Here are some tips on opening your Koi Pond in the spring:

Cleaning the Pond

Winter weather and stormy weather brings plenty of debris to your pond. You’ll need to clean out all of the debris that has fallen into the pond. You want to make sure the water is clean after a long winter season. There are tools out there for cleaning out your pond efficiently. Investing in a pond vacuum is very beneficial.

Checking Fish Health

Make sure your Koi fish have no ulcers or white/cloudy patches of skin or eyes. It’s important to not remove your fish and put them into a smaller area. They’re immune systems are low, so they’ll need some time to adjust if you need to give them medicated food. Once the temperature rises to 68, they’ll be better off. Overfeeding and feeding too early in the season is also a bad idea.

Make Sure Mechanics are Working

Checking all of the properties and mechanics of your pond is important. Make sure everything is working properly, so that when you open up the pond, the fish will stay healthy, and you won’t have to worry about any problems with water flow or other issues.

Add Some New Vegetation

Adding new floating plants is necessary for a healthy pond when the weather warms up. It will make your pond look and feel much nicer, and your fish will love it!

At Full Service Aquatics, we’re excited for the spring season to come, and we look forward to helping out all of our koi pond customers. If you’re in need of some koi pond maintenance, installation, or other pond services, contact Full Service Aquatics at 908-277-6000 today or visit us online for more information!

The post Getting Your Koi Pond Ready for Spring appeared first on That Pond Place.

Many homes these days could have some sort of water features on premise.
Not having a basic understanding of water features could potentially break an otherwise close-able deal.

Having a basic understanding of water features, or a guide on how to deal with them,can come in very handy.
Don’t let a deal get lost because of a potentially simple situation.

Here are 6 things I think all realtors should know or do when handling water features.

• Connect with a local water feature professional – Make sure to have a specialist in your arsenal of contacts. You already have an electrician, a plumber, a landscaper, a pool guy, even a local dentist; it’s time to expand your arsenal and get a water feature professional in there. Have a water feature professional’s business card handy for your home buying clients. Invite a water feature professional to speak at your next realtors association meeting or company meeting.

• Procure a water feature assessment report from a water feature professional – Get an understanding of what type of water feature you are dealing with. Is it a koi pond or a water garden? Is it a water fall or a fountain? Is it open source or recirculating? Is there a pump? Is there a filter? What kind of fish are in the pond? Many homes are sold with non working features and clients get angry, and angry clients talk. Water feature professionals can provide reports that will let a realtor and buyer know exactly what is coming with that new property.

• Evaluate the water feature – Some water features cost alot of money. Statuary, equipment, plantings, rock-work, etc. can be very expensive. What may appear to be a simple statue could be worth many thousands. Pond fish can be valuable. Did you know the most expensive koi fish in the world sold in excess of 2 million dollars!

• Clean up the feature / Get it running – A dirty and/or non-functioning water feature can look really bad. It easily creates a poor visual for a buyer. Seeing an amazing and clean waterfall display in a prospective backyard vs. seeing a feature covered in leaves or not functioning, raises a red flag. A quick cleaning can make all the difference.

• Offer an FREE on-site consult for new home owners – Most pond professionals would be happy to meet with a new homeowner who is also the new owner of a water feature. That direct qualified contact will usually mean gaining a client for the water feature professional. Wouldn’t it ease the mind of buyers to know that you are arranging to have a water feature professional come on-site to tell them about their water feature? Well don’t you just think of everything!

• Water feature removal– Be prepared with someone who can remove the water feature. Sometimes it just may be the case that removal is the only option. Perhaps it is the desire of the buyer to not have a water feature. Perhaps the water feature is not redeemable due to terrible aesthetics or disrepair. The reasons can be any, so be prepared to make a client happy with the solution to remove the feature all together. It would still be recommended to contact a water feature professional for this type of work, not a landscaper. The water feature professional knows how these features are installed, they will know the best way to uninstall most efficiently and cost effectively.

