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Pond Pulse

Volume 2, Issue 3, March , 2008

In This Issue

Message From The President

Special Days/Meaningful Messages
So You Call Yourself A Professional
InfoTanza™

What you need to Know When Buying Fish
Do You Know
Water Cycle Boogie

Enzymes In Action

New Membership Dues

Members of The Month

Calendar of Event

June 26-29, 2008
27th Annual AKCA Seminar
Jacksonville, Florida
http://www.nfkc.info
July 17-19, 2008
Ponditat For Humanity
Greenwood Village, Colorado
http://www.ponditatforhumanity.com

October 2, 3 & 4, 2008

InfoTanza™ 2008

http://www.infotanza.com

Message From The President

Although it's been an interesting year weather wise, with temperatures fifty or sixty degrees one day and the next day is fifty below wind chills. For much of the country the weather seems to getting warmer in stops and starts, brings back memories of learning to drive a vehicle with a clutch...self induced whiplash but without the sinuses.
Spring pond cleans are in order for much of the country. Whether you are a power washer type cleaner, Chicago trained, or a self taught cleaner, both versions will call upon their minions to go forth and CLEAN! See http://www.pondcleanout.com.

The H2O Patrol (a made up name) will more than likely be in your area. What does that mean? Given the condition of much of the nation’s water supplies any event that uses water will be watched closely.

When you clean a pond do you let the water run down the street or spread the pond water around the yard? Do you just throw the vac hose any where and maybe wash out the neighbors flower bed? If so know that in any given community across the USA there is someone next door that may be on the H2O Patrol. In most cases if your industry gets reported to a city dept because of what someone did or did not do while doing a pond clean, someone on the city level has to take that call, and cities formulate the codes because or based on those calls.

Presently a good/bad example is Omaha, NE, should the city take a call from the H20 Patrol it is not the pond cleaner that gets wacked with the fine, it's the homeowner. Now there is something to chew on for awhile. If Joe Pickup (somebody else’s made name) is not aware of what happens when he does a pond clean and the neighbors flower bed goes away or water runs into storm drains, you. Joe Professional Pond Contractor take the hit.

I don't bring this up to give the professional installers’ grief about workmanship or professionalism; however, times they are a changing and with that change; come a new set of rules. I have to pull a memory from the past for this, Calvin and Hobbs, the comic strip of some years ago. Calvin would play games and make up rules as the game went along and qualify the rule changes based on some whim that nobody else even knew about. Sound like something you have dealt with?

If you as a Professional don't become involved in your profession some one else will. How can I make a difference, I heard someone ask? Well, make your voice heard! Tell your trade association what you’re up against, what your concerns are. Work on the local level to guide local guidelines for ponds and water use. Join your trade association! Work to educate you community, ignorance will kill your business.

In 2008 your trade association IPPCA is working for your interest. This year as President of IPPCA the task has been given to make the EPA Clean Water Act industry compatible. What does that means to you as a professional; You will learn what the Clean water Act requirements are, understanding what they mean to you, while your trade association will try to develop options to help comply with those requirements.

Does the Clean Water Act affect you? I call on another memory, the first Indiana Jones movie when the boulder comes down the tunnel after Indiana. Got the picture?! Hold on to that thought because although you can't see that boulder yet, the ground is starting to rumble. Water has become the number 1 interest in not only the whole country but the world, and get a clue it does have to do with you and you and you and you and you.....

Now, we ask you for your help. What we need to know is; water restrictions in your area, what type and

enforcement of violations, do you have to pull permits to build ponds, can you pull them or do you need a plumber,

do you need a drawing to submit for a permit? These are questions we need answers to now, this is just the start for

IPPCA to give you a fighting chance to effect changes in your area by supplying you with current information.

Go to info@ippca.com.

Rocke’ Huntington

President IPPCA

Special Days In April

April Birthday’s April Anniversary’s

Darren Lucas (13th)
Bill Dowden (25th)

Do we have your birthday and/or anniversary?

