Mar/Apr 2010 - POND Trade Magazine

Serving Professionals in the Garden Pond IndustryServing Professionals in the Garden Pond Industry

Volume 15 Issue 2March/April 2010

Volume 15 Issue 2March/April 2010

Magazine

POND Trade Magazine

POND Trade

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Serving Professionals in the Garden Pond IndustryMagazinePOND Trade

F e a t u r e s

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8 Pagels PotsTom Graham, Editor POND Trade MagazineWalter Pagel's is well known in the water gardening industry.Tom was fortunate last year to visit him at his home. Walter hasdozens of pots in his backyard that have their own microcosm.Take a look at the tiny aquatic plants in these pots.

12 Language of Koi Origin of Butterfly KoiRandy LeFever, Blue Ridge Fish HatcheryEver wonder where the name "Butterfly" koi came from? Randytells us about the history and development of Butterfly koi at BlueRidge Fish Hatchery. Learn how they have developed their brandof long fin koi called Butterfly koi. Have you noticed Butterfly koiare beautiful to view not only from the top, but also from theside? Take a look.

16 Free Retail Water Quality TestingJayne Southard, United KingdomRetailers and pond maintenance professionals can provide waterquality testing to their customers and both benefit. A water testingservice increases customer loyalty and promotes return visits.Here is how one company in the UK performs this service.Included here are suggestions on what services you can provide,tips about how to get the water to your store safely, and what totest for. Also included is information about the nitrogen cycle toshare with your customers.

19 Water Tech Care and Feeding of Nitrifying BacteriaFirst in a series of articles on the technology of watermanagement is an in-depth discussion of the role of NitrifyingBacteria in a pondoxidizing toxic ammonia and nitrite. Allbacteria species have limited tolerance ranges and areindividually sensitive to water temperature, pH, dissolved oxygenlevels, salt, micronutrients, light, and inhibitory chemicals. Wewill touch briefly on each of these to give you a solidunderstanding of the variables that lead to healthy water for fish.

22 Why New Ponds Pop Turning the Tide from Green to CleanPaul Scholz, Partner Organic Environmental TechnologyWe are going to de-mystify the "pop" and explain themechanisms behind it. In nature, there are three general rolesmicroorganisms play: beneficial, harmful and neutral. What are"Follow-on" bacteria? Learn how to persuade them to help getyour pond in balance.

5POND Trade MagazineMarch/April 2010

40 Upcoming Events41 POND Trade Marketplace42 Trade News45 Advertisers Index

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Departments

March/April 2010Vo l ume 1 5 I s s u e 2

6 Marketing Tips7 Editors Perspective

Tom Graham

46 Finishing Up Girls Feeding KoiPhoto provided by Mr. Mamoru Kodama

Columns

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See new and archived articles at www.pondtrademag.com

24 COVER POND Trade MagazinesProduct of the Year Challenge WinnersAnd the winners are. See who won the 2009 Product of the YearChallenge. There were two categories-Pond Equipment and PondProducts. First, second, third and honorable mention wereselected from each category, with one product selected asProduct of the Year. You voted, now see who won.

28 What to Expect: Owning a Retail Koi StoreJoe Pawlak, Blackwater Creek Koi FarmsIs your retail store successful? How do you measure success; it'snot always just whether or not you made a profit. Learn from along-time retail expert some of the common things to expect what can go right and some things that could go wrong. Specialfocus is placed on the details of managing fish, from ordering to selling.

34 Advertising Dos and Donts Pam Greiner, The Green PenMarketing expert Pam Greiner shares with you several importantDo's and Don'ts of Advertisinglike not using the font papyrus orgoing overboard with content. When you are ready to startdesigning your ad, follow these eight critical points. And the oldrule "KISS" (Keep it Simple Stupid) may be the best rule of all.

39 QnAJim Purcell, Oregon Aquatics, Inc.Do you have something slimy in that water feature? Is thereanything you can do about algae on stucco? Here are twoquestions that are answered by our industry expertJim Purcell.Remember if you have a question and would like an answer fromour team of experts be sure to submit it at pondtrademag.com.

M a g a z i n e

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POND Trade Magazine, ISSN 1949-0585 is a trade publication of TC Publishing, Inc. Material isselected for its interest to the koi and pond industries, and the publishers accept no responsibility for theaccuracy of content. Reproduction rights by written permission only.

POND Trade Magazine is published bi-monthly, starting in January, for $36.95 per year by TC Publishing, Inc., POND Trade Magazine, PO BOX 1985, Fallbrook, CA 92088-1985. Qualifiedapplicants may subscribe at no cost at www.pondtrademag.com. Periodical Postage is paid at Fallbrook,CA and additional offices. For new subscriptions, additional copies, and address changes please call760/451-2255 Pacific, or email [email protected]

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Marketing TipsSpecial Deal Today Only

The next time business is slow, try sending out an email toyour prospect list that reads, "Please call me. I have a special deal I can offer you if you call me today. You'll be glad you did! (978) 000-0000. Thanks, Sharron." This method really works.Prospects call because of the urgency you create using such a short deadline and to make sure they dont miss out on a worthyopportunity. Be careful. Youll lose credibility with your prospectsif your offer isnt aggressive enough, i.e., 10% off wont cut it!

Marketing Tips continued on page 32.

If you have moved, pleaseupdate your address with us.

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You can email yourchanges to [email protected]. Please include the CZNnumber and your OLD Zip-code, as well as the new address in your email.Please also include the zip + 4 if you know it.

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7March/April 2010 POND Trade Magazine

Editors Perspective

Tom GrahamEDITOR

We are happy torecognize the winnersof the POND TradeMagazine Product of the YearChallenge. Congratulations go toPaul Curtis of AquaFinn, LLC.,for his pioneering efforts, bringinga new product and brand name tomarket last year with MinnFinnMax koi treatment. This year'scompetition had a number ofgreat pond products of varioustypes. Our Overall Championfor 2009 MinnFinnMax.

First Place in the Pond Equipment category went to long time pump manufacturerMulti-Duti Manufacturing, Inc.Their new Titan pump hascaptured the enthusiasm of themarket with its groundbreakingperformance. First Place in thePond Products category went to another majorindustry manufacturer, Ecological Laboratorieswith Sabbactisun, a new addition to the Microbe-Lift line. This product is particularly notable in the fact that it is a bit of a departure from what wehave come to expect from Ecological Laboratories.It is neither a beneficial bacteria nor enzyme product. It is instead an herbal product to promote healing in fish.

We recognize the winners beginning on page 24. I bet you will read about something newthat you will find interesting and valuable. Be sureto visit www.pondtrademag.com/productoftheyear/2009/entries/ to see all the great products we have had the opportunity to showcase for you.

If you are not feeling an upsurge in your pondbusiness yet, hang in there. It feels like things are

picking up in many areas of the country. Many companies are launching new products for 2010, exhibited by the 14 press releases we published in January on the web site. (Send yours to [email protected].)

If your company holds training seminars orshows for the trade and would like to publish your dates, send the information to [email protected] and we will add your event to our calendar section.

Remember, when you assist colleagues in thetrade, you strengthen long-term relationships thatwill bear fruit for years to come.

Good Prospecting,

Tom Graham

I simply feel in love with Water Pagels Pots, see more starting on page 8.

The plant with spear-like leaves is Baumea rubiginosis 'Variegata.'The underwater grass-like plants

are Lilaeopsis chinensis.

The upright plants are Acorus gramineus 'Variegatus.' The underwatergrass-like plants are again Lilaeopsis chinensis. The floating leaved plant

is Nymphaea 'Amy Rose Bell', (a miniature water lily hybrid from Australia). The creeping plant is Ludwigia ascendens.

The floating leaf plant is Nymphaea'Arcadia Sunbeam', a miniature water lily hybrid from Australia.

8 pondtrademag.comPOND Trade Magazine

by Tom GrahamEditor, POND Trade MagazinePhotos by Tom Graham

Walter Pagels is a genuine legend, living among us in Southern California. He is world renownfor his world wide travels collecting rare andunusual aquatic plant species. He even has his own water lilynamed after him, the Walter Pagels Lily.

His experiences and accomplishments would fill volumes. He is known as the "Father of Doppler Radar. Buthis love for water gardening started at the age of 8.

I want to share with you a small collection of photos Itook at Walters home one sunny summer afternoon. Thesepots are a few of Walters collection of pots, and are teemingwith various small aquatic plants. I found them delightful andunique. Pots are a great way to keep aquatics.

Now granted, the idea of keeping aquatic plants in a poton the patio is nothing newif there is any standard to them,they usually involve larger,more traditional plants likethe water lily, or the taro.

What I found entrancingwas the tiny submergedplants, growing like a livingcarpet amongst and aroundthe taller plants.

Each pot was its own microcosm, seemingly growingunrestrained, and yet clearly cared for. Each lush with life, yetquiet and peaceful.

Walter has been kind enough to give me the names of theplants in these pots, which I have noted in the captions.

You can read more about Walters experiences at

The black leaf plant is Colocasiaesculanta 'Black Magic.'

