Healthy Ponds.

The Clearing-Up Of Common "Untruths"

Other Water Garden Companies Have Told.

Upon hearing of these "stories" told to our customers, we just can't resist clearing-up some of other peoples' cloudy statements:

Bio-Filter-In-A-Box-In-The-Pond. No such thing. It is a Rube Goldberg contraption that some companies and people scam you with. A true Bio-Filter uses lava rock (or charcoal) as a filtering and trapping medium and is home to bacteria (an actual mini ecosystem) that the fish need in their gills to live. It is most commonly the waterfall tub where deadly ammonia-turned-semi-deadly- nitrites are turned into helpful (and harmless) nitrates that feed plants that in turn, feed fish. The box contraption is merely a pump filter, not a Bio-Filter; anyone who markets such a thing as a Bio-Filter

doesn't know what they're doing and worse, will assist you in killing your fish, if your pond doesn't have a true self-filtering system.

A Waterfall Should Only Be 6" High. Another stupid story. Probably invented by someone who couldn't successfully build a taller waterfall. Waterfalls actually help aerate the water, that is, they help replenish the oxygen that the fish desperately need in an artificial setting, through their falling and bubbling action. Fountains and decorative squirters (read peeing cherubs and such) are not oxygen replenishers and are not meant to replace waterfalls. A trickling waterfall is not acceptable; if anything, you should oversize the pump and turn over 1/2 to the full volume in gallons of the pond per hour. Even a bubbler helps, but a true 12-18" waterfall really does the job right.

The Dead Fish I Had Were Probably Bad Fish To Start With. Nope. Fish die from many reasons: too high ammonia levels and stress are the most common causes. Ammonia is constantly released through fish gills, urine and solid waste, uneaten fish food, decaying plants, algae and insects. Ammonia damages delicate gill membranes and prevents fish from carrying on normal respiration. High levels of ammonia quickly lead to fish death through a breakdown in the immune systems and rapidly-spreading disease.

Pre-Formed, Fiberglass Ponds Are Natural Looking. Only If You're Blind. They are the most unnatural-looking water gardens ever conceived; they look like bath tubs buried in the ground. They are ugly imitations of free-formed, soft-liner ponds. If not perfectly leveled in the ground when installed, they rapidly develop stress cracks, leak and become part of the nearest landfill. Don't buy these pieces of junk. Use 45-mil EPDM Liners and you'll never have a problem. And you won't have a junky-looking installation.

Just Fill My New Pond With Water And Drop In The Fish. Not a snowball's chance. If you do, you'll kill all your fish with chlorine very quickly. First you need to inoculate the water with "dirty water" from another, disease-free pond, thereby starting the Bio-Filter in motion to build an mini ecosystem. This can take several more...

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Early Season Bloomers

Alpine Trough Gardens

Little Gems.

Wildflowers - Do It Now

Garden Center Is Available For Meetings & Tours

Healthy Ponds.

Healthy Ponds...continued

CATV The Weather Channel - Smart Viewing

1997 Workshop Schedule

1997 Workshop Schedule...continued

1997 Workshop Schedule...continued

Water Gardens - New Products Update

Clear Ponds.

Clear Ponds...continued

Fertilizing Evergreens & Conifers

Fertilizing Gardens

Year 'Round Container Herb Gardens

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