Problems in Spring

In spring, your fish will face many stresses: the weather, predators, parasites and disease, to name a few. I am sure (when temperatures dictate) your fish will once again start swimming at the surface, nibbling algae off the sides of the pond. Most likely some of you will dig out some of last year’s leftover fish food.

One of the biggest spring problems is the fluctuating temperatures, the uncertainty of tomorrow’s weather. Although we are never sure what the following day (or the next hour) will bring, spring can throw seemingly-summer days followed by blizzards. It is not the time to start feeding the fish. Once your area is reliably frost-free, you can consider starting to feed, preferably with a wheat-germ-based food. Your fish do not have the brain process that tells them (at least not accurately!) when they are hungry.

They are foragers, always eating small amounts, in their natural environment. Think of them as a herd of cattle, grazing all day and into the night. Their stomach is an elongated intestine which will continue to process today’s food for the next 3-4 days before it is empty.

Of course, that is at 60-70F temperatures, not 45-50F. At lower temperatures the whole process will slow down and eventually cease altogether. This is the reason not to feed on a nice sunny day in March or April, if there is any chance of the temperatures dropping again. Your fish do not benefit from a “full stomach” as you do, but will benefit more from being able to extract nutrients from that food you fed them over the next few days.

The next problem is last year’s fish food. By this time it has lost a lot of its nutritional value, as amino acids break down in a relatively short period of time. This is especially true if the food was not vacuum-sealed when it was new. Freezing foods can disrupt molecules and reduce nutrition, so freezing is not recommended either. Fat content in old food can become rancid, too, which may not even be noticeable to you, but your fish can become sick from eating it. The best rule of thumb is to purchase new food every season to be sure you aren’t neglecting, or even harming your fish.

Visit Platinum Ponds for products and services.

Rainwater Harvesting in Greenville

As much as 60,000 gallons of precipitation falls on a 2,000 square foot roof in Mid-Atlantic States each year. Platinum Ponds distributes Complete rainwater harvesting system solutions to put this water to beneficial use. Rainwater harvesting systems offset demands on municipal and private water supplies for outdoor watering while conserving valuable drinking water resources.

The concept of collecting and using rainwater is not new. In addition to the advantages that rainwater is free of charge, it doesn’t have to be treated nor transported over long distances, the two most important arguments supporting the utilization of rainwater are:

1. Supplement drinking water resources -with the benefit of saving precious potable water

2. Protecting water quality by reducing impacts of stormwater runoff-with the benefit of limiting flooding and degradation of streams and lakes

Thanks to its characteristics the use of rainwater also has positive advantages: -Ideal for plant growth-Better washing efficiency -up to 50% less detergent required when compared with hard water-No calcification of fixtures and washing machines

All projects are not created equal and thus rainwater systems do not conform to a “one size fits all” sales format.

Residential systems generally supply rainwater to toilets, washing machines, garden irrigation and hosebibs (ie car washing).

View Rain Bank Brochure

Or form more information visit Platinum Ponds