The small floating plants areAzolla pinnata. The oblongleavesthe two shown

(look carefully) belong toAponogeton distachyon, oftengiven as A. distachyus. Note:This South African aquatic plantis unique in that it goes to sleepin the summer but wakes upand blooms when the water

temperature goes below about 70 F, but above freezing.

The grass-like, partly under-water, plant is Lilaeopsis

carolinensis. Note: This plant issimilar to but larger than

L. chinensis. The leaves of bothplants will not wither if exposed to the open air at low water level.

http://www.victoria-adventure.org/more_than_links_images/walter_pagels/walter_pagels_profile1.html a


photo by Cyndie Thomas


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The Origin of Butterfly Koiat Blue Ridge Fish Hatchery

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by Randy LeFeverBlue Ridge Fish Hatchery

Butterfly koi have been available in the United States formany years. During that time they have becomeimmensely popular and are now being produced andsold by Blue Ridge Fish Hatchery.

The History

The history of their development is an interesting story.First, let me state that they are not a hybrid of goldfish and koias many people believe.

You may have seen it stated in books and magazines that"the long fins and tail of goldfish have been transferred to koi."Nothing could be further from the truth. Koi and goldfishbeing closely related will readily interbreed, but the resultingprogeny are unattractive, mostly resembling wild carp with verylittle color. In our experience so far, they are always sterile andoffer no hope of continuing selective breeding.

The Story

Now, for the story of butterfly koi development here.Several years ago, we noticed an ad in a pet industry trade

magazine, of a firm in New York City offering long-finned koifor sale. This immediately piqued our interest since we havebeen a national supplier of koi, goldfish and other coldwaterornamentals for a number of years.

We had to see some of these so-called long-finned koi. Anorder was placed with some anticipation. As I remember, wereceived about a dozen of these fish. They weren't koi at all,but appeared to be a wild carp with long fins and a wild graycolor. We have since learned that these fish came from a feralpopulation of carp that inhabited the ditches and canals ofIndonesia. No one seems to know the origin of these fish, theirexact species or how they acquired the long fins and tails.

These long-finned carp weren't very pretty and didn'tappear to have much commercial value. However, we decidedto put them in a fenced and protected pond and grow themto maturity. We had only three or four fish left two years later.They had grown into brutes weighing six to eight poundseach. They were very unattractive, even down right ugly. Wethought these fish wouldn't sell, but what would happen if wecross- bred them with koi? Could we transfer their long finsand vigor to colorful koi? It was worth a try. We stocked twofemale long-finned carp in a two-acre production pond withtwo of our best Ogon (metallic) male koi. The males also hadginrin or sparkle scales.

We eagerly awaited the spawning and subsequent hatchingof the fry. These hybrid offspring proved to be very strong andof rapid growth. But on closer inspection when they were stillvery young, they looked mostly like wild carp. We were verydisappointed and discussed culling the whole pond and puttingit to better use, but finally decided to let them mature to theend of the growing season. I am certainly glad we did, as somevery interesting fish were beginning to appear.

A small percentage of them turned into extremely beautifulfish with color and long fins and tails. Some of them had longfins with a luminous metallic glow that could be described aspearlescent. We were admiring them in a small pool when Isaid to my dad, Wyatt, "They remind me of butterflies," hence

POND Trade Magazine

Language of Koi

Wyatt LeFever

Wyatt LeFever is the founder and pastpresident of Blue Ridge Fish Hatchery, Inc.,which was established in 1958. He is known forintroducing several fish to the coldwaterornamental fish trade. Butterfly Koi, rainbowdace, and albino catfish are a few of the many.Mr. LeFever has been in the hatchery businessfor most of his life, breeding both coldwater, aswell as tropical fish. He is a founding memberof the National Ornamental Goldfish Growersof America of which he served as presidentfrom 1988-1990.


the name. We realized we had some diamonds in the roughand were pretty excited about their commercial possibilities.

We would now select the very best, grow them to maturityand breed them to each other to establish a strain.

We were hoping these hybrids wouldn't be sterile as in thecase of the koi/goldfish hybrids.

Of course we would have to wait two to three years toattempt to breed our F1 (first generation) butterfly hybrids.The selective breeding was pretty much done by my son Randyand my brother Rick.

The very best of these first generation hybrids werestocked together in one of our best ponds. We monitored thepond carefully. There was an excellent spawn and hatch. Thefry grew rapidly in spite of being rather crowded. We noticedthat they had hybrid vigor. However, by the time the fryreached about an inch in length, the prospects didn't look sogood. Again, they mostly resembled wild carp or bait fish, butwe decided they may yet develop long fins and color. Sureenough, by fall, when they had grown to the length of 3 to 4,a good percentage of them had developed into beautifulbutterfly koi. Their commercial possibilities began to look verygood indeed. With further selective breeding, here was a koithat, unlike regular koi, was beautiful when viewed from thesides as well as the top. They swam with such grace and regalbearing. What a beautiful pond fish they would make! Due totheir hybrid vigor they are stronger, hardier, and more diseaseresistant than either common goldfish or regular koi.

We subsequently learned that a very fineand beautiful strain of long-finned koi hadbeen developed in Japan. We learned thatthey also used the wild Indonesian long-fincarp to develop their long-finned koi or"water dragons," as they are known in Japan.They probably started their hybridizingprogram even before we did here in the US.

However, the ZNA, which sanctions allJapanese Koi shows, as well as shows in otherparts of the world, refused to allow long-finned koi to compete in the shows. As aresult, there are very few long-finned koibeing produced in Japan at this time.

We were able to obtain some of thelong-finned Japanese stock and cross breedthem with our butterfly koi. This resulted in some beautiful new colors not yet seen inkoi at the time. The metallic underlay in the skin and fins became very strong. Alsothe sparkling diamond scales or ginrinreally glittered.


Randy LeFever is Presidentof Blue Ridge Fish Hatchery,one of the largest Koi andgoldfish farms in the US. Hehas been involved in theproduction and distribution of high qualitykoi and Butterfly Koi on a national basisfor over 30 years. He's credited for namingand introducing Butterfly Koi to the marketin the 1980's.

Blue Ridge Fish Hatchery4536 Kernersville Rd.Kernersville NC 272841-800/334-5257 Fax 336/784-4306Email: [email protected]: blueridgekoi.com

About the Author

Butterfly koi start to developelongated fins and tails at about sixmonths of age, but really start cominginto their own at about a year. After ayear or two in an aquarium or smallpond, their fins and tail will be almost aslong as their bodies. We have such anaquarium in our officequite a sight tosee. Butterfly koi need to grow ratherslowly, lest their bodies outgrow theirfins and ruin the butterfly effect.

Butterfly koi, no doubt are here tostay and the supply is quite good now.We continue to select and breed newcolors, particularly the red shades, withgreat anticipation. With the rapidlyincreasing popularity of garden pondsresulting in tremendous demand forpond fish, it is truly an exciting time. a


16 pondtrademag.com

by Jayne SouthardUnited KingdomPhotos by Jayne Southard

Testing, TestingAs koi and pond professionals, we all know the importance

of testing pond water regularly for potentially fatal levels of anynasty toxins that may cause our clients' fish harm. Here, wewill take a look at an aquatic retailer in the UK who offers suchservices to their customers free of charge and how this benefitsnot only the customers, but also the retailer. Can this be a wayyou can build customer loyalty, and fend off the seriouschallenges presented by big box outlets and discount Onlineoutlets, in your store?

The ServiceSo, let us look at the pond water testing service offered by

my local retailer. When a customer reports a pond problem, beit sick fish, a sudden surge of algae growth or just discoloredwater, first things first-they test the water.

Since few customers are technically minded, the servicefrom an expert eye can be a lifesaver (or fish saver in our case).Some pond keepers may have a quick dipstick kit, and whilethese can be good for a weekly status check, they are not alwaysas accurate as you may think. This is where more in-depthtesting kit comes in. Better test, done by someone who canprovide not only a free test, but a trained eye can be apriceless service.

Free testing also provides the opportunity for you to askquestions about your customer's pond, and probe for problemsthat you have solutions for. Without the problem presentingitself, through your free water testing, you may never hear ofthe problem, thus the customer experiences a potential disaster,and you miss out on a wonderful service style sale opportunity.

This kind of rescue creates tremendous good will, and astrong incentive in your customer to bring you all their businessin the future.

Water TransportationYou need to be prepared to help your customers bring good

water samples to you. In this store, they recommend using aclean glass jar. Some plastics or other containers can leach evensmall amounts of residues into the water leading to false

POND Trade Magazine

Testing a customers water sampleMaidenhead Aquatic Store Front

readings, so ensure a thoroughly washed and rinsed glass jar with a water tight lid isused. Ask for about a pint, so you have enough for all the tests and some spillage.

