Today we want to introduce you to some of our popular lighting kits for above ground and underwater lighting. Whether you’re planning a new pond installation or looking at ways to jazz up your existing pond, we have a lighting option to provide that extra pop for your water garden.

Lighting has reached new levels of sophistication today and customers have multiple possibilities from which to choose. We can help you select the perfect light to highlight your project. We have standard stainless steel, LED, solar and fiber optic lights and kits.

Underwater lights can be used to highlight a fountain, a waterfall or accent an interesting spot in your underwater garden or pond. Choose from an array of lights to get the desired effect. We’re really pleased with the LED lighting kits and have had good success with them. LED offers environmentally friendly features; longer bulb life and low energy usage.

Browse our catalog and see what The Pond Warehouse  has to offer you. Or just take a look at a few of our more popular items:

•  Standard Underwater Lighting
• Rock Lights This rock set is natural for a discreet placement underwater.
• LED Light Strip perfect for use with a water fall.
• Industrial grade LEDs
• Fiber Optic Lights
• Stainless Steel Lights for  in or out of pond - lighting can be used to direct the focal point on a fountain or the areas of the pond.

Our line of lighting accessories and water garden supplies includes extension cords, transformers and replacement lights. You can add colored lenses to change the display as well as more sophisticated options for timing lights. We would be glad to assist you in picking the right package and guiding you through the installation process.

If you have a great picture of underwater lighting for your pond, water garden or fountain please send it to e-mail@thepondwarehouse.com 
We’d love to see it, maybe we‘ll feature it on our blog!

Have you taken a good look at your pond lately? How’s it looking? Let’s talk about some ways to spruce up your pond or water garden. Whether you have a small backyard pond or a larger body of water, it’s important to have a well-tended pond.

Spring is the ideal time for this project, as the weather gets warmer you’ll be spending more and more time outdoors. A pond can be a draw for customers, a gathering place for the community, or the focal point of backyard landscaping. You’ve put a lot of money, time and effort into creating this space, so take some time to revitalize your pond or water garden.

The first step for any body of water is to clear out winter accumulations of leaves and other debris. Our Microbe-Lift Spring/Summer Cleaner  helps speed up the decomposition of debris in your pond. Use your skimmer and remove other debris and items that don’t belong in the pond.

Next take a look at the perimeter of your pond, do you need to trim up edges, replace stones or do other general maintenance? Maybe you need a little landscaping, like adding some plants or attractive statuaries to draw the eye. For the backyard you might consider adding a seating area nearby.

Think about adding the “wow” factor to your pond or water garden. We have waterfall kits for extra interest, as well as, providing soothing sound and sight. Or maybe you’d like to add lighting, this article.  From colored underwater lights, to spotlights for fountains or sophisticated fiber-optic lighting our catalog has them all.

Another wonderful addition to a pond or water garden is the addition of a fountain.
A fountain provides a different aesthetic from a waterfall and the choice depends on what type of pond you have. If you decide to purchase a fountain think about the size and width of water spray and whether you want to add lighting. Adding all the options at the same time is more efficient.

Whatever choices you make to give your water garden a renewed look will be well worth it. If you have any questions or would like some input from us we’d love to help. Creative challenges give us a chance to expand our knowledge and share ideas. Make sure to get some basic dimensions, ideas about what you might want, maybe include a photo of your existing pond to send us. Then we can work with you to bring your pond back to life.

If you’ve done any recent projects and want to share with our readers feel free to comment, we’d love to hear about what you’ve done.

Why You Deserve the Best Advice for Your Pond?

There is nothing better than enjoying your pond after it is completed but to many knowing where to start and what type of equipment is needed can be a confusing process. If you’re working with The Pond Warehouse we are going to be right here for you all the way. Maybe you’re an expert in ponds yourself, or a total novice, nonetheless there will still be times when you need and expect customer service. We’re always glad to help and love talking about different ways to build your pond and to help you decide what pond products will meet your needs.

Our pond supplies come with our guarantee; we are in this business to provide quality materials as well as the technical support you want and deserve to have. The Pond Warehouse is a family owned and operated company with over 15 years of experience with ponds, pond supplies, water gardening and the fisheries business. We know this business and we wouldn’t be here if we weren’t dedicated to delivering a good product.

If you’ve found our blog you’re either looking to purchase pond supplies for your garden or you have questions. Search through earlier posts to see if we’ve addressed your topic, drop us an email, or call us. See the Contact Page  on our website details on how to reach us.