If there is no other advice that is taken from this post, the realtor should make it a priority to connect with a local water feature specialist. They could be the difference between a sale closed and a sale lost, or the difference between a client satisfied, or the angry client. Realtors occupy a unique niche in our society. Realtor as a profession functions as a navigator and facilitator to deliver residence and dwellings to those who need, want, or dream of a place to call home. This is likely a client’s largest investment in their lifetime. It’s a pretty awesome responsibility to your client. Dreams, wants, and needs are not so easily fulfilled.The realtor, the ambassador to dreams fulfilled, must really deliver. The realtor’s reputation depends on it.

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The LOVE YOUR POND Blog is happy to present an LYP guest blogger, Ryan, from koibids.com. Ryan is sharing some “Guidelines on Koi Friendly Feeding”.

Guidelines to Koi-Friendly Feeding Time

So, you’ve bought some koi, and you’re unsure how to best stimulate their healthy growth. Or, you’re worried about their seeming lack of appetite for food pellets, and the mess that tends to be left behind. Feeding koi can be quite an entertaining affair, thanks to the happy nibbling the fish often do. However; it can also lead to stunted growth, or worse, a pond full of waste, bacteria, and algae.

Worry not, there are a few simple guidelines to follow when feeding your beloved koi. With an eye on the temperature, the five-minute rule, and the proper set of treats, you can guarantee their healthy growth, survival, and a reasonable price when putting your Koi Fish for sale.

Watch Water Temperature

Koi are cold-blooded creatures, much like their cousin carps. Their metabolism is very much tied to the temperature of their water. What this means for you is that their feeding habits change over the seasons. In temperatures less than 9°C / 48°F, they eat very rarely, if at all. Trying to feed them at this point may cause more harm than good, as the food may either rot inside their bodies or cause bacteria population to flourish.

Water temperature also affects what sort of food works best. For temperatures above 9°C / 48°F, but below 18°C / 64°F, it’s better to feed them easily-digestible fatty food; particularly those that primarily contain wheat germ. Proteins tend to be poorly-digested at this temperature, and your koi would appreciate the energy boost in preparation for winter, or as their first meals after the cold. Here it’s advisable to only feed them up to two times a day as their digestion is still likely to be slow.

When summer heat strikes in the range of 18°C / 64°F to 31°C / 88°F is when the protein should come out in force. Fish proteins are the most ideal for this, though it is still good to mix up their diet with some fruit, vegetables, plankton, and shrimp. Depending on the heat and appetite of your koi, you can go from two to four feeding sessions a day.

Should it get hotter than that, it is advisable to cut back on feedings as the increased stress, and potential oxygen loss could get to your fish. It is best to maximize oxygen supply by regularly cleaning the water and filters, and maybe add some aeration.

This leads to the next thing to know when feeding koi – the five-minute rule.

Count to Five (Minutes)

The five-minute rule is simple: give your koi just enough food that they’ll eat it all in five minutes. If anything is left behind after those five minutes pass, scoop the leftover food up and give them less food next time. It’s preferable to underfeed koi than to overfeed them. Underfeeding can stunt their growth. Overfeeding can lead to an abundance of waste, bacteria, and algae; all of which can cause koi loss due to oxygen loss.

A good way to check if you’re underfeeding them is to watch their growth and traits. If they look stunted, sunken, or their growth goes below the average of ½” to 1″ per month; then they could stand to be fed a little more. Underfeeding them, especially in hot weather, can reduce their worth when putting up koi for sale, and in extreme cases can lead to an early death by starvation.

Variety is Good

While standard fish food emphasizing both fish-derived oils and vegetable oils is still the best choice for koi fish, it may be prudent for you to switch around their food before they grow too accustomed to one type. Like humans, koi enjoy variety in their food. While changing food types, a few weeks is enough for adapting them to another season’s diet. Koi do enjoy a treat or two every so often.