What to Test ForMy store tests with an API Liquid

Master Test Kit, which gives a muchmore accurate reading than dipstickstyle kits, and can test for more things.The whole testing process will only take between 5 to 10 minutes. Theygenerally look at pH, ammonia, nitriteand nitrate, phosphates, and in thesummer, salt levels. API supplies a chartsheet with the liquid test kits to recordand note the results, which is then givento the customer to keep. If anyproblems are discovered, then a productor solution will be recommended andthe customer given the choice whetheror not to take the advice.

SummaryWe know building loyalty with your local customers is an everyday challenge

and it could be the key ingredient to the long term survival of your shop. Smallbusinesses with passionate and knowledgeable staff are also key to keeping thisindustry alive. If small shops get pushed out by the retail giants, so do the excellent

staff that go with them.Remember, what we have tooffer is a personal, less 'sales'orientated approach wherecustomers are always made tofeel welcome, given excellentadvice on an individual basis.This will always be themarket advantage of thespecialty retailer, keepingcustomers coming back againand again. Prominent signageoffering free water tests is agreat way to demonstrate thatyour shop cares about yourcustomers' needs and arethere to help. a


Understanding the Nitrogen Cycle

One of the most importantaspects in keeping your pond healthy,is understanding how it works, andthe nitrogen cycle explains just whatthis means. Many say that if you cancome to grips with the process of thecycle and get it working in perfectharmony with your livestock, then therest should take care of itself. So asimplified version is explained below:

In a pond, fish will release wasteinto the water. As the waste breaksdown, ammonia is produced.Ammonia can be toxic if it builds up,so to keep ammonia levels fromgetting dangerous, beneficial bacteriacalled nitrosomonas will break downammonia and convert it into nitrite,which is still toxic if it builds up, butless so than ammonia.

After the ammonia is convertedto nitrite, another group of beneficialbacteria called nitrobacter will breakdown and convert nitrites intonitrates, which are far less toxic thannitrites. This nitrate is then utilized bythe plant life in the pond as a sourceof nourishment, which helps to keepthe nitrate level low and can also helpwith controlling algae.

So, the nitrogen cycle isessentially the amazing way a pondsecosystem cleans itself of harmfultoxins and creates sustainingnourishment within its environment.

Understanding the Nitrogen Cycle

One of the most importantaspects in keeping your pond healthy,is understanding how it works, andthe nitrogen cycle explains just whatthis means. Many say that if you cancome to grips with the process of thecycle and get it working in perfectharmony with your livestock, then therest should take care of itself. So asimplified version is explained below:

In a pond, fish will release wasteinto the water. As the waste breaksdown, ammonia is produced.Ammonia can be toxic if it builds up,so to keep ammonia levels fromgetting dangerous, beneficial bacteriacalled nitrosomonas will break downammonia and convert it into nitrite,which is still toxic if it builds up, butless so than ammonia.

After the ammonia is convertedto nitrite, another group of beneficialbacteria called nitrobacter will breakdown and convert nitrites intonitrates, which are far less toxic thannitrites. This nitrate is then utilized bythe plant life in the pond as a sourceof nourishment, which helps to keepthe nitrate level low and can also helpwith controlling algae.

So, the nitrogen cycle isessentially the amazing way a pondsecosystem cleans itself of harmfultoxins and creates sustainingnourishment within its environment.

Jayne Southard lives in the UK with her husband and two sonsand has been working in the aquatic magazine/publishing industrysince 2002. Writing for UK publications on pond and aquariumtopics regularly, she is a freelance writer with a general knowlegeof the industry.

About the Author

API Liquid Ammonia Test

Record sheet that is filled in and given to the customer

Aquarium hobbyists use the term "New Tank Syndrome" to describe fish that are poisoned by high levels of ammonia (NH3). This phenomenon also occurswhen starting up new ponds.

Ammonia is produced by the bacterial mineralization offish waste, excess food, and the decomposition of animal andplant tissues. Additional ammonia is excreted directly into thewater by the fish themselves. Ammonia poisoning causesdamaged tissue, especially to the gills and kidney. It also causesphysiological imbalances such as impaired growth, decreasedresistance to disease and death. High levels of nitrite are also aproblem. Nitrite poisoning inhibits the uptake of oxygen byred blood cells. Known as Brown Blood Disease, orMethemoglobinemia, the hemoglobin in red blood cells isconverted to methemoglobin.

The successful pond keeper realizes the importance ofestablishing the nitrogen cycle quickly and with minimal stresson the fish and aquatic life. Nitrifying bacteria oxidize toxicammonia and nitrite. Nitrosomonas sp. breaks down theammonia into less toxic nitrite (NO2). Nitrobacter sp. breaksdown nitrite (NO2) intonitrate (NO3). This nitratecan then either be used byplants, as a nutrient source,or can be further brokendown into dinitrogen gas(N2) through the activity of other species of bacteria.

Nitrifying bacteria are classified as obligate chemo-lithotrophs. This simply means that they must use inorganicsalts as an energy source, and generally cannot utilize organicmaterials. They must oxidize ammonia and nitrites for theirenergy, and fix inorganic carbon dioxide (CO2) to fulfill theircarbon requirements. They are largely non-motile and mustcolonize surfaces such as gravel, sand or synthetic bio-media, for optimum growth. They secrete a sticky, slimematrix, which they use to attach themselves.

The two most common species of Nitrifying bacteria,mentioned above, are Nitrosomonas and Nitrobacter. They are


gram negative bacteria,ranging between 0.6 and4.0 microns in length.They are obligate aerobesand cannot reproduce orconvert ammonia ornitrites without oxygen.

Nitrosomonas utilizeammonia (NH3) as anenergy source during its conversion to nitrite (NO2).Ammonia is first converted (hydrolyzed) to an amine (NH2)compound then oxidized to nitrite. Nitrobacter use nitrites fortheir energy source during its conversion to nitrate (NO3).

Most of the energy produced by Nitrosomonas (up to80%), is devoted to fixing CO2 and little energy remains fortheir growth and reproduction. As a consequence, they have avery slow reproductive rate. Because little energy is producedfrom these reactions, Nitrosomonas have evolved to becomeextremely efficient at converting ammonia and nitrite.Scientific studies have shown that Nitrosomonas are soefficient, that a single Nitrosomonas cell can convert the sameamount of ammonia as approximate 1,000,000 heterotrophicbacteria (standard pond bacteria).

Nitrifying bacteria reproduce by binary division. Underoptimal conditions, Nitrosomonas may double in numberevery seven hours. Nitrobacter may double every 13 hours.This is an extremely long time considering that standardheterotrophic bacteria can double in as little as every 20minutes. For example, in the time it takes a singleNitrosomonas cell to double in population, a heterotrophicculture could have reached a population of many trillions of cells.

Nitrifying bacteria do not form spores. They have acomplex cytomembrane (cell wall) that is surrounded by aslime matrix. All species have limited tolerance ranges and areindividually sensitive to water temperature, pH, dissolvedoxygen levels, salt, micronutrients, light, and inhibitorychemicals. Below we will touch briefly on each of these.

Nitrifying bacteria oxidizetoxic ammonia and nitrite.

Water Tech

20

Water Temperature

The water temperature for optimumgrowth of Nitrifying bacteria isapproximately 75 85F. Growth rate iscut to 50% at approximately 65F, andcut by 75% at approximately 50F.Growth is zero at approximately 40F or below. Nitrifying bacteria will die if frozen, or if water temperature reaches 120F.

pH

The pH for optimum growth ofNitrosomonas is approximately 7.8 8.0.At pH levels below 7.0, Nitrosomonaswill grow more slowly, and at a pH of 6.5,

Nitrosomonas growth is inhibited. ThepH for optimum growth of Nitrobacteris approximately 7.3 - 7.5. Nitrobacterwill grow more slowly at the higher pHlevels, (typical of marine aquaria). It isimportant to note that all Nitrification isinhibited if the pH drops to 6.0 or less.At a pH of 6.5, most of the ammoniapresent in the water will be in the mildlytoxic, ionized NH3+ state.

Dissolved Oxygen

Maximum nitrification rates willexist if dissolved oxygen (DO) levelsexceed 80% saturation. Nitrification willnot occur if DO drops to 2.0 mg/L (2

ppm) or less. Nitrobacter is more stronglyaffected by low DO than Nitrosomonas.

Salinity

Some nitrifying bacteria will grow insalinities ranging between 0 - 6 ppt(parts per thousand). Other nitrifyingbacteria will grow in salinities rangingfrom 6 - 44 ppt. Adaptation to differentsalinities may involve a lag time of 1-3days before the Nitrifiers will experienceexponential growth.

Micronutrients

All species of nitrifying bacteriarequire a number of micronutrients. Mostimportant is the need for phosphorus for ATP (Adenosine Tri-Phosphate)production. The conversion of ATPprovides energy for cellular functions.Phosphorus is normally available to cellsin the form of phosphates (PO4).Nitrobacter especially, is unable to oxidize nitrite in the absence ofphosphates. Sufficient phosphates arenormally present in regular drinkingwater. Other essential micronutrients areavailable in our drinking water as well.The increasing popularity of high-techwater filters for de-ionizing, distilling,and reverse osmosis (hyper-filtration),produces water that is stripped of theseessential nutrients. While these filters aregenerally excellent for producing highpurity water, this water is inhibitory tonitrifying bacteria.

