Poseidon Pond Mann: Pond Maintenance

Showing posts with label Pond Maintenance. Show all posts

Tuesday, May 15, 2018

Is There Hands Free Maintenance For My Backyard (Koi/Ecosystem) Pond?

The maintenance of a backyard pond is always a major factor the client is looking at when considering to buy or not. The conversation typically leads to whether or not there is a hands-free maintenance program offered to eliminate extra work for the homeowner after the construction is complete. Almost all clients are capable of performing the basic maintenance required if not all of it. The purchase of a pond can be a large investment and most clients just want to make sure there is someone or something to be there if help is needed. Imagine purchasing a furnace for your home and the installation company not offering repair services, or buying a brand new car from a dealership that doesn't have a service center. Clients want to feel comfortable and having a contractor that can maintain and repair their Koi pond does just that.

What is a Hands-Free Maintenance Program for a Backyard Pond?

Hands-free is a term that is typically used for electronic devices where you do not need to use your hands, so what does it mean for a backyard pond? For a backyard pond, hands-free maintenance program would basically mean that the homeowner does not need to touch any maintenance related parts. While many contractors offer programs that are completely hands-free, they will often have lesser programs where the client is partially involved or mostly involved. All of the maintenance programs offered should address all aspects of ecosystem pond maintenance, from annual tasks to weekly tasks. Let's take a look at what some of the programs might cover.

What Does a Maintenance Program Cover?

Backyard ponds have many different maintenance requirements. The can vary on the frequency, anywhere from years to weeks. Just like other house-related equipment, backyard ponds will last longer and work better with routine maintenance. Having a contractor install your Koi pond that not only offers a full maintenance program but that also discusses what to expect up front makes the process much easier. Depending on the contractor the items included in an offered program will vary based on your specific needs, but also from company to company. Here are some items that you should see offered in maintenance programs.

Spring cleaning & opening services
Fall closing & shutdown services
Seasonal Visits (Weekly, Bi-Weekly or Monthly)
Winter check-ups for ponds with fish or water features left running
Leaf net installation and take down
Equipment check-ups, repair or servicing
Water treatment application or education, including water quality assessment
Algae and invasive plant control
Aquatic plant installation, thinning, fertilizing or removal
Fish & wildlife- care of and tips for healthy critters (may also supply or add wildlife)
Leak check and repair
Fill valve or irrigation servicing, installation or repair
Underwater lighting installation, repair, and adjustment
Liner covering, including the addition of rock
Waterfall adjustment and foaming
Care of the pond's surrounding landscape

How Often Are The Pond Maintenance Visits?

Each and every client's pond is unique and the expectations of the client go hand and hand with that. Typically a pond contractor will offer many different options for their clients when it comes to the frequency of visits. The most common maintenance items listed above will be on a monthly, weekly or bi-weekly visit schedule. Some of the items above are annual or even bi-annual visits or check-ups. It is fairly common for a contractor offering maintenance programs to maintain pricing levels on a bi-annual basis but after a two year period increase their prices, sometimes even double the original cost. For most clients, the price increase can be hard to stomach, but after a two year period, the work that it takes to return the backyard pond to its former glory can require double the work. A koi pond that is on a consistent maintenance program will stay ahead of the issues and requires less work to maintain.

What About Service Calls?

During the conversation about maintenance programs, clients will often ask about what happens when help or service is needed between visits. Again, programs and what is offered will vary between contractors but here is some explanation. Many pond contractors value the consistent business that comes with pond maintenance programs and because of that, they will generally reciprocate that gratitude back to their clients by covering at least a couple service calls per month. While the pond contractor will not charge for the labor, a client can expect to have to pay for the broken equipment if not covered under a warranty. Pond maintenance clients are highly valued by pond contractors so they will often go above and beyond to make sure the client is happy. In any case, it is important for clients to keep in mind that your contractor is often called out to fix or repair some equipment or part that they did not manufacture themselves. While they will stand behind the products they install, they, unfortunately, can not control how, where and who made the equipment or part involved in the service call.

Are There Other Benefits To Having A Hands-Free Maintenance Program?

