Welcome to the Organic Pond Blog ...Easy, Effective, Earth Friendly Pond Care

Imagine a clean, clear, healthy Blue pond, free of odors; algae and stagnation achieved using do-it-yourself products and treatments. Organic Pond offers a range of natural pond management tools that help the homeowner to achieve a balanced pond ecosystem. Aeration, Beneficial Bacteria and Pond Dye form the basis for this natural treatment approach. Please use this blog as a forum to discuss alternative pond treatments.


Pond Dye & Clean Clear Blue

Friday, November 19, 2010

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Friday, May 21, 2010

Thursday, February 4, 2010

Pond Dye A Tool To Limit Algae

Pond Dye is a great tool to limit algae growth in a pond or lake. Algae like any other plant requires sunlight to thrive. The goal of using pond dye is to reduce the amount of sunlight penetrating the lower layers of the pond. When you limit sunlight you limit the potential for algae growth.

Use pond dye as early in the spring as possible. Continue to tint the pond throughout the season.

PureBlue Pond Dye is a proprietary blend of  blue dyes that we designed to look like natural fresh water. Some dyes have a Tidy-Bowl appearance or the look of the Caribbean Ocean that we think looks unnatural, so we worked hard to produce the most natural looking dye we could.

PureBlue has one of the highest concentrations of any Gallon on the market and will treat 1.65 Million gallons of water, or a 1 Acre Pond with an average depth of 5 feet. PureBlue is safe for people, pets, plants, fish and wildlife and will not stain once the dye has dispersed.

Pond dye is very easy to use. Simply pour along the shoreline and in 24 hours natural water movement will disperse the dye.
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Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Choosing The Right Pond Aeration System

A pond located at "University Hills Park&...Image via Wikipedia
Pond aeration is becoming a very popular method of maintaining the health of a large pond and with good reason.  A properly sized aeration system will eliminate stagnation, increase circulation, energize biological processes and create a clean, clear health pond ecosystem. The pond in the picture is an example of a stagnant, nutrient loaded, unhealthy pond.

There are a number of factors to be considered when choosing the right aeration system. Size, shape, slope, depth, elevation, power availability and biological oxygen demand of the pond should be known prior to selecting an aeration system. An electric aeration system consists of a compressor, tubing and diffusers.

The first step is to measure your pond. The easiest way is to give Organic Pond a call at 888-986-9995 or visit our Live Chat and we can measure your pond from a satellite image. We use Google Earth and can easily determine the surface area. In general, you will need 1 diffuser per acre or partial acre.

Second, determine the shape and slope. If you have and inlets, bays or fishing holes, you may need additional diffusers.

Deep ponds with a consistent slope require fewer diffusers and shallow ponds require more diffusers per acre. Deep ponds and ponds at high elevations will need a more powerful compressor than a shallow pond at sea level.

Biological oxygen demand is also critical. To put it simply BOD is a measure of the quality of the water and it's level of pollution. For example, a heavily stocked pond with a large fish population will have a higher BOD.

At Organic Pond we chose to represent Vertex Water Features Bottom Aeration Systems. It was an easy decision because Vertex offers a truly state of the art product. Self cleaning membrane diffusers require very little maintenance. Energy efficient compressors in every size to fit every application. A powder coated aluminum enclosure that is rust free and attractive. The Bottom Line Tubing is self weighted has a thick wall and drops to the bottom without extra weights. All with the best warranties in the industry, ranging from two years to 15 years depending on the component.

An aerator is a big investment, give us a call (888-986-9995) and we can help you get the right product for your pond.


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Monday, January 11, 2010

Ice on Ponds and Lakes Can Pose a Hazard

The only safe ice-is the ice you stay off!

But as well all know ice is attractive to kids, dogs, ice fisherman and skaters. With our cold weather across the nation this year, ice deaths and pond rescues are rising substantially. Just yesterday in the Chicago area an 11-year-old boy and his 1-year-old dog succumbed after falling through the ice in a neighborhood retention pond. In Cape Cod the owner of two dogs was rescued after she fell through the ice, trying to rescue her dogs, luckily there were two skaters nearby that saved all three. In Georgia today, two teens died after trying to cross a frozen pond. According the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Statistics 43 people have died in falls through the ice in Minnesota in the last 10 years. Some 29 percent of them were younger than nine years old”.

The statistics are grim, but there are things you can do to increase your safety before venturing out onto the ice.

First, ice is a complex structure that is impacted by age, temperature swings, wave action, wind, snow and natural springs among other things. Ice thickness and quality can vary considerably within a few feet. Ice fisherman are known to say, “Thick and blue, tried and true; thin and crispy, way too risky.”

So how do you know if ice is safe? The best approach is to augur or drill into the ice. This will let you see the thickness and quality of the ice. A minimum of 4” of thickness is required to support a human. You can also chip at the ice. If the ice chips off in chunks, this is an indicator of high density and a strong bond between the ice molecules. If the ice flakes or comes off in thin layers, this is an indicator of low density and a weak molecular bond.

Look for open water. If a pond aerator is present, do not go on the ice. If the pond or lake has a natural spring or a flow through weak ice is often a problem.

Look for posted “thin ice” signs, many well managed ponds and lakes warn visitors of the potential for thin ice conditions.

The bottom line is no ice is completely safe. Warn your children of the dangers of thin ice and to NEVER venture onto the ice without adult supervision and pre-testing of the ice. If you own a pond or waterfront property always have water rescue gear available. Water rescue throw bags, extended poles or traditional Life Rings are low cost effective options.

Ice fisherman, I know you folks are a little more adventurous, so make an ice claw, a homemade device that will help you crawl out of a fall-through and can save your life.

Friday, January 8, 2010

Managing Your Pond Ecosystem

Managing Your Pond Ecosystem

Ponds have a life cycle. Every pond is an ecosystem that is impacted by the surrounding environment. The scientific term is eutrophication, which is a natural process that occurs in an aging lake or pond as that body of water gradually builds up its concentration of plant nutrients.

Artificial eutrophication occurs when human activity introduces increased amounts of these nutrients, which speed up plant growth and eventually choke the lake of all of its animal life. With fertilizer runoff, fish waste, decaying vegetation building up over time, every pond owner faces this natural process. Typically algae blooms, excessive weed growth and fish kills are symptoms of the problem.

Pond management requires a proactive approach to reverse this natural process.

Consider the acronym ABC as a natural solution for creating a balanced pond eco-system.

Aeration is one of the keys to pond health. Stagnant, thermally stratified, oxygen starved ponds can be revived simply by adding Aeration. Tests have demonstrated a doubling of water clarity, reductions in ammonia, muck and elimination of thermal stratification.

Beneficial bacteria or Probiotics occur naturally in a pond. Digesting decaying organic matter is their job. When the nutrient load exceeds naturally occurring bacteria’s ability to consume organic matter, muck starts to build and algae and plants grow in excess. Bio-augmentation or adding Probiotics to the pond begins to balance the nutrient load.

Colorant or Pond Dye is a tool to limit sunlight in a pond. By adding shade to the pond algae and weeds are starved of sunlight and their growth is reduced.

Managing a pond can be easy, effective and earth friendly. When you follow the ABC approach you can significantly reduce the use of pond treatment chemicals and reverse the aging process of your pond.

Visit www.OrganicPond.com for the latest in pond aeration, pond probiotics and pond dye.