Light

Nitrifying bacteria are photo-sensitive, especially to blue and ultravioletlight. After they have colonized a surface,this light poses no problem. But duringthe first 3 to 4 days, many of the cells maybe suspended in the water column. Anybulbs that emit UV or near UV light,should remain off during this initial 3to 4 day time frame.

pondtrademag.comPOND Trade Magazine

What is in that water and how is it effected by the elements?


Chlorine & Chloramines

Before adding bacteria to a pond oraquarium, all chlorine must becompletely neutralized. Most US citiestreat their drinking water withchloramines. Chloramines are morestable than chlorine. The type ofchloramines formed is dependent on pH. Most chloramines exist as either monochloramine (NH2Cl) ordichloramine (NHCl2). These com-pounds are created by adding ammoniato chlorinated water. Commercialchlorine reducing chemicals, such assodium thiosulfate, will break thechlorine: ammonia bond. Chlorine(Cl) is reduced to harmless chloride(Cl-) ion. Each molecule of chloraminethat is reduced, will produce onemolecule of ammonia. When treating,first neutralize all chlorine. Theneliminate ammonia.

The cells of Nitrifying bacteria arereddish (Nitrosomonas) to brownish(Nitrobacter) in color. The liquidsolution found in commerciallyavailable products is normally a lightred color, primarily due to the naturalpigment of the bacterial cells.Commercial products normally have amusty smell. Sometimes the solutionmay turn dark brown or black andsmell like rotten eggs. This is rare butnot unusual. This is due to the presenceof residual sulfates that have beenreduced to sulfides. This has norelationship to the viability of thebacterial cultures. The concentration ofsulfides is only a few parts per billionand is not toxic when diluted in theaquarium or pond. If desired, thesesulfides can easily be de-gassed before use, by removing the bottle cap and allowing oxygen to penetrateinto solution. a

Article submitted by CassCo Products, Inc.

www.cassco-bio.com



by Paul ScholzPartner Organic Environmental Technology

The Mechanisms behind Pond and Aquarium Pop

If you have ever observed the conditions in a pond oraquarium suddenly improves, where the water comes to lifelike a light bulb in the dark, you would remember it well.This is called the POP. You would have also likely taken thatmemory with you every time you are setting up a new pond ortrouble shooting an existing pond or aquarium in hopes toexperience it again and again.

What you probably are a little fuzzy on is just exactly whatoccurred behind the scenes to make that pop happen.

In this article, we are going to de-mystify the pop andexplain the mechanisms behind it.

To begin we need to visit the world of microorganisms,Mother Natures foot soldiers that do her bidding.

The Balance of MicroorganismsIn nature, there are three general roles microorganisms

play: beneficial, harmful and neutral. A balanced ecosystemcontains roughly five percent beneficial microorganisms thatkeep in check the harmful microorganisms that also weigh inat around five percent of the total population. The remainingmicroorganisms play a neutral role.

ProbioticsBeneficial microorganisms are probiotic and function to

sustain and enrich life. By definition probiotic means insupport of life. They convert minerals to substances easilytaken in by plants. They break down organic matter byfermentation consuming the toxic elements along the way, aprocess that produces life sustaining nutrients such as aminoacids, vitamins, sugars, and anti-oxidants. This is a cleanprocess that produces no odors or negative byproducts such assludge and disease.

Antibiotics and Biocide ChemicalsThe harmful microorganisms operate off the principle of

putrefaction; they rot things and produce foul odors - hydrogensulfite, methane and ammonia. These are also the disease-causing pathogens that follow the road of destruction anddeath. They breed amongst the destruction.

Following the example of medical science, the pondindustry has long adopted the approach to attack and kill thebacteria or algae like a disease. By definition, antibiotic meansagainst life and biocide means death to life. And whenthese methods are used you throw the baby out with the bathwater as these methods do not distinguish between good orbad, or just target the culprit, they wipe out all bacteria whethergood or bad. Yet, good bacteria are critically important tosustain life and a healthy pond environment.

The Ecosystem Losing Its BalanceThe balance in an ecosystem can be lost whenever excessive

negative environmental conditions are introduced. Rains canintroduce molds and pollution from the air. Runoff can bringin chemical pesticides and herbicides from nearby fields. Windscan spread dead leaves and bugs.

Neutral Follow-on BacteriaCurrent research has revealed that bacteria appear to have

a sort of chemical email system they communicate with. Acommand and control system if you will.

In a balanced ecosystem where the pathogens are held incheck by the probiotic microorganisms the orders of the dayfor the neutral bugs are to get on withtheir normal tasks, not having anysenior orders to the contrary.

When excessive pathogens areintroduced to an environment, the corepopulation of harmful bacteria increasesto a level that exceeds the balance pointof five percent by a few percentagepoints, over the beneficial bacteria. Thenthe harmful bacteria seemingly take overthe command and control functions ofthe ecosystem. The harmful bacteriasomehow issue an all points bulletin toall neutral bugs, telling them that theyhave been reassigned to the search anddestroy team. As the neutral bugs follow-on the destructive band wagon, theenvironmental ratios are radicallychanged, from having only seven to tenpercent harmful bugs to functionallyhaving upwards of ninety percentharmful bugs. If you have ever had foodpoisoning where at first you feel a littleodd then overnight all systems breakdown rapidly, you have an idea of howthis works.

Treatment - Less is BetterThe good news here is the Follow-

on Bacteria are easily swayed back to thegood road in life. The apparentcommand and control system is the key.The slightly swelled population of coreharmful bugs has allowed bad bugs totake over command and control.Consequently, all that has to happen toget the ecosystem to pop into a betterstate is to introduce just enoughbeneficial probiotic bacteria to overrunthe command and control center andtake it back. A new urgent memo is thenissued to the Follow-on Bacteria thatthey have a new constructive purpose.The Follow-on Bacteria get the memoand they join in all-hands fashionrebalancing the ecosystem with a POP.


About Organic Environmental Technology and EffectiveEnvironmental Services:Organic Environmental Technology, d.b.a. Effective EnvironmentalServices, is a privately held company in Lake View Terrace,California offering probiotic aquarium and pond products includingAquarium Magician, Pond Magician and Magic Sinkers. For more information, they can be contacted at 888-524-5000 or by email to [email protected]. a


24 pondtrademag.com

Product of the Year

Overall WinnerMinnFinn Max

Highly effective medication with a broad spectrum of diseasetreatment using a medicine that is environmentally friendly andnon-toxic to the user and the fish. There is nothing else like it onthe market.

AquaFinn LLC2255 Seaquest TrailEscondido, California 92029760-518-8170www.minnfinnmax.com

See ad on page 23.

Joel AckerSummit View Koi

Burt NicholsWater Garden Gems

Ben PlonskiLaguna Koi Ponds

Jim PurcellOregan AquaticsPresident IWGS

Brenda SorrellsExotic Aquatics(IPPCA Five Star Contractor Award winner of 2009)

Deb SpencerWaters Edge

Each judge selected their choice forfirst, second, and third place in eachcategory. Their votes were combinedwith the Online voting to yield thefinal tally.

POND Trade Magazine

Panel of industry professionals who where our judges:

Congratulations to everyone who entered POND Trade Magazines Product of the Year Challenge. We also want tothank everyone who voted Online and to our distinguished panel of judges who weighed in with their valuable thoughtsand opinions.

These awards recognize outstanding new products for our industry, that will have a positive impact on our industryfor years to come. To see all 28 entries visit our web site and see future issues of POND Trade magazine.

www.pondtrademag.com/productoftheyear/2009/entries/

POND Trade MagazinesPOND Trade Magazines

Product of the YearChallenge Winners


Sequence Titan

12,000 GPH for less than 845 watts! THE HIGHESTEFFICIENCY PUMPS available for water gardenapplications where you need them most, in high flow!

MDM, Inc.325 Karen LaneColorado Springs, CO 80907(800) 447-8342www.mdminc.comSee ad on page 10.

Microbe-Lift/ Sabbactisun

Microbe-Lift/ Sabbactisun isthe first NATURAL EXPELLANTfor Bacterial Diseases to treat such a wide variety of symptoms andproblems that fish encounter.

Ecological LaboratoriesP.O. Box 184Malverne, New York 11565239-573-6650www.MicrobeLift.comSee ad on page 11.

Crystal Clear OneFix

OneFix is a year-roundwater clarifier composed of all-natural bacteria and enzymes.Now you can treat your pondwhen its 100 degrees or 30degrees. Environmentally Safe 100% Safe for all life forms

Winston Company, Inc7704 E. 38th StreetTulsa, OK 74145800-331-9099www.crystalclearpond.comSee ad on page 15.

HydroSieve

The most cost effective and space saving sieveon the market. Bottom drain pre-filter for Koiponds and Hybrid Ponds, designed to remove fishwaste and debris prior to the pump and bio filter.

