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7 Spring Pond Maintenance Tips Rochester (NY) New York 1. Cleaning your pond in Rochester NY, let’s do the dirty work. After winter, ponds can have an unpleasant odor, murky water, be full of debris, and be dirty in general. This makes it hard to see your fish. Your pond becomes worse and less enjoyable the longer it stays like this.
The best time to perform a koi pond clean-out is the early spring. Acorn recommends that your pond receive a full cleaning at least once per year. 2. Check your pond pump and make sure that it's clean and functioning correctly. Remember your pump is the heart of your water feature and needs to be in good condition at all times.
5. Add aquatic plants to your pond to absorb algae forming nutrients. Plants are great for adding character to a pond by providing color and texture, but from a filtration perspective, they’re second to none. Thriving from the excess nutrients in a pond and depriving algae of its food source, the aquatic plants in a water garden, given proper coverage, are critical for the overall health of the ecosystem.
6. When should I start feeding my pond fish? Fish are also sensitive to water temperature, and as it warms up, you will see more activity, and be tempted to feed them. You’ve missed your fish all winter, but until the water temperature is consistently at 55° F, don’t feed them. 7. Avoid overfeeding your fish. Fish food that is not eaten will add more nutrients to the pond, helping feed the algae. Remember there are plenty of natural foods already in your pond for your fish to eat. Water features provide soothing sights and sounds that help you relax and de-stress in today's busy world  If You Need Help Or Have Any Pond Maintenance Questions, Call Acorn Ponds & Waterfalls In Rochester (NY) 585-442-6373
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When Is The Best Time To Clean My Fish (KOI) Pond | Rochester New York | NY The best time to perform a koi pond clean-out in Rochester NY is the early spring, before your water garden completely awakens from its winter dormancy – ideally before the water temperature in the pond creeps above 55º F. Spring is in the air, and it’s finally here! This season brings extended daylight, rising temperatures, and the rebirth of flora and fauna. Also, it is the time when your hibernating koi fish emerge from their hiding places to stretch their sleepy bodies. Acorn Ponds & Waterfalls is ready for your annual Spring pond cleaning..... Are you?
Why Is Pond Cleaning Important?Pond maintenance and cleaning are designed to help you accomplish one thing: Enjoy your water feature more!
You may find yourself outside enjoying your pristine oasis more with loved ones.
Can I Wait To Clean My Pond Out?If a clean-out is performed when the water is warmer, after bacteria colonies form, the balance of the ecosystem will be thrown off and your pond will go through another period of algae blooms before the bacteria colonies become re-established. Be patient, your pond will naturally balance itself provided you don’t have a fish overload.
Hire Acorn Ponds to get your pond/water feature looking it’s best! Call today for a pond cleaning quote. Let our experience work for you, contact us now! 585-442-6373 Water Garden|Design|Plan|Ideas|Rochester New York|NY
As your thoughts turn to the lazy, carefree days of summer, consider the following options to enhance your pondering enjoyment: Add a New Waterfall
Introduce Finned Friends Maybe this is the year to add that beautiful butterfly koi you’ve been eyeing at the local garden center. After a long, cold winter, why not boost your spirits by rewarding yourself with a colorful jewel such as a new finned friend that will delight you as it glides gracefully beneath the lily pads? Fish add personality to your pond and can provide hours of entertainment. Children love to feed them, cats and dogs enjoy watching them, and you’ll enjoy being greeted by them every time you visit your pond. Splurge on Plants
Create Interest With a Fountain
Whatever your water garden dreams may be during this frosty season, be sure to make a plan for turning those pondering dreams into reality. Scour pages of water garden photo books, visit our web page on Patio Ponds or Pondless Waterfalls that have inspirational photos, dig through garden magazines that showcase water features and landscape design to find landscaping ideas. Plenty of inspiration abounds to help you plan now for an even more enjoyable season of water gardening ahead! Log onto our image gallery at www.acornponds.com/gallery for more photos to inspire you as you dream and plan new features for your water garden. Have Your New Water Feature Or Backyard Pond Professionally Installed By Acorn Ponds & Waterfalls Of Rochester New York (NY)Some Helpful Blogs:NY|Pleasures Of Koi Fish In Rochester|New York|Near MePond fish in Rochester NY such as the beloved koi fish play an important role in the nitrogen cycle of an ecosystem pond. Not only do koi dine on algae, but they provide a beautiful flash of color as they glide in and out of waterlilies. Koi and other pond fish make great outdoor pets … even learning to eat right out of your hand, if you’re patient! When you have a water garden of your very own, you’ll grow to love your fish as much as you love your cat or dog!