Here are a few good reasons to work with The Pond Warehouse:
1. We’re a family owned business; we value every customer and will strive to make you happy. Simple but elemental in any business.
2. If you’re in the planning stages, let us offer suggestions on products based on your needs. We love to customize ponds and “waterscaping” to individual client needs. There are crucial factors to consider when if you’re planning on installing a pond, we can help make the initial steps a little easier for you.
3. We don’t disappear once the package has been delivered, our staff can assist you with assembly questions as well as ongoing maintenance.
4. We’ve got lots of technical advice here on the blog, and more on our website under the FAQ section and in our resource area. But sometimes your question is so unique you’ll want to contact us directly. Say you’ve got an unusual pesky weed or maybe your fish aren’t thriving; we can help. We enjoy a good challenge.
5. Ponds age and change. Whether you need replacement parts or new products, we have a full line of supplies and accessories. If you want to add a lighting system, we can talk you through the selection process. If your liner springs a leak ask us about repairs or replacement options.

We can’t say it often enough- customers are the backbone of our business. We’re always excited about the opportunity to meet new customers, and help them with a fun new project. Please feel free to offer feedback, or ask your question here. Maybe there’s another reader with a similar problem. How can we help you today? For a future blog post we are going to show off our customers ponds so please do reach out to us with your pond pictures for all to enjoy.

Here is our new E catalog made available for you just in time for peak pond season!

We are very excited about this catalog for many reasons…

The best part of our new catalog is that is includes every single item we stock!
Next is the layout – we feel it is very easy to browse and has an index.
We also feel it is very informative and the information  can help you learn a great deal and answer many of your questions.
Lastly we are excited that we have Launched our first E-Catalog.

In the past we have printed and mailed catalogs, but this year we have gone with an E- Catalog.
This E-Catalog saves on trees, tens of thousands of dollars in printing costs and a huge amount in postage. So many times people get a catalog and then it ends up missing. Now you have it when ever you want it!
Once again we are doing what we can to make our carbon foot print even smaller.

It can also be found on the left hand side of our website for easy access.

If you want your own copy please send us an email and we will mail one to you on CD for FREE!
e-mail@thepondwarehouse.com

We certainly hope you like the new catalog as much as we do!

Thank you so much for your continued business and loyalty. As always we will do our absolute best to serve you!

Paul and Crissy Cole

Imagine a pond fountain in your backyard, the sounds of water to greet you and provide a relaxing spot for social gatherings or solitary reflection. We all know that life can be stressful. Our homes serve as refuge after a long day, or when the demands of life get overwhelming. Consider adding some stress free elements to your garden design by incorporating water . We have a variety of pond fountains in many styles and sizes based on your budget and design space.

Water has soothing qualities and has been used for ages in meditation practices. Many massage therapists incorporate water fountains in their outdoor landscaping such as the EasyPro Ribbed Vase Fountain.

There is nothing more relaxing than the gentle trickling sound of water coming from a garden pond or a garden fountain. Adding water to your backyard garden will provide the relaxation element as well as a subtle noise barriers to less pleasurable sounds in nearby areas. Some individuals enjoy watching water for the play of light and the movement of little ripples. A waterfall will give movement to your pond and provide a focal point for visual interest as well. The possibilities are endless and the benefits guaranteed to soothe and relax.

If we’ve piqued your curiosity, go to the The Pond Warehouse.

and check out our supply of pond fountains, pond kits, waterfalls or pondless kits. Then give some thought to what best suits your garden. Is there a natural spot for a pond? If space is limited consider one of our statuary fountains.

A smaller fountain or basin would be well suited near a patio or deck in view and hearing range. For a larger yard, this series of staggered stone fountains, set in a base of black stone is artistic as well as soothing.

We are available toll free at 877-268-6186 or contact us online so that we can help you plan the ultimate garden relaxation in your backyard. Years of experience in designing ponds, consulting on installation and working to provide the best in water landscaping will ensure that you get the best advice along with your full range of pond accessories and supplies.

Already have a pond garden? Tell us about it, what you love about it, what activities you plan around your garden pond. We’d love to hear from you.

Tags: garden water meditation, pond fountains, statuary fountains

This post is intended to pass along some good information regarding water pumps and plumbing – things you should be aware of. This is another good post to bookmark as this information will come in handy later.

The Basics
Pumps are usually rated in flow, either Gallons per minuter (GPM) or Gallons per hour (GPH). To convert from GPM to GPH simply x 60. To convert from GPH to GPM just divide by 60.

HOW MUCH VOLUME DO YOU NEED?
It takes approximately 36 gallons per minute to make a waterfall 1′ wide x 1″ deep (1″ deep water is considered an average depth for residential applications). The first step in determining how much water you need is to multiply the width of the waterfall in feet x 36 = gallons per minute needed to make 1″ thick water over your falls.

