deeper center is great for water lilies, floating plants like hyacinth or water lettuce, and submerged plants like hornwort or parrot's feather.

Aquarocks come in a kit in a five-gallon bucket--ready to go! All you need to supply is gravel. Aquarocks can either be buried in yard or can be placed in a patio pond. The stacked slate pieces produce a wonderful trickling sound as water cascades down them.

Small fountain kits can be placed just about anywhere and come in such a wide variety of styles that you're sure to find something that fits your unique situation. Interested in learning more? Make a trip to our store and see these fountains and more in action!

Water Quality

2011-04-28T12:31:00.001-04:00

A Quick Word About the Weather

Okay, we're all sick and tired of the weather. I'm even more sick of talking about the weather. But I will mention a couple of things that pertain to your pond.

Thunderstorms Can Cause Green Water
Really, it's true. I'm not a scientist, so I can't explain it but I know that a good storm can turn a pond green overnight. Just keep adding beneficial bacteria and you'll get control of it.

Rain Water Changes pH
We don't recommend checking your pH, but the rainwater can change it. This can also cause unusual algae issues. Again, keep adding bacteria. Fluctuating pH can be stressful to fish. We have lost a fish at home and at the store. Just be aware. If you have health issues, it's probably not something you're doing...just mother nature.

Temperature Fluctuations
Again, rainwater can cause a quick change in your water temperature. This is also stressful to fish.

I'm not writing any of this to worry you. Just keep these items in mind if you see anything unusual in your pond. And as always, we're here if you have any questions.

Written by Cool Ponds Staff Member Staci

Water Quality

2011-04-28T12:00:00.003-04:00

What's Your "Pond Personality"

Spring is a great learning time for us at Cool Ponds. We find out how the winter has affected water features, if our customers are heeding our advice, and what does and doesn't work when it comes to maintaining a water feature. We learn all of this while cleaning ponds.

This is what a healthy, clean pond will look like. A slight
green covering on all the surfaces under the water and
crystal clear water.

Now, if you are reading this thinking "she's writing about me," rest assured that I have no one customer in mind. But there are several categories that most of us fit into. See where you think you fit:

I love my fish and because I love them I must feed them whenever they look like they want food. Huh, is this you? I'll admit I fit into this category. We're the ones that have large cleaning bills or who promise themselves while cleaning their pond they will cut back on feeding only to forget the promise by the next week.
My pond adds beauty to my backyard but I don't really want to deal with it. This is great in one aspect because you're not over-feeding. The problem arises when you don't add beneficial bacteria. You may not see any issues in your pond... it may seem fine. But then one spring the string algae will begin to take over. That's from not removing the sludge layer all along. It can sneak up on you.
I'm diligent about not over-feeding and only using high protein fish food; I keep my fish population in check; and I use the recommended water treatments. Who are you? Speak up! I want to hear from you!
I want my pond to look fantastic and not have to work on it. These are our Regular Maintenance customers. And as you would suspect, their ponds (except for a few leaf issues) were the cleanest ponds we've seen this year. Now, I'm not writing this because I want you all to sign up for regular maintenance, that's not my point. My point is that if you add the recommended treatments regularly (these customers get theirs every two weeks) you will have a clean pond. I can also add that these customers are mostly not over-feeders when it comes to their fish, either.

I'm not asking you to change your "pond personality." But I am asking you to accept your personality and the consequences that come with it. I have one pond at home that is about 10,000 gallons. It takes Steve and I two days to clean it and I complain and whine the whole time. So I can choose to 1. Feed my fish less so it doesn't need cleaned each year (we use the recommended treatments but we all feed way too much) 2.Get over myself and commit to cleaning it knowing that I loathe it. or 3.Commit to paying my crew to clean it. (I'd rather they clean your pond!) Well, I won't stop feeding. I enjoy it way too much, so next spring I will probably have the crew clean it knowing that it costs me to have them do it. (Costs me a lost day in revenue that I cannot get back.) My pond and my quality of life is worth that to me... So what is your pond worth to you?

Join in the conversation... what do you think? Comment on this post.

Written by Cool Ponds Staff Member Staci

Your Monthly Water Garden Guide

2011-04-07T16:27:00.000-04:00

It's April in Your Pond...Here Are Some Suggestions

Well. spring has finally sprung! The trees are blooming and the water is warming. Here are some suggestions for your pond this month. Here's what we'll be doing anyway!

Clean It
If you haven't cleaned your pond, now's the time. If you have fish and feed them you should clean your pond annually. The water is still cool now and that's the easiest cleaning time for your fish and your ecosystem. If you can't make it to our Cleaning Your Water Feature Seminar on Saturday, Apr. 9 at 10:00am, stop in for a brochure sometime. It takes you step by step through the cleaning process.

Divide Your Aquatic Plants
This is a great time to divide your plants before they get too crazy. If you haven't seen our new "water lily bags" they're awesome. They're cloth bags with draw strings. No heavy, rigid pots. It's best to keep your lilies in pots to keep them in control. Plus our new annual fertilizer will keep your lilies blooming all year without having to use fertilizer tabs.

These are my tropical lilies last year planted in
lily bags with annual ferilizer. They bloomed
through November with multilple blooms all the time
and I only ferttilized them once in May!

Begin Feeding Your Fish, But...
Cool Ponds cleans well over 100 ponds each year. We're well into this year's 100 cleanings. What we're finding this year, is that YOU'RE ALL FEEDING YOUR FISH TOO MUCH! The muck this year has been really bad. We all love our fish, we do. But feeding once a day is more than enough and you have to use food from Cool Ponds. We keep track you know! If you insist on feeding your fish more often, then we have a new food for you. It's even better than the other food we sell. Ask for our best food the next time you buy.

Use Clarity Max and Biological Clarifier
The water temperature is above 50 degrees now so you can start treating your ponds. Use these two products weekly or every other week at the very least. Your water will be clear and your string algae won't grow. (If you have enough oxygen in your pond.) Remember, if you don't live in the area, we can ship to your door!

Keep Reading the Cool Ponds Newsletter and Blog and Stop in For a Visit
We'll keep you up-to-date on how your pond should look, what to do with your pond, events, and new things coming up. Watch for more videos and how-to's this year, also! Plus, we're renovating three features here at the store.. They're going to be beautiful!

Let us know how your pond cleaning went. Comment here on our blog. We'd love to hear!

Written by Cool Ponds staff member Staci

There're Ducks in My Pond!

2011-04-05T16:04:00.000-04:00

It Must Be a Nice Habitat!

Mama Duck brought her ducklings to Cool Ponds for a
swim a few years ago!

About this time every year, we begin receiving calls about Mallard ducks. As they begin to show up in backyard ponds, many people are worried if they will harm their fish or pond.

