Spring has Sprung!

Importance of Water

I’d like to share a few words from Dr. Wallace Nichols book “Blue Minds” which  talks about the surprising science  that shows how being near, in, on, or even under water can make you happier, healthier, more connected and even better at what you do. In Dr. Nichols’ words, “ We are inspired by water – hearing it, smelling it in the air, playing in it, walking next to it, painting it, surfing, swimming or fishing in it, writing about it, photographing it, and creating lasting memories along its edge.”  So the importance of your water is well understood and spring is the time to make sure you’re taking the correct steps to manage your water body correctly.

Spring is Finally Here!

In spite of our late season April blizzard up here in Wisconsin, the snow is gone and nature is speeding up.  Spring for all of us in the aquatic business means:

• Implementing all of the concepts and new ideas we had time to think about over winter.
• Thinking about which team had the best draft in the NFL and who will make it to the Super Bowl. As the author of this article my bias swings always towards the Green Bay Packers.
• A significant increase in the pace of incoming jobs, orders and demands on our time.
• