It’s been cold where I live. Should I stop with my bacteria now?
Kevin – Saugatuck, MI

In bacteria paradise, the temperature in your backyard pond would never fall below 50 degrees Fahrenheit. When water temperatures drop below 50 for any sustained period of time, the bacteria call it quits for the season.

But just because you’ve been feeling the cold for a few days, remember: it takes water longer to respond to changing temperatures. Thus, when it’s below 50 degrees outside for a lengthy stretch, your pond water may not have fallen as far – and your bacteria may be doing just fine. To get the most accurate reading you can, consider buying our Pond Logic® Floating Pond Thermometer. It’ll give you up-to-the minute readings, making it easy to monitor the health of – and the need for – your favorite bacteria.

When your pond is still in the above-50 degree range, we strongly recommend the continued use of Pond Logic® PondClear™ Beneficial Bacteria, and Pond Logic® MuckAway™ Pond Muck Reducer. These two products help to maintain healthy bacteria levels in your pond, which will help to reduce organics, excess nutrients and noxious odors, while breaking down muck and keeping your pond water clear.

Once your pond water drops below 50 degrees, you can safely suspend bacteria treatments. But when the temperatures start to rise again in the spring, be prepared to start back up – and get your pond water in great shape for another season.

Pond Talk: Do you monitor your pond’s water temperature for optimum bacteria use?

The leaves are just starting to fall..I see netting for water gardens to keep the leaves out, do they make anything like this for large ponds?

Bryan – Traverse City, MI

When fall comes around, leaves and ponds seem to have a magnetic attraction to one another. And while netting is available in essentially any size you might need, it’s a cumbersome solution for larger ponds. Simply spreading the netting over a large pond is a major undertaking – and the impracticality of installing posts throughout your pond to keep leaf-covered netting from sinking makes other solutions look much more attractive.

At The Pond Guy, we strongly recommend aeration and chemical treatments to address inevitable leaf buildup for customers with large ponds. When you browse our web site, you’ll notice a wide range of Airmax® Aeration products. These aeration systems enable the pond to break down leaves quickly and naturally by keeping pond water moving – and the entire pond well oxygenated. When coupled with the beneficial bacteria in Pond Logic® PondClear™ Pond Logic® EcoBoost™ and Pond Logic® MuckAway™, fallen leaves break down in no time to keep water clear, and both fish and plants healthy.

As an added measure in the fight against falling leaves and debris, you should also consider the use of a pond rake. With the regular use of our Airmax® Pond & Beach Rake, you can easily remove excessive leaves and debris in no time flat.

Pond Talk: How do you keep fall leaves from accumulating in your pond?

What is the difference between algae and Chara and how should I treat them?
Veronica – Savannah, GA

To an entomologist, the differences between a cockroach and a termite may be a subject of profound fascination. However, to a homeowner, they’re both insect problems. If you have them, you sure as heck want to get rid of them – and the sooner the better.

Likewise, when the seasoned water biologist sees filamentous algae floating on the surface of a pond, he can probably identify the strain — Spirogyra, Oscillatoria, Pithophora, Anabaena or perhaps some combination thereof. Just beneath the surface, he might point out the gray-green, cylindrical branches of Chara, another form of algae that is often mistaken for a submerged flowering plant, except it has no flower and no defined root system.

Most of you would probably find this at least mildly interesting, unless, of course, the biologist is talking about your pond. Where he sees variations of filamentous algae, you see ‘pond scum’:what he identifies as Chara, you know as ‘skunkweed’ or ‘muskgrass.’ Suddenly, what it is, matters a whole lot less to you than how to get rid of it.

Well, fortunately, we’ve got some great options for you. One gallon of Algae Defense, mixed with water and Cide-Kick, can treat up to 8,000 square feet of pond surface. It’s best applied with an Airmax Pond Sprayer. It should come as no surprise that the sooner you address an algae issue with Algae Defense, the quicker and more effective the results. Algae Defense is best used to eliminate algae on or just below the surface of your pond. For bottom forming algae, like Chara, we suggest Cutrine Granular – 12 pounds can treat 8,700 square feet.

If you find that the algae in your pond has graduated from ‘issue’ to ‘problem,’ you may find that multiple applications of Algae Defense and Cutrine Granular are necessary. Make sure you treat your pond in small sections waiting a week between treatments, and have sufficient aeration when treating during the hot summer months. We also recommend following up treatments with the use of PondLogic PondClear and PondLogic MuckAway, which use environmentally friendly bacteria to break down the dead algae.