Well, we're not duck experts, but we are pond experts and can relate our experience to you. If you do research on the internet you will find articles that say many things about ducks both true and false. After-all, anyone with a computer can portray themselves as an "expert" on any subject in a matter of minutes. So I prefer to get my "duck information" from a known expert. According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, a mallard's diet consists of "insects and larvae, aquatic invertebrates, seeds, aquatic vegetation, and grain." So, they're not at all after your fish.

We can't wait to see the mallards arrive each spring. There is a pair that visits us here at the shop and a pair that visits us at home. They are so fun to watch and do an excellent job at eating string algae. We have had many, many baby koi anywhere from 1 1/2" to 3" long that swim all around the ducks when they're in the pond. I have never seen the ducks pay any attention to them, nip at them or consider eating them.

Another concern people have voiced with mallards is that they may carry parasites. I don't know for sure, but there's a good chance they do. Actually, every bird, cat, squirrel or other animal that visits your pond probably has some sort of parasite. That's just mother nature. Just because a duck has a parasite doesn't mean it can or will infect your fish. And by the way, most fish have parasites too. Even strong healthy fish likely have internal parasites. It doesn't mean they're sick or will be sick; it's just the nature of things.

Now I will confess that the ducks may stir things up a bit. At my house they spend a lot of time eating algae in our creek so they stir up the junk in it and it ends up in our pond. But that's okay with us. They're worth it.

If you are lucky enough to have mallards, you've done a great job. You have re-created mother nature, invited her in, and she accepted. Enjoy it!

Written by Cool Ponds staff member Staci

It's Flower and Patio Show Time!

2011-02-12T14:11:00.003-05:00

18 Days and Counting!

As of today, we have 18 days until we begin setting up for the Indiana Flower and Patio Show. It's a really great way to start the season. Our staff puts in long, long days... Steve and I actually work 26 days straight beginning March 1, but I wouldn't trade it for anything. To put all that effort into something (almost a year's worth -- we begin working on the next year as soon as this year is over) and see it come to frutition is very rewarding. We all love preparing a setting for tens of thousands of people to visit, dream, relax, and enjoy.

Our adventures at the Indiana Flower and Patio Show began in 2005 when we were offered the opportunity to build a garden. Out of a few hundred booths, there are only 2 or 3 dozen garden exhibits so it was a real honor for which we continue to be grateful. We learned a lot about building an exhibit that first year. Apparently, it's not a great idea to place pond liner directly on a concrete floor and then place boulders on it. Our 26' by 22' pond leaked --- a lot. We had a full time maintenance person behind our garden shop-vacing up the leaking water. It sure was a conversation maker! Funny though...that was our most successful garden as far as new customers goes. Doesn't make us want a leak again though!

So every year the garden has a theme.

2006 we had our first nighttime pond

2007 Indiana State Parks theme with a covered bridge. The bridge (which could be signed by all that walked through it) was auctioned off. The proceeds from the auction, around $750, we gave to the Turkey Run State Park Nature Center.

2008 Asian inspired garden -- Our big koi in our pond at the store went with us. That was completely too nerve racking for us. I worried too much about those fish!

2009 Rain Water Harvesting was our focus so to showcase how easy it is to capture and reuse rainwater from a home's gutters. We built a house! (or a facade at least)

2010 The show stream. We were asked to build a creek that meandered through half of the garden exhibits. It ended up being over 150' long! Lots of work for our crew, but it was beautiful! We also created a nighttime pond again.

2011 Creating waterfront property is the subject of our garden. Come and enjoy a quiet water-front area, away from the hustle and bustle of the show.

Building a garden such as this is quite a feat in itself. Since we can't "dig in" we have to build up. Our garden alone will use approximately 18 tri-axle dump truck loads of sand for fill, over 30 tons of rock and 42 pallets (close to 90 tons) of retaining wall block and paver materials. Right now four growers are forcing plant material for us so we'll have blooming plants in March. And our small crew will put it all together in 9 days! (We always get asked how long it takes to tear down. The show allows us until noon on Tuesday -- the show ends at 6pm Sunday!) We're also building a Nature Center this year...hmmm.

Well, I think everyone is ready for a little taste of spring after the winter we've had. The Indiana Flower and Patio Show is a great place to start. We hope you'll attend. Our garden is in the southwest corner of the building. We'll see you there!

On set up day 1, the West Pavillion at the Indiana State

Fairgrounds looks like this.

After 9 1/2 half long days of this....

You'll get to enjoy beautiful, blooming landscaped gardens.

This is our 2005 "leaking" garden.

Our 2007 covered bridge that was auctioned off to
benefit the Turkey Run State Park Nature Center.

The view from inside the bridge looking at the waterfalls

that fed the creek that flowed under it. Notice the "graffiti"

on the inside. That's okay...we actually provided the markers!

The Cool Ponds house facade at the 2009 show.

Behind the house facade was a beautiful, serene pond.

Phase 1 of our 150' creek at the 2010 show

while the other gardens were still

being built around it.

The "headwaters" of the 2010 show creek.

The upper falls were 15' wide with so much

power you could feel the spray coming from the falls.

Come see 2011 for yourself!

Indiana Flower and Patio Show

March 12-20

Indiana State Fairgrounds

Tickets $12

Written by Cool Ponds staff member Staci

For the Birds

2011-01-13T13:37:00.000-05:00

A Flock of Finches

Goldfinches can be fickle. They're all about the food. They don't completely migrate, but their flocks will move to other regions to find food sources. Unlike many birds, goldfinch eat only seeds so they move to a region that has many natural food sources.

We ususally have a few goldfinch that stay in our yard for winter -- only 4 or 5, whereas we have a few dozen during the warmer months. But...they're back! Today while we were watching the "early birds" devour the last scraps of seed in our feeders we noticed about 15 goldfinch in and around our "finch station." I assume many of the natural sources of food are in short supply these days and many finch are continuing to move around in search of more food. Whatever the case, I'm happy to see them back.

In the winter it is difficult to tell a male and female goldfinch apart.
Males will molt in early spring and be their beautiful bright yellow once again.

If you have a difficult time attracting goldfinch, try these suggestions:

--They're picky eaters and only like fresh seed. Only put out the seed they will eat in a few days. They prefer nyjer and shelled sunflower chips.

--Goldfinch don't like to be crowed out by all those "other" birds. They need their own area away from other feeders. If they feel crowed or have to wait, they'll just go some place else to eat.

