​Many new Oklahoma pond/water feature owners are concerned about the effects of sunlight for pond fish. This is an important issue, and the solution will depend on various factors. In Oklahoma ponds/water features, sunlight can be beneficial to your fish, but it can also harm them, and the outcome largely depends on the pond’s construction, location and how it is maintained.

​When a pond is directly exposed to sunlight without shade the temperature of the water will increase. This increase in temperature will lower the amount of oxygen which is accessible to the fish, while also promoting the growth of algae. Fish which are exposed to excessive sunlight may also receive sunburn. Each pond is unique in the manner in which it will respond to the sun, and while ponds which are big and deep may not have much of an issue, the smaller ponds which are typically found in backyards may be adversely impacted.

Algae enjoy sunlight and will thrive when exposed to it. If your pond contains koi they should be exposed to no more than a few hours of sunlight per day.  Anything more than this could be problematic for them. The typical pond will receive between four and six hours of sunlight per day.

​The best way to manage your Oklahoma pond’s exposure to sunlight is by adding shade. Terrestrial shade can be created by adding marginal plants or trees near the side of your pond. However, during fall leaves will fall from the tree and will cause serious problems if they are allowed to accumulate in the water, so you will need to perform netting or clean them out. Papyrus or other tall plants will provide excellent shade for the fish.

Aquatic plants can also be used to help manage Oklahoma sunlight, and some of the best include water hyacinth or water lilies, which create shade beneath the water that can be used by your fish. The lilies can be planted via plant bags and or baskets and situated in advantageous locations throughout the pond. An alternative to the planting of trees could be a canopy or man made structure which will cast shade over the pond. The right canopy can also add style to the area.
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Perhaps the easiest solution is fish shelters or caves. The shelters can be placed in the water and will allow the fish to swim beneath or within to get shade whenever they need it, while caves will also perform the same function, although constructing them may be more complex. In addition to protection from sunlight, these structures will also protect your fish from various predators.

​Just as too much Oklahoma sunlight is bad for fish, too much shade is equally so. The most ideal ponds are those which have some areas reserved for sunlight, while others which are reserved for shade. This will give the pond a balanced temperature which will make your fish healthy and happy.

Oklahoma ​ponds/water features need a good balance of sun and shade.  If your pond doesn't have partial shade from trees, make sure to add plenty of plants to provide shade, vitamin D and protection from predators.

​​For daily pond tips Monday thru Friday like and share our facebook page. To receive our monthly newsletter click here. Remember we are always just a click away from solving all your Oklahoma pond problems!
 
Continental Ponds is offering this pond information as a personal information source to our website visitors. Pond services are performed in Oklahoma City, Norman, Moore, Nichols Hills, Edmond, Yukon, Shawnee, Newcastle, Mustang, Bethany, Piedmont, Guthrie, Jones, Chandler, Midwest City, Del City, Shawnee, Tuttle, Blanchard, Bridge Creek , Warr Acres, Woodlawn Park, Lawton. Fish and Koi Pond Maintenance and Construction, Streams and Waterfalls, and Fountains are all in our wheelhouse of talent. Explore our website for more ideas. Like our Facebook page for daily tips and inspiration.

Adding a variety of different aquatic plants to your Oklahoma pond is an amazing way to make your water garden looks even more beautiful. But like with everything else, you need to make a plan of how and where you are going to put in the right aquatic plants at the right time. Otherwise, it may look like an aquatic jungle!

The first thing you need to consider what type and how many plants are going to use. There is a wide range of Oklahoma pond plants in the market that you may find overwhelming, but you need to make the right choice for your water garden. So, you have to spend some time gathering information about the specific requirements of each plant you are interested in buying.

There are many aquatic plants in the market, like floating plants, water hyacinth or lettuce. These types of special and beautiful plants develop extensive roots under the surface, and they also provide shade to aggressive algae growth in a pond. You can also choose to buy submerged plants, like hornwort and anacharis.