When it comes to the health of your pond, knowing what goes on is important, but knowing how to deal with it is essential.

Pond Talk: Have you learned any tips or tricks to treating algae in you pond?

What’s the difference between MuckAway and PondClear?
Missy – Birmingham, MI

Walk into a teenage boy’s room and, as often as not, you’ll be met by piles of dirty clothes, smelly sneakers, pizza crusts, apple cores, and other detritus of teenage life — an unsightly, smelly mess. A thorough clean-up usually involves several steps: first, you pick-up stuff until you find the floor; second, you put the stuff away; and finally, you dust, polish and vacuum. Let two weeks pass (or whatever your mess threshold happens to be). Repeat.

As pond owners know, there is a bit of the teenage boy in Mother Nature. She thinks nothing of dumping leaves, pollen, sticks and other organic material in your ponds, clouding the water and mucking up the bottom. Like the boy’s room, cleaning up your pond often involves a multi-pronged approach. Fortunately, we have the perfect products – MuckAway and PondClear — to meet your needs.

Both products release aerobic bacteria that digest organic debris, removing excess nutrients and leaving a clearer, cleaner pond. Both products are eco-friendly and easy to apply. Where they differ is the target area. MuckAway (as you, the saavy reader, might infer) is designed to remove the ‘pond muck’, organic debris that accumulates at the bottom of your pond. One scoop of MuckAway pellets, spread evenly, can treat 1,000 square feet of shoreline, beach area or anywhere muck has gathered on the bottom of your pond. Use every two to four weeks after water temperatures have climbed above 50 degrees until desired results are achieved.

Pond Logic© PondClear is intended to digest the floating organic debris that can cloud up your pond. Available in liquid or water soluble packets, PondClear goes immediately to work clearing up your pond water without ever impeding your pond use. Like MuckAway, PondClear is NOT a chemical and has no water use restrictions on swimming or irrigation.

Like all great pairings – Rodgers and Hammerstein, Stockton and Malone, hydrogen and oxygen, peanut butter and jelly – MuckAway and PondClear are terrific on their own, but together they make an unbeatable team when it comes to promotion and maintenance of a clear, healthy, fresh-smelling pond.

Pond Talk: Have you used either Muck Away or Pond Clear in the past and noticed increase in results from using both?

What is EcoBoost and how should it be used?
Andy- Cottrellville, MI

For too long, bacteria has been painted with a broad brush, taking the heat for everything from illness to itchy feet. We’re here to set the record straight – and to stand up for the good bacteria of the world. And some of that good bacteria needs – yes, needs – to be present in backyard ponds and water gardens to ensure the health of both plant and fish life.

So, in the interest of promoting good bacteria, while staving off the bad, we strongly recommend the use of EcoBoost. EcoBoost is an innovative, all-natural product that binds phosphates in ponds to stimulate the growth of good bacteria that’s absolutely necessary for the health of your fish. Phosphates, it seems, cause all sorts of problems in ponds – from increased algae growth to toxicity in fish – that are best resolved naturally by hungry bacteria.

Phosphates accumulate in ponds that receive lots of runoff from lawns and fields – particularly when those lawns and fields are fertilized. When healthy bacteria are allowed to thrive, those phosphates are eliminated naturally, providing a safe, clean habitat in which fish and plants can thrive.

In addition to Eco-Boost, both PondClear and MuckAway provide a safe, ecologically-sound means to promote the growth of good bacteria. Used on a regular basis, the combination of all three products pack a powerful punch – and make your pond a perfect home – for perfectly healthy fish.

Pond Talk: Do you use EcoBoost in your pond?

What causes pond odor?
Andy – Seattle, WA

When your pond starts to smell like old socks, there’s a very good chance that (a) it’s not well aerated; and (b) it’s full of decaying debris. The third alternative – that your pond is filled with dirty socks – is a long shot, so we won’t even bother to address it. But stagnant, debris filled ponds? We’ve got the answers you need.

First, and most importantly, we’ll turn to aeration. With the properly sized aeration system – our Airmax Aeration Systems are available in a range of options – the water in your pond circulates several times a day. The process of circulation helps to remove the gases produced by decomposing debris. Because those gases are responsible for the vast majority of the foul odors associated with stagnant ponds, this first step is vitally important – and extremely effective.