--If you use specific "nyjer" feeders, they have very small holes that only finch can eat out of. However, house finches can eat out of them too. If your goldfinch seem bothered by your house finches, consider buying an "upsidedown" finch feeder. The perches are above the holes so they have to hang upsidedown to eat. Goldfinch can do this but house finch cannot. We just started stocking these last fall and can't wait to use them. Goldfinches love "seed socks" also. A seed sock is an inexpensive cloth tube with holes that they can cling on and pull seeds from. It's an easy way to add more nyjer feeders at only about $5 a piece!

Upsidedown Nyjer Feeder

--Consider planting native perennials in your yard and don't cut them back after they've finished flowering. Given a choice, goldfinch will eat the seeds in your yard before the seeds in your feeder. Sunflowers, black-eyed Susan and coneflowers are very popurlar with goldfinch.

Goldfinch enjoying the seeds of a coneflower in late summer.

--And let's not forget water! Especially this time of year when most natural sources of water are frozen. Goldfinch love shallow birdbaths. With a birdbath deicer, they're not that much work in the winter either. Put the bath fairly close to their food and they will love you!

So, I'm glad that we have more goldfinch coming to our yard already. We plan to keep those feeders full so they'll stay around. But what I'm really anxious for is their color change! That will mean spring is really here! Enjoy!

Written by Cool Ponds Staff Member Staci

Help!

2011-01-13T12:11:00.001-05:00

It's Winter and My Water Feature Has Stopped Running!

When your water feature stops running it can be a cause for concern but even more if it's in the winter. Here are some tips on what you should do:

Make sure it doesn't simply need water. This is most often the case. If it does need water, why? Is there ice making water leak out? Do a little investigating.
Check that it's not the outlet or circuit. We recommend that you not run a pump and a deicer on the same circuit unless those are the only things on that circuit.
If you determine it is your pump, it may have stopped working or it may be clogged. To determine which it is, you will have to unplug the pump and remove it from your water feature. Once it's out of the water, you can plug it back it in to determine if it's operating at all. If it seems to try to run, unplug it and see if there are any obstacles, algae, leaves, etc. clogging the im9eller. If not, it may be time for a new pump. Check your warranty info to see if it's still covered. If you decide to wait until spring to replace it and you have fish, make sure you have a deicer to keep an opening in the ice so your fish can recieve oxygen and toxic gasses can escape. (It's possible that you may not be able to remove your pump because the cord is frozen underground. You may have to wait until a thaw to get the pump out. If your pump isn't operating, you may be tempted to cut the cord. Don't do this if the pump is under warranty -- a cut, torn, or damaged cord voids the warrantly!)
When it's in the teens you probably aren't crazy about putting your hands in the water to remove your pump. However, leaving the pump connected and not operating could cause costly repairs in the spring. Many water features are installed with a check valve close to the pump which will keep water in your pipes as long as the pump is connected. Water freezing in those pipes could cause them to split or break. It's imperative that your pump be disconnected from your features plumbing to prevent this situation.

If you have any additional questions about your water feature this winter, please call us or stop by. We're happy to help.

Written by Cool Ponds Staff Member Staci

It Grows In Winter Too!

2011-01-13T11:27:00.002-05:00

Algae In Your Water Feature, Now?

It's cold outside -- really cold. Yet it seems our old friend string algae is still hanging around. I can see it under the ice in my pond. The ice appears to be a nice light shade of green. Seems like algae shouldn't be growing since it's cold outside but when it gets a little sunlight it grows!

Sting algae can make a waterfall appear "slimy" in winter too.

Here's the good news...it's a plant and it's putting oxygen in the water so it is benefiting your fish. The bad news, if it's in your pond, it will have to be dealt with in the spring. If you're wondering what to do about string algae that has taken hold of your pond or waterfall, here are your options for now:

Be patient. You can choose to do nothing. Eventually you will have to remove it -- decaying algae (or any plant material for that matter) will not only contaminate the water for your fish, it provides nutrients for more algae to grow. But you can leave the removal process for spring. It's not harming anything right now.
If you don't like how it looks on your waterfall or in your creek, you can use Ecoblast. To use Ecoblast, however, you'll have to unplug your pump. Don't leave it unplugged for too long in these cold temperatures. You don't want your pipes to freeze.
If your pond or pond-free has a lot of algae...it will most likely need to be cleaned in the spring. So have a plan. Will you clean it yourself or have Cool Ponds clean it for you? If you plan to clean it yourself, you may want to attend our Spring Start Up class on Saturday, April 9 at 10:00am. We will actually demonstrate how to clean a pond on a feature here at our store. If you would like more information about Cool Ponds cleaning services, please email info@coolponds.net or stop by the store.

Once the water temperature reaches 50 degrees again, you can begin getting a hold on string algae by using Clarity Max. Used weekly, in our experience, Clarity Max will keep your feature virtually free of string algae. And guess what? The official beginning of spring is only 66 days away. And if that's not enough to get you excited, its may actually get above freezing one day soon! Keep warm...

Written by Cool Ponds Staff Member Staci

When Will Spring Arrive

2010-12-09T17:39:00.000-05:00

It's Winter...Now What Do I Do?

Well as much as I hate to admit it, I think winter might be here. I tried to deny it for the longest time. We have Calla Lilies blooming in the store for gosh sake! How can it be in the teens outside? Unfortunately, it's only starting too! If this is your first winter with your pond and you're thinking "what did I get myself into" -- don't worry. It is extremely unusual for winter to take over our water features so soon. We're dealing with late January temperatures here.

The pond is frozen, but the waterfall is still flowing under ice "domes".

Here's some guidelines to make sure you are prepared and know what to do for winter:

Don't Unplug Your Pump Without Removing It From Your Feature

It may be tempting when you see ice starting to form to simply unplug your pump, but don't do it! Not only can ice be damaging to your pump, it can freeze in your lines if the pump is still connected and not running. This could result in time-consuming and costly repairs next spring. If you remove your pump from your feature, store it in a bucket of water (distilled, preferably) inside the house. The water keeps the seals inside the pump moist.

Plan To Use a Deicer At Least Part of the Winter If Your Feature Is Running

A floating deicer (it's an electrical appliance) will prevent ice from blocking the front of your skimmer or keep your water flowing if you have a pond-free.

If You Have Fish, You Must Keep a Hole in the Ice

Fish are living animals that take in oxygen and expel carbon dioxide. You must have a hole in the ice for gas exchange. And, contrary to what many people tell us, fish do not freeze solid and then thaw in the spring. Come on...really? What people see is a layer of ice (it's not going to get thicker than 8" in Indiana) with dormant fish below. They don't move when they're cold. They can't freeze and live to tell about it.

