Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
US $6.95September/October 2012September/October 2012
™
Serving Professionals in the Pond and Water Feature IndustryServing Professionals in the Pond and Water Feature Industry
US $6.95
Request product info at www.pondtrademag.com/infocard # 1615
POND Trade Magazine pondtrademag.com4
See the Pond Industry Directory at pondsources.com
MagazinePOND TradeServing Professionals in the Pond and Water Feature Industry
MagazinePOND Trade™™
F e a t u r e s
10
14
10 Pond Construction by a Garden ArtistDave Ziemer, Ziemer Design
With 31 years of experience Dave shares his specialty - faux rock. Helearned this trade from faux rock pioneer Julian George; creator of the“Julian” method of making molds and faux rock art. His passion fordesigning and building extreme water features yields amazing results.
14 The Most Eco-Friendly Outdoor SpacesPonds are Green and Drought FriendlyPaula Biles
Water gardens and ponds are genuinely green; learn how to explainthese eco-friendly spaces to your prospects and customers. Ponds areclosed aquatic systems that require minimal replacement water, ingeneral 50% less than lawns or gardens. Learn about the hiddenbenefits of our environmentally friendly industry.
18 Product of the Year 2012There are many products developed and launched each year for thepond trade industry. The 2012 Product of the Year Challenge isdesigned to spotlight the top products being used and sold by pondprofessionals today. Now is your chance to tell us what products yourely on in your business, and what you find exciting and innovative intoday's marketplace. If you make your living in this business, or are apond product Manufacturer, you can nominate your top products now.Here is how.
20 Language of Koi – Know ‘em - Sell ‘em KoromoCindy Graham, POND Trade Magazine
Koromo is a beautiful combination of two other koi varieties – Asagiand Kohaku. There are three major types of Koromo, which are AiGoromo, Sumi Goromo and Budo Goromo. The reticulation on thescales is key to this variety. Take a quick look at what you should lookfor in Goromo and details to share with your customers.
24 COVER – Pond Bottom Drain Technology– Yesterday & Today
Eric Triplett, The Pond Digger
Pond building expert shares his knowledge about the dos and don’ts ofbottom drains. Including the reason why you should include bottomdrains in your pond projects! Pond drains done right, add many benefitsto the water circulation, water quality, and the ease of pondmaintenance. So take a look and learn the fundamentals of the bottom drain.
POND Trade MagazineSeptember/October 2012 5
September/October 2012Vo l u m e 1 7 I s s u e 5
20
36
Preparing for Winter
28 Keep Fish Alive This Winter - De-IcersJoe Holz, Kasco Marine
Help your clients feel less stressful about winter, by the easy addition ofpond De-icers. No one likes to lose a fish let alone a whole pond ofthem. Don’t let that happen to your clients. Learn how to maintainhealthy oxygen levels so you have happy customers come spring.
33 PTC Electric Immersion Heaters Offer Greater Safety and ReliabilityEd Dulzer, Process Technology
There is a new technology in town for immersion heaters. Traditionalheaters use resistance wire as the heat source. A new technology is nowavailable that uses PTC (Positive Temperature Coefficient) chips that arefriendlier to use. Learn how this new technology resists common pondproblems like solids buildup on the heater and damage from beingexposed to the air.
36 Better Business CreditMark Battersby
Ever wonder how you can improve and increase the credit for yourbusiness? Here is an in-depth article including nine steps on how toEstablish Business Credit. Learn what trade credit is and four ways toget more of it. Build your business credit now so you don’t have to relyon just your personal credit when you need that financing.
40 It’s Not Too Late to Change Your HabitsLeo Babauta, Zen Habit
Do you drink too much coffee? Can’t stay away from sweets? Learn tochange your habits now. Remember if you are so discouraged you don’ttry, you will never change. Learn how to notice your urge to do thehabit, and how to let the urge pass. These are easy steps you will learn:Know, Consider, Realize, Commit, Find, Notice, Repeat, Practice- trythem and change that habit. You will cherish the freedom when you do.
46 Finishing Up – Where is the Baby!
6 Upcoming Events42 Trade News44 Market Place45 Advertisers’ Index
7 Publishers’s PerspectiveTom Graham
8 Letters to the EditorCindy Graham
Departments Columns
October 2–42012 Wild Bird ExpoMexico, MissouriHosted by Gold Crest DistributingWild Bird Expo show coordinator Brenda Wright at 888-985-2473 [email protected].
October 2–5Watersmart Innovations 2012Las Vegas, Nevadawww.watersmartinnovations.com
October 2 –6Aquaponics Technology and Design WorkshopFor more information send an email to [email protected] Eco-Systems, Inc. 2395 Apopka Bluvd. Suite 100 Apopka, FL 32703www.aquaticeco.com
October 10 - 11Holmes Farm Annual Pond & Pet Trade ShowHeld at Bear Creek Mountain Resort. Formore information visitwww.HolmesFarm.com today! Or call (610) 845-7673 (See ad on page 15.)
November 3-52012 INFO TANZAOrlando, Florida8th Annual Trade Show and EducationalSeminars hosted by IPPCA. In conjunctionwith the Irrigation Show.www.ippca.com/InfoTanza-homeSee ad on page 19.
November 4–5Irrigation Show 2012Orlando, Floridawww.irrigation.org
November 6–8Pool|Spa|Patio ExpoNew Orleans, Louisianawww.poolspapatio.com
February 7–8, 2013Water Garden Expo 2013Shawnee, OklahomaWatch for information on their websitewww.pondliner.com
Know of an upcoming event, email us at
6 POND Trade Magazine pondtrademag.com
StaffPublisher
Tom Graham 888/356-9895 [email protected]
EditorCindy Graham 760/451-2255
Advertising SalesTom Graham 888/356-9895
Graphic DesignSteve Gray
Accounts ReceivableJennifer CorrePO Box 1985
Fallbrook, CA 92088-1985
WebmasterDustin Graham
PrinterSan Dieguito Publishers, Inc.
San Marcos, CA.
For your
Free Subscriptionsee our
website www.pondtrademag.comor call 888/356-9895
Contact info
POND Trade Mag azinePO Box 1985
Fallbrook, CA 92088-1985888/356-9895 • FAX 760/418-4606
Subscription
POND Trade Magazine, ISSN 1949-0585 is a trade publicationof TC Publishing, Inc. Material is selected for its interest to the koi,water feature, and pond industries, and the publishers accept noresponsibility for the accuracy of content. Reproduction rights bywritten permission only.
POND Trade Magazine is published bi-monthly, starting in January,for $41.70 per year by TC Publishing, Inc., POND Trade Magazine, POBOX 1985, Fallbrook, CA 92088-1985. Qualified applicants maysubscribe at no cost at www.pondtrademag.com. Postage is paid atFallbrook, CA and additional offices. For new subscriptions, additionalcopies, and address changes please call 760/451-2255 Pacific, oremail [email protected].
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to POND Trade Magazine, PO BOX 1985, Fallbrook, CA 92088-1985 © TC Publishing, Inc., 2012
Advertising Policies: TC Publishing, Inc. reserves the right to refuse topublish any ad. Submission of an ad to TC Publishing does not constitute acommitment by TC Publishing, Inc. to publish it. Publication of an ad does notconstitute an agreement for continued publication. TC Publishing, Inc. will not beliable for failure to publish an ad as requested or for more than one incorrectinsertion of an ad. In the event of an error or omission in printing or publicationof an ad, TC Publishing, Inc.'s liability shall be limited to an adjustment for thecost of the space occupied by the error, with maximum liability being cancellationof the cost of the first incorrect advertisement or republication of the correctadvertisement. Under no circumstances shall TC Publishing, Inc. be liable forconsequential damages of any kind.
™
www.pondtrademag.com
Online
If you are moving, please update your addresswith us so we can update our records.
Use the forms from the post office, or drop usan email at [email protected], withyour old and new contact informtion.
Moving? - Let Us Know
Upcoming Events
7POND Trade MagazineSeptember/October 2012
Publisher’s Perspective
Tom GrahamPublisher
Read POND Trade
Magazine’s
Digital Edition
Now you can read ALL issues
of POND Trade Magazine
right from your computer
screen or reader in three
easy formats. Whether you
prefer Ebook, PDF, or Web
2.0, you can get it here.
The Ebook (yes even on your
computer) is the most like
reading the actual magazine,
including the way the
pages turn.
pondtrademag.com/reader
KOISHI is available onAmazon.comLearn about Japanese Koi Breed-ing, Farms and the Breeders.Wholesale pricing is available.Call 888-356-9895.Also available at www.gardensidepubs.com
ABC’s of Ponds – This beautifully illustrated hard cover book is packedwith pond & water feature funda-mentals plus many little known secrets to successful pond keeping!Wholesale pricing is available. [email protected].
www.abc-ponds-book.com
Want to learn the basics about football? Take a look at this bookby POND Trade Magazines Editor. Available on Amazon.com -search for Kick Start, Graham.Or email [email protected]
1648
1600
Request product info at www.pondtrademag.com/infocard # 1669
It is very hard for me to think about winter right now, aswe are having a heat wave and it is going to be over 110°Ftoday! Nonetheless, we have put together a super lineup
for you in this issue. We have two articles about getting readyfor winter: one about De-icers and the other about a newtechnology for Heaters. Help your customers prepare prop-erly for this winter so they won't suffer the tragedy of winterfish loss this year. Remember, an ounce of prevention...