To complete the job, however, you’ll need to remove and/or break down the odor-producing debris. To accomplish that job, nothing is more effective than our PondLogic® PondClear and PondLogic® MuckAway. Comprised of beneficial, environmentally friendly bacteria, PondClear removes organics and excess nutrients from pond water, helping to stop foul odors before they start. As an added benefit, PondClear improves water clarity and enhances your pond’s overall health.

Like PondClear, MuckAway introduces environmentally friendly bacteria to your pond. The bacteria then gets to work on the muck at the bottom of your pond or lakefront, reducing it by as much as 5” per year. In the process of breaking muck down, MuckAway also eliminates odor-causing gases to keep your pond looking – and smelling – the way it should.

Pond Talk: Do you have issues with pond odor in your pond?

What is the difference between adding bacteria and adding enzymes?
Mario – Albany, NY

When searching for natural water treatments for your pond and lake you may have noticed products advertising beneficial bacteria and some labeled as enzymes, both claiming to produce the same results, a reduction in muck! So just what is the difference between adding bacteria and adding an enzyme?

Bacteria are commonly associated with illness or filth and many people wonder why pond owners are crazy enough to want to add bacteria to our ponds. Bacteria come in a wide variety of flavors and they each have their own unique agenda. Aerobic bacteria used in natural pond treatments like Pond Logic PondClearand MuckAway are the powerhouses behind digesting and removing the organic debris that muck up your pond. While they have little interest in you or your pets, they thrive on material like decomposing plant matter and fish waste, breaking it down into nothing but a natural odorless gas byproduct.

There is always a trace of beneficial bacteria in a natural pond ecosystem. However, there are typically more types of organic waste being introduced to your pond via plants, fish, wildlife and runoff than there are bacteria to digest it. It is this imbalance that causes organic waste to accumulate over time. Applying beneficial bacteria treatments to your pond is a natural way to keep your pond balanced and clean. Enzymes are the catalyst which allows bacteria to break down and digest the debris in your pond. While they don’t actually eradicate waste material from your pond on their own, they take some of the work load off of your bacteria’s proverbial shoulders by saving them the time of having to “prepare” their meal. As beneficial aerobic bacteria are actually capable of creating these enzymes on their own, products that consist of only enzymes can be considered a support tool to help enhance pre-existing pond bacteria, however they will not directly decompose the accumulated muck in your pond.

Adding natural water treatments that contain beneficial aerobic bacteria can keep your pond healthy, balanced and clean throughout the season. Running an aeration system in tandem with your bacteria treatments infuses your pond with oxygen, which is prized by your fish and aerobic bacteria. Maintaining your pond with aeration and natural water treatments that contain natural bacteria is considered a proactive treatment that will provide a quicker path to desired results of a clean and healthy pond.

Pond Talk: Have you used an enzyme product as part of your pond maintenance? Did you notice a difference?

How early can you start planning for your pond?
Leo – Exira, IA

If you were one of the many pond owners plagued by algae, pond muck, excessive weeds or green water last year one of your New Year resolutions may have revolved around your pond or water garden.

The beginning of the new pond season is the perfect time to evaluate and tweak your pond maintenance practices and take inventory of leftover pond care products from last year. Since your pond maintenance begins once the ice thaws from your pond, there is no better time to start planning for the upcoming season.

First, before you buy new pond maintenance products, recall your pond issues from last season. Whether you have an earth bottom pond or water garden, aeration is always a great way to keep your pond water balanced and healthy. Installing an aeration system in your pond will infuse the water column with oxygen and circulate the entire water column. Aeration systems help reduce pond muck formation and weed growth while keeping your fish safe and comfortable. If your pond receives constant sunlight consider shading the water with pond dye. To keep your pond water clear and remove accumulated pond muck treat your pond with beneficial bacteria. Airmax® can help you eliminate the guesswork when choosing the appropriate pond maintenance products by providing the most effective pond care products in one kit. Use the Pond Logic® ClearPAC™ to treat earth bottom ponds and lakes or the DefensePAC™ for water gardens.

When purchasing your pond care products keep in mind you may receive discounts for buying items in multiple quantities. Pond Logic® Pond Dye Plus, for example, is discounted when you purchase 4 or more bottles at a time. Simply look for the red or blue “2+, 3+ or 4+” price next to qualifying products in The Pond Guy® catalog or on our website. Creating a list of desired products for the season and purchasing them in one order can also save you money on shipping costs. If you are having trouble calculating how much product you will need for season long treatment or have any questions on a particular product you can always call a Pond Guy or Gal toll free at 866-766-3710 or chat with us live from our website by clicking the Live Chat Icon.