 Another koi fish beauty skims the surface of the pond. They say not to name your fish, fearing you’ll become too attached. But when you see their personality reflected in the water garden, how could you resist naming your finned friends? The Joy Of Baby KoiIf you have fish in your pond, sooner or later they are going to have babies. Late spring to early summer usually marks the time of year when koi and goldfish start to spawn. When koi and goldfish spawn, they produce thousands of eggs but very few actually survive and grow up into baby fish. Koi are egg “scatterers,” meaning they generally deposit their eggs on the bottom of the pond or in plants.  The eggs hatch a few days after although you probably won’t be able to see them for several weeks because they are too small. At this stage in development, the babies will feed off of all sorts of microorganisms in your pond. After a couple months the babies are about an inch long and may start eating commercial food. In order to “bulk” them up, look for a food that has high protein content. Depending on the pellet size, it may be necessary to crush them in order for the babies to eat the food. By the end of summer you’ll have to decide whether to bring the babies inside or let them over-winter in the pond. If you decide to let them over-winter outside, they may or may not survive because they don’t have enough fat reserve to tide them over. If you decide to bring them in, make sure you have a large enough tank with adequate filtration because they will continue to grow inside. Another thing to remember is that if your pond babies continue to survive year after year, sooner or later they are going to get big and could overcrowd your pond. If you plan on keeping some of the babies, understand that eventually you may have to get rid of (cull) some of them. Watching the baby fish grow up is fun and the whole process is a great learning experience for kids and adults, alike. How many koi fish do you have in your water garden, and have you named them? If You Need Help Or Have Any Pond Maintenance Questions, Call Acorn Ponds & Waterfalls In Rochester (NY) 585-442-6373Some Helpful Pond Links:5 Tips For Feeding Pond Fish|How Much Food Should I Give My Koi|Rochester|NY|New York|Near MeFeeding your pond fish in Rochester NY is a fun activity that the whole family will enjoy. In the beginning, after you first bring your fish home, they will be a little shy and not seem interested in what you’re feeding them. Don’t worry too much about this; just sprinkle a little food in the pond and move back. After a few minutes, they will take an interest and eat.  1. Be ConsistentThe key is to be consistent, try to feed at the same time each day, and from the same spot. After a few weeks in your pond,they will be conditioned to you feeding them and the response will be considerably different. After a complete season, you will have them eating out of your hand. 2. Serve High Quality FoodSince everything you put into the pond is going to be broken down and removed by the filter, it is important to remember to only feed them high quality food. Feeding them anything other than high quality fish food could lead to many water quality issues like green water, string algae, and poor water conditions. 3. Variety is the Spice of LifeMany pond owners also choose to offer their fish a treat now and again. If you want to spice things up a bit, try a little fresh watermelon and watch your fish go crazy. Most fruits and vegetables will be fine as well, just keep in mind that the natural ecosystem has to deal with every bit we feed them or that is left in the pond.  4. The Five Minute RuleA good rule of thumb is to only offer what your fish can eat in four or five minutes. The decision to feed your fish is up to you. Many pond owners never throw a single piece of food into their pond. Your pond will produce food for your fish to eat and also help create a balance between plants and fish. Remember, however, that larger fish need more food than small ones, so they may take a look at your plants for a snack. Not to mention the fact that if you are not feeding your fish, you are missing out on another whole level of fun that your pond has to offer. 5. Choosing the Best Fish FoodStudies have been done comparing the digestion of protein from various sources in fish, and found that fish proteins were the best digested and assimilated by fish. Fish eat fish. Fish are adapted to the consumption of others in their food chain, so fish proteins are the best for fish. When you look at a bag of food and the first ingredient is wheat, is that the best choice for your fish? No, wheat protein is not equal to fish protein so keep looking. You should look for fish or other aquaculture proteins as the first ingredient in a decent diet for your koi and goldfish If You Need Help Or Have Any Pond Maintenance Questions, Call Acorn Ponds & Waterfalls In Rochester (NY) 585-442-6373Helpful Pond Info Links:How To Add Fish To A Pond|Pond Clean-out|New Fish|Koi|Goldfish|Rochester|New York|NY|Near MeWhen adding fish (koi or goldfish) to a new pond or after a clean-out or complete water change, it's best to wait a minimum of 72 hours for the water chemistry and temperature of the pond to stabilize here in Rochester & Western (NY). Make sure to add a double dose of Aquascape Pond Detoxifier when first filling the pond to neutralize chlorine and chloramine, reduce fish stress, and detoxify heavy metals. Start with a few fish and build the population slowly.