With the drought being severe in parts of the countryyou may find people shying away from water features,because they assume they take a lot of water. They would bewrong. Long time industry expert Paula Biles gives you whatyou need to know to demonstrate that "Ponds and WaterGardens are Eco-Friendly." Paula quotes, "In general, pondsuse about 50% less water than lawns and other gardens."Learn how best to educate and sell water features to yourquestioning customers.
Do you monitor the drought conditions in your area?Take a look at this website and be up-to-date on the facts inyour area. http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/
We are very grateful to our authors sharing their knowl-edge with you and the industry. This includes Eric Triplett,who wrote a great article about bottom drains, a must read.
Then we have an article about "Better Business Credit,"something that all of us should be well informed about. Learnhow to break that habit you thought you could never breakand take a look at the koi variety Koromo (Goromo.)
We were fortunate to visit New York City in July (for a wedding). On one of our sightseeing days we went to anarea called the "High Line," which is an old elevated trainline that was converted into a wonderful strolling park.Included are many water features, packed with native aquaticreeds and rushes.
One very popular stop on the High Line featured a thinsheet of water flowing across part of the walkway to coolstrollers and their kids. The water was around 2˝deep, andthe area included benches where you could sit and cool yourheels in the gently flowing water, while children giggled atthe joyful experience of water play.
Water is a universal passion, and is seen in a myriad offorms everywhere we go. Don't we work in a wonderfultrade? Enjoy the day.
Request info at www.pondtrademag.com/infocard/ # 1687
8 pondtrademag.comPOND Trade Magazine
Just wanted to let you know how much Ienjoyed your magazine. I have never writtento a magazine before. After reading yourmission and goals for this I just wanted totell you that I think you are doing a greatjob. We focus on plants, not fish. It is niceto see that you see both as important to agreat water garden experience. Thank You.Brenda Bentley, Bentley Water Gardens,Cherry Valley, CA.
Water Feature and BleachI have a water feature in my yard. It
is a large boulder with water that bubblesup through the middle of the boulderonto a bed of rocks. The water wasgetting dirty and had an odor. I checkedwith my local nursery and they recom-mended trying bleach. I added dilutedoxy-clean to the water. The water is nowdark brown. Can I now try chlorinebleach to clean the water? Do I have towait a period of time as the label on theoxy-clean states “Do not mix with chlo-rine bleach.” Since this is a closed loopsystem, I'm not sure when it will be"safe" to add chlorine. What do yourecommend? Thanks! - Gary
Editors Note: We posted this question on our Facebook page and thefollowing were the responses. Thank youto everyone for your contributions to theindustry!
Tommy H. – Do not recommendbleach. Not good for the pump,liner or surrounding landscape. If thewater is dirty with algae. I recom-mend hydrogen peroxide and bacteriafrom @pondbuilder or contact us at @serenityfallswatergardensllc. Good luck.
Jonathan D. – Time for a clean outand water change. If it smelled, it needsit. Much cheaper and faster thananything you can add.
Letters to theEditor
9September/October 2012 POND Trade Magazine
Thankfully, boulder setups are prettyeasy to clean out quick. Clean out anyleaves and debris from the pump areacleanout (Most likely you have burnedmost of that down already with theOxyclean) and find a hose that will shoveinto the area where the water comes outof the boulder, and run that hose towaste. Pump it down, spray everythingdown, pump it down again, and refill.
Standard spring maintenance for theones I've installed over the years, rarelyhave to touch them again until the nextspring. :)
Texas Ponds and Water Features –Yes, change the water, don't add bleach.It's bad for the seals in the pump and cancause premature failure.
From Gary - Thank you. Mosthelpful, and simple. I changed the water.All is fine.
The Dangers of AlgaeFrom Chuck - Just a quick note. A
friend of mine was cleaning string algaefrom his pond. He didn't know that hisdog, who was with him, ate some of thealgae. Within minutes the dog becamesick. Long story short, the dog almostdied. If they had not gotten her to the vetin time she would have died. The vet saysthis is not a common problem but cankill pets. You might want to put an articlein an upcoming issue to let folks know. Icertainly was unaware of this.
Response from Vicki Vaughan, formerdirector of the SPF Aquaculture Facility atthe College of Veterinary Medicine,University of Georgia.
Toxins produced by or containedwithin some types of algae are extremelypoisonous. One such lethal organism isreferred to as blue-green algae, so namedbecause the foam or scum it producesgives a green or blue-green cast to water.
Blue-Green AlgaeThese algae can multiply during
periods of ongoing warm, sunny weather.The "blooms" reproduce continuously,producing one of the most powerfulnatural toxins known.
Harmful to DogsThe blue-green algae are very
poisonous to dogs. The animal cancontract the toxin by drinking thecontaminated water, swimming and thengrooming itself, or by inhaling air-bornespores.
SymptomsSymptoms develop within 15
minutes to one hour after the dog hasbeen infected. Indications the dog is indistress may include breathing difficul-ties, severe vomiting, and collapse. Deathcan be very rapid, occurring within 24hours after exposure.
PrognosisAffected dogs can survive if treated
quickly; however, over a period of time
they could develop kidney or liver failure.The physical effects depend on theamount of algae ingested, the size andsensitivity of the animal, and the amountof food in its stomach.
TreatmentThe dog should be washed immedi-
ately to prevent it from swallowing thealgae while self-cleaning. A veterinarianshould be called without delay.
Remember to follow us
on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pondtrade
On our website www.pondtrademag.com
you can see all prior articles that have been published in
by Dave ZiemerZiemer Design
Iam often asked by casual acquaintances "so, what do youdo for a living?” I know we may be in for a long conversa-tion! After decades of creating extreme water features
I still do not have a streamlined answer. My simple and quickanswer is, "I'm a contractor," which is usually followed by thequestion, "what kind of contractor?” This question opens up acan of worms that I am never prepared for, as I know thisconversation could lead many directions. There are too manyhats I wear designing and building extreme water features andwhen my global travels and client list come into the mix? Ouch!This leads to the final question that kills me "how did you getinto that?" At this point I wish I had said I was an accountant.
When I was approached by POND Trade Magazine towrite an article, the first thing that came to my mind was whatwould I write about? What is something unique that otherwater feature professionals and enthusiasts want to read andbenefit from? Most importantly, what can I contribute that hasnot been often published in the pond and water feature trade?Creating faux and natural rock formations in the water gardenis what I have decided.
The history: In the early days leading up to the late 70'sthere was a small handful of rock and waterscape companiesthat built faux rock structures mostly for zoos, theme parks,resort hotels, and aquariums. The pioneer of this specialty art
10 pondtrademag.comPOND Trade Magazine
This is a recent photo of me making a rock mold in Santa Barbara for the South Carolina grotto project.
Above represents what my work is all about and is my signature style in creating rock formations
and extreme water features.
AA
11September/October 2012 POND Trade Magazine
was Julian George. Julian is the original creator of faux rockand is a true artist at a "Picasso" level. Most of the companiesthat were formed in this trade spun off from Julian George,including myself. I am what they call "a first generation Julian"taught artist. Since the late 70's many companies, large andsmall, have blossomed all over the world. The "Julian" methodhas been lost over the years except for a small group that havestayed true to Julian's art. Most others have found ways to cutcorners and compromise the art for the sake of cost.
You are only as good as the mold you make! Making agood rock mold is imperative and is one of the most importantaspects to creating great looking rock formations (see photoA). Mold making is the first thing most rock companies haveeliminated over the years. They have eliminated the molds tocut cost and have chosen to form the rock structure with rebarand chicken wire, and a coat of cement "carving" it into rocktexture. This method is not true to Julian's art form. In myopinion, making rock molds is more cost effective and looksmuch more natural; after all, the goal is to re-create naturewhile making a good living.
GFRC Castings that we made in South Carolina with the rock molds we made in Santa Barbara.
This is the grotto my wife and I built in South Carolina.
Grotto
BB
Have you built a pond you would like to have featured in POND Trade Magazine?
Contact the editor at [email protected]
12 pondtrademag.comPOND Trade Magazine
GFRC Casting: GFRC is "glass fiber reinforced concrete."A "casting" is a thin cement rock panel that is cast from therock mold. The finished "GFRC casting" (see photo B) is therock panel that is placed to create a rock formation. Mostcompanies have abandoned this method to save on the over-head of yard space, manufacturing, and trucking cost of largecement cast rock panels.
Mixing natural rock with GFRC panels: The mostnatural looking man made rock formations are a combinationof using natural and GFRC rock panels together. Whenexecuted correctly, the viewer will be tricked into thinking allof the rock formation is real.
Streamlined, cost effective, and simple: Over the pastthirty years I have developed methods for building rock forma-tions that are streamlined, cost effective, and simple. The exitingaspect to my current method is the fact that the storage yard,trucking, and employees have been eliminated along with a relatively small investment for all the molds, tools, and equipment required for us to create extreme rock formationsand water features.