Russell Technologies16541 Redmond Way #523-CRedmond, WA 980521-800-844-9314www.russell-technologies.comSee ad on page 3.

2nd

1stPond ProductsPond Equipment


Colorfalls

Colorfalls is the first lighted weir specificallydesigned for water features. A perfect fit for formalretaining walls and pond-free applications.

Atlantic Water Gardens4494 Orchard St.Mantua, Ohio 44255330-274-8317www.atlanticwatergardens.comSee ad on page 2.

Honorable Mention

Waste-Away

Waste-Away is the result of the latestscientific research of Dr. Timothy Hovanecnot just someone elses bacteria re-bottled

like many other products. Aunique product with strainsisolated from our own Koiponds, developed for pondkeepers such ourselves, thisproduct delivers real results.

DrTim's Aquatics530 Los Angeles Ave.#115-243Moorpark, CA 93021805-907-2690www.drtimsaquatics.comSee ad on page 27.

POND Trade Magazines Product of the Year Challange 2010Watch our web site for entry forms and voting.

(Voting Online 10/1/10 to 10/31/10)

Pond ProductsPond Equipment3rd

Meron Ribbed Water & Fire

This clever, yet classic looking set of custombowls creates a stunning looking mixture of flamesand water working together, and looks amazing especially during the evening with the lights shiningon the water flowing from the water bowl.

Concrete Creations19205 Lanark StReseda, CA 91335888-299-8273www.ConcreteCreationsLA.com

Bugout - Carnivores in Captivity

Bug Out is a new highlymarketable concept that willbring Sarracenias PitcherPlants- out of the cult marketcloset and into the hands of thegeneral public.

Attractive recyclablepackages with colorful funsignage and fascinating productinformation will prove to be aninteractive feature of any gardencenter or retail area.Aquascapes UnlimitedPO Box 364Pipersville, PA 18947www.aquascapesunlimited.com

get cheaper pricesBUT there is a chance for more delays andthere will be times when you have already driven to the airportonly to find the fish did not make the flight even though youwere told they were on it. This happens 10% of the time andcan be very, very frustrating during the busy season. Directflights are not so bad and we have found Southwest Airlines tobe the best airline to use by far.

The courier services have become our preferred choicebecause they pick up at our door (saving us time and moneynot having to go to the airport) and they deliver to your door.Thus no waiting at the airport for the next flight. The downsidefor the fish farmer is there is absolutely no live arrival guaranteeand if the fish arrive dead or in poor shape (unusual), there isno recourse or refund and the farmer/shipper has to absorb thecosts. The cost for door-to-door shipping is around 30% moreor an additional 25 cents a fish. A small cost for less runningaround and more time spending with your customers at yourshop. In our experience, we have had less than a 2% problemrate shipping with FedEx.

So the fish arrive, you look through the bag and they arenot moving much, they may look somewhat dull and not whatyou ordered. Open the bags, get them into a fresh batch ofwater (holding system) and give them a day. In most instances,you will find they look better the next day after they have had

28 pondtrademag.com

by Joe PawlakBlackwater Creek Koi Farms

Coming Up Step Four Expectations (continued from priorissues) Make sure you know what to expect from yourretail system; some fish are going to die, some customers

are going to kill'em, and so forth. There is a lot to talk aboutwhen gauging your success in retailing. It's more than just theamount of sales you are making. Making sales is part of it, butnot all of it.

Ok, so youre ready to retail some fish. What should youexpect from the endeavor? How do you know if you are oncourse and are successful? I write this segment of this seriesthinking back on our 10 years of experience selling to retailpond/fish shops, as well as owning and managing a retail shop.

It all starts with ordering your fish. Typically you candetermine what the fish farms have ready to go by checkingtheir web site or calling them. In many cases, they will contactyou to let you know what they have. Keep in mind Americankoi farms have a better selection because they have a longergrowing season and fish can be purchased from spring throughfall or in places like Florida, 12 months a year. Imported fishare typically sold only in the spring and fall and once they aresold, they are gone unless you buy through a broker whostockpiles them for sales at a later date.

Ok, so you have ordered your fish. Fish are shippedtypically by airlines (yes right along with the baggage) or by acourier service such as UPS or Fed Ex. With the airlines, you

POND Trade Magazine

Holding area, employees only

What to ExpectOwning a Retail Koi Store

a chance to rest and adjust. The fish are shipped in densequantities and although the water may be a bit dirty, specialchemicals are added to the shipping water to help reduceshipping stress. Typically in boxes with 60 fish, you may haveone dead fish in every third box or so. Fish ship very well within24 hours, they ship ok in 36 hours, and past that, a lot ofoutside environmental factors affect survival. If the water is keptcold, they do much better.

Probably my most frequent complaint as the owner of akoi shipping business is when someone complains about paying75 cents a fish to ship it overnight to their door. Our boxes arevery heavy and we use a lot of water per package to help ensurea greater survival rate and faster revival of the fish for sale. Somepeople have chosen their fish supplier more on shipping coststhan quality and reputation of the shipper. When it comes toshipping a live product, cheap is not good. A little extra goes along way, especially when the clock is ticking.

The fish have arrived.They are in great shape andyou have placed them in aseparate LOW DENSITYquarantine system for thenext two weeks out of thepublics eye. You make surethey are in top conditionbefore being transferred toyour retail system.

Heres What Will (or Could) Happen Next

1. The fish will jump out. Cover the fish ANY time youmove them to another tank. They will find even a small hole.After a few days they will stop jumping.

2. You or your staff does a water exchange with the hose.The phone rings and you forget and leave the hose on and findthat the fish are all dead the next day. Ok, if youre reading thisand you already retail fish, you know what I am talking about.

Let me save you some money. For $10 at the hardwarestore you can buy a meter/valve that goes on the end of thehose. You turn the dial and it dispenses a certain amount ofwater and shuts off (regardless if you get distracted or not).This will save you thousands of dollars the easy way, not thehard waythe sad lesson of forgetting to turn off the water. Do me a favorspend the 10 bucks, send me a check for acouple hundred bucks, and consider it a great savings to yourbusiness (grin).

One note of caution, meters do not last forever. You stillshould check to make sure it is working properly.

3. The fish arrive DOA yep, dead on arrival. It happensto all of us. As long as you have your quarantine system and a


two week holding period, you can order some more fish andthings keep moving forward. If you are the type to sell themtwo days after they arriveyou will get caught in a bind, withno fish to sell. Spend the money, get a good system and do itrightfrom the beginning.

4. Your fish looked great on arrival but within a week, theyare flashing (scratching) and not acting right. Typically, this isresponse from stress and the few bugs a fish typically has thatcan take over and cause a problem. A salt treatment and use ofanother bug treatment is all that is necessary. Again, with aquarantine system, you should maintain business as usualwithout your customers ever seeing a hiccup.

5. Make sure your systems have redundancy. Plug theaerator on a separate circuit breaker than your systems waterpump, so if one fails the other keeps them alive. Your system hasboth a water circulation pump AND an aeration device, right?

6. You sell some fish to a customer and they come back the next day saying they all died. You know fish donttypically die overnight unless something is grossly wrong withtheir environment. Remember from the earlier parts of thisseriesnow is the time to win the customer over by helpingfix their pond problem AND save face (embarrassment) ofkilling the first batch of fish. Figure less than 2% occurrenceof this incident.

The Actual Fish

Your fish are now placed in your retail system, thecustomers are coming in and buying fish. Here are some thingsthat come to mind.

1. Keep enough fish in the systems to look full, but do notoverstock. Too many fish causes what I call Koi Blindness.There are so many fish that look similar that customers justcannot pick and sometimes go away frustrated and overwhelmed.

2. Keep a separate tank of fish that you choose as specialpicks by you. Charge a little more for these, as people will valueyour opinion. With experience, you will soon be able to pickout the higher quality fish in a shipment.

3. Dont be afraid that all the best fish will sell right away.I especially see this at koi vendor booths at koi shows. Peoplewill buy what they like more often than what is best by any

judging standard. I have seen the best fish still in their tanksafter 2,000 people have been by. That fish you consider uglymay be the one someone has been looking for. Have you eversold an all orange with black, speckled koi? Sort of an AKABekko. We see 1,000s of these when we are culling, but believeit or not, people are attracted to the contrast of colors. Givethem what they wantnot specifically what YOU want themto have. Be honest if they ask your opinion, but above all, makesure they go away happy with whatever they choose.

What does it mean to be successful in this business ofselling live fish? In dollars and cents here is a breakdown of whatto expect.

4-6 Medium Grade Koi $6.50Shipping from 1,000 Miles Away $0.75Holding System Costs* $0.42Other** $2.00Bad Luck Factor*** $0.13Customer Kill Cost**** $0.13Total Cost of Fish $9.93 each

Typically these fish sell for $25.00 each or five for $100.00.Some places sell for more, but this is still a great profit margin.

