"Save the Quackers - One Duck at a Time" - Heartwood threatens to pull plug on Floating Duck Houses!

 We have just received a most disturbing Christmas announcement from EHeartwood AKA Scrooge Inc- the last purveyor of fine Floating Duck Houses in the US and possibly the world, has notified us that they are temporarily stopping production of the uniquely ever-popular Floating Duck House.       

We are immediately beginning negotiations to try and bring back these finely-crafted Duck Domiciles.       

Today we are announcing the“Save the Quackers – One Duck at a Time” Campaign to bring back these beloved abodes.       

Below is an excerpt from the letter we scripted and sent to EHeartwood today:       

“I really hope that you can find it in your hearts in 2011 to continue to provide homes to those poor homeless ducks out there who have nowhere else to turn.        

I am considering starting a campaign to bring back the duck houses with a “Save the Quackers – One Duck at a time” campaign on my Blog and Facebook pages.        

Please do not consider this a threat but rather a plea out there for all the homeless ducks that will be affected by your decision to stop making the only viable Floating Duck House in the country and possibly the world.”        

If you are interested in supporting our campaign, please email us at pondinfo@thepondoutlet.com or click on the “Like” button on our FaceBook page under this entry.       

Please help us insure that no Duck is left behind – especially in this holiday season – and “Save the Quackers – One Duck at a Time”    

Baby duck enjoying his new crib - Please help us save his home!

Check your Water Temperature from inside your house!

With the new Wireless Floating Digital Thermometer by Vio Products you can actually check your pond’s water temperature from inside your house!

I just put mine in my pond this week and have been able to monitor the water temperature from inside the house despite the heavy rains.

This Wireless thermometer measures and displays your water temperature outdoors on the floating thermometer/transmitter and inside on the base station/receiver.

The Base station also displays indoor air temperature and minimum/maximum recorded temperatures.

The key water temperatures that most of us are concerned with are around 55 – 60  degrees which is the temperature that normal beneficial bacteria like Beneficial Bacterioa – Dry from Aquascape ceases to be effective. When the temperature drops below this, we need to switch over to a beneficial bacteria designed for colder temperatures like Cold Water Beneficial Bacteria from Aquascape .

Also between 45 and 55 degrees, fish can no longer digest normal fish food so it is always advisable to switch to a easily-digestible cold weather wheat-germ based food like Premium Cold Water Fish Food Pellets from Aquascape.

Very cool NEW Waterfall Spillway by Aquascape!

Ever wanted to add an additional waterfall but did not have enough space or the need to put in a full-size Waterfall biofilter?

Traditional waterfall filters ar at least 2′ high by 2 feet wide and 2′ from front-to-back and larger. This new Waterfall Spillway from Aquascape “diffuses” water with a wide 22″ Spillway but is only 5″ tall!

The Waterfall Spillway is a cost-effective solution to help you create beautiful waterfalls and streams

This compact, yet extremely strong Waterfall Spillway is positioned at the starting point of the waterfalls.

There's a new Gator in town!

A company called Bluewater Products contacted me a couple of months ago with a brand new “Gator” featuring piercing red-eyes. I immediately put one in my pond and the family loved him. In addition, have not had even one Blue Heron visit since. Coincidence?

“It will scare the daylights out of you!”
Made from high density foam.
Durable, attractive, foam molded.
■Add a little fun to your pond, while protecting your valuable fish
■This28 inch floating alligator floats freely and life-like in the pond or pool.
■This realistic, life-sized floating replica of an alligator head is perfect for any water area infested by birds geese, ducks, egrets, cormorants, heron and more
■Ideal for golf courses, park districts, fish and shrimp farms, industrial park lakes and even residential pools
■The 28″ long x 9 ” head moves realistically with the wind and water. Birds think that they’re being followed by a predator so they leave for a safer area.
■Made entirely in the United States.
■Has reflective red eyes.

Click the following to find the 28″ Gator Pond Float with Reflective Eyes priced right at $29.99 plus shipping.

Pond Winterizing Tips and Tools

We can no longer deny that winter is upon us!  It’s time for winter maintenance to protect and improve your garden pond. We have lots of good information and all the best products for pond winterization.

We are big fans of the helpful videos from Aquascape. All you need to know about winter maintenance is covered in this new video, How to Winterize Your Pond.

We are making winter pond chores easier with our complete Pond Winterization Kits. Here are some tips for proper maintenance:

Fish: Ponds that contain fish have to be readied for the winter before the water temperature falls below 50 degrees F. At this point, fish are unable to digest high protein fish foods. Switch to a low protein/ high fiber food like Ultra Balance Wheat Germ Koi Food.

Plants: Cut back all aquatic plants leaving tender new shoots intact. Move all hardy water lilies and lotus to the deeper section of the pond. Store tropical water lilies inside. Remove all water hyacinths and lettuce and discard.

Pumps: Clean your filters and store any pumps or equipment you won’t use during the winter. To shut your pond down, first unplug your pump and pull it out of the water. The pump should be stored in a frost-free location and submerged in a bucket of water to keep the seals from drying out.

De Icing & Aeration:
To safely keep fish in your pond throughout the winter you must keep a hole in the ice. A build up of gas under the ice can be very toxic to fish. This gas needs a way to escape. Never break the ice that forms on your pond as that could harm your fish. Using an aerator will prevent icing over in the coldest weather. See all de-icers and aeration pumps.

Enjoy your holidays!

Awesome Rainwater Harvesting Project by Aquascape

Rainwater Harvesting is the future. Aquascape’s Chief Sustainability Officer, Ed Beaulieu, takes you through one of his favorite Rainwater Harvesting projects, the Boerner Botanical Gardens project in Hales Corner, Wisconsin.

Microbe-Lift Fall/Winter WATERGARDENER Issue here

That was quick. Microbe-lift just released the Spring/Summer WATERGARDENER Issue a couple of weeks ago and now the Fall/Winter WATERGARDENER is available by clicking Fall Winter 2010 Low Rez[1]

Winterizing the Pond Video from Home Depot!

Just found this Winterizing Pond Video from Home Depot – Enjoy

Microbe-Lift Spring/Summer Issue of Watergardener

Microbe-Lift Watergardener

Better late than never. The SPRING/SUMMER issue of MICROBE-LIFT WATERGARDENER is available for your reading pleasure! This is the electronic transmission everybody waits for, filled with great information about ponds, fish care and Microbe-Lift innovations. Carolyn’s Candids (photo collection) is a celebration of this hobby that we share with all of you. It is with great pleasure that you invite us back into your homes each year and we are truly grateful. Click on the following link for The Spring/Summer 2010 Microbe-Lift Watergardener magazine Spring Summer 2010 Low Rez[1]

Winterizing the Pond Video from Aquascape!

Trying to decide whether you should “shut-down” your pond for the winter or keep it open and enjoy the pond all year ’round?  Dave Kelly “The Tech Guy” from Aquascape’s “Pond Squad” breaks it all down for you explaining how to best prepare your pond for the winter. Call us at 805-241-0141 if you need any further advice. Our winterizing products can be found at http://www.thepondoutlet.com/home/tpo/smartlist_138/winterizing_pond.html