This method is so simple that my wife and I travel thecountry in a SUV with everything we need to create any sizeproject. Most recently the two of us traveled from our home inSanta Barbara, California to South Carolina, to build a largegrotto (see photo prior page). As you can see in the photo, this
This is a photo of a 1200 foot long stream I built in Santa Barbara. This is a mix of natural and GFRC cast rock.
grotto rivals any rock structure in this art form and the two ofus built it from the ground up in less than six weeks.
The teaching: Currently, the trend has shifted for peopleto pursue information. We have taken notice of this trend. Forthe past ten years we have traveled the country teaching manyother companies our methods. This has been very rewarding toshare our knowledge for those that want to learn, while preserv-ing the original art form Julian George created. Teaching willingstudents has spiraled me into a direction that I never expectedbut it sure makes sense when I take into consideration that I am able to duplicate myself while spreading this creativeinformation. After all, I can only build so many rock formations and water features myself.
About the Author
Dave Ziemer is owner of ZiemerDesign in Santa Barbara, California. Hedesigns and builds extreme waterfeatures, with over 31 years of experience.
Ziemer Design4421 La Paloma Ave.Santa Barbara Ca. 93105805-636-5864e-mail: [email protected]: garden artist
13POND Trade MagazineSeptember/October 2012
Request info at www.pondtrademag.com/infocard/ # 1606
14 pondtrademag.com
Ponds are Green and Drought Friendly
by Paula Biles
The labels green, sustainable and eco-friendly are used todescribe everything from vehicles to food … and count-less items in between. They’ve been used so often that
they’ve become meaningless. Thankfully, pond owners andmany others are still interested in what can be done to helppreserve our planet’s resources. They want to be individuallyresponsible when it comes to conserving and protecting water,fuel, and other assets. Regrettably, these folks don’t know whatto do when it comes to their own backyards.
Luckily our industry centers on authentic nature friendlyobjects – water gardens and ponds. In short, we are genuinelygreen. Now it is our job to explain why…to both the public andour customers. In these times of extended droughts, nature illit-eracy, economic slumps, and green advertising malarkey, this iscertainly a challenge. To devise clear explanations it helps to startwith the basic physics of water. [Throughout this article ponds,water gardens and water features are used interchangeably.]
Hydrology 101Three basic water movements in the hydrologic cycle are
relevant to gardens and ponds: flow, evaporation, and precipi-tation. When water is applied to the earth it flows through andover the soil to the aquifer below or to lakes and rivers, withthe soil type affecting its speed. When surface moisture meetsthe atmosphere it evaporates, with many factors (primarilyhumidity and wind) determining the rate. Precipitation maybe in the form of rain, snow, or hail, depending upon the climate.
Pond ConstructionRubber, plastic, and ceramic serve as the foundation of
almost all ponds and water features. From small containerwater gardens to large koi ponds, all are constructed using non-porous materials to hold water. (Even disappearing fountainshave an impervious underground reservoir.) These water bodiesthen become closed systems, where the liner or pot forms abarrier to normal water movement. The water is retained anddoes not flow downward into the soil; the same water recircu-
lates over and over again. This is obvious to us but not to thegeneral public, which includes potential customers and officialswho establish water restrictions.
Landscape WaterVery little of the water applied to lawns and gardens is
utilized by the plants. Most passes by the roots and keeps ongoing. As a result, irrigation must be applied often, especiallyfor lawns. The average American family applies 50% of theirwater usage on landscaping. Some experts estimate that morethan 50% of that amount is wasted due to evaporation, runoff
POND Trade Magazine
The water garden industry got lucky with its focus on eco-friendly products. Now we must explain to the publichow ponds conserve and protect the earth’s resources …
even if it means using catchy graphics.
A source of water is a necessity for healthy natural sanctuaries, no matter how small. Water is required
for wildlife habitat certification, something you can help customers apply for. (Did you see the lizard?)
15September/October 2012 POND Trade Magazine
and unnecessary watering. Even xeriscapelandscaping (xeros = dry) needs somewater to keep native and drought-tolerant plants alive.
In contrast, ponds are closed aquaticsystems that require water only to replacewhat’s lost by evaporation and notrestored by rain. In general, ponds useabout 50% less water than lawns andother gardens. Another benefit is that allwater added to the aquatic system staysthere. It doesn’t become runoff, carryingfertilizers and pesticides into the sewersystems, groundwater or waterways.
Of course every new water gardenmust be filled the first time around.Some ponds use more water than others.For example, those with large waterfallsor high spraying fountains have a greaterloss rate than those without movingwater. In drier or windier climates more water will be used, but much less than grass or other gardens in thosesame areas.
Hidden Environmental BenefitsWater gardens conserve additional
natural resources besides water. Ponds areeco-friendly because they use little or nopesticides and fertilizers. Very few pestsattack aquatic plants and they can becontrolled with a squirt of water orbiological controls. If fertilizer is needed,tablets are inserted around the roots. Thiskeeps nutrients out of the pond water. In
Request info at www.pondtrademag.com/infocard/ # 1633 #1609
Rules of Nature in a Nut Shell
These simple rules clearlyexplain sustainability. Rememberthem in your business practices andall public education. They can putenvironmental responsibility in acontext everyone can understand.
1) Everything is connected toeverything else.
2) Anything that gets thrownaway goes someplace else.
3) There’s no such thing as a free lunch.
16 pondtrademag.comPOND Trade Magazine
contrast, a pond occupies space thatwould otherwise be grass. Lawns requiremowing, fertilizing, and pest control.They use gas, poisons, and time … aswell as create noise and air pollution.
Aquatic plants would appear to bewater guzzlers. However since they aresitting in a wet ecosystem they actuallyuse far less water than terrestrial plants.Another resource they save is time, sinceaquatics never need to be watered.
A common misconception is thatponds breed mosquitoes. In fact, nothingis further from the truth. Any watergarden fish will eat larvae, even tiny fishprovided by mosquito control depart-ments. Natural bacteria can also beused. The most beautiful control isby dragonflies, aka mosquitohawks. They are attracted to pondsto lay their eggs. So they hangaround eating hundreds of theneighbor’s mosquitoes every day.In addition, dragonfly nymphs liveunderwater for years, consumingmosquito larvae. Then they crawlup stems to shed their skins andbecome adults.
Water features are magnets topeople as well as birds, insects, andwildlife. A primary need of any
wildlife sanctuary is a water source there-fore it is required to get certification as awildlife habitat from national or statewildlife federations. Water is also one ofthe best ways to support local fauna andencourage biodiversity. This is especiallyimportant in urbanized areas and toattract an increasingly endangered formof animal life – kids who play outdoorsand experience nature firsthand.
Pond lining materials have thelargest negative impact on the earth’sresources but unfortunately there are notmany practical alternatives. The nexthighest impact results when chemicals areused to control the dreaded pond enemy
Ponds provide serenity and attract diverse wildlife, even those now endangeredcreatures – kids who play outdoors and experience nature firsthand.
Many pond benefits are elusive, like the drag-onflies they attract and that eat hundreds of
mosquitoes every day. Dragonfly nymphs liveunderwater and eat mosquito larvae.
How to Help Mother Nature:
12 Ways to Educate
Customers
Ponds are closed systems thatdon’t waste water. Unfortunately thisis counter-intuitive and needs lots ofexplaining. Use several strategies torelay how eco-friendly ponds really are.Make sure all your employees under-stand and can explain both conceptsand details. Collect staff suggestionsfor phrases, signage, etc.
• Post informational signage usingwords AND pictures to showhow ponds are sustainable.
• Include cutaway models through-out your facility.
• Place a few water gardens in thedrought-resistant section ofyour garden center.
• Write articles for local mediaoutlining untapped ways tosave water and other resources.
• Add website, Facebook, and blogcontent with specifics aboutbecoming more environmen-tally friendly.
• Obtain your wildlife habitat certi-fication and help customerscertify their yards.
• Become a save the environmentrole model. Partner withnational associations; if Avoncan do it, so can you.
• Educate customers about usingwater wisely in all areas of theirlandscapes.
• Showcase how your business iseco-friendly, both the obviousand hidden ways.
• Consult with government agen-cies, especially those craftingwater restrictions.
• Teach about the overall ecosystemas well as individual compo-nents.
• Give presentations to local clubs,societies, and business groups.
17September/October 2012 POND Trade Magazine
– algae. Luckily there are several extremely effective biologicalcontrols, including biofilters, abundant plantings and othernatural solutions. This is where we should minimize non-sustainable practices and provide extensive customer educationabout other options.
The Bottom LineAs astonishing as it seems to the general public, ponds save
landscape water and also protect other natural resources. Watergardens are an ideal choice for today’s eco-friendly homeownersto improve their yards, add serenity to their homes and help
wildlife. Educating people about these environmental benefitsis both a responsibility and an opportunity for our industry. Wecan help the public understand ponds’ benefits while teachingways to reduce a landscape’s impact on planetary resources.Wear your green expertise with pride. Demonstrate it to yourcustomers. Become a local environmental leader.