During Shipment, Fish Are Under Extreme Stress. It Is Very Important To Follow These Instructions Closely.Unpack the fish from the transport box and float the bag in the pond for approximately 20 minutes. During this time the temperature in the bag will adjust to your pond's current water temperature.
Avoid floating pond fish in direct sunlight; cover the plastic bag with an old towel, cloth, or something that will shade the bag without sinking it. If the pond fish are purchased locally and not transported for a long period of time, you can help acclimatize the fish after floating by opening the bag and adding approximately 20% pond water by volume. We also recommend adding Aquascape Pond Detoxifier to the water contained in the bag as well as to the pond itself. Pond Detoxifier will neutralize any ammonia produced by the fish during transport, regenerate damage to the mucus membrane caused by netting, and reduce stress during acclimatization. Be careful not to leave the fish in the open bag for too long as available oxygen will quickly be consumed. If you have an air pump you can also drop a small air stone into the open bag to ensure proper oxygenation. After approximately 30 minutes, your fish are ready to be introduced to their new home. Scoop the fish out of the bag using a soft mesh net and release them into your pond. Discard the remaining water. Never just dump the fish from the bag into the water. This will cause extreme stress and can even cause death if the difference in water temperature and chemistry is extreme. The fish will probably head for the bottom of the pond and stay there until they become familiar with their new surroundings. Don't be alarmed as this is quite normal. Fish should be fed on the 2nd or 3rd day after introduction. Build & Maintain Your Fish (KOI) Pond With Acorn Ponds & Waterfalls – Call Today! 585-442-6373Other Helpful Pond Info Links:Do Koi & Pond Fish Sleep?|KOI Fish Habits|Rochester|New York|NY|Near MeFish Actually SleepNot in the same manner that we understand, but koi & pond fish do sleep in Rochester NY & beyond. Fish do not have eyelids so they are unable to close their eyes. Instead, fish catch periods of rest by floating in one place or nestling into a cozy spot at the bottom of your pond. They Sometimes Get Stressed OutKoi show stress by blushing red in their fins and on their bodies. This is caused by a stressful environment, such as poor water quality. It’s their way of showing you, their caretaker, that something is wrong.
They Have Teeth, My Dear Koi are equipped with rather large teeth at the back of their throat. They do not use them defensively or aggressively but rather to process any hard-to-chew food they come across at the pond bottom. Boy Or Girl? Female koi tend to have rounder bodies and smaller, rounded pectoral fins while male koi are larger, have a sleeker shape, and their pectoral fins are larger and pointed. Hear, Hear!Koi hear through a type of amplifying system called a Weberian apparatus that other fish do not have. It consists of four pairs of bones called ossicles that connect the inner ear to the swim bladder. The connection of the air chamber to the inner ear greatly improves their ability to hear. If You Need Help Or Have Any Pond Maintenance Questions, Call Acorn Ponds & Waterfalls In Rochester (NY) 585-442-6373Some Helpful Pond Info Links:What To Do When Your Fish Pond Freezes Over|Rochester|NY|New York|Near MeUpon arriving to my Rochester New York (NY) home after being out of town this March, I discovered my fish pond had completely frozen over. My floating pond de-icer and and solid handling pump were not running and my gfi outlet was tripped. It is very important for the health of your koi and pond fish to keep an opening in the ice so the toxic gases of decomposing plants and organic matter can escape and not get trapped under the ice. Use this as a reminder to check on your ponds throughout the winter and make sure there is an opening in the ice.