Send in your dates to info@ippca.com and we will add you to the calendar.

Text Box: “Meaningful Messages” "Be kinder than necessary because everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle."

Contractor Of The Month

Steve Burns

Baltimore, Ontario, Canada

Steve Burns, the owner of Blue Thumb Water Features grew up with ponds and in the pond industry. Over the past 15 years he has worked for Burns Water Gardens as both Sales Manager and as the landscaper (when time permitted). Steve has kept himself aware of the trends in the industry, finding out what works, what doesn't, and how to fix the mistakes that get made.

Blue Thumb Water Features was not a planned company to be started, it exists due to the demand of customers to find a pond specialist in our area who could do pond installations, maintenance and repair work. While most of the work we have started doing has been repairs and upgrades, we do look forward to the occasions when we get to assist a customer with the design of a new pond.

In designing a pond, we try to aim for a very low maintenance pond, which will basically run itself with little effort.

Blue Thumb Water Features is located in Baltimore, Ontario, Canada. The normal range of operations is from Newcastle to Gores Landing to Brighton. Extended range of operations is from Scarborough to Peterborough, to Belleville.

Text Box: Sponsor of The Month Nishikoi USA Inc. Marlton, New Jersey Nishikoi are continually working to bring the best quality products to fishkeepers across the world. Through extensive research and development, Nishikoi seek to enhance existing products and launch new concepts for the increased enjoyment of fishkeepers and health of their fish. Check the Nishikoi News page for the latest information relating to products, promotions, shows and other initiatives in the USA. News Items
• Nishikoi (USA) has just opened new offices in the USA, to provide unrivalled and dedicated service for USA pond and koi keepers. • Nishikoi Foods First into the USA - The first European koi food to meet the USDA's revised import criteria.

Associate Member of The Month

Ashbury Gardens

Oneonta, New York

We are located on River Street in Oneonta, New York. We may be reached by taking Exit 13 off I-88. Turn right at the first traffic signal onto River Street Service Road. Continue to River Street. Turn left. Follow River Street to the entrance to Asbury Gardens on the right. (Look for the sign at the left of this page. It will welcome you to the Gardens.) We look forward to seeing you and helping you.

Mission Statement: Be a positive force in the enhancement of the quality of life in our community. Learn, enlighten and share with others our horticultural expertise. Be a resource for creative outdoor living. Treat others as we would want to be treated ourselves. Live and work daily by high standards and values. Appreciate the beauty and mystery in nature. Accept and respect all those things that are different between us. Make someone's day!

Text Box: Effective January 1, 2008 Membership Fees Contractor Member Associate Member Sponsors $250.00 $250.00 $2500.00 CPPC $250.00 Application/$200.00 Renewals. Contractor/Associate Member Combo Discounts still apply.

Text Box: InfoTanza™ ‘08 October 2, 3 & 4 Kennesaw, Georgia If you can only attend one event this year, this is it! No Dog and Pony show, No special interest, No pressure to be there, No cost to register for IPPCA members. Education Networking New Product Display Annual Banquet Awards Ceremony & Much, Much More!!!

Cut out coupon for special drawing at InfoTanza™

For special drawing.

Must be present to WIN!

Text Box: Water Cycle Boogie By Banana Slug String Band EVAPORATION, CONDENSATION, PRECIPITATION, The Water Cycle Boogie goes round and round. The Water Cycle Boogie Goes up and down. The sun gives the water cycle power to spin The water goes up and down again. The surface of all water heats up with the sun. The vapor rises up and then the boogie’s begun. What’s that called? What’s that Called? EVAPORATION, CONDENSATION, PRECIPITATION, The Water Cycle Boogie goes round and round. The Water Cycle Boogie Goes up and down. Water holds together chemically Hydrogen bonding is what you see All those airborne vapors they squeeze together To form a cloud that could change the weather What’s that called? What’s that Called? EVAPORATION, CONDENSATION, PRECIPITATION, The Water Cycle Boogie goes round and round. The Water Cycle Boogie Goes up and down. All those dark clouds can’t hold it together. Water boogies down bringing stormy weather. Fog, rain, hail, flurries, ice and sleet Splish, splash and crunch underneath your feet What’s that called? What’s that Called? EVAPORATION, CONDENSATION, PRECIPITATION, The Water Cycle Boogie goes round and round. The Water Cycle Boogie Goes up and down. Two thirds of Earth is water, it’s true Gives live to every plant and animal too Respect water’s power, only use your share Don’t waste a drop, there’s none to spare Let’s do the water cycle boogie again Let’s go around for another spin! EVAPORATION, CONDENSATION, PRECIPITATION, The Water Cycle Boogie goes round and round. The Water Cycle Boogie Goes up and down.