Decades ago Paula Biles becameenamored with aquatic plants,especially lotus. Since then she haslectured and had numerousphotographs and articles published.She also co-authored the award-winning book, The Lotus: Know It andGrow It, with Kelly Billing. Most
recently, Paula began teaching about photography andconsulting on small business marketing.
Paula can be reached at:
941.758.2926 or [email protected]
About the Author
Water features (even meandering brooks) are closed systemsthat retain and recirculate water. Make sure customers
realize this. Use signage and cut-way models.
Ponds and Water Conservation — A Case Study
Tropical Aquaculture Laboratories (TAL) coined theterm xeriscape ponds many years ago in Florida, wheredrought is an ongoing problem. As part of the agriculturalextension service TAL wanted to demonstrate ponds’ waterconservation qualities. They built a water garden attachedto the front of their building. It depended entirely on rain-water from the roof and didn’t have any fountains, pumps,or filters. TAL relied on Mother Nature to provide the water,filtration (plants), and pest control (mosquito fish). Theirxeriscape pond became the perfect teaching tool, seen byeveryone who entered the building.
Unless you tell them, customers won’t see or understand themany hidden benefits of water gardens. Besides saving
water, they reduce fertilizer and pesticide usage.
18 POND Trade Magazine pondtrademag.com
Timeline• Entry close September 30, 2012• Winners Announced at INFO-Tanza (the IPPCA
event) in Orlando, Florida, November 2012• Winners Announced on Facebook, Twitter and our
Website (pondtrademag.com) November 2012• Winners published in POND Trade Magazine
January/February 2013 Issue
Two Classifications• Pond Equipment (like filters, pumps, skimmers...)
• Pond Products (like water treatments, food, meds. ...)
AwardsProduct of the Year OverallProduct of the Year Honorable Mention
Top Seller, Key Product and New for each Category• Pond Equipment – 1st and 2nd Place• Pond Products – 1st and 2nd Place
Total of 14 Awards
JudgingWinners will be selected through a compilation of
nominations submitted, and votes by a select group ofindustry professionals, including pond contractors, pondretailers and distributors.
EligibilityEquipment/Products may be nominated by anyone sellingpond products either retail or installed, or by the manufac-turer or distributor. Products nominated for the New Prod-
ucts category must be released for sale between Sept. 1,2011 and August 31, 2012. No Entry Fee.
POND Trade MagazinePO Box 1985Fallbrook, CA 92088800/484-4767 [email protected]
ShinMaywa Norus XP pump was the Overall winner in the2011 Challenge. Tom Graham, POND Trade Magazine
presented award to Art Hantla, Fielding Pump Company
Entry Deadline is September 30, 2012
Three CategoriesTop Seller • Key Product • New Product
New FormatNominations Now Open
Make your selections now at pondtrademag.com/productoftheyear
(one entry per person please)
Contractors/Retailers tell uswhat products are the most important to your business
19POND Trade MagazineSeptember/October 2012
Request info at www.pondtrademag.com/infocard/ # 1639 # 1675
20 pondtrademag.comPOND Trade Magazine
Tom and Cindy’s Goromo – won Best in Class Goromo at theKoi Club of San Diego’s 3rd Annual Koi Show April 1989.
Photo by Tom Graham
21September/October 2012 POND Trade Magazine
by Cindy GrahamPOND Trade Magazine
Some may be confused by the variety calledKoromo, as the koi of that variety are known asGoromo. A Goromo is a white koi with a red
Kohaku- like pattern where the scales over the red havedistinct black, grey or blue reticulation (sharp quartermoon edging). This coloration varies from a light brush-ing to nearly opaque blue or black.
Goromo fall into three primary sub-classifications:
Ai Goromo, the reticulation on the red scales has alight blue cast.
Sumi Goromo, the reticulation is black and heavierthan the Ai Goromo
Budo Goromo, the reticulation on the red scalesgives a purplish or grape colored appearance.
Asagi + Kohaku
= Goromo
22 pondtrademag.comPOND Trade Magazine
Ai – Indigo Blue
Sumi – Black
Budo – Purplish
In Japanese, the word Goromo means robed. The scaleslook like they are robed with color. The blue or black on thered can look similar to the netting on an Asagi. Goromo wereactually created by crossing Kohaku with Asagi, yielding thenet pattern. In the Goromo the net pattern should only appearon the red areas.
The white should be very white; this helps make the colorpattern stand out. In addition, the kiwa (edge of pattern) shouldbe very sharp. Since this is also a variation of Kohaku, thepattern should be like a good Kohaku.
Many koi showscombine Goromo andGoshiki into a singleclass for judging, asGoshiki and Goromohave some similarities.A Goshiki is a cross ofa Sanke and Asagi.While the varieties aresimilar in some ways,they are each uniqueand dramatic. Ideally,the netting on amodern Goshiki isexactly opposite of aGoromo, with netting on the white (or light blue/gray) areasonly where Goromo should have no netting on the white.
Negatives to watch out for are unevenness of the reticula-tion pattern, weak or unbalanced placement of the red patches.Black spots are also considered a negative, however if theyapproach the size and quality of a Sanke, they are sometimescalled a Goromo Sanke.
When selling young Goromo those where the black nettingis lighter are more valuable, as black will always darken as thekoi ages. If the reticulation is dark as a yearling, it could welloverwhelm the red when the koi matures. While it is difficultto predict how the black or blue will develop the white shouldbe clean, with no freckles or other black spots. Remember topoint out to your customers Goromo with nicely balancedKohaku (red) patterns.
Goromo can be a striking addition to a customer's pond.Your customers will enjoy watching them change as they matureover the years. They will want to collect different varieties, andwill search out better quality choices as their eye for the varietyimproves. Happy selling.
HINT: The pluralfor Goromo is alsoGoromo, so you cansee one Goromo or adozen Goromo, justlike Koi. One Koi ormany Koi.
See the Kohaku pattern (red patches) and then
the black markings on the colored scales.
23POND Trade MagazineSeptember/October 2012
Request info at www.pondtrademag.com/infocard/ # 1630 # 1663
24 pondtrademag.com
Pond Bottom Drain TechnologyYesterday & Today
POND Trade Magazine
by Eric TriplettThe Pond Digger
In the last decade bottom drain technology for ponds hascome a long way. Yet much of the educational materialavailable for bottom drain installation is either swimming
pool technology or dated koi pond technology. That combined with some clever marketing by an equip-
ment manufacturer to discourage pond drain installations, it's no wonder that contractors and homeowners still sadlymisunderstand bottom drains.
Why would you want a bottom drain for your pond? Thereason is simple! REDUCE MAINTENANCE. Pond drainsdone right remove organics from the pond and create a uniquedynamic in the pond's circulation system.
This is a typical construction detail on an eco-system pond or water garden with aquatic plant shelves and a thin layer ofsmooth ornamental gravel across the bottom of the pond. The ornamental gravel serves as a place for benefical bacteria
to colonize to help manage sludge and debris that typcially settles to the bottom of a pond. Bottom drains can be installed into rock and gravel ponds too, with just a little extra work.
Figure 1Figure 1
25September/October 2012 POND Trade Magazine
Water Garden/Eco-System ponds rely on beneficial bacteriacolonies to breakdown fish waste and other organics such asleaves, pine needles, pollens, dust and all other forms of water-logged debris that typically settles on the bottom of a pond.
Water Garden/Eco-System ponds typically rely on ashallow bed of gravel on the bottom of the pond to helpmanage organics because it serves as a place for beneficial bacte-ria to colonize. (See Figure 1.) The gravel needs to be managedregularly to avoid undesirable conditions for beneficial bacteriacolonies. As a rule, this requires draining the pond each springin order to wash and clean the gravel bed.
A dedicated koi pond, on the other hand, is completelyopposite and traditionally will not have gravel in the pond. (SeeFigure 2.) Dedicated koi ponds rely on a bottom drain (ordrains), circulation jets, aeration and pond vacuums to keep thepond free of debris. This eliminates the need to drain the pondannually for cleaning.
Only within the last decade has a bottom drain beencommercially available with an air diffuser built into the unitto optimize efficiency of the bottom drain's ability to capturesolids. You can visit just about any specialty koi dealer acrossAmerica and witness the change in technology first hand! Any
display pond at a koi specialty facility that is older than 2003will likely not have an aerated bottom drain!
I would be very surprised if you find a display pond at aspecialty koi dealer’s establishment that is seven years or olderWITH an aerated bottom drain, and would say you are at afacility that has helped pioneer aerated drains. Please spendmoney with them! They deserve your financial support for their efforts!
Advances in bottom drain technology are extremely exciting to our organization. It is only because of theseadvancements in Pond Bottom Drain Technology within the lastfew years that we even offer pond drain installations today. Our construction team has offered pond drain installationssince 2007 and we have made it a point to really begineducating and promoting bottom drains as part of our ponddesign consultations.
We help our clients determine what size bottom drain isbest for their pond, show them how to determine optimal flowrates for their drains, explain how proper use of aerationcomplements a pond drain's ability to remove solids andexplain the fundamentals we use for designing bottom drainsinto koi pond systems.