If You Need Help Or Have Any Pond Maintenance Questions, Call Acorn Ponds & Waterfalls In Rochester (NY) 585-442-6373Helpful Pond Info Links:How To Protect Pond Fish And Koi From Heron|Rochester|NY|New York|near meA lot of time and effort are spent caring for our fish friends in Rochester NY. Fish protection is of utmost importance when the foliage of our plants start to give way to colder temperatures. Since this change comes about pretty abruptly, we figure it’s good to get our cards out on the table early. An informed attack is a successful one when it comes to predator defense! Heron, Stalking A PondFirst let’s determine who is after our pals. Predators vary depending on your geographical location. For us in Rochester NY, it’s mainly the Heron & curious Raccoon but those are the two most prevalent in the hobby. It’s for this reason, that we need to be proactive, not reactive, to our pets’ protection. There are others but these are the two most prevalent in the hobby.  Pond Predator Rochester NY For the heron, things get a little more challenging. They are very crafty and smart birds and you should not underestimate them. There are many methods available to keep them or scare them away from your pond – from plastic heron statue replicas to floating alligator decoys and motion-activated sprinkler. Keeping them in a fresh position will be sure to send an “I’m real” vibe to intruders. The floating Alligator is just convincing enough to keep the Heron from swooping in on your oasis. Just be sure to keep the head and body exposed and free from tangling in your plants. These options toward him all offer varying levels of success for every water garden hobbyist. Pond Predators In Rochester NYPond Plants Are Also A Great Measure Against Attacks
ScareCrow Another decoy on the market is a motion-activated sprinkler called a Scarecrow. When the predator gets close enough the motion sensor will activate, and the visitor will get a quick blast of water. The water will turn on for a couple of seconds and is usually enough to annoy whatever predator may be present. Our clients have had great success with this device in the past! The Scarecrow doesn’t distinguish between predator or human, so you can watch your friends, family, and even us if we are maintaining your pond get shot by a stream of water! Funny!) If You Need Help Or Have Any Pond Maintenance Questions, Call Acorn Ponds & Waterfalls In Rochester (NY) 585-442-6373Some Helpful Pond Info Links:When To Stop Feeding Pond Fish & Koi| Rochester NY You've enjoyed the summer relaxing next to your Rochester NY water garden and now the time has come when the leaves start littering the ground and our ponds. The nets are also going over the ponds, but your fish are still swimming around and there is still time to enjoy your pond. So, the most popular question I receive this time of year is: What is my fall fish feeding protocol and when should I stop feeding them? Even though it's fall and the temperatures are falling a well balanced diet is still important for your fish. When pond temperatures fall below 60-degrees, your fishes’ metabolism and digestive system begins to slow down, which inhibits the ability to digest protein effectively. Investing in a pond thermometer will help you determine when to change the eating regimen of your beloved finned friends. Aquascape Premium Cold Water Fish Food has been scientifically formulated to provide quality nutrition to all pond fish, including goldfish and koi. The inclusion of spirulina and wheat germ helps make the food easier to digest at colder water temperatures. Feeding your fish the proper food will help ensure your fish survive their winter slumber. So in conclusion you should still be feeding your fish, but feeding a well balance fall formulated food once the water temperatures reach 60-degrees. We recommend you stop feeding all together, once water temperatures reach 50-degrees.  If You Need Help Or Have Any Pond Maintenance Questions, Call Acorn Ponds & Waterfalls In Rochester (NY) 585-442-6373Some Helpful Pond Links: |
AuthorLandscape Designer / Pond Contractor, Tom Warmerdam has been designing, installing & maintaining koi ponds, water features, patios, landscape lighting & creating outdoor living area paradises all around Rochester, New York (NY) for over 30 years. His company Acorn Ponds & Waterfalls was awarded by Aquascape Inc. as one of the top 100 in North America in 2014. He has been attending conferences at Aquascape headquarters every year since 2004 in Chicago, Ill to maintain his Certification(Certified Aquascape Contractor) status. Archives
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