* Assuming 100 boxes of fish will be sold during the life ofthe system100 boxes of 60 fish holding system=$2,500/6,000 fish = $0.4166

** Assumed cost of rent, electricity, labor, advertising, and so forth.

*** The bad luck factor is the assumption of 2% loss of stock.That equates to two boxes out of 100 shipped that are

completely lost or DOA. This ishigher than actual, but alsoaccounts for other things such asjumpers, disease, and so forth; thatwill happen along the way. So twoboxes of medium grade fish (120) x$6.50 each = $780.00/6000 fishduring the life of the system= $0.13per fish sold. **** This is the 2% of newcustomers who will have the fish diedue to the holding conditions attheir place. No fault of yoursbutit will happen.

So how do YOU know ifyoure successful? It may be just thebottom line of profit, but to mostthat have been in the business for awhile, they are in it for more thanjust the profits. If I had to describe


Booth at Orlando Koi Show

Have your store be an inviting destination.


the perfect pond storeowner/business,heres what I would picture.

ABC Koi Shop is a locally ownedbusiness that is open to the publicselling fish, plants and productsdesigned to bring enjoyment to thebackyard hobbyist koi keeper/watergardener. The owners have a greatreputation of providing good productsand pricing and have many, many loyalcustomers who bring repeat businessand tell others about their place. Theowners are able to spend time awayfrom their business frequently becauseall of their staff has the knowledgeneeded to answer 90% of the mostcommon questions in the pond trade.The business provides enough profits to pay the owners and their employeesa decent wage that allows for quality of life.

ABC Koi Shop operates usingcommon sense practices and repeatableprocedures and products. It understandsthat it cannot be everything toeverybody, but also understands that ahappy customer is a repeat customerand honesty, although sometimes notthe most comfortable thing to say, isalways the best policy.

Enjoying owning and operatingABC Koi Shop isin a wayprofit initself. The industry attracts a lot of greatpeople who the owners and staff havemet along the way or that they hope tomeet in our future years running (andenjoying) their business. a

Joe Pawlak is the founder of Blackwater Creek KoiFarms Inc., a group of three farms located throughoutFlorida. He has experience raising over 30 varieties of koion an annual basis. Butterfly koi production is a passionfor Joe. If its a challenge, I really want to do it. Family,Business, and Koi are a combination I truly love. Joe is also President NOGGA National

Ornamental Goldfish Growers Association.

Reach him at www.koisale.com or Koiretailer.com

About the Author

Joe multitasking - he is talking onhis cell phone, while seining

a mud pond


Continuted from page 6.

Under Your Nose

Are your vendors doing businesswith you? Why not? Heres a short listof the prospects you should contactwithin 48 hours of reading this article,your: accountant, attorney, plumber,electrician, daycare provider,housekeeper, greens keeper, mechanic, realtor, friends, family, church, dentist,physician, nail technician, hairdresser,Mary Kay Consultant, marriagecounselor, coach, personal trainer,financial advisor, and so forth. If youand your vendor are not a match, he orshe probably knows someone whoshould be doing business with you. Allyou have to do is ask your vendor toprovide some word-of-mouth aboutyou. At minimum, ask to display yourbusiness cards and flyers at their office,or to mention your business in theircustomer newsletter. Take a moment and make sure people in yourimmediate circle understand whatyoure selling.

Remember, the more comfortablewe keep our customers, the longertheyll stay, the more memorableexperience theyll have and the moretheyll spend, or pass on positive word-of-mouth. When youre planning yournext marketing activity, remember tostimulate your customers senses, including eyes, ears, nose and mouth.

Sharron Senter is a New England-based marketing consultant who helpssmall businesses deploy low-costmarketing strategies.

Tips provided by Sharron Senter

www.sharronsenter.com

Marketing Tips

a

by Pam GreinerThe Green Pen

Here we are in 2010 and the economy is still the hottopic. If you have been among the fortunate who havebeen able to adjust your business model to survive theride, then part of your strategy has been to keep the moneygoing out LESS than the money coming in.

It is also likely than that you have made cuts in areas thatare often the first to go: sales and marketing. In an industrywhere you hope your potential customers dont becomeDIYers, you have more than likely become one yourself andare wearing more hats than ever before.

Advertising campaigns are done more on the cheap nowthan ever. It seems easy enough. You can download software orrun to an office supply store and find a tool that promisesprofessional results. The problem is that while you may excelin landscape or water feature design, it is likely (whether or notyou believe it) that advertising, marketing, and graphic designare not exactly your forte.

My first piece of advice is the same for anyone in thisindustry: Hire someone good. Whether you are looking forcopywriting, graphic design, or marketing and advertisingadvice, look to a professionalfirst. It may cost moneyupfront, but if it is someonewho is not only good at whatthey do, and understandsyour business and your targetaudience, that money will bean investment in the futureof you company that willproduce cash flow. Thatbeing said

This is a pretty straight-forward, honest approach todeveloping an ad that may not be for the faint at heart. Youmay have already committed at least one, if not several, of thefollowing blunders. If you are planning on designing your ownadvertising campaign then you may want to put on some thickskin before you read some of these helpful hints that can enableyou to create a more professional looking ad.

First the don'ts. I can spot a self-done advertisementnine times out of ten. Some of the telltale signs include:

34 pondtrademag.com

Font Faux pasIm sorry but I have to say it, Papyrus is the most overused

and out of date font in the landscape industry. When I see it,I actually feel nauseous. I know it has that earthy, watery feeland it was fine back in theday when it was one of the 20fonts that came standard onyour word processing orpublishing software, but theoptions now are limitless!Dare to be different and atthe same time

Be careful about using fonts that dont reproduce well,meaning that if they are enlarged or shrunk down they losequality or expose flaws. This happens all too often. It may lookgreat on your screen but when you print it at the actual size forthe ad, it loses quality.

Graphically GrossPlease, please, please, dont use drop shadows unless you

have to! The application on most lettering makes it look like itwas done circa 1990. Just because the tool bar is there, doesnot mean you have to apply every effect possible. Transparencyblurs and gradients are somewhat dated when used incorrectly.Weve all seen those Saloon Photos where they convert thecolor to sepia to give it that aged patina and put a big, white,hazy ring around the subjects. It was fine for a 1986 gimmick,but to do it now in advertising does not make a pictureattractive or intriguing, just bad looking.

Phony PhotographyUse YOUR OWN photos. Heres the thing. If you dont

have any work that you can take a picture of, and it looks good,than you need to consider another profession. Im sorry, butits true. Here is an example: I created an ad for a localcompany who does not do any installation or design work. Iused a stock photo to achieve a desired look in the ad. That isacceptable because in no way, shape, or form was I passing thatphoto off as work the company had done. Flash forward twomonths later a landscape design company runs an ad in thesame magazine using the same photo and which visuallyimplies it was their own picture and work. What happens when

POND Trade Magazine

Please, dont use Papyrus

My first piece ofadvice is the same

for anyone in this industry: Hire someone

good.

a potential client says, Hey, great picture! Tell me about that job and can you build it for me? See what Im saying? Once I even considered firing a client who had given mepictures of someone elses projects for their advertising. Now,to avoid potential lawsuits, I put it in our contracts that allpictures must belong to the client or they have written approval to use those pictures. Using other photos to representyour work is deceiving. Worse yet, if a potential customer orclient recognizes that picture as a stock photo or someone elsesproject (believe me, it happens), than you are also viewed as untrustworthy and incompetent to do the work you are advertising.

Content CrazyAnyone who knows me will tell you that I am incredibly

gregarious and verbose. But developing an ad is where restraintin content is very important. The popular theory by mostbusiness owners in this industry is that you have to puteverything possible in the ad so they know what you do, howgreat you are, how you have worked for everyone who isanyone, all the certifications you have gotten since Boy Scouts,and that everyone else, well stinks. If you cant tell someonewhat you do (remember my rule about your 12 Word PurposeStatement in your Marketing Plan frommy November/December 2009 article?)in a brief sentence or two, then you needto go back to the drawing board. Readersare looking at an ad, not reading a novel.

Visually VexingIt is taxing to look at too much.

People today are already in sensoryoverload and, yes, it is possible to put toomuch into an ad. Unless you have a oneor two-page spread, more than onepicture is usually (not always) too much.I have seen quarter page ads with twoand three pictures plus text (often withlots of drop shadows) and lots and lotsand lots of color - and it is too much. Itputs a burden on the brain to try anddecipher so much information in such asmall space and people dont want to beburdened so in a matter of seconds theydecide to completely ignore the ad. Givethe reader a focal point and a call toaction. If you need to do more than that,direct them to your website.

Enough with the bad and the ugly.Lets move on to the dos.



So, in a world full of messages callingfor action from consumers, how do youcreate an ad that not only compels buyersto action but is also memorable?

First thing you do is yourhomework. Look at current design trendsand what advertisements stand out toyou. Most likely when you compareprofessional development to ones youhave done, you will see huge differences.

Second, explore your options interms of where you are placing anadvertisement. If you are dealing with asales rep., they should be able to tell youtheir demographics. Does the magazinereach the audience you are trying toattract to your business? If not, then thereare lots of other fish in the sea, I mean,the pond.

