Issues Archive

Is Algae dragging you down? Jamie Beyer shares his tips on how to turn “pea-green” ponds to pristine ponds. The March/April issue is chock full of information to get you ready for Spring and beyond. Be sure to check out our new column “PONDer This!” by Erik Tate.

Let’s start the year with two hot topics that are often debated in this industry – building ponds with Concrete and MAP pricing. Two veteran pond industry authors, Demi Fortuna and John Olson, tackle these topics in superb detail. Demi will share both fundamentals and details that will help you achieve concrete pond construction successfully. The MAP pricing article is a full five-pages long, in order to fully address the pros, cons and many questions surrounding this complex issue. Please do not overlook this topic as boring or unimportant. Take the time and read it. MAP pricing affects us all. In many areas of the country it makes sense to move pond fish indoors during the winter. What will you need? Learn about the precautions to take to move pond fish indoors and then back out when spring returns. Talking about spring, be prepared when your customers call this spring and their pond is leaking. IPPCA’s 5 star-contractor talks about how he gets his customers involved in finding the leak and how this is beneficial to both the pond builder and the customer. Three important 2012 events are covered in this issue – POND Trade Magazine’s Product of the Year, IWGS’s Waterlily of the Year and IPPCA’s INFO-TANZA. Taro Kodama shared his knowledge about what to look for and how to sell the koi variety Hikari Utsuri. Looking for a seminar idea? The PondPro Shop hosted a Ladies Day pond build. Pink was the color of the day, and included building a pond! Please let us know how we can help you this year.

Fountains of Fire and Water create an eye-grabbing spectacle impossible to ignore. See one company’s patent pending technology in this hot new trend for the water feature industry – Fire Fountains. We have talked about submerged pumps; now it is time to talk about the whys and hows of external pond pumps. In this issue is a comprehensive article about the advantages and best use of these pumps. With the pump being the heart of any pond or water feature it is important to learn what works well. Which pump to use can vary, as no two ponds are ever exactly a like. Talking about ponds, take a look at our Pond Construction article with its many challenges and the beautiful results. Looking for additional income? (Who isn’t?) Take a look at what aquatic plant expert Kelly Billing shares about Pond Plant Profitability. Are you driving by neglected ponds/lakes? Learn how to earn a profit and turn these ponds into a useful living environment. Plants can transform any water feature as well as improve the bottom line, so next time, don’t leave money on the table. Have customers with koi? There is a new vaccine called CAVOY. Find out how it works and what you need to know in our look at the vaccine. Need more? Read how to handle Negative Feedback, Inventory Buying Strategies and Pondemonium® 2012. We would also like to welcome Taro Kodama for writing the Language of Koi this issue. He shares his knowledge about the beautiful and friendly variety, Ochibashigure. There’s a lot to learn in this bigger than normal November/December issue, so please enjoy.

Do you know that ponds are green (products) and drought friendly? Really! Paula Biles explains the hidden benefits of ponds, that you can use to sell installs and much more in this issue. Two pond builders share their experience in pond building starting with Ziemer Design known as the Garden Artist for his beautiful work. Next is an accomplished pond industry expert Eric Triplett sharing his knowledge about the right way to install bottom drains and why you should. Take a look and learn why so many installers are now including them in their pond designs. Hard to believe it right now, but we do need to start preparing for cold weather. Learn how to keep your customers’ fish, as well as your own, alive over the winter. There is a new technology available that makes pond immersion heaters easier to use, more reliable and safer. Another way to help your clients feel less stressful about winter is by adding a pond De-icer. Be prepared with the best tools on hand, to keep that pond fish-safe over winter. Every company needs to have good business credit. What can you do to increase your company’s credit rating? In this in-depth article you will get nine steps to establish credit and four to increase/build your credit. Don’t wait till you need it, work on it today! Credit is a vital part of being in business. To round out this issue we have an article about an interesting koi variety – the Goromo. This beautiful koi is a cross between a Kohaku and an Asagi. Take a quick look at Koromo/Goromo so you can share the fine points, and sell this variety to your customer’s. Oh and it never is too late to change that irksome habit. Zen Habits shares easy steps to changing a habit that gives you trouble; you will cherish new-found freedom when you do.

Learn from two great industry leaders about two very different business opportunities – why you should have a Gift Shop and the benefits of exploring the under utilized Lake Management market. Hopefully one or both of these will help your company achieve that next level of success. Want to add that tropical paradise to your client’s pond? Simple – use Hibiscus and Canna. Learn about these versatile plants to create a visually inviting oasis class look to your projects. The beating heart of a water feature project is the pump. We dive in the deep end of submersible pump tech with this issue. Get an in-depth look at the differences between today’s magnetic drive, direct drive and the newer hybrid magnetic asynchronous drive pumps available for your projects and customers. Just as in the late 80’s everyone had to get a fax machine, now you need a smart phone and a website. And your site must include Videos! Learn how-to with some tips about how to use YouTube. It may be easier then you think. In our pond construction article see how the builder over came the obstacles of a small confined space with very limited access – at a cancer center. See the results of this beautifully upgraded pond. A new KHV vaccine is out, and you need to be prepared for the questions your customers are going to be asking you. Dr. Julius Tepper provides answers to many so you won’t be caught flat-footed.