Having a professional maintain and keep an eye on anything that you own will always have other benefits. For a backyard pond other benefits may include:

Prevention of issues that could lead to a much bigger problem- An example of this could be the aquatic plants. A consistent maintenance program will keep the aquatic plants in check and not let them take over the pond, if left unchecked the aquatic plants could completely fill in the pond and require a rebuild.
Data collection- Many contractors will design a pond maintenance program that tracks and collects important information about your pond to reduce maintenance and prevent issues. Knowing when algal blooms occur during the season will allow the maintenance team to increase treatments and prevent the bloom from happening.
Stay up to date on the latest products and services- Since the client is in constant contact with the contractor, a maintenance client will know about more efficient equipment that may lead to fewer expenses in the long run.
Peace of mind- This is certainly top of the list for most clients and the main purpose a client uses a maintenance program, but knowing your Koi pond is in good hands is a stress reducer for sure.

Here Are Some Links For The Maintenance Programs That I Offer At My Pond Contracting Business.

Pond Preservation Program

Pond Maintenance Services

Pond Openings & Closings

Owning a pond, waterfall or fountain certainly doesn't need to be difficult, so be sure to contact us to see what we can do to educate you and set your mind at ease. For more educational information be sure to visit www.poseidonponds.com or for more inspiration visit our Facebook page and start following us!

Appreciatively Yours,

Cory Mann

"Poseidon Pond Mann"

Tuesday, May 1, 2018

How Much Maintenance Does A Water Feature Require?

A very important question that many potential water feature owners have prior to making their final decision ways heavy on how much maintenance is involved. Today the majority of contractors clients have very busy lives between work and family and are not looking to add to that with their new purchase. As a landscape contractor, I can say with certainty that I hear the phrase "low-maintenance" almost daily in my client interactions. So let's explore what can be expected when it comes to the maintenance of a water feature.

Water Feature- In landscape architecture and garden design, a water feature is one or more items from a range of fountains, pools, ponds, cascades, waterfalls, and streams...

Low Maintenance

When "low maintenance" is discussed it is first important to get a clear idea of what it actually means to the person asking. The definition to an avid water gardener is going to be much different than a water garden beginner.Whatever the case water features can be less maintenance than the lawn or garden space that they replace. With a K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple Silly) approach the owner will spend much more time enjoying their water feature then maintaining it. Just like many of the components of a home (i.e. furnace, a/c unit, etc.) water features can be low maintenance as long as you know their annual and seasonal requirements and when they should be done.

Annual Water Feature Maintenance

With water features, there are some things that you will want to do on an annual basis that pertain to maintenance. Checking the items listed below will increase the longevity of the water feature while helping keep the maintenance low. Here are some things that water feature owners will want to check annually:

Equipment Check- Testing the equipment for proper function is key in increasing the longevity of each piece and preventing replacement costs. When each piece is functioning properly the K.I.S.S. approach to maintenance stays on track.
Edge Check- Most common among lined water features like ponds or streams, the edge check is important in a couple ways. Edge checks will often prevent leaks before they happen by raising low edges. With edge checks, you may also be reducing organic material like mulch or soil from getting in the water feature and causing water quality issues.
Plant Thinning/Removal- Aquatic plants in more natural water features like Koi or ecosystem ponds can take over if not kept in check. An annual reduction in size a great idea to keep the water feature looking good and balanced.
Fish Health- If the water feature has fish like Koi it is a good annual practice to add pond salt to provide the ideal environment and support good health.

There are many more things that could easily be viewed as annual maintenance, but since they fall into a particular season I have separated them. Coincidentally some of the above items fit into those seasonal visits. Let's take a look at what I mean.

Seasonal Water Feature Maintenance

In the Midwest where I am located there is four water feature seasons (Spring, Summer, Fall & Winter). Each season has a slightly different maintenance approach to water features. For each season I will examine what should be done once a season, daily and weekly.