A waterfall or fountain will keep a hole open much of the winter but in temperatures like we are experiencing now, a deicer is almost always necessary. Don't break the ice. The concussion of the ice breaking can harm the fish. Even if ice has already formed, a deicer will melt through. (Unless it's really low wattage --- 500 watts or less. You'll probably need to heat up some water to melt a hole in the ice.)

Don't EVER, EVER, EVER Put Any Type of Anti-Freeze In Your Water Feature!

This may seem obvious, but we get this question all the time. And no you can't use RV anti-freeze either, not even in a pond-free water feature. There will be critters drinking from that feature all winter. Would you want your pet to drink anti-freeze?

Keep An Eye Out For Ice Dams

When ice forms around waterfalls and creeks, it can occasionally form a dam and cause the water to flow out of the feature. Keep an eye out for this. If you don't want to watch your feature or if you aren't going to be around to watch it, we highly recommend you shut it down for the winter (and take out your pump.) Remember, Cool Ponds can do that for you.

This is Important....Be Prepared to Add Water to Your Feature

And I'm don't just mean mentally prepared. Do you have a hose thawed? Do you have an outdoor spigot you can use? At my house we hook up a hose to the kitchen faucet -- works like a charm. As ice forms...YOU WILL ADD WATER, MORE AND MORE WATER. I just can't stress this enough. Remember the ice is forming above the normal water level. The ice is in effect "wicking" the water right out of the feature. It may even seem like you have a leak you have to add so much water. Also, the dry winter air will cause your feature to need more water. (Not that we're not used to it after our dry summer.) Just be prepared now.

Don't forget to appreciate the beauty of your water feature this winter as well. I enjoy my water feature during the winter probably more than any other season. And so do the critters living in my yard. This post has made it seem like they're so much work and that was not my intention. I just want you to be aware and prepared for what may come your way for a few weeks this winter. Hey, maybe we'll get the worst of it this month and then be done with the really cold weather! Wouldn't that be great!

Written by Cool Ponds Staff Member Staci

For the Birds

2010-10-28T15:09:00.000-04:00

Some Returning Favorites

Although I love the fall season, I have to admit I am not happy with the late appearance of the sun each morning. As I have said in my earlier posts, Steve, Nicholas (our cat) and I spend most mornings watching the birds. But now with the late sunrise, I must instead go to work. (Nicholas is not happy either.) Now I shouldn't complain. If you have been in my office I have just as good a view to watch birds (with Trixie the cat at work) but I do feel the need to work when I am at work. So I have been less inspired, I'm afraid to blog about my bird watching. I can tell you a litlle about what I have been seeing -- on the weekends anyway.

Many birds have passed through. Eastern Towhee, Eastern Phoebe, Rose-breasted Grosbeak. But they're just on their way somewhere warm. What's exciting is when birds migrate here. Last week we spotted our first set of white-crowned sparrows. What's more exciting was that they had four juveniles with them. Notice the adults have a defined white stripe on their head-- the juveniles have a tan stripe. White crowned sparrows are ground feeders. Either place food directly on the ground or let your other birds throw some out of your feeders for them. This time of year we start putting some Coles Blue Ribbon Blend on the ground. It has just the right amount of white millet for the white crowned sparrow and eventually the white-throated sparrows and juncos when they arrive soon.

Adult White Crowned Sparrow

Juvenile White Crowned Sparrow

We've seen many other birds come back that are here all year but just weren't in our yard this summer. Our favorite is the Red-Bellied Woodpecker. If you're not familiar with the Red-Bellied...it's a little confusing because you really don't see the red belly, you see the red stripe on its head. But the Red-headed has an entirely red head not just a stripe.

It's fun to watch all the woodpeckers and nuthatches snatch a piece of food and look for just the right spot to hide it in our maple tree. I wonder how much of that food really gets found and eaten! We use Wild Delight Woodpecker and Nuthatch food for the Red-Bellied and Nuthatches. Of course most of our birds eat it also-- but the red-bellied and nuthatch love the peanuts and pumpkin seeds.

Red-Bellied Woodpecker -- Female.
The Male's red stripe extends all the way to the beak whereas
the female has a gray spot on the top of her head.

Have you seen any returning favorites in your yard this season? Let us know--comment on this post. We would love to hear!

--Written by Cool Ponds staff member Staci

Evaporation Experiment

2010-09-24T11:55:00.000-04:00

Incredible Results

I've had a theory about plants and water loss for a while now. I have been wanting to perform this experiment --they say there is no time like the present.

The Experiment
Thursday, September 23, 2010 at 10:00am
Two identical pots sitting next to each other were filled with water to a height of 17mm. The pots were placed in a location that was shady in the morning, sunny during the day and shady in the evening. The water temperature in each pot was 65 degrees Fahrenheit. In pot "A" I placed one healthy water hyacinth that encompassed approximately 75 percent of the pot surface. Pot "B" had no plants. There was no pump or fountain of any kind in either pot. Other than the breeze, the water was perfectly still.

(My theory is that although plants shade the water, they still are comprised of mostly water themselves and they will absorb large amounts of water in order to grow and thrive. So the faster a plant grows, like hyacinth, the more water it will take from the feature.)

The Results
Friday, September 24, 2010 at 9:00 am

Pot "B" (no plants) had only 14 mm of water. That is an 18% water loss in 23 hours!

Pot "A" (with water hyacinth) had only 13.5 mm of water in it. I did drain the roots of the plant so there was no water left on them. That resulted in a loss of 21% in 23 hours.

Therefore, my theory is correct. Pot "A" with the plant had 15% more evaporation than Pot "B" with no plant.

Please don't misunderstand, I am not advocating taking out the plants during dry weather. This is simply a way of judging water loss. Keep this in mind...the weather conditions right now in Indiana are unlike any that we have had in a long time. The relative humidity in dangerously low and we have had very little rain in the past two months. In the meantime our temperatures are drastically above normal. In more favorable weather we won't experience such great percentages of water loss, but for now, it would not be inconceivable to loose 18% of your water due to evaporation without a waterfall running.

How does that equate to the average pond?
Let's take a pond that is approximately 8' by 10' by 2' deep. The gallons in that total pond would be approximately 1000, assuming curved sides and boulders and gravel within the pond. Each inch of water would equate to approximately 42 gallons. (1000 gallons divided by 24") An 18 percent water loss (what we experienced in our experiment with no plants) would be 180 gallons over 24 hours. (1000 gallons times 18%) That would be 4.28 inches of water in an 8' by 10' pond in 24 hours. (180 gallons divided by 42 gallons per inch) So if you are experiencing a lower rate than that then you are staying ahead of our experiment results. With plants in the water feature, it could be 15% more water loss.

Hang in there folks, before you know it I will be experimenting here to see how much snow fall it will take to keep a feature topped off in the winter. I believe 10 inches of snow equals 1 inch of water, right?