Your koi will enjoy fishy treats like worms, algae, shrimp, vegetables, fruits, and even certain snacks like Cheerios. A slice of orange, chopped into quarters, is also a good treat, particularly for raising their Vitamin C levels. Treats like this should be used sparingly, and never as a substitute for proper food.

Proper feeding of koi fish for sale can be a little hard with changing metabolisms, seasonal needs, and easily-disrupted environments. It can still be rather fun however, and nothing quite beats the maternal instinct of feeding your beloved pets. The benefits of proper feeding also extends to sales; with the proper care they can grow large enough to turn a large profit if you put your koi for sale.

I hope these tips and guidelines from Ryan make your feeding times more enjoyable and more informed!

Check out koibids.com for some amazing koi fish for your pond and to catch up with Ryan and the team at koibids.com

Thanks Ryan for the guest blog spot!!

Keep it pondy. -Mike

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Ask a koi keeper how they first became introduced to koi fish and they will likely recall a story of how they came across a pond, so long ago, that contained these delightfully colorful and friendly fish. Many koi keepers are drawn into the keeping of koi because of the beautiful clean bright colors of red, white, orange, and yellow. These colors are so pure, so attractive, so positively eye-catching. Not many koi keepers will recall being drawn to the black of the koi, the sumi. The appreciation of black, the appreciation of sumi, typically comes after keeping koi for some time. That subtle allure, that appreciation of black ends up becoming a major factor in high quality koi choices. Indeed, black koi matter.

The base stock from which all modern day koi come from are called Magoi. Magoi is what the Japanese and Chinese consider the common carp, known to be a black carp. However Magoi will typically exhibit a bit of bronze in its coloring, and an easily distinguishable orange to white belly color. Magoi is not truly black koi.
The truly black koi will have a deep, jet black coloring, minimal belly coloration, and are a developed strain of koi known as Karasu (kah rah soo)
Karasugoi are the true black koi. Karasu have been bred in Japan for quite some time. They are the crows of the koi varieties, and the term Karasu means crow in the Japanese language. The crow is known as a messenger of divine intervention in Japanese mythology.
Even though the base was there to create a black koi from the Magoi ancestry, alot of work had to go into breeding and fixing the variety of Karasu. Some koi lore claims that the black koi came about almost spontaneously after World War 2 in which the nation of Japan had atomic bombs detonated on the Island; these detonations perhaps playing a role in the transmutation. Others maintain the lore that black koi were being bred prior to World War 2, with intent for the metamorphosis to black.
Perhaps we’ll never truly know how Karasu came to be, but isn’t that part of the mystery of the color black. These days however, black koi are bred not just in Japan but from numerous sources with Philippines and Indonesia having some active production rates of black koi.

The color black has always held culturally strong significances. How you perceive the color black and how it affects you will likely be driven by your cultural upbringing.

In many cultures the color black is the color of sophistication, sexiness, and power. There are the tuxedos and little black dresses of high society. Authoritative and powerful figures will typically dress themselves in black. Judges, law enforcement, priests, ninjas, and Johnny Cash all effectively used the color black as a message of strength and dominance. Of course, black can have some very negative connotations such as death, sin, affliction, sadness, mourning, and the occult. Black can be just plain bad luck in many cultures.

On the other hand.
To have a black koi in your pond will be to have a source of good luck, as Japanese tradition would have it. The black koi is considered very good luck. Some would take it a step farther and say that black koi are not simply good luck. Better yet, black koi absorb negative energy, promote a restful contemplative feeling, alleviate life obstacles, and invite wealth into the life of the pond keeper. On childrens day in Japan the tradition of flying colorful koi flags representing family members sweeps over the country. The black koi flag represents the father figure.

Black koi add great mystery to your pond, gliding almost imperceptibly against the pond bottom, providing stark contrast to the more colorful koi in your pond. How comforting is it to know you have a Karasu making its rounds in your pond collecting up all the bad luck, negative energy, and obstacles; while making your coffers full. I’ll take 2 Karasu por favor. 