Spring Water Feature Season- In much of the Midwest, this is what pond contractors refer to as water feature cleaning season. Once the freeze is gone pond contractors will be out cleaning and opening water features. Cleanings and openings are done once in the Spring season. During the Spring season once the water feature is up and running the daily maintenance will be to check that the water feature is still running and has water. Weekly maintenance during the Spring season may be to add water treatments and remove any debris that may have fallen into the feature.
Summer Water Feature Season- For the Summer season in the Midwest maintenance tends to be a bit more laid back than the Spring and Fall. During this season a good once a season maintenance task would be to do a full system check just make sure everything is working correctly. If you have water lilies or lotus you may fertilize them monthly in the Summer. Daily and weekly maintenance tasks will be similar to the Spring season but may increase slightly with the warmer weather.
Fall Water Feature Season- As the Summer fades and the leaves begin to change colors in the Midwest the daily and weekly maintenance tasks will be similar to the Spring and Summer, but once the leaves drop the amount of time required will increase slightly. Depending on the type of water feature and the way it was constructed you will need to keep leaves from causing equipment failure and leaks. Later in the fall most pond contractors will be very actively closing and shutting down water features for the winter. This will happen once in the fall season.
Winter Water Feature Season- A great deal of water features are completely winterized in the Midwest and require no maintenance during the Winter season. Backyard ponds and pondless waterfalls are sometimes left running and require some daily and weekly attention. Both will require you to check that things are running and have enough water daily. Backyard ponds need to have a hole in the ice for gas exchange and fish health. It is a good practice to check the hole daily for bubbler or aerator function. During really cold periods a weekly expansion of the hole may be required.

The amount of time spent on the above seasonal maintenance tasks will vary from water feature to water feature. This is typically because of varying sizes, the location of the water feature, the number of inhabitants, how much equipment there is and even what type of equipment is used.

While there is undoubtedly a small level of maintenance involved in owning a water feature it is still less than mowing, feeding, aerating, thatching, topdressing, over-seeding and water the lawn that was replaced. The other great thing about water feature maintenance is that many water feature contractors also have a maintenance program that can reduce the require maintenance work by the homeowner even more.

Appreciatively Yours,

Cory Mann
"Poseidon Pond Mann"

Monday, March 5, 2018

How Much Does A Pond, Waterfall or Fountain Cleaning Cost?

How Much Does A Pond, Waterfall Or Fountain Cleaning Cost?

One of the most common questions we get as a pond or water feature builder revolves around maintenance. Water feature maintenance for Poseidon Ponds & Landscaping can be divided into four separate categories.

Spring Cleanings/Openings
Summer Visits
Fall Closings/Shutdowns
Winter Check-Ups

Out of the four categories of water feature maintenance, the Spring Cleaning/Opening involves the most work, but is certainly the most important as well. It is the perfect time to refresh the look of your water feature, reduce the maintenance for the upcoming season, fix/change the structural look of things, improve fish and plant health, etc. With the emphasis of maintenance focused on the Spring Cleaning/Opening our clients will then often ask, "how much does a pond, waterfall or fountain cleaning cost?" The initial answer we give is, it depends... Lets take a look at why.

Do You Know If You Need A Cleaning or Opening?

Click Here To Read Our Article "Do I Need To Clean My Pond, Waterfall or Fountain?"

Factors For Determining The Price Of A Pond, Waterfall, Or Fountain Cleaning

Type of Water Feature- The very first factor that we look at when determining the price of a cleaning is based on the type of the feature. At Poseidon Ponds & Landscaping we have three categories. Pond, Waterfall or Fountain. We will describe them in more detail in the next section.

Determining the type of the water feature. This feature your be categorized as a pond.

Size of Water Feature- The next factor we use for determining the price of a pond, waterfall or fountain cleaning is based on size. Size does not really play much of a role with fountains but does with ponds and waterfalls. We determine the total square footage of the feature to further help decide the price. The measurement is done from the widest point on one side of the water feature (usually the rock border) to the widest point on the opposite side. The size allows us to determine how many team members we need for the cleaning and how long it will take us.

The Who and When of the Last Cleaning- At Poseidon Ponds & Landscaping we use this factor to separate water features into three groups. One group is clients that have had their pond cleaned by Poseidon Ponds & Landscaping within the last two years. This group has a lower price since we know that the pond has been cleaned in the last two years, but also that it has been cleaned by our standards as well. The second group is are clients whose ponds have never been cleaned before. Water features in this group require what we call an exploratory drain and clean. We will completely drain the feature, perform the cleaning services and then do a complete study of all of the components and how the system works. The exploratory drain and clean not only allows us to get acquainted with a new feature but it also allows us to identify possible issues and propose improvements. All information is kept in our Poseidon Ponds & Landscaping customer relationship management system for future reference. The final group would be water features that we have worked on, cleaned, explored or consulted but that have not used our maintenance services in the last two years.