Here is an example of a cross section detail of a dedicated Koi pond. Typically, a dedicated Koi pond will have a deeper excavation and the bottom of the pond sloped towards a low point in the pond where a bottom drain would be
stategically placed to capture heavy solids. Instead of using gravel to help manage the pond's eco-system, koi ponds rely on technology with U.V. clarifiers, settlement tanks and large biological filters.
Figure 2Figure 2
26 pondtrademag.comPOND Trade Magazine
through the bottom drain line to fill the pre-filter. Believe it ornot, it's only in the last decade gravity fed settlement units havebecome commercially available as a proprietary product frompond equipment manufacturers.
Some of the construction options for gravity flow installa-tions are more difficult to install than others. Of course the costof gravity flowing your pond drain to a determined pre-filtervaries greatly and as you can imagine, the more difficult andcostly the installation, the easier the maintenance.
Whichever the case, I am not a fan of plumbing bottomdrains directly to the pump and I will NOT assume the reasonsare obvious. If you use direct suction pond drain technology ina koi pond, here is what you set yourself or your client up for.
Fish poop, among other things, makes its way to the directsuction drain (typically 2˝ or 2 1/2˝ PVC line) and is rapidlysent to a strainer basket in front of a pond pump. Fish poop isblended up "Margarita style," without the ice, yummy flavoror intoxicating effect, and is sent to a pond filter in an extremelymessy way.
For you pond keepers below the age of 21 we will refer toit as a Fish Poop Smoothie. The strainer basket in front of thepond pump likely needs to be opened and cleaned a minimumof once a week; however I have seen extreme cases where home-owners were cleaning their strainer basket several times a week!Because of a well-designed Gravity Flow Pre-Filtration System,by Kent Wallace of Living Water Solutions, I clean the leaf trapon my pump only TWICE A YEAR whether it needs it or not.
I’m hoping we all agree that gravity flow technology is thesuperior construction method over direct suction technology,so lets segway to some speed limits we need to recognize. Mostponds will require 3˝ or 4˝ bottom drains so we will only coverthese pipe sizes in this exercise.
3˝ Gravity Flow Bottom Drain Installations optimally havea flow rate of approximately 1500 to 1800 gallons per hour andwill service an 8´ diameter pond bottom nicely.
4˝ Gravity Flow Bottom Drain Installations optimally havea flow rate of approximately 3000 to 3600 gallons per hour andwill service a 10´ diameter pond bottom nicely.
Pond Drain Dos & Don'ts
We only recommend gravity flow bottom drain installa-tions into pre-filter separation systems as opposed to directsuction drain installations. Gravity flow means we are plumbingthe bottom drain to a pre-filtration unit and from the pre-filtra-tion unit we are pulling water with an external pond pump andsending clear water to filtration. For example, the bottom draincan be plumbed to a settling chamber, a settlement tank, a sievepre-filter or pond skimmer.
In a gravity flow installation your pre-filter will be at thesame water level as your pond and by removing water from thispre-filter, the law of gravity is pulling water from the pond
27September/October 2012 POND Trade Magazine
Please do not ignore these speed limits like we know youdo on the freeway! If you flow water faster than these speedlimits the velocity of the water will begin to break up solids suchas fish poop defeating one of our main purposes and on the flipside, if you flow too little water, you aren't removing solids fromthe pond in the most effective manner possible.
The service diameter of the gravity flow bottom drain canbe enhanced greatly by a bowled excavation with the draininstalled at the lowest point of the pond and current jets flowingwater in a circular pattern around the pond drain. Additionally,you can increase the area of influence around the bottom drainby the induction of air just above the anti-vortex cover. Airdrains are the most recent innovation readily available from koispecialty part manufacturers.
Current jets can be designed in the pond to create a slowvortex, spinning solids to the bottom and heavy aeration fromthe top of the bottom drain actually pulls neutrally buoyantsolids (like fish poop) directly into the suction of the GravityFlow Bottom Drain. I would say with these additions to a ponddrain installation, IF YOU WANTED TO PUSH THELIMITS, you could extend the service diameter of a 3˝ bottomdrain to 12´ and a 4˝ bottom to 14´.
Use these Bottom Drain Fundamentals that we use toprofessionally design koi ponds each day. Keep in mind thatthe length and width of your pond will determine the recom-mended size & quantity of bottom drains. The number ofdrains (combined with total pond gallons and number of skim-mers) will help us determine what size pond pump is necessaryfor the life support system of the pond.
I was never a wiz in History back in school but we sure canlearn a lot about pond construction by keeping a watchful eye
on techniques and philosophies used over the years. TheBottom Drain philosophies of today are certainly on the riseand I predict could become mainstream in the industry as a standard item in all new pond construction, water gardens,eco-systems and dedicated koi ponds alike.
Eric Triplett, The Pond Digger,owns and operates The PondDigger, Waterscape Design andConstruction Company, based in Redlands, California. ThePond Digger specializes in ‘Touching Peoples Lives WithWater’ with ecologically friendly, low-maintenance,waterscapes for fish and aquatic plants, but moreimportantly, for people!
Exotic Waterscapes31710 Dunlap Blvd.Yucaipa, CA 92399(800) 522-5043www.theponddigger.com • [email protected]
About the Author
28 pondtrademag.comPOND Trade Magazine
by Joe HolzKasco Marine
Amajor fear of any fish pond owner here in thenorth is winterkill. Simply using a De-Icer,Diffuser, or Water Circulator will create an
opening and maintain an ice-free area to allow for properoxygen levels and limit the chances of a winterkill situation this winter.
29September/October 2012 POND Trade Magazine
Winterkill is caused by a lack ofoxygen under the ice. Large amounts ofsnow and ice encase ponds and preventoxygen from being added to the water byeffectively limiting light penetration andoxygen transfer at the air/water interface.Most plants will die off during this timebecause sunlight is severely limited andblocked from the snow/ice layer. This isa double whammy. First, you have noadded oxygen from photosynthesis sincethe plants die. Second, the increasingload of organic matter creates higherBiological/ Oxygen Demand with bacte-ria consuming both oxygen and theorganics. Fish will eventually run out ofoxygen and may die.
A simple way to prevent all thistrouble in large ponds is to maintain anopen water area. Cold water has theability to hold large amounts of oxygenvs. warm water. Therefore, simply expos-ing water to the atmosphere will allowsufficient amounts of oxygen to beabsorbed into the water and maintainhealthy DO (Dissolved Oxygen) levelsfor fish and other living organisms.
Some studies suggest as little as 1-2%of the surface area need to be ice free toprevent winterkill situations. This caneasily be achieved using a De-Icer,Diffuser, or Water Circulator. Theseproducts work by pushing/movingwarmer bottom water that is heated bythe earth up to the surface to remove andprevent ice formation. All of these prod-ucts produce large volumes of water flow,but do not splash the water at the surface.In fact, splashing will expose water to theair too much and can cause super coolingwhich will drop the water temperaturesto dangerous levels for the fish and, inshallow ponds, can virtually create a giantslush pit.
De-Icers and Water Circulators canbe mounted on horizontal floats at thesurface, rigid mounted to a dock, piling,or wall with a Dock Mount, or hungbelow boats and docks with ropes.Diffusers, such as Robust-Aire, use a
Request info at www.pondtrademag.com/infocard/ # 1654 #1678
30 pondtrademag.comPOND Trade Magazine
compressor mounted on shore to pumpair to the bottom of the pond which thenturns large volumes of water. With anyof these choices, it is best to position ator near the deeper portions of the ponds.Diffusers are typically best in 8´+ depths.The Horizontal Floats often are not the best choice for extreme northerntemperatures as they do not have as
much access to the warmer, deeper water,but work very well in more moderatetemperature areas.
In small, shallow backyard pondsand water gardens, these types of devicesare often too large and will not workeffectively in these applications. It is bestto use small pond heaters for de-icingthese ponds as the larger devices will
move too much water volume and createa super cooling situation.
This year, put your customers’ mindsat ease by installing a de-icing productand protect their fish and pond invest-ment from winter’s worse. Not only willit bring you business in a slower time ofyear, but it will save you and yourcustomers the head and heart aches froma pond full of dead fish.
Joe Holz works in an outsidesales capacity at Kasco Marine,Inc. and also handles internationalsales for the company. KascoMarine, Inc. is the world leader inmarine De-Icing equipment, alongwith aeration, fountain, and water circulation products. Contact Joe at [email protected].
www.kascomarine.comwww.de-icer.com
About theAuthor
One sample of some De-Icers
31POND Trade MagazineSeptember/October 2012 Request info at www.pondtrademag.com/infocard/ # 1601
32 pondtrademag.comPOND Trade Magazine
Request info at www.pondtrademag.com/infocard/ # 1636 # 1657
33September/October 2012 POND Trade Magazine
by Ed DulzerProcess Technology
Are you taking advantage of a new heater technology toimprove your business and keep your customers’ koiand other fish alive this winter?
Until now aquaculture immersion heaters have used aninternal resistance wire as the heat source. Now there are elec-tric immersion heaters available using PTC (PositiveTemperature Coefficient) ceramic chips as the heat source.Heaters using PTC offer advantages over traditional resistanceheaters including increased safety, greater reliability, and a loweroperating cost.
