Nightscaping the Pond

Winter always seems to allow more time for sleeping and dreaming, and what I like to dream about most on wintry days ... is summery outdoor enjoyment! There's nothing quite as magical as being outside on a summer evening when the crickets are chirping, citronella candles are flickering, and the melodious sound of a waterfall is playing in the background. Rather than write about special summer evenings by the pond, I decided to share a few of my favorite photos that illustrate the beauty of landscape lighting. Energy efficient LED lights from Aquascape were used in these photos. Enjoy!

Landscape lighting is reflected in the pond.

Winterizing Your Pond

Putting your pond to bed for winter doesn’t need to be an arduous process. Sure, it’s sad to say goodbye to your finned friends for a few months, but following a few simple tips will ensure that your fish joyfully greet you again in the spring.

Remove leaves and debris
Putting a pond net over your water feature before leaves start falling from trees is the easiest way to contain and manage leaf control. Once all the leaves have fallen, simply roll up the net, discard the leaves, and put the net away until the next time it’s needed.

If you didn’t install netting, you’ll probably have a build up of leaves and debris that need to be removed. A long-handled pond net makes an easy job of scooping the debris from the bottom of the pond. If you leave the debris on the bottom of the pond, you’ll be creating a bigger mess to face in the spring.

It's Not Cool to Have a Hot Pond

Your pond doesn’t need to reach the boiling point or feel too hot to you in order to cause stress or irreparable harm to your pond life. In fact, the temperature might feel darn pleasurable to you as you dip your toes into it after a long day of work. Once the water temperature rises above 80 Fº, you may have problems. Your fish might appear stressed out, gasping for air close to the water’s surface or especially close to a fountain or waterfall.

Warm water has a low capacity for holding oxygen, while cooler water can hold gigantic amounts of oxygen. Warm water and increased activity go hand and hand, and that increased activity means the fish require more oxygen when less oxygen is available, thus creating a vicious cycle. Stressed fish often begin to develop diseases, and soon enough you’ll have a domino effect.

When Your Pond Awakens in the Spring

Now that spring is here, you’re probably noticing some changes in your pond - your fish are coming back to life and you may even be able to see some plant growth. Some changes that are taking place, however, aren’t so desirable, like that excess algae growth that you’ve noticing. Understanding the transition that your pond makes from winter into spring and summer is essential in maintaining a healthy pond ecosystem.

You may have just spent your weekend cleaning your pond – or having your pond contractor do it for you. A couple of days … weeks pass, and you notice an incredible growth of string algae. “Not again,” you screech to yourself. “I thought my pond was clean!” Well, my friend, cleanliness does not necessarily mean algae-free, especially in the cool water of the early spring.

The Nitrogen Cycle - Demystified!

You’ve got a pond and you know it’s important to include a good balance of aquatic plants and fish in your water garden. You also know some basic maintenance is important too, like removing decaying leaves in the fall or cleaning the pond in the spring. But you may not fully understand why these things are important to maintain water quality and clarity.

Fortunately, you don’t need a degree in environmental science to understand the cycle of nature that can influence the health of your pond.

The nitrogen cycle might be one of the most important cycles on earth because it’s the building block of all organic life forms. This is an important cycle to know and understand because it can help answer a lot of unanswered questions you might have regarding fish health and the water quality of your pond.