Is the control panel of your Autodose or IonGen exposed to the sun? Did you know that after time, this will cause the panel to be unreadable? Leaving electrical pond equipment out in the elements shortens their lifespan. Rain, sun, snow, and harsh weather can be detrimental to the control panel’s function.
In order to protect your equipment from atmospheric agencies, try hiding them! There are artificial landscape rocks and stumps that can look a heckuva lot like the real thing. Faux rocks come in a variety of shapes, styles, and sizes; and they keep your electronics safe without drawing attention away from your curated landscape.
Make sure to measure (twice) the height, width, and depth of the equipment you are looking to cover. Then check out The Pond Guy or stop by and chat with our friends at True Pump to see where and what suits your needs. If you’re having trouble finding what you need, give your favorite backyard pond service a call! Colorado Pond Pros will do our best to point you in the right direction.
So, don’t forget to COVER YOUR POND EQUIPMENT to protect and preserve it. And because the supply chain has slowed down these days, order your artificial landscape rocks now, so you’re sure to have it for the winter!
Kristi’s Pond Tips
The sensor for your pond lights needs to remain outside the cover, or the lights will remain on all the time. The light sensor must be exposed to the sun in order to shut the lights off during the day.
Some equipment needs to be put away for the winter: the Autodose and IonGen panels will fare better when kept out of the bitter cold.
Remember to bring the liquid bacteria into the house, too. The freezing weather will kill the bacteria!
Did you know that Sunday, March 20th was the first day of spring in 2022? It was! Spring brings new growth and fresh colors, and it also awakens wildlife that has been hunkered down for the winter.
While we love all animals, we want to make sure our fish are protected. Whether your fish are expensive, older and majestic, or small goldfish, we know that you love them! Here we are going to cover what has worked for us, what has worked for our friends and colleagues, and what doesn’t seem to help much at all when protecting our outdoor fish ponds from predators.
What Has Worked For Us:
The Blue Man
This silly-looking solution has been the thing that truly works. He is not at all the look that we are going for, but hear us out on the functionality and simplicity of this solution.
How-to Blue Man:
We bought a Smart Plug and plugged it in an outlet near our backyard pond.
We synced it with a Smartphone (this is key).
The Blue Man was plugged into the Smart Plug.
When the pond is unattended, The Blue Man is activated with the Smartphone. This is SO easy once it is set up!
When it’s time to enjoy the pond, we simply turn off The Blue Man, via the phone, before heading outside.
The reason this works is that the movement is random. Herons or other predators are wise to stationary decoys. The randomness of The Blue Man actually deters them from coming near the pond. It really works!
Drawbacks to this solution:
It doesn’t look great (that’s why we turn it off when in the backyard).
It will also scare other birds away that you may want at your pond.
If you want to know where to purchase a Blue Man for yourself, a search of “inflatable tube man” will produce lots of options. And of course, he doesn’t have to be blue! However, if The Blue Man just isn’t for you, here are some other options.
Plant Cover
Did you know the pond should have 40% to 60% plant coverage for maximum filtration? Well, it should! The other benefit of plants is that if birds (or raccoons) can’t see the fish, they can’t eat the fish.
Mother Nature makes the BEST filtration. Plants also beautify and deter predators.
Net Over The Pond
This does keep herons out, however, smaller birds may get stuck in it. Additionally, the look isn’t always the best. You may not always want a net over your backyard pond.
Fish Cave
A fish cave for your fish to hide in is a must! This will not prevent all fish loss as a heron stays very still and the fish don’t realize they should be hiding in the cave—but it does help.
Fishing Line
Drawing a fishing line taut around the edges of the pond can actually work pretty well. When a heron runs into it, it startles them, and they may give up the hunt.
Mats
Putting mats along the edges of the pond when going away for a while, in addition to plant coverage, works well. We even put these on each night to deter raccoons. It makes it harder to see the fish, and if they were to step out onto the mat they would fall in the water suddenly and we know they won’t like that! It also keeps herons from seeing into the water along the edges. ***Keep in mind we only do this overnight or when we are away because it is not the most beautiful sight!
These anti-fatigue mats most people use on a garage floor are surprisingly useful for predator deterrents. We also put them right on top of the lily pads when there is a risk of hail.
Floating mats in action
What Has Worked For Our Friends & Colleagues
Powerful Aerator
This is great to turn on at night or use when you’re not at home. It makes the water ripple so the birds can’t see the fish! You can always turn it off while you’re out barbecuing by your backyard pond, but if the predators can’t see the fish, they can’t eat them!
Dog
Another great thing about dogs! If the dog is loose in the yard, the predators will stay away. This is a great tactic, but you can’t leave your dog outside all the time.