Electric heaters made with resistance wire:
Traditional immersion heaters use “resistance wire” as thesource of heat. Resistance wire is commonly used in toastersand electric water heaters and is usually a nickel/chromiumalloy. It will typically heat to around 900°F.
When an electric immersion heater using resistance wireoperates in air or becomes covered with solid buildup (such asfish waste), the heat is not able to dissipate quickly enough.This results in a rapid increase in operating temperature.Elevated temperatures shorten the heater life and can damagesurrounding plastic materials including pond liners.
Two Sample Heaters
Typical resistance wire used in resistance style electric immersion heaters.
34 pondtrademag.comPOND Trade Magazine
To protect these materials from high-temperature damage,electric immersion heaters often include a built-in heater over-temperature cutoff device – called a “protector.” The protectorsenses the surface temperature of the heater and trips if it getstoo hot. This shuts the heater off. While the protector is anecessary safety device, a heater that is shut off may threatenthe pond or tank inhabitants.
As Don Campbell, First Ascent Fish Farm, explains, thisis one of his primary concerns with his current equipment. “We train our customers in both programming and care of theheater/controller. However, too frequently the folks we train arenot the folks cleaning the tanks between deliveries and the heateris not unplugged, leading to a blown fuse [protector].”
After a protector has tripped it must be replaced. If there is no protector onsite, the tank or pond may suffer a loss ofheat. For a supplier or keeper of live fish, this can result inincreased mortality.
Electric heaters made with PTC chips:
Electric heaters using PTC chips do not use resistance wireas a source of heat. Instead, they use PTC (PositiveTemperature Coefficient) chips. When the chip temperature
increases, its electrical resistance also increases, resulting indecreased heat output. As the PTC chips heat up, they will reach a designed temperature at which they cannot get any hotter. Thus, PTC chips have a predeterminedtemperature limit.
Request info at www.pondtrademag.com/infocard/ # 1660
PTC (Positive Temperature Coefficient) Chips
35September/October 2012 POND Trade Magazine
No protectors to replace.
Thermal protectors are not necessary with PTC electricimmersion heaters. Their self-limiting capability offers thesafety of a protector built directly into the heater core. Thiseliminates downtime caused by a tripped protector and theneed for replacements.
PTC heaters will not damage tanks or liners.
PTC immersion heaters have a maximum surface temper-ature of 518°F when in air and manufactured with ½-inchspacers so they will not damage tank or pond liner materials.They will not damage tanks made from polyethylene (PE),high-density polyethylene (HDPE), fiberglass, polypropylene(PP), CPVC or PVC as well as other materials (see chart).
PTC heaters can operate in air or with solids buildup.
A resistance heater will overheat if operated in air, coveredby scale or solid waste. This elevated temperature can shorten the life of the heater by several months. With PTCheaters the potential for burnout is eliminated, thereby increas-ing service life. (Removing the material from the surface of
the PTC heater or putting it back in water will raise the heatoutput accordingly.)
According to Campbell, the advantages offered by PTCheaters, “could pay for themselves in both labor savings and fewermortalities in less than one year.”
Edward Dulzer is a Forecast Managerand has been with Process Technologyfor almost 20 years. Process Technologyis a manufacturer of electric immersionheaters, inline heaters, heat exchangers, and temperaturecontrols. Process Technology was established in 1978 andservices a multitude of industries including aquaculture,metal finishing, semiconductor, printed circuit board, cleaningtechnologies, MEMS, FPD, and photovoltaic (solar cell). Themajority of products are UL listed to U.S. and Canadian safetyrequirements, and CE certified. The company is certified toISO 9001:2008, including design. Contact Ed at [email protected].
Process Technology 7010 Lindsay Drive • Mentor, Ohio 44060440-974-1300 • USA/CN: 800-621-1998info@process-technology.comwww.process-technology.com • www.ptsmartone.com
About the Author
36 pondtrademag.com
by Mark Battersby
Things go a lot easier when potential lenders, suppliersand partners can decide to take a risk based on agarden pond operation’s credit history and capability
of repaying obligations. With strong business credit, a businesscan borrow at a lower cost, with more favorable terms. In fact,many small garden pond retailers, distributors, builders andmanufacturers with good business credit, have discovered it is possible to get loans without an onerous and often-embarrassing personal guarantee.
Obviously, business credit is quite difficult to get. For anysmall business owner navigating the credit and lending worldcan feel like a vicious Catch-22. Most commercial banks andtraditional lenders are reluctant to loosen their purse stringsuntil a would-be borrower has proven themselves with a strong
credit history. But it’s difficult to develop that good recordwhen no one will lend in the first place.
In the Beginning
When a business issues another business credit, it's referredto as “trade” credit. Trade, or business, credit is the single largestsource of lending in the world.
Information about trade credit transactions is gathered bythe credit bureaus to create a business credit report using thebusiness name, address and federal tax identification number(FIN), also known as an employer identification number(EIN). The business credit bureaus use this compiled data togenerate a report about a company's business credit transac-tions. In many cases, those extending credit will rely on thatbusiness credit report to determine if they want to extend credit– and how much credit they'll give.
The major business credit bureaus that compile andprovide copies of the reports are:
• Dun & Bradstreet (www.dnb.com)• Experian Business (www.experian.com)• Equifax Business (www.equifax.com)
Unfortunately, because information provided to the business credit bureaus is sent in voluntarily – no business isrequired to send it in – the credit bureaus may never receivemuch, or even any, information about a garden pond business’scredit transactions. In fact, many businesses go for years rackingup business credit without any of it being reported to the credit bureaus.
Establishing Business Credit Basics
The following are among the proven strategies for estab-lishing business credit and gaining recognition from the creditreporting agencies:
1. If not already incorporated, forming a corporation orLLC (Limited Liability Company) to operate the garden pondoperation or business, and obtaining an FIN or EIN from theIRS should be considered. Corporations and LLCs afford busi-ness owners liability protection, and a business credit profilecan be created that is separate from the owner’s personal debts.
2. Every garden pond business should be registered withsome, if not all, of the business credit bureaus. DUN &BRADSTREET (D&B), for example, is one of the main busi-ness credit bureaus and runs its own business credit score. Anestablished business with an EIN can begin the process byapplying for a free DUNS number. The number is how lenderswill determine the operation’s credit worthiness (most business
POND Trade Magazine
credit card and lending companies will ask for a D&B numberduring the application process).
3. Apply for a business credit card. Although most majorcredit card companies require that cardholders be in businessfor two years before extending credit, there are many small, localbanks that are more accommodating to small businesses. Theymay be even more accommodating if an owner or manager issavvy enough to set up a business bank account with them!
Even though the business may not actually require morecredit cards to finance its operations, it should still apply formore business credit cards. In business, the 5-3-2 rule is key –a business’s credit record is not considered established and soliduntil it has at least five trade accounts, at least three credit cards,and at least two small loans fully paid off.
4. Comply with all business requirements. Not being incompliance with local, state and federal rules, ordinances, regu-lations and laws can raise red flags with both credit bureaus andgrantors. Potential red flags include such things as a lack of abusiness license or a phone line. Many suppliers will not grantcredit to another business that hasn't taken the steps to set theoperation up with the proper licenses or meet local, state andfederal requirements.
5. Financial statements and a professional business planare a necessity particularly in today’s economy. These docu-ments are also required by many credit grantors.
6. Finding companieswilling to grant credit tothe garden pond businesswithout a personal creditcheck or guarantee is also agood strategy. When asupplier grants a businesscredit, it is important toensure they report thepayment experiences to thebusiness credit bureau. Thisstep can help build a business credit report as well as provide afinancial foundation for the operation.
7. Managing debt so the garden pond operation or busi-ness, large or small, won’t experience trouble making payments,which will negatively affect its credit score.
8. Monthly payments to credit grantors will keep a busi-ness credit profile active.
9. Get a Website – Having a Webpage may not seem likea must in building or maintaining business credit, but D&Bnow shows and lists Websites on credit files. Many banks alsouse the fact the operation has a Website as a positive factor indetermining the credit worthiness of a borrower.
Trade Credit
Suppliers often allow their customers a grace period beforerequiring payment for the goods or services they provide. Thisis called vendor or trade credit and it permits every garden pondretailer, installer, distributor and manufacturer to generate atleast some revenue from the sale of goods before they have topay for those goods. Even better, vendor or trade credit is ofteneasier to obtain than bank credit because it doesn’t requirecollateral. Unfortunately, trade credit can be quite expensive.
Terms of 2% 10-days, net 30-days (2% discount if paidwithin 10 days, the net (full) amount due in 30-days) translatesinto a 36% or 37% annual interest rate if the cash discount isforegone. While trade credit may be appealing to garden pondprofessionals looking to save money, beware when opting totake these discounts.
Building More Credit
It is important to remember that business credit cannot bebuilt overnight. Everyone should think about the business creditof their garden pond construction operation from day one.Having access to credit can help any business adapt to changing
37September/October 2012 POND Trade Magazine
Paying bills on time helps build your credit.
38 pondtrademag.comPOND Trade Magazine
conditions and position itself for success.But what steps can a garden pond profes-sional take to improve the credit worthi-ness of his or her business?
1. Always pay on time. The opera-tion’s ability to repay loans promptly hasthe greatest impact on its credit score.On-time payments are the most directway to improve a credit rating.