Third, think of your ad like realestate. Location, location, location. Ahome buyer wants to be in or around aspecific area and be near other prime realestate. Find out where your ad will be

located. Are you in the front, middle, orback? Are you near any articles that relateto your line of work? What other ads willbe near yours?

Finally, think about when your adwill actually be in the hands of the reader.If you submit an advertisement in January,it may not appear until April or May.Make sure that the information you areputting out is timely and will not be out of date when it is actually seen by the readers.

Starting the ProcessWhen designing an advertisement,

remember that first impressions areeverything and that white space is(usually) your friend. Keep these thingsin mind as you start the process:

1. Define your goals for thecampaign and how you willmeasure its success. If you wantto drive sales for a particularproduct or service, make sureyou track how many of thosesales came from your campaign.

2. Determine what your message willbe and remember to keep it briefand concise. This message oftencan and should be used as theheadline or 'hook' to your ad.Avoid using your company nameto headline your ad whenpossible, but make sure yourname is there somewhere easy tosee. The name should be in aformat that is easy to read anddoes not take away from yourmessage. It is not the focal pointof the ad.

3. If using a picture, choose one thatbest shows what you do. Makesure it is a completed project,with mature landscaping if



What are your goalsand message

possible, and that the photographis high resolution, or of goodquality. Pictures really are worth athousand words.

4. Use standard fonts as much aspossible that are clear and easy toread. If you are not sure, print outwhat you are designing at differentsizes to check for consistency.

5. Keep the design consistent with allyour marketing materials andWebsite. All advertising should bepart of a solid marketing plan andbranding initiative. If youradvertising is not consistent withall your other initiatives, youcould be sending a differentmessage than intended.

6. Ask people for their honestopinion. Dont give it to a suck-up. Give it to the person who willalso tell you that your jeans reallydo make you look fat. That is aperson you can trust to tell you ifwhat you are putting out there isa thumbs-up or a thumbs-down.

7. Do you have contact informationon the ad? The single mostimportant piece of contactinformation should be yourwebsite. The exception to thisrule is not to send visitors to yoursite if it will do more harm thangood. Your website should be anextension of your advertising, aplace where they can get moreinformation about you, yourproducts, and your services. Ifyour website is unprofessional,out-of-date, or just plain bad,then it may hurt you more than itwill help you.

8. When you are ready to send yourad for print, make sure you haveit in the right file format. If youare not sure, ask. If you want tobe sure that your fonts and colors

print correctly, print out a highresolution proof at a copy placenear you. Same goes for picturequality. Ive seen a lot of potentialadvertisements that could havebeen good, but grainy, discoloredpictures overshadowed the message.

Developing and designing anadvertisement is much like designing anddeveloping a web site. For me thephilosophy stays the same: K.I.S.S. Keep It Simple Stupid. No, Im notcalling you names or making ageneralization about the masses. I amsaying that you shouldnt over think theprocess and you shouldnt make youraudience over think the message.

The funny thing about advertising isthat there really arent too many rules.What works is supposed to look goodand get a positive reaction. Its just thatsomeone forgot to tell the Gorillamarketers that little tidbit. I guess whatIm saying is that the best you can do is your best, stay true to yourcompany, and most importantly to yourcustomers past, present, and future.Happy designing! a


Pam Greiner foundedThe Green Pen five yearsago as the result of apassion for gardening andthe environment. Focused on providing

online, and off, marketing solutions, ouractive client list includes severalcontractors, retailers, and distributorsacross the country. Our advice is regularlysought by many other contractors andbusinesses in the Green Industry, as well asother industries. Our services have includeddeveloping a variety of marketing materialsfor our clients including brochures,newsletters, as well as logo design,branding initiatives, and Web design &development. Additionally, we help ourclients develop cost-effective marketingand e-marketing plans.

Pam can be reached [email protected]

or 215-313-0183

About the Author


How do I clean a home waterfall? The pump is very close to the bottom of the where the water is heldand impossible to get under. Is there something that

I can put in the water (like the pellets that go intodehumidifiers) to prevent the slime from forming. Within a fewdays of draining all of the water and replacing it, the water is murky and slimy and has an odor. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks,S. Robertson

From the question, I can't tell whether the slime ismore likely to be bacterial, fungal or algal in origin. It largely depends on light levels, as under low levels it

is less likely to be algal, although it doesn't really matter in this case.

My recommendation is to try a granular peroxide forponds. This should work with bacterial, fungal, or algal slime,because they are all organic and all can be oxidizedby granular peroxide. BioSafe GreenClean, Winston Algae-Off,and Ecological Laboratories Oxy Pond Cleaner are all peroxideproducts for ponds. I don't know if you have any fish or plantsin the water feature, but granular peroxide should be safe forthem if you follow manufacturer protocols.

A client's wall fountain style water garden has darkgreen/black algae growing on the stucco wall wherethe fountain heads splash water. I have used the

normal types of algae cleaners (algaefix, Green Clean, 3%peroxide, and so forth.) with unsatisfactory results.

I can't scrub the wall, because it damages the painted stuccosurface. Do you have any suggestions that will not harm thewater lilies or koi? I may have to seal the rear wall to preventthis problem in the future.

Thanks,L. Ward

Does the water that splashes against the wall returnto the pond? If not, much stronger doses are allowable.If the water from the wall does return to the pond, then

you could still use a concentrated dose and spray it directly onthe wall, but do not spray more product on the wall than themanufacturer's directions for the total volume of the waterfeature. In my experience, Algaefix is very effective against allforms of algae. If it still does not work using it in a concentratedspray, there are some more concentrated mixes using the samekind of active ingredient--try Microbelift Algaway 5.4 or asimilar high concentrate product. Green clean or regularhydrogen peroxide can also be used as a concentrate against thewall. In all cases, I suggest turning off the fountains for 30minutes during and after spraying, to let the products haveadequate opportunity to work.

An alternative is to use a chelated copper product to controlthe algae. Chelated copper is not nearly as toxic as simplecopper, and in conservative doses should not affect waterliliesor koi. Marginal plants are most resistant to copper, then hardywaterlilies, then tropical waterlilies, and floating plants are themost sensitive. It can also be sprayed directly on the algae, butis slower acting, so it might not be much different than addingit to the water.

With all these products, more is not better as far as the fishand plants are concerneddo not overdose! a

QnAPOND Trade Magazine has teamed up with industry

experts to bring you quick accurate answers to your watergarden and koi pond questions.

Members of the IWGS will answer your Water Gardeninquiries, moderated by Steve Stroupe. Joe Pawlak ofBlackwater Creek Koi Farm will answer questions about koi.If you have a question on other topics fire away. We haveexperts to answer those questions too.

To ask a question go to www.pondtrademag.com/qna/

Q

A

Q

A

Answers provided by - Jim Purcell Jim Purcell began growing and retailing

pond plants in the spring of 1980, and soonbegan wholesaling to other retailers. In 1987he opened Jims Water Gardening as a wholesale aquaticnursery, supplying pond plants and supplies throughoutthe US. Verena Liechti became managing partner in thebusiness a few years ago, and they changed its name toOregon Aquatics, Inc.

The nursery now covers seven acres, with over60,000 square feet of aquatic greenhouses in additionto open ponds. In 2006 they also opened a 10-acrefacility in California.


February 28 March 2Water Feature Conference and ExpoEvergreen Conference CenterStone Mountain, GeorgiaHosted by the National Association of PondProfessionals (NAPP). The Evergreen Conference Center at Stone Mountain is located is 30 miles northeast of Atlanta. Formore information please call 706-258-3534

March 12 14Central Florida Koi ShowOrlando, FloridaThis is Central Florida Koi Shows (CFKS)eleventh show in Orlando. CFKS is sponsoredby five clubs: the Florida East Coast Koi Club,Gainesville Koi Club, the Orlando Area Koiand Pond Club and Rainbow River Koi Club.The ZNA Southern Koi Association has mem-bers throughout Florida and the Southeastand is the fifth sponsoring club for the show.For more information go to our web site www.orlandokoishow.org.

March 25 27Global Pet ExpoOrange County Convention CenterOrlando, FloridaMore info at www.globalpetexpo.org

March 26 2810th Annual Koi Health SeminarAthens, GeorgiaTopics include: Parasite identification & treatments Microscopic techniques Waterquality & treatments Bacterial evaluation &management Antibiotic classification & applications Viral evaluation & management Quarantine procedures Pond design & construction techniques Chemeotherapueticagents & their proper applications Parasitemanagement Surgical techniques Necropsy& sampling techniques and more. All coursematerials are included. Registration and information available Online athttp://www.koihealthseminar.com/ Early registration is suggested. For more information contact Vicki Vaughan at 706-247-6274 or [email protected]

May 4 6National Hardware Show/Lawn and Garden WorldLas Vegas, NevadaLas Vegas Convention Center www.nationalhardwareshow.com

May 13 16Interzoo 2010Nurnberg, GermanyInternational Trade Fair for Pet Supplies Thetop Event Worldwide Exhibition CentreNuremberg www.interzoo.com

Upcoming EventsFor a complete list see our website.