Travel Distance to the Cleaning from Poseidon Ponds & Landscaping Shop- Part of our pricing structure is based on the travel distance or ultimately travel time it takes to get from our location to yours. We simply determine the round trip mileage from google maps and place this factor in travel breakdown.

1. 0 to 50 miles 2. 50-75 miles 3. 75-100 miles 4. 100+ miles

Other Factors- The final factor we will use to determine the price of cleaning a pond, waterfall or fountain is what we call, other. Some things that would be considered as, "other" could extend the time it takes us to complete our cleaning. The cleaning prices are determined by the above factors, so an "other" has to be identified and used to see if more time needs to be added to the cleaning. The following is what we at Poseidon Ponds & Landscaping see as others:

The depth of the pond or waterfall basin- The deeper the feature, the longer it takes for us to drain, clean and fill.
Access to the water feature- If a water feature is in location with difficult access it may take our team longer to move our equipment. Access can also be a challenge for us when it comes to the nearest electrical outlet or water faucet, if they are far away it requires us to bring more hose or power cord. One other access issue would be where we can pump the waste water from the cleaning. If the location is far away we will need to bring more hoses.
Fish, Plants and Wildlife- Many water features have fish, plants and other wildlife in and around them. If you have many fish, frogs, tadpoles or other wildlife it will often add time to the cleaning service by having to capture them and transfer them to the holding tank. Some of our older features will have a well established area of plants within the water feature. An excess of plants could also extend the time it takes our team to complete the cleaning.
Extra or Specialty Equipment- Our prices are based off the basic equipment that we typically install on a water feature. (1-Pump, 1-Mechanical Filter, 1-Biological Filter, Some Lights and 1-Aeration System) When we start having multiple filters or pumps the price may change if it takes us longer to hook up. Specialty equipment like UV sterilizers, pressure filters, external pumps, or other filters often takes longer to clean and turn on, but also often requires special training for our staff.

Types of Water Features

The type of water feature is certainly one of the factors that we use to determine how much a pond, waterfall or fountain cleaning costs. So what kind of water feature do you have? Lets take a look!

POND

A pond is an open body of water varying in size that will often have mechanical and biological filtration. Ponds will have fish, plants and other wildlife living in and around them. Some ponds will have waterfalls, streams, bogs and wetlands attached to them. What we call a pond can be also be labeled names such as an ecosystem pond, koi pond, goldfish pond, reflecting pond, formal pond and many more. Poseidon Ponds & Landscaping has four different pricing categories for ponds.

WATERFALL

A waterfall can be called many different names. The most common names are pondless waterfall, disappearing falls, never ending falls, cascade falls and a few others. Regardless, we categorize a waterfall as a water feature that is predominantly a stream with falls that has most of its water supply stored beneath the ground and very little to no water above the storage area. We call the underground storage area the waterfall basin. The basin size is typically determined by the length of the stream and falls. Poseidon Ponds & Landscaping has three pricing categories for waterfalls.

FOUNTAINS

Fountains are typically the smallest features that we clean at Poseidon Ponds & Landscaping. Not only do they have many different names, but the also vary in size. We either call them fountains or fountainscapes, but we have also heard them called decorative water features, spitters, artistic fountains, tiered fountains etc. At Poseidon Ponds & Landscaping we have two pricing categories for fountains.

Pricing for Pond, Waterfall or Fountain Water Feature

Throughout our industry many companies have different ways for pricing pond, waterfall or fountain cleanings. Some charge by the hour, some charge by the square footage and some even charge by the gallons. I personally have been cleaning water features since 2002 and have tweaked and altered the way we price and perform the service many times. With sixteen years of experience and as members of Aquascape, Inc.'s Certified Aquascape Contractor program we stay up on the latest methods and trends of the industry when determining our pricing. Here is our 2018 pricing for pond, waterfall and fountain cleanings.