2. Ensure creditors regularlyreport the operation’s payment historyto the credit bureaus. If timelypayments to suppliers and lenders are not included in its profile, the businessmay not get the credit it deserves forpaying bills on time. It goes withoutsaying that the credit profile should bemonitored at least twice per year to
ensure that all vendor payment relation-ships are included.
3. Maintain good personal credit.After all, well-managed personal financescan indirectly impact the business’s creditworthiness. Bottom line however, personaland business credit ratings are separate anddo not directly affect one another.
4. Contribute to the business’scredit profile. The more informationprovided to credit bureaus, the morerobust its credit profile will be. In addi-tion, wherever possible, suppliers andvendors should be chosen that report theirexperiences to credit bureaus, which willalso help boost the operation’s profile.
As already mentioned, the best placeto start building or rebuilding businesscredit is with suppliers. Many types ofsuppliers, including major brands, extendlines of credit to businesses giving themthe opportunity to finance purchases andconserve their cash.
In addition to goods and merchan-dise for resale, a garden pond businesscan obtain products such as officesupplies, computers, and marketing
materials with payment terms rangingfrom net 30 to net 60 days. Of course,the focus should remain with applyingfor credit with suppliers that provideproducts and/or services needed on aregular basis, in order to make regularpurchases using the operation’s creditline. By paying invoices on time every
Request info at www.pondtrademag.com/infocard/ #1667
Request info at www.pondtrademag.com/infocard/ #1618
39September/October 2012 POND Trade Magazine
garden pond business can build a business credit history andincrease the operation’s credit worthiness.
With a strong business credit report a garden pond profes-sional can stop relying on personal credit to qualify for neededfinancing. Because a creditor, lender or supplier can now easilydetermine the operation’s risk level with a business credit check,qualifying will be a much easier process.
Building business credit can also improve the garden pondbusiness’s image, protect the owner’s personal credit, limitliability, and increase credit capacity since businesses can obtain10 to 100 times greater financing than an individual. But thetime to think about credit for your business is now – hopefullybefore it is really needed.
Request product info at www.pondtrademag.com/infocard # 1621
Mark Battersby’s 25 years of professional experience in thefields of taxes and finances enable Mr. Battersby to write onunique and topical subjects. Although no reputableprofessional should ever render specific advice at arm’slength, he does craft unbiased, interesting, informative, andaccurate articles. Mr. Battersby currently writes forpublications in a variety of fields. His topical columns aresyndicated in many publications each week. He also writescolumns for trade magazines and has authored four books.
About the Author
Request product info at www.pondtrademag.com/infocard #1672
40 pondtrademag.com
by Leo BabautaZen Habit
A(slightly) older reader wrote to me recently, wanting toknow how to change her bad habits ingrained after somany, many years of doing them. She wanted to know,
“Is it too late to change?”And I can understand the feeling. Doing bad habits for
years makes them deeply entrenched, and getting out of thattrench might seem impossible, hopeless.
I once was stuck, and felt the weight of built-up bad habitscrushing, smothering, burying me. I felt helpless, like I had nocontrol over myself, and was too discouraged to even try to change.
This discouragement is what does it. It’s not that changingbad habits is impossible. But if we are so discouraged we don’ttry, we will never change them. To try and to fail is of littleconsequence, but to never start at all is fatal to the habit change.
And I’m here to tell you, that changing bad habits is notimpossible. No matter how long you’ve done them, no matterhow many decades.
It can be done. By you. By taking a single step.
Here’s How.
Know as you start that you aren’t changing a mountain.You don’t have to change years of bad actions. Those actionsare gone – they’ve evaporated into the ether, and you can forgetthem. Forgive yourself for them, then forget them.
You don’t need to run a marathon to change a habit. Youjust need to take a step. And you can take a step.
Consider for a moment your bad habit. You might have adozen, but choose an easy one. Not the one you’re most afraidof – the one you think you can lick.
Take a step back and think about this habit. When do youdo it? What things trigger the habit – stress, food, drinking,socializing, boredom, sadness, waking, being criticized? Whatneed does the habit fulfill for you? Know that it does fulfill areal need, and that’s why you keep doing it.
Realize something – stop here to drive home for yourselfa crucial, crucial point: you must realize that you don’t needthis habit to fulfill this need. You don’t need the habit. You candeal with stress in healthier ways. You can beat boredom. Youcan cope. You do not need the habit, and you will learn betterones with practice.
POND Trade Magazine
41September/October 2012 POND Trade Magazine
You might be feeling a bit overwhelmed at this point, butyou’ve done the hardest part. Now you just need to take onemore little step.
Commit to yourself to make a small tiny insignificant butpowerful step each day. Commit fully, not half-assed. Commitby writing it down, and putting it up on your wall. Commitby telling a friend about it, and asking for help. Commit byputting it on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, your blog, a forumyou frequent. Be all in.
Find a replacement habit. One that is healthier. One thatfulfills the need. One that is easy. One that you can do afteryour trigger, instead of your bad habit. One that you enjoy andwill look forward to. If you need to relieve stress, for example,consider walking, or pushups, or deep breathing, or self-massage.
You’re now ready to climb out of your trench. Remember,just a tiny, tiny step.
Notice your urge to do the habit. Pause. Don’t do the badhabit. Let the urge pass, then do your new replacement habit.
Repeat, noticing the urge, letting the urge pass, not doingthe bad habit, and doing the good habit instead. You mightmess up, but that’s OK. You’ll get better with practice.
Practice as often as you can, every day. You’ll get reallygood at it. Don’t worry about how long it takes. Keep doing it,one urge at a time.
Know, Consider, Realize, Commit,
Find, Notice, Repeat, Practice.
These are easy steps that don’t take a lot of work. You cando them as you sit here, reading this article.
It’s never too late. There is no habit that can’t be brokenby the pressure of a single footprint. Make that footprint bytaking a single step, today.
Leo Babauta is married with six kids,
he lives in San Francisco, he is a writer and
a runner and a vegetarian, and the owner
of Zen Habits. He also is the author of a
new best-selling book, “The Power of Less:
The Fine Art of Limiting Yourself to the Essentials … in Work
and in Life.“ If you want Zen Habits’ philosophy in a handy
little volume, please buy the book.
Zen Habits is one of the Top 100 blogs on the Internet,
and covers: achieving goals, productivity, being
organized, GTD, motivation, eliminating debt, saving,
getting a flat stomach, eating healthy, simplifying, living
frugal, parenting, happiness, and successfully implementing
good habits.
www.zenhabits.net
About the Author
Request info at www.pondtrademag.com/infocard/ # 1627
42 POND Trade Magazine pondtrademag.com
Elegant Antique Style Vases, with their softnatural color and rustic elegance, will add atranquil and peaceful feel to any garden. Theperfect addition to any summer project! Formore vases of that style please visit our webpage
here: www.aquabelladesigns.com/inStock/images/indexo.htmWe're always here to bring you innovative ideas and elegant
products, so check back soon for new inventory! Please call with any questions and to purchase.Aqua Bella Designs wishes everybody a very busy and
productive season!
Aqua Bella Designs Staff800-617-5565 • [email protected]
Aqua Bella Presents Antique StyleVase Fountains
Trade News To see full press release and additional new items go to http://www.pondtrademag.com/tradenews/
Outdoor Water Solutions Expands Line ofElectric Aerators
PMI Nutrition International is initiating a voluntary recall of certain varietiesof the AquaMax™ feed products with specific lot codes listed below, due to thepotential for elevated vitamin D levels. Although no customer complaints have beenreceived to date, the products are being recalled due to analytical test results thatindicate a potential for elevated levels of vitamin D.
The company is also expanding its previously announced voluntary recalls toinclude additional varieties of the Mazuri® and LabDiet® feed products withspecific lot codes listed below due to analytical test results on additional lots ofretained samples that indicate a potential for elevated levels of vitamin D. Elevatedvitamin D levels may cause death, or otherwise be harmful to animals and fish if fedfor extended periods potentially resulting in lack of interest in eating, weight lossand possible joint stiffness.
All products included in these recalls were manufactured at the Richmond, INfeed plant and were distributed nationwide and to Canada, Puerto Rico, Guam,Bahamas, Cayman Islands, Curaçao, Mexico, Cambodia, Japan, China, Taiwan,South Korea, Singapore, Chile, and the United Kingdom, starting April 2, 2012through May 8, 2012. Dealers have been contacted and asked to hold these productsand to notify and retrieve the product from customers. The affected product shouldnot be used, and where applicable, be returned to the retail dealer.
Lot numbers are laser printed on the back of each paper bag, near the top. Lot numbers are formatted as follows: APR = Month / 17 = Day of Month / 12 =Year / 2 = Plant Code.
For COMPLETE information see the FDA websitehttp://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm311992.htm
Customers should return remaining products to their retailer to receive a refund.For more information on the product recall, contact your local dealer or CustomerService (1-855-863-0421, x 224) between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.(EDT), Monday through Friday.
Aquatic Eco-Systems Inc. announced today thecreation of the Ponics tab on their website homepage,AquaticEco.com. The section is dedicated to productsrelated to hydroponic and aquaponic projects.