Text Box: What you need to Know When Buying Fish
Have you ever walked into a pet shop and seen 50 tanks full of fish and have the temptation to spend a .50 or a buck? I have but that was back when I had a 100 gallon aquarium and really didn't care much about if they lived or not. They're going to die anyway so why spend a fortune, I still have that mentality, after all, they are. However, now when I go to these places I see dead fish floating in the tanks while their occupants are snacking on their flesh which almost always makes me want to lose my cookies. We're not talking show fish here or even expensive fish, just the most common places of sold and purchased aquarium and pond mutts that are usually handled by inexperienced hired help that don't even understand filtration nor do they care. If you ask in most of these Wally world type stores the kid will more than likely tell you he/she has no idea about anything other than they can probably net you some and bag it for you, that much they were taught in training. (they may even give it a shot of O2) Although, they'll probably beat the hell out of it while doing so and the fish will die hours after you get it home, if not from netting it from the diseases that plagued the tanks they were in and while they might not have looked bad at the store you can't see disease most often, unless you carry a scope. Here comes the first question you should ask a dealer when seriously purchasing a fish that you will be adding to your collection, no matter the cost of the fish.
Here are 5 simple things to do when approaching a new dealer:
1.Do you have a Microscope? If they don't turn around and never go back and. don't bother telling them off, they'll just look at you with glazed eyes.
If they do have one ask them to scrape and scope in front of you, if they're a reputable dealer they'll do this with no hesitation. Take a long glance yourself and make sure the slide is clean.
2. Ask them questions and don't be shy, if this is a good dealer they will be happy to answer you and explain what they see and teach you a few things about the process.
3. Ask them where they buy their fish from or are these fry from their own spawns, if they tell you they buy from multiple dealers ask them about their quarantine practices. Mixing several breeders in the same tanks is often done due to lack of tanks and most experienced dealers will not do that.
4. Inquire on the advise they send the fish home with, if they tell you that they have QT'D the fish and it's not necessary for you to do this as well before adding the fish to your collection do NOT buy any fish from this dealer, they might believe the fish are 100% clean but they are not always, if you encounter this DO NOT BUY from this dealer! ( If you are a dealer I hope you are doing this, people want to hear this from you with KHV and all the other diseases making their way into the hobbyist ponds.)
5. Check out the shelves, make sure they are properly stocked with foods, medications and testing supplies. Also, look to see if they carry current reading materials for the newbies and the oldies. If they have Koi Nations, WGI, etc.. they are more than likely into good husbandry and you will be able to develop a good relationship with this dealer in the future.
Spring is almost here and I want to wish everyone a Wonderful Ponding Season! Nancy Clarke Editors Note: Ms. Clarke is a hobbyist living in Alberta, Canada and a regular contributor to the IPPCA Message Board

Text Box: Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader
Answer 7 girls on the bus 7 x 2 legs = 14 legs 7 backpacks each containing 7 Large cats 7 backpack x 7 girls = 49 backpacks x 7 cats = 343 Large Cats x 4 legs = 1372 legs 343 Large cats each have 7 small cats 343 x 7 = 2401 small cats x 4 legs = 9604 legs 14 + 1372 + 9604 = 10,990 legs on the bus. Winner Sue Boydstun, Boise, Idaho Congratulations Sue!!!!!!