These plants can improve the quality and clarity of the water. Or you may prefer bog plants, like iris or cattails that can surround the perimeter of your pond. You may also choose lotus and water lilies, which can give your ponds amazing colors and various underneath shades. Of course, you can select to buy a mixture of all these plants, to make your pond look marvelous.

Remember that it’s better to cover about 60% of the water’s surface. To do so, you can select 6-12 floating plants, two bog plants, some water lilies, and several submerged plants. Also, you have to buy also fertilizers and containers like plant bags and pots. You will love to use them, to take care of your pond.

Consider all the different factors depending on the type of aquatic plants you want to add. For example:

• Floating Plants – Place them in the pond, and they will freely float on the pond surface.


• Submerged Plants – Grow them underwater in plant bags and fill your containers with planting materials. In fact, you can plant several bunches of these plants together.


• Bog Plants – These plants grow better in containers under the water pond.


• Lillies/lotuses – These amazing aquatic plants can thrive in pots. To transplant them, fill out the tub with clay, and then you can put some planting media on the top.

If you would like to see your new Oklahoma aquatic plants blossom, you will definitely to need various nutrients for your plants to have lovely blooms. So, make sure to buy some aquatic plant fertilizers, like spikes or tabs. For example, fertilizer spikes release plant food slowly over a period of 12 months. On the other hand, you can use a spike in a simple way: You just have to put them into the soil, and you don’t have to do anything else for the whole year.

Be sure to consider all the special needs of the aquatic plants you choose. Choosing the right water plants will add a magical touch of shape, color and texture to the pond.  Like everything else in life, the more thought and planning you put in this task the better things will turn out. 

Many Oklahoma homeowners desire the soothing sounds of running water, but are just not ready for a pond or simply can’t afford one. The AquaBasin Bubbling Rock Kit™ allows you to "Do It Yourself" and can easily be installed within just a few hours.  Now here is how you can add that soothing sounds of moving water to your Oklahoma landscape.  

Once you have the pump kit, basin and rock, you will next need to identify a viable location and prep it for installation. Within buildings they can be installed near the surface level and outdoors they can be installed on a patio. Stone and plants can be used to conceal the basin. You should also pay attention to the splash radius particularly if the bubbling rock is being installed indoors.
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Many Oklahoma pond owners choose to bury the basin. To do this, you will need to find a spot and then excavate it. It should have the same depth and size of the basin. The soil at the bottom of the hole must be tamped to provide a strong base. You can then add a layer of sand (C-10 is best) to act as the leveling base. The basin can then be placed in hole and the soil can be used to anchor it in place. After this you would install both the bubbling rock and the pump kit.

If you are wanting to add lights to the fountain you have a couple options depending on where you would like to put them. If you are wanting lights in the top of your rock fountain, do it before adding your aquatic plants and gravel. The reason is that the cord of the lights needs to run down the middle of the drilled hole. If you forget and add plants and gravel first, it's a pain but it can be done.

If you are just wanting to add light to shine up the fountain you can add them when you add your aquatic plants. Just remember no matter when and how you add the lights, there is going to be some cords that have to be cover with the gravel.

Tip: Try to keep the light wire away from the roots of the aquatic plants. 

Bubbling rock is a type of boulder or stone that is embedded within a water garden and which emits water from the top, which flows down the sides. It is comprised of three parts, which are the pump kit, basin and rock. The rocks used for these systems must have a specific formation or composition. Many rocks and boulders are prone to breakage or chipping when drilling is applied so they are not good candidates. The best rocks are rubble or granite boulders. The shape of the rock will determine the manner in which the water cascades, but rock drilling should only be left to pros as the process can be hazardous.

The pump kit is responsible for moving water through the rock. Some of the accessories which come in a standard kit include valves, fittings, clamps and hoses. The basin is a type of reservoir which will be positioned beneath the bubbling rock. It could be something as simple as a hole which is dug into the yard and then lined with heavy duty plastic or a pond liner.