Poseidon Ponds & Landscaping Cleaning/Opening Prices For Ponds, Waterfalls and Fountains.

Type of Feature We've Cleaned in Exploratory Cleaning

Past 1-2 years or Cleaned/Over 2 years ago

(1) Fountain- $350 $700

Small/Basic

(2) Fountain w/Custom   $500 $800

Basin

(3) Pondless Waterfall $600 $1,000

within 25' - one stream

(4) Pondless Waterfall $800 $1,200

two streams

(5) Pondless Waterfall   $900 $1,600

26' or greater stream

   (6) Small Ecosystem Pond $800 $1,500

0-176 sq. ft. (0'x0' to 11'x16')

(7) Large Ecosystem Pond $1,200 $2,100

177 - 336 sq. ft. (11'x16' to 16'x21')

(8) XL Ecosystem Pond   $1,600 $2,500

337-806 sq.ft. (16'x21' to 26'x31')

(9) XXL Ecosystem Pond   $2,400 $4,200

807-1,476 sq.ft. (26'x31' to 36'x41') 2 Days 2 days



Additional Mileage Fees May Apply: Mileage is round trip from our Dexter location

0-50 miles round trip - Included in the cleaning price

50-75 miles round trip - Additional $50

75-100 miles round trip - Additional $100

100 + miles round trip- Additional $150

*If we have cleaned your pond, waterfall or fountain but it has been several years (2 or more), the price may fall between the two columns above or it may be considered a exploratory cleaning. We will need to evaluate the water feature condition before pricing.

So there you have it, you have now read about how much a pond, waterfall or fountain cleaning costs. You are either at a point where you have some more questions or would like to find out exactly what our estimate is for cleaning your pond, waterfall or fountain. Maybe this will help you on your journey to understanding water feature maintenance.

More Helpful Resources On Pond, Waterfall or Fountain Cleanings:

Services Performed During A Water Feature Cleaning-

Pond Cleaning Service Details & Description

Waterfall Cleaning Service Details & Description

Fountain Cleaning Service Details & Description

Poseidon Ponds & Landscaping Openings & Closings Page-

Spring Cleaning Your Water Feature, What To Know-

To Request A Price For Cleaning Your Pond, Waterfall or Fountain Click Here And Follow The Directions:

Owning a pond, waterfall or fountain certainly doesn't need to be difficult, so be sure to contact us to see what we can do to educate you and set your mind at ease. For more educational information be sure to visit www.poseidonponds.com or for more inspiration visit our Facebook page and start following us!

Appreciatively Yours,

Cory Mann
"Poseidon Pond Mann"

Monday, February 26, 2018

Do I Need To Clean My Pond, Waterfall or Fountain?

Ecosystem Pond with Stream

At Poseidon Ponds & Landscaping we are often asked by our clients, "Do I need to clean my water feature this year?" (Water Feature can mean a pond, waterfall or fountain) There are certainly many factors that could bring about a yes or no answer to this question.

Typically many of the concerns people have before purchasing and having a pond installed revolve around the topic of how much maintenance will be involved. To be completely honest, from years of trade shows, garden tours and other events when I am face to face with potential clients the first reaction when they see a water feature of any kind is, "That looks like way too much maintenance for me." The good news is they are less maintenance than the lawn or garden they replaced. Better yet, manufacturers like Aquascape, Inc., have developed and tested many revolutionary tools to reduce the already low maintenance.

The topic of this article often creates a level of confusion because two terms are often used to describe the maintenance preformed in the Spring months. One term is cleaning and the other term is opening, so lets shed some light on this.

What Does A pond, Waterfall Or Fountain Cleaning Mean?

At Poseidon Ponds & Landscaping we define the cleaning of a water feature as the process by which we restore the overall look as if it was just recently installed. The cleaning of your pond, waterfall or fountain may include the following:

drain the feature completely, remove the wildlife (Fish, Frogs, etc.) and safely place them into a holding tank.
wash the feature with a heavy spray of water (sometimes a power washer is required)
vacuum loose debris from the feature and trim back aquatic plants
re-stack rocks, check lighting and install equipment
begin refilling the pond
safely acclimate and release wildlife
turn system back on and check overall performance

For More Details On The Cleaning Process Click Here!