Example:
A 3′ wide waterfall would need 108 gallons per minute to be 1″ thick.

Head
The depth of the water where the pump is located does not count towards ft. of head. Ft. of head is the distance the water is lifted above the pond’s surface.

Now that we know water volume needed and the head height it is needed at, it makes selecting a pump much easier. Matching feet of head with a pump that delivers the gallons per minute (GPM) you need.

EXTERNAL PUMPS
All external pumps are designed to push water, not pull it. This means the pumps should sit as close to the pond as possible!

PROPER PLUMBING IS IMPORTANT!
Your pump can only perform as well as your plumbing system allows it to! Very often contractors use pipe that is too small and then cannot figure out why a larger pump doesn’t give them more water. Always size your plumbing for the amount of water you are pumping regardless of the outlet size of the pump!

Maximum water flow for a pipe size of:

1″ = 25 GPM
1.25″ = 45 GPM
1.5″ = 60 GPM
2″ = 90 GPM
3″ = 225 GPM
4″ = 350 GPM
6″ = 700 GPM
8″ = 1500 GPM
10″ = 2500 GPM

If your pump delivers more water than your pipe can handle you will not get the pump’s rated amount – you will get the pipe’s rated amount!

Example:
Frequently contractors use 3″ flex pipe when installing a WQ1502 pump. This pump has a 3″ discharge but pumps 295 GPM at 5′ of head. Since 3″ pipe can handle a maximum of 225 GPM the pump does not deliver the amount of water it is capable of! Always size your pipe for the amount of water being pumped.

Fittings can also reduce flow – 90º elbows should be avoided if at all possible (use two 45º elbows instead). Use flex PVC with sweeping curves where ever possible.

Friction Loss (click on the chart to read it more clearly)

Tags: flex pvc, flow, head, pumps

By now spring has arrived pretty much everywhere – except for my friends in the Northern states, Canada and the UP of my home state of Michigan.

Here are a few tips to keep in mind while getting your pond going for Spring.
1. Hopefully you kept your pump somewhere that it would not freeze and in a bucket of water to keep the seals moist. If not… do that next year. Before you hook up the pump, check it over, look for issues. Give the impeller a couple spins.
2. What about debris in your pond. Take a few moments and clean out any leaves sticks and anything dead in the skimmer – I always find interesting stuff in mine too. How is your pre filter, brushes and debris net?
3. Check your biological filter or aquafalls. Hopefully you kept your bio media wet. I keep my media bags and filter pads in the bottom of my pond near my aerator over winter. This keeps the bacteria healthy. If you didn’t do that – do it next year. It is always a good idea to wipe out any slime from your falls and filter. Gently clean the pads, don’t pressure wash them as it will rinse off the good bacteria and trash the pads. Do you need new pads? Put your filter back together.
4. Do you have a UV light? Look it over, make sure it is working. Remember the bulb is only good for 12 months even though it still lights up. Clean the quartz sleeve carefully, use vinegar and water. Keep the bulb dry.
5. I recommend doing a 25% water exchange. If you only have city water you may want to avoid this as you end up adding chlorine and needing to get that out. Make sure you set your water level back where it should be. Look around your stream, pond and aqua-falls. Do you see any moist spots where water is getting out of the pond? Now plug in the pump. Is water getting out anywhere? You may need to add some water now too.
6. Let it run for 24 hours before you bother testing the pH level. Make sure you keep cleaning the filter pad and debris net for the first few days (probably 2 times per day).
7. Time to check the water. There are many things you can check, but for simplicity make sure you check your pH. You want it between 6.8 and 8.2 – much better if it is around 7.2 in a safe range.
8. Don’t bother feeding your fish or adding bacteria or other treatments unless the water temp is 55F or higher. The only treatments that works well under 55F are pond dye, dechlorinator and pH adjusters. If your temp is above 55F by all means start your bacteria treatments. Double the first dosage of the year and keep on it every 2 – 3 weeks. If you use a algae treatment do that every 2 – 3 weeks as well,but alternate so you are doing that at a different time as your bacteria. Do your bacteria treatments in the morning once it is warm and sun is on the pond.
9. Feeding the fish – start slow, small amounts, make sure they eat it all and that all of the fish are eating. How do the fish look? Any issues?
10. Keep an eye on the fish, pH, water level and the debris net and filters until you know all is well.
11. Enjoy! Now go do some other chores

If we can be of any assistance give us a call.
Thanks,
Paul and Crissy

Tags: algae, bacteria, filter material, fish food, pond cleaning, spring

Here is a very handy list of calculations, good practices regarding ponds and water gardens.

I recommend you bookmark this page for later reference.