​Moving water is a necessity for ponds and water gardens. Water which sits still will deteriorate and become a breeding ground for mosquitoes especially in tropical and subtropical climates. Bubbling rocks keep water circulating and can be installed within small areas, which is advantageous for people who have smaller yards. They can also be used both indoors and outdoors, which make them viable even for people who live in apartments or urban environments. Perhaps the biggest advantage of bubbling rocks is that they are low in cost and maintenance.

Now that you are familiar with bubbling rocks, stay tuned for next weeks blog on How To Install Bubbling Rocks.

Each year we have several clients here in Oklahoma contact us about a "String Algae" bloom in their ponds/water features that occurs in the colder months. (The stringy green stuff that sometimes forms on your waterfalls, streams and rocks).  The reason for this is the unseasonably warm weather we have been having here in Central Oklahoma.  Your plants have already gone into dormancy for the winter so they are not using nutrients from the water the way they would in the springtime since the nighttime lows are still down in the mid to low 30's.  However, the water is warming enough in the daytime to cause some biological activity thus causing a nutrient increase in the water.  Since the plants are not actively using nutrients, Mother Nature is taking over and offering "String Algae" as a solution to remove the nutrients and keep your water healthy.

WARNING....... DO NOT FEED YOUR FISH!!!

Even though the air temperature may warm up and your fish seem active during the day, the average water temperature is still below 55 degrees and your fish's metabolism will not support normal feeding. ​

If the String Algae becomes excessive, there are some steps to control it. 

Add some Cold Water Beneficial Bacteria.  It is a more concentrated bacteria made for cold weather when regular bacteria will not colonize and filter nutrients. Remove excess leaves and debris from the pond. Dead leaves provide excess nutrients in your pond, giving algae a great source of nourishment. If the string algae isn't affecting the flow of water to your skimmer and waterfall, just pull out the excess using a fine net, a stick or your hands.

CAUTION!!! 

Do not use your bare hands to remove this algae. Even though the air temperature may be warm, your water temperature is still VERY cold. You should wear waterproof garden gloves.  

For daily pond tips Monday thru Friday like and share our facebook page. To receive our monthly newsletter click here. Remember we are always just a click away from solving your pond problems!
 
Continental Ponds is offering this pond information as a personal information source to our website visitors. Pond services are performed in Oklahoma City, Norman, Moore, Nichols Hills, Edmond, Yukon, Shawnee, Newcastle, Mustang, Bethany, Piedmont, Guthrie, Jones, Chandler, Midwest City, Del City, Shawnee, Tuttle, Blanchard, Bridge Creek , Warr Acres, Woodlawn Park, Lawton. Fish and Koi Pond Maintenance and Construction, Streams and Waterfalls, and Fountains are all in our wheelhouse of talent. Explore our website for more ideas. Like our Facebook page for daily tips and inspiration.

As we all know Oklahoma is well known for tornadoes, rain, hail, lightning and various other weather conditions.  Do these storms affect my pond, if so how? Storms can suddenly drop water temperatures and most importantly change the pH in a pond. So you ask, "What is pH and how do storm affect my Oklahoma Pond".  Several things  can happen with storms, here are a few listed below, but lets start with what pH is!    

The pH level is a numeric value that indicates the relative acidity or alkalinity of the water on a scale of 0 to 14, with neutral at 7. Most Oklahoma            lake and pond organisms prefer pH levels of 6.5 to 9. When storms are present, atmospheric pressure changes sometimes causing pH in your                pond to change. This change in pH can be lethal to your fish.

• Hail is not big deal but if you have excessive amounts floating in the water you may want to consider scooping as much as you can out so that the fish don't suffer such temperature fluctuation.  (imagine someone dumping ice water on you!)

 

• Lightning is another thing most people don't think of when it comes to your pond. Sure we've all experienced a power outage, but we have seen ponds get hit by lightning that affected the fish. My personal pond got hit by lightning and killed two fish and damaged another. Of course this is something out of our control but we need to be aware it can happen. 

 

• Tornadoes, we've all seen them and know the damage they can do. No need for details here!

 

• Exposed liner can be damaged by hail.  Protect it by covering it with rock and gravel. Liner needs to be completely protected from the harsh rays of the sun, from the freeze and thaw cycle and from hail.  