Reflective Holographic Scarecrow Tape
This shiny ribbon blows in the wind and should scare off birds. We haven’t used this before so we’re not sure if it works, but it’s worth a try.
Bird B Gone Pond Defender
These are floating plastic pond grates that shouldn’t look too bad in the water. They are about 12 in. x 10 in. and you really only need enough to cover the edges of the pond. You can order them online and they would work well in conjunction with floating lettuce or hyacinth. Click HERE to check them out on Amazon.
Bird B Gone floating pond grates
What HASN’T Worked Well
Fake Heron At The Pond
Real herons are extremely smart and figure this one out pretty quickly. In fact, in the early spring, it may bring them in. In theory, herons hunt alone, thus one heron by the pond should deter others. However, in the spring they have other things on their mind! We tried a decoy heron and within two days looked out to see a real heron trying to put the moves on our decoy!
Scarecrow Motion-Activated Sprinkler
These work better for raccoons, but both raccoons and herons can eventually figure these out if they are determined and don’t mind getting a little wet. It is usually people that bear the brunt of this clever surprise.
Please consider taking steps to protect your fish before our neighboring animals SPRING to life!
This is a photo of a heron at a client’s property. These beautiful birds are slightly less exciting to see when they are eating your pond fish!
Pro Tips:
Herons often arrive early in the morning or right before dusk. Keep an eye out for them. Let the dog out at or after dinnertime to scare them off.
If you see a heron, even before it lands, scream, yell, and wave your arms like a crazy person. It will deter them from coming back. They don’t want to deal with that kind of crazy. Wouldn’t you like to see the video of us doing THAT!?
If it is warm enough, eat dinner near your pond. It will help you deter them and it will bring down your stress levels.
We love our jobs and are excited to help you with your backyard water feature. We’ve got plenty of expertise on ponds, including outdoor fish ponds and pondless waterfalls, at the ready. Contact us today for help tending to your pond or installing a new one!
Balanced ponds may need to be cleaned out every couple of years. Ponds that struggle with balance may need annual cleanouts. Take a look at your pond.
◊ Is the water brown, black or unclear?
◊ Do you see muck or sludge on the bottom of the pond?
◊ Is your pump struggling to work because of excess debris around it?
◊ Were the fires particularly bad this year, dumping ash in the pond?
Ponds are ecosystems. When they are in balance, the water should be clear. There may be a touch of algae here or there, but not an excessive amount. When the water looks good and the plants and fish are thriving, you still might need to have the gunk cleaned out. Ponds in Colorado need to run all year long to help keep the water clean. Leaving the water stagnant over the winter can breed a slimy composted sludge that has to be cleaned out in the spring. Learn more about ponds in our Ponds 101. Wondering if your pond needs a good cleanout? Contact us and text us over some pictures – we’ll help you figure out if a cleanout is right for your pond.
What exactly is a pond cleanout?
When we perform a pond cleanout we:
Remove the water from the pond
Safely transfer the fish into a portable pond that we bring
Pressure wash every surface of the water feature including streams and waterfalls
Clean out equipment like skimmers, biofalls and canister filters
When using this type of algae treatment, it is imperative that it is organic. Straw that may have been treated with pesticides could kill the plant life and even the fish in the pond. It usually comes in a small “bale” that can be placed in the pond and weighted down by tying a string to a rock that is attached the the barley straw bale. As it begins to decompose, it creates an enzyme that helps to reduce algae.
How long does it take to work?
You won’t get instant gratification here! This may take 4 to 6 weeks to really get going, so we recommend adding it in early spring. Adding it at the time of a cleanout is even better. While a bit of patience is needed, it pays off. Barley straw can keep a pond looking great all season long, because it lasts about 9 months!
Make sure you are adding the correct amount of barley straw for the size (gallons) of your pond. Directions generally come on barley straw that can be purchased over the internet.
Want to learn more about pond ecosystems, check out our Ponds 101 page!
The sensor for your pond lights needs to remain outside the cover, or the lights will remain on all the time. The light sensor must be exposed to the sun in order to shut the lights off during the day.
Herons often arrive early in the morning or right before dusk. Keep an eye out for them. Let the dog out at or after dinnertime to scare them off. 
If you see a heron, even before it lands, scream, yell, and wave your arms like a crazy person. It will deter them from coming back. They don’t want to deal with that kind of crazy. Wouldn’t you like to see the video of us doing THAT!? 
If it is warm enough, eat dinner near your pond. It will help you deter them and it will bring down your stress levels.
Does my pond need a cleanout?
Barley straw helps keep algae at bay.