For more information about The Marketplace go to

www.pondtrademag.com/advertise/marketplace/

Wanted

Proofer for POND Trade Magazine. Contact Cindy [email protected]

Publication

Koi Collectors PocketGuideThe Koi Collectors Pocket Guide,a handy compact fan folded,laminated card, featuring photosand descriptions of the major koi varieties. Sell or great gift.Call 760/451-2255.www.gardensidepubs.com

Upcoming EventsContinued

June 15 17National Lawn & Garden ShowColorado Springs, COwww.nlgshow.com

June 26 27BKKS 35th National Koi ShowStafford, Englandwww.staffscountyshowground.co.uk

June 26 27New England Water Garden andOrnamental Fish ShowWest Springfield, MAwww.pioneervalleypondclub.com

For complete listing informationand additional events see our website www.pondtrademag.coma

KOICollectors

Pocket Guide

Photos and descriptions

of over 40 top

varieties

Illustrated

Glossary

Pronunciation

Tips

Dimensions are 24" wide by 9" tall

Great

Sales Tool

Order online at

gardensidepubs.com/dealerpricing

or call 888-356-9895


United Aquatics,LLC, is introducing arange of marginal plantbaskets from Europe ineight different sizes andshapes from 4 to 13.Also available is amixed box containing212 pieces.

Each pot has a UPC code sticker on them making for easy sale at the cash register.

For more information visitwww.unitedaquatics.com or phone 856/985-9339.

United Aquatics LLC1 Eves Drive Marlton, New Jersey 08053

Marginal Baskets from EuropeNow Available

Radius Pond Shark

Trade News

Designed totear through algaeand swallow debris, this versatile tool is amust-have for thewater gardener.Sturdy construc-tion and lightweight materialsmake it easy tohandle. Tough and durable

poly-fiber head with contoured tines and scraping bladeand sturdy, replaceable net on telescoping powder-coated steel shaft. Easily rakes string algae frombeneath water plantings and deposits algae into the net.Scrapes algae from pond liners and rocks, pots, and soforth. Scoops and lifts heavy objects from the bottom ofthe pond. This hydrodynamic net is perfect for catchingKoi, Comets, Shubunkins, or any fast-moving aquaticcreature. (Pond Shark Pro - a longer version - comingsoon, toowill be available by late March.)

Radius Garden, LLCEdie HerroldPO Box 2506 / Ann Arbor, MI 48016734-222-8044 FAX: 734-222-5490Email: [email protected] Address: www.radiusgarden.com

Catch the WaveAtlantic Water Gardens ispleased to present Pro Series

FastFalls to its FastFalls line of products.After pioneering the design of pond-free waterfall spillways

eight years ago, Atlantic Water Gardens has added another innovative new line of FastFalls the Pro Series. Each Pro SeriesFastFalls offers incredible strength with its one-piececonstruction, an internal baffling system, molded support conesand re-enforced spillway. The molded support cones also help to diffuse the water flow while the two internal baffles slow downthe waters velocity to ensure even water distribution across the spillway.

Each Pro Series FastFalls has a inside the liner design witha rear liner attachment - more innovative features that simplifyinstallation. Pro Series FastFalls can blend seamlessly with yoursurrounding landscape when covered with rock, gravel, soil or mulch.

Atlantic Water Gardens presents the innovative SOL LEDSpotlight to its line of professional outdoor lighting products.

Catch the Wave Atlantic Water Gardens is pleased topresent the SOL LED Outdoor Spotlight.

Atlantics new compact LED spotlight is the smallest, mostpowerful bullet style submersible light available! The anodizedaluminum body houses a high power, 3000K, warm white LEDthat blends seamlessly with traditional halogen lighting fixtures.The Complete LED Spotlightfeatures a 20 foot power cordwith quick-connect plug, groundstake, transformer and 4-waysplitter. The Compact LEDSpotlight and Transformer with4-way Splitter can also bepurchased separately.

For further information please contact:Allen Beech, National Sales ManagerAtlantic Water GardensPhone: 1-877-80-PONDS (7-6637) x 17Fax: 330-274-8790allen@atlanticwatergardens.comwww.atlanticwatergardens.com

Factory Address4494 Orchard St.Mantua OH 44255

Atlantic WaterGardens introducesPro Series FastFalls

SOL LED Spotlight


Trade News

Please send Press Releases to [email protected]

Submissions are posted at pondtrademag.com as they are received.

2010 marks the Twentieth Anniversary for Emperor Aquatics, Inc. and the companysbusiness philosophy remains the same today as itwas twenty years ago, Integrity is the foundationof our business. Most recognized for their efficient, cost-effective UV Sterilizer product linesEmperor Aquatics, Inc. also manufacturers anddistributes a variety of filter equipment to a widerange of aquatic markets.

The company has grown into an internation-ally recognized source for UV Systems specializingin markets that include: Zoo-Aquarium, Research,Live-Seafood, Fish Culture and CommercialSwim-Fountain.

To find out how Emperor Aquatics, Inc. can help you improve the water quality of youraquatic application(s) visit us online at: www.emperoraquatics.com or contact our sales office by calling 610/970-0440

Emperor Aquatics, Inc.610/970-0440www.emperoraquatics.com

Emperor Aquatics, Inc. CelebratesIts 20th Anniversary

Aquascape is proud to announce the acquisition of AquaRock Fountain Kit out ofShakopee, MN, a manufacturerof natural stone water bubblerfountain kits. The move furthersolidifies Aquascapes position as

North Americas preeminent manufacturer and distributor ofpond supplies.

The creators of the Aqua Rock Fountain Kit are brothersJoel and Ben Forsberg who leveraged their stone masonry background to create a simple yet unique fountain for the consumer market.

Joel and Ben Forsberg are entrepreneurs at heart and acquiring their product and adding their skill set to our teamwill allow us to pursue new opportunities in entry-level

fountains and kits, stated Greg Wittstock, Founder and CEOof Aquascape, Inc.

The patented Aqua Rock Fountain Kit can be installedin just 30 minutes and is perfect for the do-it-yourself market.The kit consists of an underground basin, water pump and pre-drilled natural rock. Water continuously recycles throughthe sub-surface reservoir with a pump that is designed to make a 2-3 spout, providing the bubbling sound of water. In additionto creating a beautiful focal point in the landscape, the AquaRock Fountain Kit can also be used indoors by placing thebasin in a decorative container. Four styles of Aqua RockFountain Kits are available and Aquascape will begin shippingkits in the first quarter of 2010.

For more information on Aquascape, Inc. and its productsand services, log onto www.aquascapeinc.com or call 866-877-6637 (US) or 866-766-3426 (CAN).

Aquascape, Inc., Acquires Aqua Rock Fountain Kit

Exact, economical and fastwater quality results without allthe guesswork

Testing for EPA-compliantFree and Total Chlorine levels(4500 CL-G) became easier. Announcing the eXact ChlorinePhotometer Kit, the latest product from ITS, is designed for residential, commercial, and municipal testing of accurate chlorine levels in water. The kit (486696-PC) includes the newand improved eXact Chlorine Photometer that directly testsFree and Total Chlorine at an expanded range of 0.01-11.0 ppm.The photometer uses a patented method utilizing eXact Microreagent strip technology, eliminating the need for powders,tablets, and liquids saving the user time and money. It providesfast, accurate results without the guesswork of color matching andmeets 4500-CL-G requirement. The waterproof meter (IP-67)fits comfortably in your hand has a built in sampling cell andcomes with a 5 (five) year warranty. The kit also includes 100 eXact Micro Free Chlorine strips (DPD-1), 100 eXactMicro Total Chlorine strips (DPD-3), carry case and batteries.

For more information contact Industrial Test Systems, Inc. at 1-800-861-9712, 1-803-329-9712, on the web at www.sensafe.com, or visit our booth (3814) at the Atlantic City Pool and Spa show for a free demonstration.

New, Improved eXact Chlorine Photometer

POND Trade Magazine

Theres dust in the air at Kloubec Koi Farmas the family is in the process of digging newponds to satisfy an increased demand for theirbutterfly and straight fin koi.

As explained here by Nick Kloubec, a portion of the ponds have a special purpose:

In consideration of recent successes, especially this years BabyChampion (at the Mid-Atlantic Koi Clubs 2009 Koi Show), weve decided to create several specialized mud-ponds to focus on our high-end,award winning bloodlines in order to increase production of the best koiwe have to offer. The idea is to provide a healthy, American alternativethat rivals import quality.

Also in expansion is the Kloubec quarantine facility (where fish areheld a minimum of two weeks prior to shipping to guarantee optimumhealth). More tanks + more water = the best availability during peak season.

Kloubec Koi888/564-4692www.kloubeckoi.com


Coming to the United States, awide range of high quality electricalequipment for every pond, every gardenand every budget. The Powersafe rangeof products designed in the UK, ha

Documents

Mar/Apr 2010 - POND Trade Magazine