ponddoc.com
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You’ve got to give it to them, the companies presently running these wonderful marketing campaigns. They hold seminars that lure in the landscaper and other entry-level pond builders and convince these innocent people how simple their product is to install and "teach" them what an effective job their product does. Their product is the handy-dandy all-in-one filter / skimmer / pump combination. Just dig the hole and line ‘er up with the pond and your job is halfway done — And it’s affordable!
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A UV is a bulb inside a PVC tube that is protected from water by a tube of glass. Water flows through the PVC tube and passes by the long bulb so that the ultra violet rays emitted from the bulb can sterilize microscopic algae that flows along with the water. This prohibits reproduction and growth of the algae and it quickly dies back. A UV is not effective against string algae because this type of algae attaches to the sides of the pond and rocks in the waterfall and does not pass through the light.
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Components of a pond system are ugly. You’ll get no argument from me about that. The filter is a very necessary part of a healthy pond and the only filters we’ve seen that are easily hidden within the landscape (submersed and the side-skimmer) are not considered “good” filtration methods. Whether the “good” filtration method is a large settling tank nestled on the slope of the backyard or an egg-shaped canister seated on the hill just above the waterfall it takes imagination and a little ingenuity on the part of the installer or landscaper to make it blend into the surrounding environment. This is where the backyard pond mechanic is separated from the professional pond installer or landscaper.
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It’s amazing how little the average Joe knows about water and it’s behavior. What I know has taken me years to learn. It’s a plumber’s job to know what each valve does and which size hose should be used. It’s a pond professional’s job to know specific plumbing techniques used in pond filtering systems. Water flows can determine whether equipment on the pond will perform as they should or become expensive wastes of dollars.
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That spot in the yard where a waterfall and pond would look the most natural is most often the worse location for the pond. It’s often a hill that spills down to an area around the deck. Perhaps it’s hard to grow grass on the hill and the hill is eroding. Instead of planting low-growing junipers like everyone else in the neighborhood is doing, you may want something more dramatic like a lively waterfall that splashes into a nice, big koi pond. After all, it would look natural spilling out from the line of trees on top of the hill.
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Traditionally during pond season one must spend an hour or so every weekend maintaining the pond otherwise the pump gets clogged and the waterfall stops running. Anyone who “never has to clean his pond” is probably the proud owner of a swamp. Submersible pumps are often set in heavy containers filled with rocks or other filter media making it difficult to pull up out of the water. Gravity-fed biofilters, even the expensive ones, require routine cleaning regimens. If they are not cleaned regularly the pads tend to clog as well.
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Before ever starting on a pond there is one question you must ask yourself – "Do I want to ever have fish in my pond?". There is a big difference in the way a water garden and a fish pond are built. Fish need filtration (and an adequate amount of it!) while a garden pond, depending on how clear you want your water, can have nothing other than the plants themselves. Also, more maintenance is needed for a pond if you have goldfish or koi.
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A garden retreat should be just that. It should offer a place of solace and relaxation — a place to escape after a long day at work. It should contain things that are meaningful to you — things that make you happy. Who better to design that place than the one it should please?
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There are professionals who know ponds and there are others who don’t. There are some that are in the learning curve and will become great pond builders one day. As backyard ornamental ponds increase in popularity so do the number of contractors who become overnight experts. Suddenly everyone knows how to build a pond.
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It is disturbing to hear complaints from folks who are dissatisfied with their brand new ponds and the contractors who built them. Often pond systems are installed by builders and fail to meet the customer’s expectations. Most often we find the problem stems from a miscommunication between the builder and the buyer. We have both builder and buyers as customers which gives us a unique prospective on the relationship between them and what can go right and wrong. By paying attention to what the other is saying, knowing what to expect from the other and keeping your end of the bargain you can have a love affair with your customer or contractor.
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Floating pond plants float on top of the surface of pond water. Their leaves are usually visible as they rest on top of the water. Their roots usually are resting in the water, underneath the surface. These plants are unique because many of them derive most of their nutrients from the very water they are resting in. Many floating plants don't grow more quickly and easily than plants living underneath the water.