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• Hail can cause leaves, branches and other debris to drop in the pond.  Get out what you can and make sure to dump the skimmer basket a couple extra times to make sure it doesn't get clogged with leaves caused by a hail storm.

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• Lily pads can be damaged. It is better to leave the damaged lily pads there because they are still converting sunlight to energy for the plant.    Wait until the whole leaf and even the stem turn brown and look mushy.  Then give them a quick tug and they will come right off.  Good to pull them off because they add nutrients to the pond as they decay and can cause more algae.  Luckily, lily pads send up new leaves pretty quickly and will look gorgeous before you know it!

 

• Excessive rain and hail can upset the balance of the pond ecosystem.  Give it an extra dose of beneficial bacteria.

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​For daily pond tips Monday thru Friday like and share our facebook page. To receive our monthly newsletter click here. Remember we are always just a click away from solving your pond problems!

Our outdoor design center is located at 9105 NW Expressway, Yukon, OK  73099. Please feel free to stop by for more water feature inspiration.
 
Continental Ponds is offering this pond information as a personal information source to our website visitors. Pond services are performed in Oklahoma City, Norman, Moore, Nichols Hills, Edmond, Yukon, Shawnee, Newcastle, Mustang, Bethany, Piedmont, Guthrie, Jones, Chandler, Midwest City, Del City, Shawnee, Tuttle, Blanchard, Bridge Creek , Warr Acres, Woodlawn Park, Lawton. Fish and Koi Pond Maintenance and Construction, Streams and Waterfalls, and Fountains are all in our wheelhouse of talent. Explore our website for more ideas. Like our Facebook page for daily tips and inspiration.

​Pond plants/Aquatic Plants are a huge part of the pond ecosystem and need to be there to make sure everything lives harmoniously. Pond plants in Oklahoma also enhance the beauty of any water feature. So, when your pond plants aren’t healthy, you know it. One sign that there’s something wrong is yellowing leaves. Listed below are some of the more common reasons why your Oklahoma pond plants are turning yellow.

​Be sure to fertilize your pond plants. If your plants are potted (which is what we recommend) poke a hole in the soil and push the fertilizer down inside, then carefully close the soil over the hole. Fertilizer should also be added whenever re-potting your plants is necessary. For floating plants, remove them from the pond and place them in a container that will hold water. Add your favorite water-soluble fertilizer according to the directions. Do not add more than the recommended amount. Too much fertilizer can cause plants to turn yellow too.

Inspect your pond’s plants just like you do your other plants. Pond plants are not immune to insects, especially in the winter if you bring them in the house.

Spider mites love the dry winter environment our homes have. Any insecticide that you can use on houseplants is safe to use on water plants inside the home. Aphids are sometimes problems in the house, but mites are more prevalent. Leaf Beetles​ are also a problem when growing plants in a container outside.

Aphids are usually the main insects to attack pond plants. Depending on the plant, you may be able to wash them off in the water where they will become yummy treats for your fish. Floating plants like hyacinths, water lettuce and lily pads and their flowers are good candidates for this. When you do water changes or add water to your pond due to evaporation, spray the water on the plants. This will wash the insects off too.

Healthy pond plants can burn just like us. A sunburned plant will have a bleached look or brownish cast to the leaves, sometimes they will yellow. When moving pond plants outside, if they have spent the winter inside, do it gradually. Move them first to a shady spot. Set the pot in a larger container that will hold water. Gradually over a 2-week period expose the plants to more sunlight. Do this in the spring when the weather begins to warm so that they also get used to the cooler nighttime temperatures.

For daily pond tips Monday thru Friday like and share our facebook page. To receive our monthly newsletter click here. Remember we are always just a click away from solving your pond problems!

Our outdoor design center is located at 9105 NW Expressway, Yukon, OK  73099. Please feel free to stop by for more water feature inspiration.
 