Looking to boost the revenue of your pond and water feature business? Carl Petite, Columbia Water Garden, shares his experience with service routes: this may be a great business opportunity. A service route can generate income year around in many areas. Koi farm owner, Ellen Kloubec, shows you the best way to net and bag koi for your customers. See the interesting way she closes the bags using elastrator bans and pliers. Is clay something you should be adding to ponds? Learn about the attributes of this substance and it may just help your water quality and fish health. Yes summer is here, and the sun will cause evaporation, but what is normal evaporation? Or is water loss from the “splash factor” or a possible leak? See the formulas for calculating evaporation so you can tell if a pond is leaking or just losing what is considered typical evaporation. You will see several beautiful aquatic plants in this issue; including Aquatic Plants of the Year announced by IWGS. Auto-fills for ponds-some love ’em some swear against them. Take a look at the article by Hollye Merton and learn the Ins and Outs of Auto-fills. Can you do more to help your business grow? We hope we can help with fresh thoughts from Rick Smith of EasyPro Pond Products on word of mouth networking. Industry events are also a great place to network and ask your peers questions that can help your business. We hope to see you at one of these events this year.

Have you considered using aquatic plants to control algae? If you install ponds or own a retail shop this issue features an article that is loaded with information you need to know. David Curtright shares his extensive knowledge and techniques, here. Following the “water” theme, we have included two articles that revisit rainwater harvesting and the key components of good water quality. No pond or water feature is finished until it can maintain healthy water. These articles should help you reach that goal. Rainwater harvesting is still new to us, but is becoming more common every day. Some states are even passing laws requiring some kind of rain capture. Take advantage of this great opportunity to add this emerging segment to your business. Consider it a good excuse to refresh relationships with your prior customers. Rainwater harvest systems also lead nicely into pondless water features. Speaking of pondless water features, do you know what your customers want? A marketing expert with 30 years of experience explains how this industry’s customer base is changing and offers tips on how to update your business plan to meet this challenge. It’s all there in *Planning for a Diversified Customer Base*. Should you sell High-Fin Banded Sharks in your shop? Can You Afford to Offer Discounts? Info Tanza 2011 Reviewed, and What is a Tategoi – round out this jam packed issue. Have you seen the pond industry website – pondsources.com? In the huge world of the Internet, getting found is job #1. Now our industry has its own directory, and you can be included for free or cheap. Read about PONDSources.com and then take a look Online. While things constantly change you can stay in the know with POND Trade Magazine in print or as an e-pub! Have a great spring season.

January/February is a great time to renew, rethink and set goals for this next year. As a retailer what should you be doing to prepare for the needs of your store and your customers? Take a look at “Creating a Welcome Environment,” a good review about aquatic plants and pond fish that your customers will want. There were many beautiful water lilies introduced last year. See the very best lilies that won top honors in the IWGS competition. There are many products brought to market by our top pond industry manufactures each year. See the dozens of new products that were entered in the New Product Challenge and read about the top products of the year. From new fish foods to new pumps, take a look at the new products you can use this upcoming season. Now is the time to call the manufactures and learn about their products. There are two koi articles; one about skin and one about gin rin. See how these two elements can increase the value and appeal of a koi – something your customers may be looking for, even if they don’t know it yet! Remember when pricing/sorting your koi to include these characteristics. Industry Veteran Rick Smith shares with you his marketing experience that can help you change as your industry and customer’s needs change. Now make some goals and get going.

Looking for year-round business? Here are two articles that may help. One explores a segment of the goldfish market and the other highlights the benefits of selling koi art. Read how to take advantage of these business opportunities that may help offset the seasonal nature of your business and increase profits. In this issue we continue our exploration of aquaponics, in Aquaponics Explained Part 2 – A Good Fit for Pond Professionals. Learn about the fish and plants that are successfully used in this emerging industry. Two industry events are chronicled here for you – the Waterlily and Lotus event held in China and Pondemonium 2011. After reading the reviews take a look at the many pictures to get a closer feel for these industry events. Wondering what expenses you can deduct on your taxes? A tax expert will review many of the expenses the pond industry businesses have and how to take advantage of them on your tax return. Building a pondless water feature? Learn from a 25-year pond industry veteran on the ins and outs of sizing and building a pondless feature. Do it right the first time!

Aquaponics – a good fit for pond professionals? In this issue, is part one of a two part series featuring an in-depth review of Aquaponics. Learn about this emerging market in detail that could lead to new business for you. To help understand the difference between Aquaponics and Hydroponic gardening we have an article that does a quick review of hydroponics and its benefits. With the changes in the seasons special care needs to be taken for ponds and aquatic plants. Learn from two industry professionals about how they deal with their respective specialties. This is also a time to be on the lookout for signs of “Aeromonas Alley.” Learn what it is, the problems that erupt and what you should do for your customers’ koi. Talking about koi, Brady Brandwood gives us an in depth look at the beautiful Ki Utsuri koi variety. For every pond and water feature you install, you need a signed contract. How strong is yours? Do you address things like changes in the weather in your contracts? Be sure to cover your bases and learn from veteran Rick Bartel on how to write a strong contract for this industry. Product of the Year entries and nominations are now being accepted. Take a look at the announcement page and/or pondtrademag.com. To wrap up our September/October issue with a smile, we bring you thoughts on “How to Be Happy Anytime.”