What Does A Pond, Waterfall or Fountain Opening Mean?

At Poseidon Ponds & Landscaping we define the opening of a water feature as the process by which we simply get the system up and running without a full cleaning. Technically the opening process is included in the cleaning process. The opening of your pond, waterfall or fountain may include the following:

A very beautiful and healthy green frog being added to a holding
tank for safe keeping during a pond cleaning performed by
Poseidon Ponds & Landscaping

remove debris from skimmer, pump chamber, or waterfall vault by skimming with a net
install equipment and check lighting
turn system back on and check the overall performance
trim back aquatic plants if requested

As you can see they are typically one in the same, one just has more steps involved. So now that we have described the difference between a cleaning and and opening of a pond, waterfall or fountain we should look at the reasons for and the reason for not cleaning the water feature.

Reasons For Cleaning Your Pond, Waterfall Or Fountain

Typically the top reason our clients request for their pond, waterfall or fountain to be cleaned is simply because they would like for it to look like it was brand new or recently installed. Here are some other reasons that you would want to clean you water feature.

The water color is brown from the breakdown of leaves or other organic debris (Looks like a giant cup of tea)
The water color is green throughout from excess nutrients causing an algae bloom (Looks like pea soup)
The water color is almost black with very little visibility, possibly from the death of wildlife (Looks almost like cola)
When standing by the pond you smell a noxious odor similar to ammonia
It was a very harsh winter and all wildlife, including your fish have died
The size of the water feature has seemed to have shrunk from either excess plant growth or too much debris build up on the bottom of the pond
You are constantly having to remove debris from your pump or filter media
The flow of water in you fountain, waterfall or stream seems weak.
You prefer to have an annual cleaning to keep the maintenance of the feature during the season as low as possible.
It makes you feel much more comfortable to have a professional clean the pond, waterfall or fountain each year to make sure the equipment is functioning properly, the feature is in good condition and to fix an issues before they become much worse.
You would like a new look, maybe redoing a waterfall or changing out some rocks
And as stated above you really like when the pond, waterfall or fountain looks like it was just recently installed.

Reasons For Not Having Your Pond, Waterfall Or Fountain Cleaned

Blue Flag Iris next to a waterfall in a pondless waterfall feature

There are certainly many reasons that you would have for wanting to clean your pond, waterfall or fountain, so what are some reasons for not having the feature cleaned? We honestly prefer to have our clients do an annual cleaning, but we fully understand that not every one does. It is important for us to be completely open and honest, take our business hat off per say, so here are some of the reasons we hear for not having your pond, waterfall or fountain cleaned.

The pond or waterfall is well balanced and we do not want to disrupt the ecosystem
The fish are extremely important and the cleaning might harm them
The washing may damage the plants, rock or liner
Everything looks fine and we don't see a need to have it done
The cost of the cleaning is too much

Many of our clients choose to have the cleaning done biannually instead of annually and we are happy to help in any way. We offer our best recommendations for the water feature and then the rest is up to you. We keep detailed records of all our water features and the factors that may change the ability to keep the maintenance low.

What Do I Do If I Just Want To Have A Conversation About My Pond, Waterfall or Fountain With A Professional?

Each and every year we are contacted by homeowners that have owned a home or just purchased a home with a pond, waterfall or fountain and seek us out for guidance. The typical inquiry that we get is, "help! we have this water feature and have no idea what to do." So here are some helpful tips to get you started with our consultation services.

Take pictures of the pond, waterfall or fountain for us to see while we are talking with you. (Typically we like a couple wide view pictures from different angles, shots of equipment, the closest electrical outlet or water faucet. Take as many as you think will be helpful for us to see.)
Try to take some measurements of the feature or be able to relate the size to something familiar. (i.e. It's about the size of a mini van)
Try to have some measurements of the distance between the water feature and the power source and or water source.
Let us know what the access to the pond, waterfall or fountain is like so we know how easy it is to get to your water feature.
The more information you can provide to us the better we will be able to advise you on what needs to be done.

TO SUBMIT THE INFORMATION ABOVE, CLICK HERE!