Continental Ponds is offering this pond information as a personal information source to our website visitors. Pond services are performed in Oklahoma City, Norman, Moore, Nichols Hills, Edmond, Yukon, Shawnee, Newcastle, Mustang, Bethany, Piedmont, Guthrie, Jones, Chandler, Midwest City, Del City, Shawnee, Tuttle, Blanchard, Bridge Creek , Warr Acres, Woodlawn Park, Lawton. Fish and Koi Pond Maintenance and Construction, Streams and Waterfalls, and Fountains are all in our wheelhouse of talent. Explore our website for more ideas. Like our Facebook page for daily tips and inspiration.
 

​The waterlily is one of the most popular additions to any Oklahoma City fish pond or water garden.  They are beautiful, have wonderful flowers, and of course the the most favored area for our favorite pond inhabitant, the frog, to hang out.  
While these "jewels" of the water garden are beautiful they do have have a few requirements for them to grow big and beautiful.  Have you ever noticed from one year to the next they just aren't doing as well or maybe you noticed it's not blooming? 

There are a few factors that can contribute to your Oklahoma City water lilies not doing as well one year to the next, let's go over them:
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1. Sunlight: All Waterlilies require a minimum amount of sunlight every day to look their best. To look ok and just keep them looking nice 4-6 hours is the bare minimum, however most will do their best in 6-8 hours of sunlight per day! If you're pond is a bit shady and on the border of sunlight requirements, try the Colorado Waterlily. They tend to do ok with lesser amounts of sunlight per day.   
2. Something is eating them: There are a few known pests of that like to snack on waterlilies.  Aphids and snails can be culprits. If you're lilies have holes in them or it looks like something is taking bites out of them it's probably snails. Our fish, especially large fish, will also "play" in them and rip new growth as well as the lily pads off the plant, well because they can and they are bored.  Another culprit, could be deer. They do like water lilies and have been known to get in there and have a snack.  
3. Feed them: Yep, give those puppies some fertilizer once a month. While a pond will provide nutrients for our water lilies, some supplemental fertilizer will definitely help. We recommend using aquatic fertilizer tabs once a month or use a once a year fertilizer for your waterlilies.  
4. Too much water movement:  Waterlilies typically love calm water and will do their best without water crashing on them or a strong current.  If your water lilies are near a strong aerator or even close to your waterfall this could be affecting it's growth. Just move the plant to a different area of the pond. 

Common Problem
In years past you're Oklahoma City water lilies have done fantastic!  Beautiful and plentiful lily flower blooms with vibrant and abundant green leaves, but this year is different!  You haven't seen as many flowers and the leaves are turning yellow or getting holes in them and just don't appear to be great like years past.  What could be the problem?

Let's go back to number two above, something is eating them. Let's talk about the fish or koi pulling our lilies apart. Many times when our koi and pond fish get larger it's very difficult to keep waterlilies in a pond. At this point, you'll more than likely have to make a decision: fish or waterlilies. To combat  aphids and the snails is a bit more tricky.  The best way to combat snails is to find them and pull them off the water lily. For aphids, blasting them off with a hose and/or using a garlic spray will take care of these pests.  Deer, well we know how this goes keeping deer away from our plants.  The use of a scarecrow or even a pond net may be the ticket.  
Waterlilies are such a magnificent addition to any water garden or koi pond, but sometimes they to need a little help and care to look their best.  Check these few items, make some changes if you need to and enjoy the beauty of your waterlilies again.  

For daily pond tips Monday thru Friday like and share our facebook page. To receive our monthly newsletter click here. Remember we are always just a click away from solving your pond problems!

Continental Ponds is offering this pond information as a personal information source to our website visitors. Pond services are performed in Oklahoma City, Norman, Moore, Nichols Hills, Edmond, Yukon, Shawnee, Newcastle, Mustang, Bethany, Piedmont, Guthrie, Jones, Chandler, Midwest City, Del City, Shawnee, Tuttle, Blanchard, Bridge Creek , Warr Acres, Woodlawn Park, Lawton. Fish and Koi Pond Maintenance and Construction, Streams and Waterfalls, and Fountains are all in our wheelhouse of talent. Explore our website for more ideas. Like our Facebook page for daily tips and inspiration.