When choosing your Karasu use all of the typical criteria and precautions for purchasing koi. No cuts, scrapes, abrasions, torn fins, red streaks, hazy eyes, or missing scales and so on. Look for sharp and deep black coloration, the more jet black the better. The belly area having as much black as possible is desirable. An orange belly is preferred over a white belly where black does not cover. Fins and tail should be black, no white. Black around the eyes preferable.
Karasu do not require any special care beyond the typical requirements of all koi. And they are unaffected by color food, so there’s that… but there’s more. They will grow up to a nice 3′ length when given the room. Many of the Karasu koi keepers report them to be very good eaters with healthy appetites, so keep the treats handy. Karasugoi would be great candidates for a hand fed pet koi. They will quit eating when you are ready to quit feeding! Typical Karasu will also enjoy a long life span with 30+ years, which is not an unreasonable expectation when cared for properly. Koi become family pets due to their long lives. And everybody knows the critically important rule when keeping more than one Karasu, they must be kept in odd numbers only; we all know what happens otherwise.

Karasugoi are a great addition to any koi collection. They are the most pleasant surprise in most collections since they are not always easily visible. Always a conversation starter. Their black skin glistening in the sun is a striking sight to see during feeding times and other breaches. And let’s face it having a jet black koi is just plain cool. Karasu will often become a favorite fish in spite of the missing reds, whites, orange, and yellows that koi are loved for. Koi keepers who take the plunge and add Karasugoi to their ponds will find out that black koi do matter, indeed. Go ahead and join the Karasu movement.

#blackkoimatter

Want to hear The Pond Hunter koi pond water garden podcast? CLICK HERE

How about some cool koi pond water garden project videos? CLICK HERE

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The Aquascape Academy is for the new business and seasoned business alike. The workshops offered cover Construction, Marketing, Business Operations, Human Resources, and Accounting. The Hands-On Construction Workshop gives training from the best in the industry like Brian Helfrich, Chris Wilson, and Ed Beaulieu, guiding the rookie installer right past the typical learning curve and costly mistakes that can happen for new installers. With your higher level construction skills acquired, the Marketing Workshop provides amazing techniques to bring new customers to your business with online and social media marketing through creating compelling photo and video content, strategies to distribute that content, and face to face “in the field” methods of capturing and growing your customer base with custom marketing materials, pond tours, and water & garden showcases. With new customers on board the Business Operations Workshop covers a spectrum of best practices to help you serve your customers right. Topics from the workshop include service and maintenance packages, vehicle set-ups, and which equipment to have so your company is more efficient and professional in the field. Learn how to do it from the most successful pond maintenance and service division in the industry. Once field operations are flowing nicely the Human Resources Workshop teaches how to attract, interview, and retain top talent for your company and create a great place to work for your employees. Your well structured company will also benefit from the Accounting Workshop to keep your business profitable and in the black. Profitability and cash flow are a problem so many businesses face, does your company have room to improve? As long as you are focusing on improved accounting practices for your company why not learn them from the CFO of a $30 million dollar pond and water garden company who understands exactly what your business looks like and what your business needs for a healthy ledger. All of these workshops are intimate and direct, with your concerns and your questions given insightful thoughtful answers. There is plenty of opportunity for one on one time as well to discuss your concerns with any of the experts and to spend time with The Pond Guy himself, Greg Wittstock, and maybe even make it into one the The Pond Guy vlogs that are rippling through YouTube!

Be ready to take notes. If you can’t cover everything you want, don’t worry. You will be leaving the Aquascape Academy with the Aquascape Operating Manual. This manual gives you the ability to operate your business like a franchise, but without the franchise fee! This manual is literally worth more than it’s weight in gold to the pond and water garden business owner. Can you think of a successful franchise, and do they make money at these franchises? Why not get your operations humming like a well oiled machine, and watch your company grow and profit more than it ever has before! The Aquascape Operating Manual is that road map to success developed by the most successful company in the water garden industry, and you will bring that map to success home with you as a guide and reference.