--Written by Cool Ponds staff member Steve

For the Birds...and Us Too, continued

2010-09-23T11:26:00.002-04:00

Spotting New Birds

Before I was an obsessed bird watcher, my bird watching consisted of looking out my kitchen window from time to time to see what was eating at my feeders. If I saw a bird that was not common in my yard, I would take some time to sit and enjoy it. Well, it's a little different now.

In my last birding post, I wrote how Steve, Nicholas (the cat) and I spend time watching birds most mornings. It's a ritual from 7am to 8am. After 8am the house sparrows start to show up and the birds I want to see take off, so at that point bird watching is over -- for the morning anyway.

Okay, so it's dark at 7am now, right? But that's a great time to spot a new bird. You can't just watch your feeders...not all birds eat at feeders. This is what happened this morning:

Just after 7am the cardinals started to come out. They're always the first and last birds in the yard each day. But with the cardinals was another bird. It's dark...how did we know this? Well, after you see the same birds often enough, you can tell what they are by how they fly, behave, and the shape of their bodies. It was dark, but I could make out their silhouettes.

The other bird that was with the cardinals was really fast! It was moving from branch to branch in our big maple tree. With our binoculars (yes, the binoculars are in hand every morning) we could tell it was sparrow size, with a thin tail but it had "puffy" feathers on it's head. Well, we knew that puffy crowns most likely mean some kind of flycatcher. It finally perched on a dead tree log that Steve placed in our yard for just this type of behavior. It would sit for a few seconds then quickly fly up a few feet and come right back to it's perch. It was catching bugs! Once the sun came up a little more, we were able to identify it as an Eastern Phoebe, a member of the Flycatcher family. It stayed for a long while until the yard became busy with other birds, then decided to move on. Eastern Phoebes are not common in our yard. He was probably migrating through and decided our yard looked like a great place for a snack.

Eastern Phoebe

Most often we can tell there's a new bird by how they behave -- where they perch, how they fly, how they sound. If you watch on a regular basis, you will get used to differences.

How did we identify the Phoebe? Some birds we just know from experience, but mostly we go right to some great bird books. Since we did know it was a flycatcher, in the Peterson Field Guide to Eastern Birds we can go right to the section on flycatchers, look at the photos, the descriptions, the range map, and pick the right bird. If we didn't it know it was a flycatcher, we would have gone to our Birds of Indiana Field Guide. In this book the birds are listed by color. This book is by far the easiest book to use; however, it is limited to Indiana birds. If birds are migrating through and not normally found in Indiana, they might not be in the book. This is a rare occurrence, though. We almost always go directly to the Birds of Indiana when researching a new bird.

So it was a great morning seeing a new bird. If we hadn't been sitting in the dark watching, waiting, we never would have seen him. The Eastern Phoebe eats only insects so we would have never seen him just by watching our feeders. It takes a little patience, but it's so worth it!

Maybe you think you don't have an hour a day to watch birds. Well, I could say that too, but I replace watching the news or reading the newspaper with birdwatching. Why subject yourself to bad news when you can replace it with a little Mother Nature.

--written by Cool Ponds staff member Staci

Not Your Normal Summer

2010-09-23T10:05:00.006-04:00

Extreme Water Loss Is Not Uncommon Lately...

If you read our e-newsletters, you know I have talked about water loss a lot this summer. Still it seems some people are just not getting it. Now I'm a pretty patient person when it comes to explaining the in's and out's of water features. There are new people in the hobby everyday -- and we get asked the same questions everyday. That's our job around here, and we love taking the mystery out of caring for a water feature.

BUT...it seems even some people who have been customers of ours for years still think they're the only people losing water in their features. This is not a normal summer. Not only have we had extreme temperatures, we have had little rain. And now low humidity that's causing the air to soak up the moisture from our water features.

Got a comment on water loss? Post it here. Remember that we are all in this together.

So let's all just relax...remember that it's only temporary. Weather conditions will change. You are not alone... you don't have a leak... look forward to the cooler weather to come.

It's fall already!

Update: Click here to check out our experiment on water loss.

--written by Cool Ponds staff member Staci

For the Birds...and Us Too!

2010-09-10T13:37:00.003-04:00

It's Birding Season...
September through August for me!

Every morning I do my best to sit at my kitchen table, have my coffee, and watch the birds in my backyard. I'm joined by my cat Nicholas and most mornings...the best mornings...Steve watches with us. I love my ponds, there's no question. But I find even greater joy in birding. My kids are very used to hearing my strange squeals when I see a new bird. You would think I've made a new discovery...a bird no one else has seen. Not really. They're all pretty common. But we (Meaning Steve and I. Nicholas doesn't really care.) take great pride in the number of birds we have been able to attract -- 48 different species and counting.

Nicholas participates in all family activities. He especially likes homework with Steven Jr.

For many people who enjoy bird watching, Fall is when they begin to focus on it. Not me, like the title of this post suggests, I bird watch all year. Fall is a great time for birding, of course. Many birds you may not usually see are migrating through. They make a pit stop for some food and water, stay a few days, and are on their way. Right now the hummingbirds are migrating through. You may see more activity at your hummer feeders. But I will miss some birds that are migrating as well, mostly our Catbirds. They're one of my favorites. They like fruit and insects and love to take baths. A place to bath...I mean really get in and splash around..will draw them in. Fruit will entice them to stay. If you have never heard one before, they sound just like a cat meowing.

Gray Catbird Takes a Bath

It's a thrill to make our yard an attractive bird habitat. We plant the trees, shrubs, and perennials that are beneficial to birds, entice them with water sources, and then provide the supplemental food in the appropriate feeders and let them arrive!

So, for the majority of birdwatchers out there...the season is here. Time to start putting out bird food and making sure the bird bath is full. Hopefully, you don't just feed the birds for the sake of the birds and you take some time to sit and enjoy watching the birds you attract as well. Heck, they don't need our food. There is plenty of food for them naturally. We feed them for us; for entertainment. And you never know what bird you may discover. More about that next post... We will be posting about birds regularly with info on new bird sitings, new food or products we have tried, and just good stories about what we have seen. It will be fun.

Want to learn more about attracting birds? Not house sparrows and starlings, either! Join us for our Bird Feeding seminar on Saturday, September 18, at 10:00am at our store. We would love to share our experience and knowledge with you. Hope to see you there!

--written by Cool Ponds' staff member Staci

Pond Myths Busted: Fish Compatability

2010-09-07T10:16:00.002-04:00

Myth: Koi and goldfish can't live together.

