The Irrigation Association has introduced a new Water Features and Lake Management Common Interest Group. With training and certification opportunities and a forum to discuss best practices, the new CIG is sure to give your pond business a boost.
Early in my sales and marketing career I was fortunate to be surrounded by great mentors. All were successful businessmen in their own right, but the reason they excelled beyond others was because they understood and demonstrated the laws of great leadership. One of those early mentors told me to always be a student of …
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The pond industry has long been a “wild west,” with few governing bodies and regulations to control or police it. But are we really better off without them? In the first installment of a multi-part series, Kent Wallace explores the ramifications of the legislative freedom pond builders enjoy — and suggests some best practices to protect the industry’s future.
If your koi are losing their color, swimming sluggishly or “circling the bowl,” don’t call the coroner just yet. Examining your fish for harmful microscopic parasites is easier than you think. Follow Ellen Kloubec’s detailed instructions to perform skin scrapes and find out what’s ailing your precious pets. It might just save their lives!
Many pond companies use independent contractors to cut down on labor costs and get projects finished. But thanks to new legislation, the IRS has much different standards for what constitutes a “nonemployee” than you might realize — and miscategorizing your workers could cost you a pond-load. Is worker misclassification putting your company at risk?
ith a history spanning over a century, goldfish have come a long way from their humble beginnings as a cheap food source in China. And while their American legacy began as a “five-and-dime” product at Woolworth, today’s goldfish are anything but ordinary. Joe Pawlak of Blackwater Creek Koi Farms sheds some light on the many colorful varieties of the fish you only thought you knew.
You probably know that oxygen is vitally important to the health of your fish and plants. But did you know that warm weather (like the spring and summer days ahead) can bring your pond’s O2 to dangerously low levels? Efficient aeration can be the difference between a gorgeous, healthy pond and a bunch of dead fish floating on the surface. In this detailed story, Demi Fortuna shares his knowledge on aerating effectively in all seasons.
A crystal clear pond can sometimes feel like the white whale or the Holy Grail — that elusive reward that you perpetually chase and never catch. But according to Mike White, the secrets to victory over pea-soup green water may be hiding in two unlikely places: the local stone yard and your indoor fish tank.
No matter how much time, effort and money went into your pond, if it doesn’t look natural then it won’t have that “wow factor” — and you won’t have repeat business! Taking cues from Mother Nature’s playbook, Alan Koontz has developed some surefire ways to turn a dull arrangement of rocks and water into a naturalistic oasis … and he’s sharing his secrets with you.
Who’s been killing the aquatic plants? If your pond has become a gruesome crime scene with chewed-up leaves and mutilated lily pads left behind, don’t fret. Paula Biles is on the case! Utilizing her forensic science skills and extensive knowledge of plants and insects, she’ll help you investigate the evidence, track down the culprits and bring the victims back to life!