The January session of The Aquascape Academy Hands-On Training felt much more relaxed than larger events such as Pondemonium. Total attendance was in the area of 50 attendees, the largest to date, which gave the ability for deeper interactions with other professionals and not just a fist bump while passing in a hallway. Accomodations at Pheasant Run Resort were comfortable and very close to Aqualand making shuttle service fast and easy. Multiple pick up and drop offs were available during the day to suit your schedule. The staff of AI was on hand for the event and completely available to help outside of the workshops. The familiar Buckeye, the Pond Guy’s dog, was there too making his rounds greeting all his old friends; and a new face was wagging his way through Aqualand, the 9 week old puppy Koda! Who doesn’t love hanging out with puppies? As has become expected of AI events; the energy was high, the food was great, chocolate chip cookies were plentiful (as they should be), and the time flies by too fast.

However, there is also plenty of opportunity for networking with like minded professionals and business owners to share information on what works for them or what works for you. There’s time to make new contacts and catch up with old friends. There is full access to Aqualand as well if you want to tour the on-site state of the art retail center and warehouse facility. Take some time to check out a few fish ponds, turtle ponds, and world-class biotope aquariums. Hop in the sandbox and build something if you like, sharpen your skills and water feature artistry. Of course make some time to enjoy the other facilities of Aqualand for a game of walleyball or basketball, get in a workout at the gymansium, or take a soak in the hot tub while looking out onto the beautiful snow covered grounds and ponds of the Aqualand winterscape.

The Aquascape Academy offers this training and on-going support for business owners and key staff members to make their business and mindset significantly better. There are several 2-day training events to choose from so pick the month that suits you best. The enrollment fee of  $495 covers the training, hotel, transportation to and from Aqualand, breakfast voucher, lunch and dinner; not bad. AND a $250 voucher toward marketing materials or future training events! There is also follow up support, scheduled webinars, phone support and interacting with the industry’s largest group of professionals the Certified Aquascape Contractors. Best of all you will leave with a road map to success with the Aquascape Inc Operations Manual.

The Aquascape Academy Hands-On Training is the perfect way to make those winter days of anticipating Spring move along more productively.

Why are you still reading this? If you want to earn more, then learn more. What are you waiting for? Click the link below to connect directly to the Aquascape Academy Hands-On Training site to get on board, and seize the day.

SIGN ME UP FOR THE AQUASCAPE ACADEMY HANDS-ON TRAINING 

Take a tour of Aqualand!

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Many koi pond keepers and water gardeners have to deal with some pretty extreme weather conditions. The cold weather represents some very particular challenges. Full Service Aquatics receives many questions this time of year on how to deal with particular issues. Here is a question that came in that should be helpful to many of us:

QUESTION: Hi Mike! I have a koi pond in my backyard with 4 big koi and lots of goldfish. We are in New York state and having some very cold weather. I have an air pump in my pond for the winter but the hole has become covered with ice this morning. What should I do? Should I break open the ice? I’m worried about my fish and I can’t see them.

