Fall 2011 Newsletter Update...

Cleanouts

If you find you are getting less pleasure from your pond, stream or pondless waterfall than you would like, the chances are it is time for a clean out and or an upgrade. A cleanout involves draining the water, cleaning and power washing the rocks, refilling the feature with clean water, thinning out water plants and adding some new ones. We also add pebbles, gravel and mulch as necessary to cover any exposed liner. If you have fish we are equipped with an 800 gallon holding tank with aeration and will fill up with de-chlorinated water after the clean up.

Upgrades

In an eco pond a natural balance is generally established over a period of time which results in a low maintenance self regulating system. The system uses the interactions of a biological water filter, mechanical pond skimmer, rocks and gravel, aquatic plants and fish to achieve balance in the water quality. Any one or combination of the additional technologies used in a Koi Pond such as bottom drains, Ultra Violet Sterilizer, aerator and bead filters can be added to eco pond technology to create a custom pond to suite your specific location and requirements. Another popular upgrade is to add L.E.D. underwater lights.

The addition of an overflowing ceramic pot or basalt column can be a very effective addition to an existing Water Garden. Also a wonderful way to add the element of water to a different part of your landscape.

Santa Clara Fairgrounds

PondMagic installed two permanent outdoor Water Features at the Santa Clara Fairgrounds in April 2008. The features include a pond with a 30' stream and a pondless waterfall with a 25' stream and stone bridge. The area around the Water Features is landscaped with a patio, trellis, large seating stones even a few small goldfish in the pond!

The Fairgrounds are open to the public ~ click on ‘Santa Clara Fairgrounds’ for more information.

Our next show at the Santa Clara fairgrounds will be:

California Home, Garden and Gourmet Show
January 6th, 7th & 8th, 2012
Santa Clara County Fairgrounds
344 Tully Rd.
San Jose, Ca 95111
www.worldclassshows.com

Granite Rock Design Center

Pondmagic will be available to answer questions and discuss landscape and water garden projects one Saturday each month at the Granite Rock Design Center, Cupertino. Please call Granite Rock (408) 996-4500 or PondMagic (831) 464-7663 for schedule.

Granite Rock Design Center
1505 S De Anza Blvd
Cupertino, CA 95014-5321
(408) 996-4500
www.graniterock.com/locations/cupertino.html

Upgrade your underwater lights to L.E.D.s
As many of you have experienced underwater lighting can be problematic. We are now able to upgrade to L.E.D.s. do not have a bulb to replace and run on a very low wattage.

Koi Pond Technology for existing Eco Ponds.
What is an Eco-Pond ?
In an eco pond a natural balance is generally established over a period of time which results in a low maintenance self regulating system. The system uses the interactions of a biological water filter, mechanical pond skimmer, rocks and gravel, aquatic plants and fish to achieve balance in the water quality.

What is a Koi Pond ?
In a dedicated Koi Pond additional technologies are used to increase the removal of solids and wastes from the pond and increase the oxygen content and circulation. Often the ponds are a little deeper. We are now able to combine the two technologies and build more hybrid style ponds.

Koi Pond technologies that can be added to your Eco Pond:

1. Install an Ultra Violet Sterilizer to the pond.

2. Add an aerator to the pond.

3. Install a clean out drain on the waterfall filter.

4. Install a bottom drain in the pond.

5. Install a bead filter with back flushing.

We would be happy to discuss which single or combined technologies would be best suited to your pond.

Anytime Pond Tour (Adobe PDF format)

The Anytime Pond Tour shows the location of five Water Features installed by PondMagic in the Santa Cruz area. Addresses, descriptions and directions are included. Each of the five Water Features are roadside features and so can be viewed at anytime without disturbing the owner. The final pond in Soquel is outside the PondMagic Business Office where we would be happy to show you photographs of our work and discuss your project with you. Please click here to download a printable version of our Anytime Pond Tour.

Here is a sample of one of our July, 2007 pond and stream installations in Los Gatos:

Here are some good maintenance tips:

How can I calculate the number of gallons of water circulating in my water feature?
Length x Width = Square footage of the pond
Square footage x Average Depth x 7.48 = Amount of gallons in the pond

Should I give my pond a clean out?
Every pond is different, and some ponds do not require an annual clean-out. If your pond is larger than 2,000 square feet, it might only need a clean-out every few years. And larger ponds may never need a complete clean-out because any impurities present are minimal compared to the volume of water in the pond. The larger the pond, the easier it is to maintain (just like a fish tank). Because they are able to sustain bacterial life year-round, ponds in the Bay Area may not require a full annual clean-out. A partial clean-out, where the filter media is cleaned and a 20 percent water change is done, may prove to be beneficial for the entire system. Every two to three years may be sufficient for a full pond clean-out.

What is the best way to tell whether your pond needs to be cleaned out?
If the water looks the same as it did the previous summer, it’s probably okay to skip the clean-out.

10 Steps to a Successful Clean-out

1. Start Draining the Pond – An inexpensive pump or a sump pump is sufficient. Be sure you use some of the pond water to fill a container with pond water for the fish.

2. Disconnect the Circulation System – This will allow the water in the plumbing to drain out.

3. Catch the Fish – Drain the pond down to the lowest shelf in order to catch fish easily and safely.
4. Remove Debris – Once the pond is drained, remove the large debris like leaves and twigs.

5. Wash the Pond – A 1,500 psi pressure washer or a high-pressure nozzle on a garden hose is recommended for pond cleaning.

6. Rinse the Pond – Rinse the pond from top to bottom with a garden hose without the high-pressure nozzle. This will help wash any remaining pond debris from under the rocks. As the dirty water accumulates on the bottom, continuing to pump it out.

7. Clean the Filters – Spray the filtration media until relatively clean and rinse down the inside of the filter units.

8. Refill the Pond – Pull the clean-out pump out and begin re-filling the pond.

9. De-chlorinate the Water – Most city water contains chlorine and chloramines and should be treated with a de-chlorinator before fish are introduced. Fill the pond up completely before adding the de-chlorinator. Consider adding some of the original pond water back in.

10. Acclimate the Fish – A clean-out can be stressful to fish, so proper acclimation is suggested to decrease stress and avoid future health problems. In order to properly acclimate your fish make sure the temperature of the pond water and the water the fish are being held in is the same by floating them in the pond in an open container before letting them in.

Now your pond is officially ready for summer!
The PondMagic Crew are available for cleanouts on ponds that have been installed by us. Please call to schedule!

DVD Available: PondMagic has a wonderful ‘Create a Paradise’ water garden DVD produced by Aquascape available if you are thinking of installing a water feature.

PondMagic
P.O. Box 860
Soquel, Ca 95073
Phone: 831-464-POND (7663)
E-mail: info@pondmagic.com
www.pondmagic.com