It was a minor change , but a big deal to the home owners.The top photo shows how we left it last year. But it never seemed quiet right to them, So we went back this week for little tweeking on the pondless waterfall, and now it is perfect.

We just finished a pond re-do and clean out just east of Qualcom stadium, It was a pretty extensive job, We removed a bunch of roots that had overgrown the pond, in the last couple of years. Regular maintenance is a must, on all man made ponds. This just reminds us.

Holy Moly, This season is nuts! We are sure busy doing pond clean outs and upgrades in the San Diego area.This year seems to be the most hectic in a long time.Most peoples ponds and waterfalls, dont need anything thats unsual, but it still needs to be done. The reasons are many, but mostly just plain ol winter build up.We drain, removing fish and plants then power wash and hand cut ,and scrub as needed, then re-fill adding dechlorinator and stress relief for the fish.

This nice little pondless clean out in Carlsbad is typical of how nice they look when were done.Ponds and Waterfalls all need service sometime , like this one..

Today Southern Californias, Certified Aquascape Contractors met at Columbia Water Gardens In Hemet California. Thanks to Carl Petite, A great and informational time was had by all.This small group of Pond builders,Are undoubtly  some  of the best pond builders on the west coast. Thanks to all who attended.

With this recent rain , Again rain water harvesting comes to mind,A friend of mine at Aquascpape . Ed Beaulieu gives this info. I think it fits in nicely with our areas needs.

Water  Harvesting Video         For more info or just call (858)449-9135  or Ourponds.com

Sometimes we get calls from people asking about roots puncturing the liner of the pond.Yes roots can be extremely bad for the pond membrane. This is always a concern when planning a new pond, or enlarging an existing pond.

Most EPDM pond liners are expected to last at least 20 years,if proper installation procedures are adhered to.Concrete can last even longer.Both or either can last a lot less if certain things are not done correctly upon installation.Some roots just cant be stopped, so the best way to stop future problems is to not have these plants in the pond area at all. The moral of the story is to always have a professional contractor work on your pond.Pondman has been a Certified Aquascape Contractor, for over a dozen years. This has resulted in  some of the best service and knoweledge in the industry.    WWW.OURPONDS    (858) 449-0135

Are snails bad for my pond,This was the question I got on the phone from a new client the other day. There are seversal different kinds of snails , but most wont live in your pond. The ones that can, are usually not a problem.Like most things snails are ok in moderation.
as long as the population is kept under control the down side of snails is slight. If the nimber of snails in you pond gets out of control, it can effect several things.Major snail populations can negativly alter the pump,filter and most parts, So keep the snail numbers down.

For more pond info go to the online magazine : Pondman:
https://flipboard.com/section/pondman-bKm6qs/

In San Diego,as pretty much in most places,we have a few basic ways to determin if your pond has a leak.
The first thing we usually do is verify if the water level is going down quicker than it should.We start by determining how much water loss we actually have.We are only interested in measurments in inches at this point(later we can transfer this to gallons if we want).We find a spot in the pond where we can see the water level clearly ,such as a rock or other point that doesnt change.We take note of the water level as it relates to this point.We like to do our meaurments in 24 hr.intervels.The next day we remeasure and take another note.At this time we turn off or unplug the waterfal pump.
We return the next day and take a water level reading again. If the water level hasnt changed, we know know that a leak is in the pump or waterfall system.We can search the pump or waterfall for the problem. If we find that the water level has continued to go down we know that the pond has the leak.If after doing a cursery search and we find nothing obvious,we then need to wait until the water level stops going down.When the pond water level finally stops going down,we know there is a leak at this level,somewhere in the pond.This now gives us a water line that can be checked . Depending on what the pond is built out of ,this leak can now be found and repaired. This is a time consumeing project,but it works most of the time.
If you need help or just want to talk check us out at www.OURPONDS.com. or give us a call (858) 449-9135

Here in Southern California, we are lucky.While the rest of the country is doing all sorts of winter readiness things to their ponds, we are business as usual.Some parts of the country need to remove the fish from the pond to a more weather safe location for the winter.Some actually drain the pond, for the winter, while others need to remove the pump.In comparison, In San Diego , we are lucky. For the most part we are treating our ponds the same as the rest of the year.

The pond photo above, was taken this week . This pond is 70% overgrown. The water plants are healthy and the water is clear. The fish are happy and , this Aquascape pond is working great. We will perform  a Clean out, on this pond. The usual steps and activities will be performed, such as removing the fish and some of the pond water to a holding tank.Along with the clean out , filter pads and under water lights will be replaced. In only one day , this pond will be “good as new”