ANSWER: Hi and thanks for reaching out. You are not alone in trying to deal with the extreme weather conditions, we are experiencing the same conditions here in New Jersey. I have received several calls, messages, and emails from pond keepers who are having the exact same problem of how do I de-ice my koi pond. The first thing I recommend doing is to just check your air pump to make sure it is still functioning. Assuming that it is still working ok, then the good news I have for you is that there is not much that you have to do. My company has a pretty standard protocol when preparing our clients ponds for the winter months by installing a floating de-icer as well as aeration. We like to use both pieces of equipment for extra insurance in case of extreme weather like we are having now! The floating de-icer will allow for some passive de-icing for the pond and keep an area open in the ice to allow for gases to escape and oxygen to get in. The aerator is an active de-icer and a much more efficient way to de-gas the pond and introduce oxygen. The bubbling action of the aerator adds some gentle circulation in the pond while keeping the surface of the water agitated and moving so ice cannot form very easily. This surface agitation does a great job of keeping ice open even to sub-freezing temperatures. However, in sustained sub-freezing and single digit temperatures the ice can still form, often times creating a dome of ice over the area where the air bubbles are breaking at the surface. Many pond keepers will become quite worried once that open area of water disappears from view, but as long as the aerator is still functioning you do not really have much to worry about, generally speaking. The area will visually look different when the open water has disappeared from view however just below that icy covering/mound your pond is still functioning the same. The aerator is still circulating the water and de-gassing the pond, its just that the gases (like ammonia) that are leaving the pond are taking a different route than escaping directly from where the hole would usually be and oxygen is taking a different route into your pond. The open hole in the ice is a comforting visual indicator, but the closing of that hole does not mean very much in reality apart from seeing a hole in the ice. The ice covering on koi ponds and water gardens are NOT air tight covers. When taking a close look at a “completely frozen” pond surface you will find many small openings around the perimeter of the pond. In fact the layer in between the liquid water and ice covering still “breathes” just fine. Many pond keepers want to break open the ice or melt holes, just to have it freeze again hours later (of course!). The task of breaking open ice is difficult and stressful for fish and pond keeper alike, and could even be dangerous! I’ve seen people doing some pretty crazy stuff trying to melt open a hole in their pond in freezing weather, only to have it freeze again. Sometimes people forget the reality that freezing temperatures creates frozen water, no matter if they spent time melting it, water will still behave that same way in freezing conditions no matter how much we want it to behave against its nature.

So, my advice is that as long as your aerator is functioning just let it do its job regardless of the visual cues that we typically want to see like an open hole in the ice. Once temperatures get back to above 25F-30F you will see that hole open right up again! Please let me know if you need any more help or would like a referral to a pond professional in your area. My website has tons of info as well so go to www.fullserviceaquatics.com for more help.

Also, check out this Pond Hunter Podcast on this very topic of How Do I De-Ice My Koi Pond. Click the link below:

https://www.blogtalkradio.com/thepondhunter/2017/02/07/the-pond-hunter-radio-broadcast-ep46–how-to-de-ice-your-koi-pond-water-garden

Good luck and keep warm!!

Mike, FULL SERVICE AQUATICS

The post How Do I De-Ice My Koi Pond? appeared first on That Pond Place.

There are always seasonal issues to deal with for pond keepers who experience Autumn and the change of seasons.

New Jersey pond professionals will spend time each Autumn handling calls from concerned koi pond water garden keepers, and water feature owners regarding sudden water loss and leaky pond issues. Many water features such as waterfalls, fountains, and streams will be affected by leaf accumulation causing “leaf jams” which can redirect the flow of water to outside of the desired course of flow. These leaf jams will affect the performance of many water features due to the leaks they cause. These leaf jams can often cause huge water loss very quickly.

The loss of water from any type of system whether it is a koi pond, water garden, pondless waterfall, fountain, stream feature, or whatever shape your water takes; can cause some big problems. Leak issues and water loss need to be dealt with quickly and may require the services of a pond and water feature professional. Water loss can cause very expensive equipment damage, landscape damage to your landscape and neighbors, and heartbreaking fish loss.

Autumn leaks in your New Jersey koi pond water garden will often follow a storm or windy day when alot of leaf loss occurs. Ponds that have waterfall displays and streams are more likely to be affected. If you see that your pond has water loss take a look around the pond paying particular attention to the waterfall area to see if leaves are jamming up to the point of redirecting the water flow out of the stream or waterfall; perhaps splashing out by falling on piled leaf debris.

Many pond professionals will offer services that prepare your koi pond, water garden, and/or water feature for the big impact that leaves falling can create. Contact your local pond professional to learn more about these type of services. A professional service for your pond will keep the leaves out and greatly reduce the possibility of leak issues and other leaf accumulation problems with your koi pond or water garden.