This myth is false. Koi and goldfish can live together quite harmoniously. They can even eat the same food; although goldfish eat less energetic and seem a bit "lazier" when they come to the surface to eat. In ponds conducive to fish reproduction, koi and goldfish may interbreed. The offspring are dark brown and sterile.

I found this interesting freshwater fish compatability chart from a freshwater aquarium site. Keep in mind that koi and goldfish are cold water fish and do not need to be taken inside during the winter if the pond is prepared properly.

--written by Cool Ponds' staff member Kasey Wicker

Pond Myths Busted: Frozen Fish

2010-08-31T10:52:00.007-04:00

Myth: Fish can't live in ponds during the winter.

Fish can in fact live outside during the winter. As long as you keep these few things in mind, overwintering your fish might be one of the easiest things you'll do for your pond.

It's important that your pond has 24" of water-- that is, from the surface of the water to the pond bottom should be 24" deep. The ground in Indiana stays warm enough during the winter that a pond 24" deep will never freeze solid.

Because fish are cold blooded, when the water temperature drops their metabolism drastically slows. We recommend you stop feeding fish when the water temperature reaches 55 degrees Fahrenheit; anything eaten after this point will sit in their digestive systems until spring, at which point the food becomes the catalyst for bacteria infections within the fish.

Even though the fish are dormant, they are still breathing. Gas exchange is important, and pretty simple to achieve. Our features continue to run during the winter, oxygenating the pond. Though we've only had a few winters when the pond has completely frozen over, we keep a deicer next to our skimmer (or pump) to keep a hole in the ice which also allows gases to escape and enter the pond. Keep in mind that the deicer isn't meant to heat the entire pond-- only to keep a small opening in the ice. The model we prefer is powerful enough that small or medium ponds might not have any ice covering.

Want some more info about overwintering fish? My favorite koi expert, Dr. Erik Johnson, has a great article on the subject. Be sure to check out the other stuff on his site, too!

--written by Cool Ponds' staff member Kasey Wicker

Behind-The-Scenes: Disappearing Fountains

2010-08-17T16:39:00.001-04:00

Some of us who want water features don't have the space for one. Disappearing fountains are a low-maintenance, space-effective way to introduce some water to your backyard, porch, or even indoor space.

Check out this video for some examples of our favorite disappearing fountains.

If you're interested in learning more about these water features, join us for our free seminar this Saturday, August 21, at 10AM at Cool Ponds. We'll cover construction, maintenance, and styles during our Disappearing Fountain Building class.

Behind-The-Scenes: Bacteria

2010-08-14T10:00:00.002-04:00

What does beneficial bacteria do for your pond?

You should expect your water to be this clear!

When customers ask me for something to get rid of the algae in their pond, they refer to an "algaecide" product. It's important to understand the difference between the treatment process Cool Ponds uses and algaecides. We use products that stop algae growth at its source; whereas algaecides only kill existing algae. When algaecides kill algae suddenly, the pond does clear, but that dead algae becomes food for the next round of algae-- with nothing to prevent it from doing so.

We prefer a steadier and more natural approach by usingBiological Clarifier +, one of the most powerful bacteria products on the market. This aerobic bacteria breaks up suspended waste. This waste is produced by plants, fish, insects, and is normal to have in a backyard pond; and it's this stuff that feeds suspended algae-- in other words, green water.

When Biological Clarifier is added to the water, it multiplies exponentially, eating up waste faster than algae can, essentially starving the algae.

It's important to understand a few things about Biological Clarifier: since it is aerobic, it needs a richly oxygenated environment to function at its best; when the bacteria breaks down waste, it produces carbon dioxide as a by-product, so it's important to keep a hole in your ice during the winter so that the gases can escape; and though this bacteria may break apart large deposits of waste, it is not formulated to do so. Sludge Cleaner is a different bacteria which is formulated to break up muck. Biological Clarifier also does not help string algae. Clarity Max + is a great product for that long, hair-like string algae.

The staff of Cool Ponds uses these products in our display ponds and our own ponds as well. We've tested several other popular brands, and this has worked best for us so far.

--written by Cool Ponds' staff member Kasey Wicker

Thank You!

2010-08-10T08:00:00.001-04:00

We wouldn't be here without you.

This month will wrap up the seventh summer that our doors have been open, and because of you-- our most precious asset--we will be open for many summers more. You have allowed us to get to know you and your water gardens. We've shared our interests and our stories. You've watched us grow wiser, and we hope we've passed that gained knowledge onto you.

In honor of you, this week in August is our Customer Appreciation week. To commemorate the importance of your support, we're offering special deals all this week. (And we're serving cookies!)

From the bottom of our hearts, the staff of Cool Ponds would like to thank you for your loyal and continuing patronage.

Being A Responsible Water Gardener

2010-08-07T10:00:00.002-04:00

With a great power comes great... you know.

The first time you see baby fish in your pond, you're probably elated. I know I was. My family and I gathered around our pond late one evening and watched tiny half inch fry flit back and forth over the pond light, and we cooed and named the little guys and gals. Fifty fish later, the pond is definitely overstocked, and you're starting to get a little worried.

So what do you do?

The most obvious choice is to dump the extra critters in a bigger pond or a river, right? It might be the most obvious, but this is the least ethical and most dangerous option.

Goldfish and koi are not native and could reproduce and wreak havoc on the local ecosystem, and as an added bonus, foreign fish could bring in diseases and parasites which could potentially wipe out entire populations of aquatic life. I found some pretty scary maps that show how many of these foreign species can be found in natural waterways. The goldfish map goldfish map is pretty bad, but the koi map is even worse! This kind of irresponsibility on the part fish hobbyists could not only damage our precious ecosystem, it could also force lawmakers to slap restrictions on water gardeners.

Be mindful that even though retention ponds are not natural bodies of water, they can still spill into other natural waterways. Even if it's isolated, you should still consult your neighborhood association before releasing fish.

Now you know what not to do. So what are the alternatives?

Some retail pet stores might consider buying your extra fish from you. Unfortunately Cool Ponds does not have the means to do so. The more likely place to find people to take your unwanted critters is a free classified service like the newspaper or craigslist. If those two options don't work, then consider euthanizing before releasing foreign fish into natural bodies of water. Placing extra fish into a bag or container with water and putting them in the freezer is a widely accepted humane way to euthanize fish.

Interested in more tips on responsible water gardening? PIJAC-- Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council-- posted a short, but very informative, guide to thoughtful water garden design. Habitatitude is a goldmine of information for ecologically aware water gardening: this organization is a federally-funded national institution that includes partners in the pet and aquarium industry and the nursery and landscape industry.

--written by Cool Ponds' staff member Kasey Wicker

Pond Myths Busted: Filters

2010-08-03T17:36:00.000-04:00

Myth: Filters should be cleaned periodically.