Appreciatively Yours,

Cory Mann

"Poseidon Pond Mann"

Helpful Links On Pond Cleanings:

Water Features Openings/Closings Webpage

Spring Cleaning Your Water Feature, What To Know

Pond Opening/Start Up Service Description

Friday, February 12, 2016

Spring Cleaning Your Water Feature, What To Know

Spring is just over a month away and many people are anxious to get back to the days of sitting by their water feature and being soothed by the sounds of the flowing or babbling water. For most of our water feature clients they must first have their water feature professionally cleaned before that moment of relaxation commences. What is a spring cleaning and what do I mean by a water feature, you ask?

At Poseidon Ponds and Landscaping we prefer to use the phrase water feature because it allows us to encompass a wide variety of styles and functions. Here is a list that will help you further understand why we use the phrase, water feature.

Water Feature Styles:

Ecosystem pond constructed by Poseidon Ponds & Landscaping
of Dexter, Michigan in Chelsea, Michigan.

EcoSystem Pond
Pondless Waterfall
Fountain
Fountainscape
Koi Pond
Patio Pond
Garden Pond
Formal Pond
Natural Swim Pond/Pool
Hydroponic System
Rain Garden
Detention Pond
Retention Pond
Farm or Earth Bottom Pond
Lakeshore
Catch Basin
Bioswale
Dry Creek Bed

The styles of water features have many trade names and can often be confused with one another. Each water feature style has somewhat of a unique way to be maintained, so when consulting with a professional about your water feature be very specific about your water feature and be sure to share many pictures with them so that your needs are being fully and properly addressed. The incorrect methods could spell disaster in many ways but mainly on the pocketbook.

Many water feature styles such as fountains, fountainscapes, formal ponds and pondless waterfalls are meant to not only sound great but to look spotless as well. During the course of a season, weather, nature and other factors will cause debris build up, stains and plenty of rank odors. A full spring cleaning returns your water feature to its former glory and kicks of the warm season the right way.

Other water feature styles like the ecosystem pond or hydroponic system work with 5 key components (mechanical and biological filtration, pumps and plumbing, rocks and gravel, aquatic plants and fish) and over cleaning them will offset the balance so a full spring cleaning may not be the best method.

EcoSystem pond cleaning in
AnnArbor, Michigan done by
PoseidonPonds & Landscaping's
Pond PreservationProgram.

While many people fear cleaning a balanced water feature like an ecosystem pond it is very important that if one of 5 key components is not in balance that it gets fixed.When one is not balanced then the others will begin to fail as well. This is often the case when we take calls at Poseidon Ponds & Landscaping where the homeowner is experiencing high levels of algae or cloudy water conditions. Our Pond Preservation Program is designed to not only help correct the issues of our clients water feature but to also help educate them on ways to balance their system by targeting the source of the problem and not just masking it.

The Poseidon Pond Mann wearing the algae
killer mask during a PondPreservation Program
pond maintenance visit in Milan, Michigan.

Masking it, what am I talking about? Well for years and years the water
feature industry has generated an approach to the presence of algae as an item to quickly address and remove immediately. The industry as a whole makes tons of money from the sales of algae killers often referred to as, algaecides. Don't get me wrong, the need for a good algae killer is often needed if the situation is out of control but it is still masking why the algae is there in the first place. I will save the details for a later blog but the quick answer is, the algae is a problem because the balance is off somewhere and that source, whether too much nutrients or not enough aquatic plants, should be addressed. The algae killer mask will wear off eventually and the result will be a higher nutrient load with more organic debris build up and in almost all cases even more algae the next time.

As you have read there are many different styles of water features and many different approaches to performing a spring cleaning. The good news is that Poseidon Ponds & Landscaping can do all the dirty work for you but also provide the education and information for the avid gardeners and pond enthusiast to clean their water feature themselves. Remember this line, "Water features are meant to be enjoyed and provide a relaxing environment so if you find yourself hating yours and stressed out, something isn't right." Owning a water feature is not rocket science and with a little guidance it is quite enjoyable.

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog today. Please be sure to visit www.poseidonponds for more details and helpful tips or visit our social media pages on facebook, instagram, twitter, pinterest and google+

Appreciatively Yours,
Poseidon Pond Mann
Cory Mann