Local pond professionals will also be familiar with finding and correcting Autumn water loss and leaky ponds due to leaves falling. Pond professionals will know how to deal with local conditions and will offer a fast proficient service that will keep the New Jersey pond keepers from the much more expensive problems that often accompany water loss.

Autumn leak issues with your pond don’t have to be a big problem. Know what to look for and know what to do. Get to know your local pond professional, they can be an invaluable resource for you and your pond.

Keep it pondy –Mike

The post LEAKY POND ISSUES? MIGHT BE LEAVES CAUSING THE WATER LOSS appeared first on That Pond Place.

Do you have questions about what type of pond netting is best for your pond? You’re not alone. Here is a great question that came into Full Service Aquatics website.

Q: What type of netting is best for a pond 5′ by 10′? There are so many online at all different prices. I am so confused. Want to keep predators from eating all the fish this year. Help?

A: When it comes to netting questions, I got ya covered…

I get tons of great questions coming every day from so many different type of pond keepers. But just about every type of pond keeper is going to use netting on their pond at some time or another for this reason or that reason.  A decision on netting needs to take a few factors into consideration.

• Why are you netting your pond?
• How big is your pond?
• How long do you intend to have netting on your pond?
• What is your budget for a net?
• How are you installing the net?

Most pond netting inquiries come during the start of Autumn when many pond keepers have to begin dealing with a sudden influx of leaves falling down. Another heavy round of netting inquiries come during late Spring when Great Blue Herons are at their height of activity and preying on our koi and goldfish. Why you are netting your pond will effect the type of netting you choose.

Leaf netting needs to be pretty heavy duty stuff. We are using to nets to literally capture large amounts of falling leaf and storm debris that can weigh quite a lot dry, even more wet, and even more wet and snowy. So we want a pond net that can handle that, sorry to say but light duty bird netting from the Big Box Store ain’t going to make it (I tried, I failed, don’t you fail too). Most leaf netting will have a diamond shaped mesh weave with openings of various sizes as large as 1.25″ grading down until the weave is a tight mesh.  In most cases you want a 3/4″ mesh that will keep leaves out, but still let food in. Some pond keepers will need a finer mesh if contending with pine needles, acorns, and finer materials. As the mesh becomes finer food will not pass through and some visibility will be lost into the pond as well. Most koi pond keepers and water gardeners will want netting that allows sunlight into the pond, try not to make your pond too dark. It is recommended to have netting that allows for a good amount of air circulation as well.

If you are netting your pond for blue heron protection you can choose from any of the leaf netting because of their heavy duty nature but your option also broadens to include the less expensive bird netting. Yes, even the cheap bird netting can work to deter a heron and other predatory birds, but it will not deter leaves!

When installing your pond netting there are several methods that can be used. Some pond keepers make “tents and domes” out of PVC structures, or DIY pond frames; while other pond keepers simply stretch a net tight across the pond just above water level. Some pond keepers let their nets kind of sit in the water not very tightly stretched, but that should be avoided for many reasons including safety of the koi, goldfish, and numerous other critters living in and visiting our ponds. For pond keepers that have high bird activity, consider leaving a corner of the pond open for small birds to escape should they get under the net. If you are netting your pond strictly for predatory bird control a full netting of the pond may not be necessary with some strategic net placement around the pond. Even an upright net barrier can work very well in keeping the big birds out of the pond area and away from your backyard 24 hour “sushi bar”.

Netting materials will range with choices in nylon, polyester, polypropylene. All of these materials can be found in a variety of pre-cut sizes, or purchased in bulk as a roll. Pond keepers want to choose from these strong materials that allow for some flexibility and give. Many of the heavy duty pond nets will have grommets built in for staking down, or stretching out of the net. The pond netting material chosen should be resistant to rotting and breaking down in water; this is especially important for long term netting. A heavy duty net will also last for many years if used and stored properly.