Aquatic Eco-Systems Inc. (AES) of Apopka, FL,is pleased to announce the creation of a new section oftheir website, AquaticEco.com. AES has offered“Ponics” supplies for some time; however, there is nowa dedicated Ponics tab on the homepage ofAquaticEco.com where customers can be taken directlyto everything they need for their hydroponic oraquaponic project.
When asked about the new Ponics section ofAquaticEco.com, AES Merchandising Manager BobWheeler stated that he is “very excited that our“Ponics” customers will now have a dedicated sectionon our website to quickly and easily find products thatfit their specific needs.”
Whether you are a hobbyist or commercial grower,AES has everything one will need to be successful in ahydroponics or aquaponics venture. From grow roomsupplies to large-scale commercial equipment; AES hasthousands of products to keep operations sustainableand crops happy.
To request a copy of the AES Ponics catalog,please call 877-347-4788.
Dedicated “Ponics” Section on AquaticEco.comVoluntary Recall of AquaMax™ Products; Expands
Voluntary Recall of Mazuri® and LabDiet®Feed Products
Outdoor Water Solutions,a Pond & Lake Products manu-facturing company based out ofSpringdale, AR has announcedan expanded line of electric aera-tors for the 2012 season calledthe AerMaster Pro™ line.
The new expanded line ofElectric Aerators ranges from a¼ hp rocking piston designproducing 3.5 CFM up to a ¾
hp rocking piston compressor producing 7.2 CFM. Each of theserocking piston compressors comes in a nice, attractive powder coatedsteel cabinet that can be mounted to a post, wall or on the ground withthe included adjustable feet. They also have a lock to keep people outand include either one or two recirculating fans. These systems all carrya 2-year warranty and are designed to operate maintenance free.
Key Features of the new AerMaster Pro™ line are listed Online.“Our goal was to produce a high quality product at an affordable
price,” says John. Prices range from $995 for the ¼ hp model to $2,695 for the big ¾ hp models. Customers can view our completeproduct line Online at www.Outdoorwatersolutions.com. They canalso request one of our color catalogs to look at the complete line ofpond products.
System Provides an Alter-native Source of Aeration toAchieve Water Quality
The Deep AireTM bottommounted air diffuser is a newaddition to the Air-O-Latoraerator product line. It creates ahealthy pond by taking oxygento the pond’s lowest depth alongthe bottom. A diffused aerationsystem is a great solution for ponds deeper than 10 feet.
The Deep Aire diffused aeration systems are designed as an alter-native source of aeration. Diffused air systems utilize an air compressor,located on the shore, which delivers oxygen through a hose to a specialdiffuser lying on the pond bottom. Depending on the body of waterdepth and shape, various motors and models are available with a deluxekit that includes a lockable cabinet with electrical box/outlet, shockmounts, pressure gauge, and cooling fan.
Any Air-O-Lator floating fountain or surface aerator can be usedin conjunction with a Deep Aire aerator.
Air-O-Lator 8100 Paseo. Kansas City, MO 64131 [email protected] 1-800-821-3177http://www.airolator.com
43POND Trade MagazineSeptember/October 2012
New Diffused Aeration System by Air-O-Lator
Summit Mosquito Bits®, a popularbiological control that kills mosquito larvae,is now also approved for the control offungus gnats.
The active ingredient in MosquitoBits® is a biological larvicide called BTI(Bacillus thuringiensis subspecies israelensis).BTI is a naturally occurring bacterium that’sdeadly to both mosquito larvae and fungusgnat larvae.
The BTI in Mosquito Bits® provides anextremely fast and effective way to quicklykill large populations of mosquito larvae.When spread on standing water where
mosquitoes breed, Mosquito Bits® granules release a biologicalmosquito larvicide at the water‚s surface. As the Mosquito Bits®settle in the water, hungry mosquito larvae eat the Bits and die.
Mosquito Bits® can be used in virtually all standing water,including ponds and water gardens, rain barrels, roof gutters, bird baths, flower pots and saucers, tree holes, unused swimmingpools, old automobile tires, animal watering troughs and whereverwater collects.
Mosquito Bits® are made by Summit ResponsibleSolutions®, which also makes the popular Mosquito Dunks®product. Mosquito Bits® and Mosquito Dunks® both containthe same active ingredient (BTI).
Mosquito Bits® and Mosquito Dunks® are available athome centers, hardware stores, garden centers andwww.summitresponsiblesolutions.com.
Biological Mosquito Control Also Kills Fungus Gnats
Franklin Electrichas developed a broadand reliable line ofLittle Giant pumps onthe market and isproud to introduceour NEW wet rotor,water feature pump.Exceptionally engi-neered with rugged
construction, without mechanical seals, or the use of oil, thispump can withstand the rigors of decorative water features.
Designed with multi-purpose flexibility built into thepump, the wet rotor pump can be installed submersed or exter-nally, vertically or horizontally. Created with NPT threads andSPIG fittings built in, attaching plumbing is a breeze.
The included securely attached pre-filter makes thesepumps built for flexibility and durability in any decorativewater application.
Initially, the pumps will be available in flows ranging from1200 to 7300 gallons per hour satisfying most applicationswhile only using 157-660 Watts and achieving heights of 29 ftin a compact footprint.
Other exciting features include a rope and cable loop fordeep installation retrieval and modular add-on screen abilities,increasing pre-filtration. Wet Rotor pumps will change the wayyou select a pump. (Fittings shown not included.)
Make sure to check our website www.lg-outdoor.comfor more information.
New Wet Rotor – Water Feature Pump
Don’t be limited by asmall variety of prepack-aged pond netting thatdoes not fit the needs ofmany pond and streamapplications. With EasyProbulk netting in 100´lengths you can stock threewidths (10´, 20´ and 30´)and custom cut to the exact length your customer desires for a perfect fit every time. Bulk rolls come packaged in a box for easy display on store shelves; simply pull out desired lengthand cut!
This strong black pond netting will last for years keepingponds clean and fish safe. Netting prevents poor water qualityproblems by keeping leaves and other debris from falling intoyour pond. This netting features polyethylene strands woventogether in a mesh making it very strong.
To request a catalog or for more information onEasyPro products call 800-448-3873 or visitwww.easypropondproducts.com.
EasyPro’s “Sizable” Pond Netting
44 pondtrademag.comPOND Trade Magazine
Request info at www.pondtrademag.com/infocard/ # 1642 Request info at www.pondtrademag.com/infocard/ # 1645
Request info at www.pondtrademag.com/infocard/ # 1681
Don’t miss out on this Market Place advertising opportunity. See our website
www.pondtrademag.com/advertise/marketplace
for rates and easy placement. Business Card and Classifieds accepted.
45POND Trade MagazineSeptember/October 2012
Advertisers’ IndexID number for Online Info Cardwww.pondtrademag.com/infocard/
ExtendYour National VisibilityADVERTISE inPOND Trade MagazineCall Tom Graham 760/451-2255 or [email protected]
1600 ABC’s of Ponds . . . . . . . . . . . 7
1601 Alpine Corporation . . . . . . . 31
1603 Aquatic Veterinary Services . 45
1606 Atlantic Water Gardens . . . . 13
1609 Auraco . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
1612 Cavoy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
1615 EasyPro Pond Products . . . . . 3
1618 Fielding Pump Company . . . 38
1621 Fountain Bleu . . . . . . . . . . . 39
1624 Gardenside Publications . . . 45
1627 GC Tek . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
1630 Hecht Rubber . . . . . . . . . . . 23
1633 Holmes Farm . . . . . . . . . . . 15
1636 InMotion Aquatics . . . . . . . . 32
1639 IPPCA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
1639 Info-Tanza 2012 . . . . . . . . . 19
1642 Kat’s Koi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
1645 Kloubec Koi Farm . . . . . . . . 44
1648 KOISHI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
1651 Little Giant . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
1654 Mainland Mart Corp . . . . . . . 29
1657 Matala USA . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
1660 Medo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34
1661 MinnFinn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
1663 Polytank, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . 23
1665 Pond Pro Leak Repair . . . . . 38
1669 POND Trade Magazine . . . . . . 7
1672 Pond World Distributing . . . . 37
1675 Pond Zinger . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
1678 Pondliner.com . . . . . . . . . . 29
1681 PONDSources.com . . . . . . . 44
1682 RockToRubber . . . . . . . . . . 45
1684 Russell Watergardens & Koi 47
1687 Winchester Gardens . . . . . . . 8
www.pondtrademag.com/infocard/# 1624
www.pondtrademag.com/infocard/# 1603
Request info at www.pondtrademag.com/infocard/ # 1661
Wholesale Pricing is
Available
Call 888-356-9895
Books for Your Store or
Website
Request info at www.pondtrademag.com/infocard/ # 1682
46 POND Trade Magazine pondtrademag.com
Finishing Up
Where is the Baby! is a web page hosted by Nelson Water Gardens and Nursery, in Katy, Texas.
Addie Nelson, their granddaughter, ispictured here on the pad of a Victoria Lily.
http://nelsonwatergardens.com/i-spy-a-baby/
Request info at www.pondtrademag.com/infocard/ # 1684