First of all it's important to understand what kind of filter you have. Despite the brand or shape, most filters can be defined as either mechanical or biological. Mechanical filters remove fine or large debris from the pond. Cool Ponds' features use a

Biological filter grow beneficial, aerobic bacteria. Cool Ponds uses the Biofalls system (pictured below) or pressure filters. Every time you rinse out those filters, you destroy the bacteria colonies that you've worked so diligently to establish.

Mechanical filters are fine to clean, especially if they're so clogged that they're slowing down water flow, but biological filters should be left alone (even if they look gross).

Whew!

2010-07-31T12:00:00.001-04:00

It's hot outside, folks!

With the increasing air temperature, the water temperature will also increase. Here are some things to keep in mind during this final summer months:

In our features at Cool Ponds, we're adding 1-2" of water a day due to evaporation. Water loss this in this heat is totally normal and erratic. You may lose half an inch over a few days or see a dramatic drop suddenly. If you have a skimmer, make sure you find the right water level by checking where the water comes in at the skimmer opening: it should be 3/4" from the top. The water line on your rocks could be misleading as rocks tend to have moisture above the actual water level.
Your fish are hoping for cooler days just like you are! Warm water holds less oxygen. If your fish are hanging around your waterfall, gasping at the surface, you may want to consider adding an addition pump or pond aerator. Giving the fish more shade will decrease the water temperature as well; water lilies and water hyacinth look great and add quick shade.
As mentioned before, hot water holds less oxygen. This means less oxygen for the beneficial, algae-fighting aerobic bacteria. In order for your Biological Clarifier to work (Cool Ponds' recommended green-water treatment), you might need to add some extra oxygenation in the form of another pump or pond aerator.

Enjoy your last month of summer! Or start the countdown to the beginning of fall--whatever floats your boat!

Fish Burglar

2010-07-27T15:50:00.002-04:00

Koi theft is big news in Texas.

While googling news for koi, I came across this article from a Texas news site. Apparently thirteen large koi (2' to 3', according to the article) were stolen from the Zilker Botanical Garden. The police report values each of these koi to be around 150 to 200 dollars each. With search warrant in-hand, Austin police searched a home with a koi pond in the backyard; but according the home owner, they were looking inside his house.

Marking that article to bring up in this blog post, I moved on to the other google entries for my koi news search. Even more articles came up about the koi heist. This one says that the botanical garden staff found nets and a bag of goldfish, which they suspected the burglars used to "lure the koi." Huh? I hope they mean goldfish crackers because I can't imagine baiting a koi with a real goldfish!

I seemed to have hit the news oddity jackpot, because I found another article written by the same journalist as the first article. But this one was written two days prior to the other. The article is pretty unremarkable until you get to the end. The writer points out that it took the garden staff five days to figure out that thirteen 3' koi were missing. Five days? If I have one 5" fish missing I know that day-- the day after at the latest!

To put the icing on this cake, I found this final article. The assistant manager to an Austin liquor store found a dead koi in the store trash can. Again--huh? Someone went to the trouble of breaking into the botanical garden, stealing thirteen huge fish, and then they dumped one in a liquor store trash can?

Thanks for the weird news, Texas.

--written by Cool Ponds' staff member Kasey Wicker

Oil and Water

2010-07-24T15:42:00.001-04:00

You know what they say about oil and water.

Pond enthusiasts tend to have a few things in common. We love being outdoors. We love all kinds of wildlife. And because of those two things, we care about the environment.

So I'm going to address an issue that has been in the fronts (or backs) of everyone's minds: the BP oil spill. You probably saw that coming, didn't you? Here's a timeline in case you're a little out of the loop.

The Gulf Coast tragedy has forced me to consider the way I'm living and the impact I have on the planet. It's easy to think that it's a big world and that one person can't make that much of a difference. It's easy to ignore what's happening just off the Louisiana coastline, especially for those of us who live so far away. Being environmentally conscious takes some effort.

I'm not a green guru, but I'm trying to shrink my carbon footprint a little bit at a time. I walk and carpool when I can. I keep my car well-oiled and keep the air filters clean. My family recently added a large recycling can to our waste pickup (Our land-fill-boung garbage has been reduced drastically!).

So how in the world do I sleep at night when I have a yard full of water?

This may seem a little backwards, but ponds are greener than grass. Let's compare a pond to a grass lawn. The grass lawn requires irrigation and provides little to the environment. A pond collects rainwater, and if paired with a rainwater harvesting system may never need to be filled up with a hose. Ponds are "biologically available" to wildlife. Ever see a blue jay take a bath in the grass? Probably not. Water features need no mowing, eliminating emissions from lawnmowers. Lastly water features are more attractive and interesting than grass lawns of course.

The BP oil spill is overwhelming. And if you're anything like me, you'd rather not think about it, but if we all take baby steps towards more Earth-responsible lifestyles, together we can make a difference. Consider this article about green gardening for some other ways you can improve your eco-friendliness.

What do you do to be green? Do you think this is a fleeting trend or is being environmentally aware a new facet to our society? Tell us what you think!

--written by Cool Ponds' staff member Kasey Wicker

Why Do You Have That Water Feature Anyway

2010-07-20T17:49:00.006-04:00

After work last week, my 19-year-old daughter decided to take a dip in our pond. After she finished, she said, "Sometimes I forget why we do this every day." "This" meaning our business. In case you didn't know, we are a family business. Besides Steve and I, two of our children Kasey and Steven Jr. work for us in the summer; along with our nephew, David; my mom, Myra; and Steve's aunt, Sharon, occasionally. Sometimes I think we forget how this all started...our business grew out of our love of water.

With so many of our staff's homes beginnings on our recent Water Feature tour, we've been working our tails off getting ready for it. Do you ever get caught up in the "working" part and forget to stop and enjoy the fruits of your labor? Now is a great time to stop and remember why you wanted that water feature in the first place. Maybe you were looking for the peace and tranquility that a water feature can bring to your life or a place where you and your family can gather away from today's modern distractions. Some people are looking for a focal point for their yard or to get rid of the lawn!

With the height of water gardening season up us... the plants are in full bloom, the fish are active... stop and remember why you wanted your water feature. And then take some time to enjoy it. I know we are.

Thanks for reading!

--written by Cool Ponds' staff member Staci Wicker

Have your pond and enjoy it too!

2010-07-20T17:00:00.001-04:00

With all the prep work to make our ponds look great, you'd think we'd be smart enough to sit down and enjoy them.

Sometimes I forget to look at the big picture. When I'm at work, I'm caught up in the details: weeding our landscape, cleaning product shelves, assisting customers, etc. I concentrate on a single task at a time. To make matters worse, when I come home I do the same thing. While this method of accomplishing chores is occasionally necessary, it blinds us to the overall perspective.