How much you want to pay for netting will absolutely effect the quality of the pond net you will choose from. Some pond nets are really cheap, you should expect cheap results from them, broken nets, and use for one season. The more expensive netting will perform with greater reliability, for a longer period of time. How much you want to invest will be directly proportionate to  what you want from your net.

No matter what reason you are netting your pond, one of the best options to consider is dealing with your local pond professional. Let your local pond pro guide you into the correct net to use as well as provide you with a professional installation for professional results. Most pond professionals will offer some sort of Autumn or Spring pond service and netting solutions for pond. They will be well equipped and well practiced for pond netting installations. Contact your local pond pro!

Good luck and keep it pondy!

-Mike

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Whatever you are feeding your koi and goldfish this time of year is your prerogative, all I ask of you is LET THEM EAT!

From late August until my koi and goldfish tell me they don’t want to eat anymore about mid-October, I have been in the practice of letting my fish eat as much as they want during feeding times. I may look like a blue-eyed gringo, but when it comes to feeding my fish at this time of year the Italian Grandmother in me comes out. If my koi want another meatball, they are going to get another meatball (or two)! And a bit of gravy. n cheese.

As busy as the rest of the pond season may be, this time of year, the waning of pond season, I find the time to feed my koi and goldfish a couple times daily. My fish are still in full on eating mode, greedily gobbling down their pellets and treats. They are super active and burning alot of calories. At feeding times it is hard to think of my koi as a “school” of fish when they behave much more like a “pack” of fish. During the height of the season, when it still seems like Summer will never end, my feedings are a bit less frequent and alot less intense as far as quantities given. During the season it seems like my fish are burning off the food at a rate commensurate with the portions and regularity of my feedings. They are efficient, and keep a very nice body tone. My koi and goldfish are not bulky, nor are they lean; they look good!

So figuring that my “height of the season feedings” are really not building any fat on my fish, and my fish need some fat to burn during the winter months to sustain them while they are in torpor; when I feed my fish, I LET THEM EAT! Now, August through October(ish), let your fish eat. They need the food for their daily level of activity which is still pretty high, but they also need extra so that a fat reserve builds. Feedings this time of year will take a good 10 minutes or so. Let them eat to their content and merriment.

This is not just for their content and merriment. It is for your content and merriment as well. Feeding more often and longer this time of year let’s you spend some time by your pond with your fish. You can observe them now to make sure they are really looking good going into winter. You can get a count of how many koi and goldfish you have. Feeding your fish gets you outdoors in the sunshine, breathing fresh crisp air. You love doing it, so do it. Its a good time to enjoy a hot chocolate, wine, or whichever merriment you choose by the pond. And the benefit to your koi and goldfish is that they get to bond with you and eat! They love eating, you can see it’s true. So let them eat, and let them bulk up so they have a good and healthy amount of fat reserve to burn during their time under ice. Feed them NOW to feed them later, you gotta try to see a little further.

“Feeding your fish is one of the most important relationship building tools available for people in piscine relationships.” – quote by unknown unconfirmed unsubstantiated source.

To be clear, I am not suggesting to feed your fish recklessly. All willy-nilly. The rules all still apply. Don’t just throw food in and walk away. You still want to use quality food, especially now. You need to be observant during feedings so you do not over-feed. Our koi and goldfish will not over-eat, but us humans sure do know how to over-feed. Over feeding will drag down water quality, gum up filter pads, clog up pumps, make your water cloudy, and cost you more in food than you need to spend, etc. The key is to make the time to give responsible but plentiful feedings.

Let your fish eat during the late season, so they build fat reserves for them to burn. Koi and goldfish are big active fish, they need to eat. Think about it, the most they are going to do for several months is scrape a bit of algae. Next Spring your fish will be all the better for it if you let them eat. This time of year during the pond keeping season will become much more enjoyable for you as well. So get out there and enjoy the outdoors and the last few weeks of outdoor time. Let them EAT!

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– Keep it pondy.

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