If you don’t have a pond, water garden or water feature yet you can start researching and designing the pond of your dreams now. There is a wide variety of informational books available and online blogs that explain the differences between various water features and ponds. Pond kits are available for purchase that contain all of the items you need to build a water garden. If you prefer something less time consuming, maybe you would like to consider a pondless water fall. Whichever the case early planning will help make your pond project a success.

Pond Talk: Are you planning to change how you maintain your pond this season? What would you do differently?

When do the bacteria say it’s too cold to eat? Farrah – Rockport, KY

You’ve counted on your bacteria to keep your pond clear and muck free throughout the summer but they may soon be taking a breather as winter approaches and water temperatures drop. Although you will see a dip in muck eradicating productivity rest assured that your microbial mates are not saying goodbye for good.

Bacteria products like Pond Logic™ Pond Clear™ and MuckAway™ advertise that you should apply treatments whenever your water temperature is above 50°F. This is more of a target area than a temperature cutoff and lets you know you are approaching conditions that are less than optimal for your bacteria to work. Once your water temperatures frequently stay at or below the 50° mark you will want to stop applying bacteria treatments.

To monitor this target area, you can install a floating pond thermometer in your pond to take regular temperature readings. To get accurate readings push the thermometer beneath the surface of the water and closer to the bottom where the water is less affected by ambient air temperatures. Be sure to remove the thermometer before your pond ices over to avoid damaging the unit.

Your bacteria may not be too enthusiastic about the cold weather, but your other pond care products like pond dye are ready to go no matter what the forecast says. As some plants can still grow in colder temperatures while your bacteria and herbicides are out of commission, dye can be one of the cheaper and easier applications to help maintain your pond even as it ices over.

POND TALK: What time of the year do you stop using your bacteria?

I’ve always been curious to know just what really lives down in my pond. Holly – Girdler, KY

The Company You Keep

Your pond is a beautiful and enjoyable addition to your back yard and just as it is full of water, it is also full of mysteries. Since we have at one time or another used our ponds for swimming, fishing, or maybe irrigation we can only wonder, “What really lives beneath the surface of my pond?”

While you won’t find any man-eating sharks or lost cities like Atlantis at the bottom of the pond, there is a surprisingly diverse selection of living creatures cozying up in your water. In your average back yard farm pond you can expect to find large creatures such as fish, frogs and turtles, snakes and muskrats. In regards to the smaller inhabitants in your pond you have tadpoles, a variety of insects, and don’t forget your microscopic bacteria in both aerobic and anaerobic flavors. Your pond also plays host to aquatic plants like Cattails, Algae, and submersed weeds like American Pondweed, Hydrilla, and Naiad. It is only natural that since your pond is choc-full of life, it will draw additional wildlife to its shores like birds and deer. The physical location of your pond will directly influence what kinds of creatures you will find frequenting the water as certain animal species are located in select regions in the US.

Now that you are certain you are not alone in your pond, rest assured that the majority of what is living in your pond actually helps create a balanced ecosystem at best and is a minor inconvenience to people at worst. Having a healthy and balanced fish population will help keep your pond clear of insects and leeches. Creating an ideal environment for beneficial aerobic bacteria like those in PondClear and MuckAway to thrive will improve your water clarity and reduce muck accumulation and weed growth. Click over to our Bacteria Blog to learn more about these microscopic maids.

With all of these animals in your pond who is responsible for room assignments? If you are not aerating your pond, then your pond is most likely broken up into layers or thermoclines. You may have experienced this when swimming in your pond. Your chest is nice and warm but the water your feet occupy is cold. Many customers confuse this stratification with their pond being spring fed. Oxygen and light can only travel so far beneath the surface of the pond without assistance. This means that the top layer of your pond is typically a warm, oxygen rich environment which is prime real estate for the ponds inhabitants. The lower layers of the pond are darker, cooler and have considerably less oxygen. Gasses released by decomposing plants and fish waste (thanks to anaerobic bacteria) are trapped in this bottom layer creating a toxic environment that is not a very ideal living space. Installing an Aeration System, you can infuse oxygen and circulate the entire water column allowing your fish and their roommates to utilize the entire pond. Aerating the pond will also cut down on those smelly toxic gases and encourage a cleaner healthier pond which makes it more enjoyable for not only the wildlife but for you as well.

POND TALK: What types of creatures have you found in your pond?