After our water feature tour was over, the staff at Cool Ponds burned out. We put a lot of work into making the shop perfect for the extra guests coming to buy tickets to the tour, and then we went home and put the same effort into our own yards. When the last tour guests filtered out, we were grateful just to be indoors for awhile.

My exhaustion carried into the beginning of the week, and I barely glanced at my ponds at home. Then late that evening on my way back from taking out the trash, I hesitated before I went back inside. I'd been home from school for two months, and I'd been telling myself the entire summer that I would dip my feet in the pond. Balmy weather and cool water beckoned me.

What started as sitting on the edge of the patio with my feet in the water ended with me in a snorkel mask completely submerged in the pond. Edging in little by little, I slipped off the patio and ended up waist deep in the water, extending my hands to the koi swimming in circles around me. Seeing my transition into the pond, my brother came outside and offered me his snorkel mask.

Sometime between floating on my back and watching the maple canopy above me and getting face-to-face to with my favorite koi, the big picture re-revealed itself. This is why I maintain my ponds here and at work.

Whether it's your pond or something else you work for in your life, I hope you remember to step away from the to-do lists and see the big picture: enjoy what you work for/towards and remember why you have to-do lists.

--written by Cool Ponds' staff member Kasey Wicker

5 Things We Learned The Hard Way

2010-07-20T14:37:00.003-04:00

We've made our fair share of mistakes. Take a look at five things we learned the hard way:

1) Build bigger first.
They say the average water garden owner builds three ponds in the lifetime of their hobby. At the Wicker house, we've made eight! Okay I'm being a little unfair. Two of those were just redoing the waterfall in our backyard pond, and one of those was my own 8' by 6' pond in the July heat of 2006. Most people (us included) start off with a small pond and build bigger later, which is labor-intensive and more expensive in the long run. Build as large as your space and budget allow the first time.

2) Be mindful of your fish population.
Finding baby fish is exciting. We know. As many fish as we've seen, we still call each other over to the side of the pond to point out a tiny fry when we see one. But keep in mind that more fish means more fish waste which means more nutrients for algae, especially the single-celled algae that turns your water into pea soup. We recommend one inch of fish per 10 gallons of water. Consider that koi are more vivacious eaters and eat more of their own eggs than goldfish will. Try taking away places for eggs to be laid and hidden: long string algae in the bottom of the pond, heavy layers of debris on the bottom, submerged aquatic plants like hornwort and anacharis. Got extra fish that you're looking to get rid of? I always suggest putting an ad in the paper or on craig's list. Do not dump unwanted fish into natural bodies of water. These foreign fish have the potential of ruining the natural ecosystem (not to mention that there could be some laws slapped on backyard water features because people have done this before).

3) You want a natural water garden, not a swim-spa!
Our second pond's waterfall rocked. There was a lot of water flowing through that thing, and it sat on the very edge of the water. Great, right? Except there was so much flow that we could never see our fish! We recommend having at least one drop so the water can gently roll into the pond instead of crashing directly into your main body of water.

4) Don't use cheap fish food.
Though it might seem a little silly to feed your fish gourmet fish food or to even worry about your diet at all, cheaply-made fish food can reck havoc on your pond. Similar to other pet food, cheap fish food is made with corn or wheat filling. Not only does it have little nutritional value for your fish, not much of it is actually digested, leaving a lot more fish waste in your pond. Know what loves extra fish waste? Algae. Give up a few more dollars and buy a high-protein food (with fish or fish meal as the first ingredient) and your fish will thank you. Higher protein counts make fish colors more vibrant, help them grow faster, and produce less waste in the pond. We offer two different high protein fish foods at Cool Ponds with protein counts as high as 35-45%.

5) Keep on top of your yearly cleanings.
A spring or fall cleaning can make or break your year. If your pond has a lot of debris on the bottom, that debris will break down once the water warms up and provide a smorgasbord for algae. Neglecting your pond in the spring or fall might kick you in the rear the entire summer. Don't get too carried away though: only one cleaning in the cooler temperatures is necessary. It's all about getting that much out of there.

--written by Cool Ponds' staff member Kasey Wicker

From small beginnings

2010-07-16T16:44:00.034-04:00

We didn't start out knowing it all.

Though the Wicker household is surrounded by water now (It has been described as a "floating house."), it wasn't always that way. Currently we have no grass--just a lot of water. Once upon a time, we had a lot of grass, a bit of water, and barely a clue what to do with that water.

Let's go back about thirteen years. My dad, Steve, worked for a local feed store as their landscape crew foreman. Closely tied to landscape trends, the increasingly popular backyard water garden frenzy hit him. He's been around water his entire life: from his family vacation home on Cataract Lake to exploring creeks and waterfalls in State parks with our family, so to add a water garden to his backyard seemed like the next natural step. He got his hands on a 300 gallon fertilizer tank and cut it in half. He buried the tank in the ground, surrounded the outer edge with flagstone, stacked a few flagstones on one side and rigged a tiny pump to dribble down the rocks.

I was pretty young when Dad installed this; however I distinctly remember that the pump only ran we entertained company, and we lost a lot of fish. A lot. Having clear water was akin to having good weather--totally uncontrollable.

That beagle got into the pond more than once and was too fat to get himself out. Later in the pond's life, we wrapped it in chicken wire to keep out the dogs.

Don't be fooled by the clear water--this was just cleaned (in the summer).

My four-year-old sister, Taylor, was headed to her first day of pre-school.

Eventually the tank was removed, and the hole was filled in. There weren't any fish left surviving to give away.

A few years later Dad's interest was re-sparked by an Aquascape Designs Build-A-Pond seminar. Using their products, we dug another hole (This one was much bigger, and at this point I was old enough to help shovel. Lucky me!) and spent some late nights placing stones on the rubber liner. The new feature looked like it belonged. The waterfall stayed on whether there was company over or not. We lost no fish.

The pond became more than a part of our landscape. It became a part of our lives. We started spending more time outside--as if our backyard was an extension of our house, just another room. We watched fish grow with obsessive attention. And we learned from our 8' by 11' pond. We experimented. We tweaked. We made mistakes. We remedied those mistakes.

Several modifications and complete remodels later, we've tested several brands of hardware and treatments, fish hatcheries, aquatic plant growers. We know what works and what works better. In the exact spot where our first failed attempt at a water garden sat is now the corner of our 15' by 26' pond, which is big enough that my little brother snorkels in it.

We hope you take advantage of our hard-earned knowledge. Chances are whatever your water feature is experiencing, we've gone through it too!

--written by Cool Ponds' staff member Kasey Wicker