Calculate liner size:
Measure the maximum length and the maximum width of the pond. Add the maximum depth x 2 to each dimension then add another two feet of liner to each dimension for your anchor trench.

Calculate approximately how many gallons of water are in a pond:
Average length x Average width x Average depth x 7.48 = Total gallons.
Or be lazy and use our e-calculator below (that’s what i do)

If you can’t view our Pond Calculator, you need to install the Flash 6 Player. Get it HERE!

Calculate approximately how many gallons of water are in the stream:
Maximum length x Average width x 0.25 x 7.48 = Total gallons. (This would be water in transition. Water that has to be supplied by the lower pond is water in transition. Upper ponds, streams or multiple streams all contribute to this total number.)

Calculate approximately how many gallons of water are required to overflow an upper pond:
Maximum length x Maximum width x 0.8 x 0.25 x 7.48 = Total gallons required to overflow upper pond.
(This would be water in transition.)

Calculate how many gallons of water are available to put in transition, before the water level in the lower pond, is drawn down below the skimmer opening:
Maximum length x Maximum width x 0.8 (unless your pond is completely square) x 0.33 x 7.48 = Total gallons available at the skimmer faceplate. (It is recommended that no more than half of the volume of water available at the faceplate is put in transition. If power is interrupted the lower pond will have to receive all the water in transition, or the pond will overflow)

Calculate how many gallons of water are in a Just-A-Falls reservoir:
Length x Width x Average depth x 7.48 x 0.80 = Total gallons.
(60% of the reservoir is mass / rock and 40% is water.)

Calculate how many inches of draw down there will be in a Just-A-Falls reservoir to fill the stream:
Total gallons contained in reservoir / Depth of reservoir in inches = gallons per inch. (Calculate how many gallons of water your stream requires using the stream formula. Try to have three times as much water in your reservoir than you will have in transition.)

Total gallons required for the stream / Gallons per inch in reservoir = Total inches the water level will be drawn down in reservoir. (Make sure that there will be enough water remaining in your reservoir to keep the pump completely submersed in water. This is required so that the pump will cool properly.)

Calculate how much it will cost to run the pump:
Volts x Amps x 24 (hours of operation) / 1000 x .1 = Cost for a 24 hour period.
Amps x Volts = Watts

Stream Depth Fractions:
.50 = 6″ .41 = 5″ .33 = 4″ .25 = 3″ .16 = 2″

Surface Area Formula:
(Length x Width) / 43,650 = Acres

Don’t forget to bookmark, save or print this for later reference.

Have a great day. – Paul

Tags: justafalls, pond calculator, pond liner, pond sizing, pumps

STAINLESS STEEL SPILLWAYS

Three sizes of stainless steel spillways are available for 2010!

* Rated for ten gallons per minute flow per foot of width
* 1″ inlet in back wall, dual inlets on 35″ and 47″

* Can be used with LED23C light strip

* Internal baffle calms incoming water creating even, smooth flow over lip

* Ideal for formal features, signs and swimming pool features

Internal baffles ensure smooth flow!

Part #                     Description                                  Price
SSS23                     23″ Stainless Spillway              $188.59

SSS35                     35″ Stainless Spillway              $247.59

SSS47                     47″ Stainless Spillway              $319.59

Shop Now!

Tags: easypro, fornal waterfall, spillway, waterfall

Are you looking to get those fish good and healthy this year, keep fish around your dock for fishing……? We have the coolest product for you and nobody beats our price on it & we ship it to you for free!

A TRUE DIRECTIONAL FEEDER For PONDS AND DOCKS !

The highest quality directional fish feeding system on the market today!

Stock-A-Dock takes up NONE of your valuable dock or pier space and since it is a directional feeder, no food will be dispersed on your dock or pier. The Stock-A-Dock upper unit is made of a heavy-duty, durable, weather and varmint resistant high density polypropylene. The unit will hold approximately 50 pounds of fish food and is easily filled at waist level.

The bottom unit (timer unit) is constructed of heavy duty powder-coated aluminum that will resist corrosion, rusting and most importantly varmint intrusion!

Fully automatic for dock, pond and pier fishing

•Environmentally pleasing color
•A great way to provide nutritious food that promotes a healthy fishery
•High-capacity hopper will accommodate all quality fish chow products
•Universal mounting bracket allows out-of-the-way mounting on any style dock or post
•Very easy to install and convenient to fill
•Compact and portable design can be easily relocated
•Weather resistant construction that is lightweight, durable and low maintenance
•Automatically feeds fish for one to two weeks at a time – perfect for a busy family.
Shop for it Here!

Tags: directional feeders, easypro, feeders, fish feeders, fish food, lakes, ponds, stockadock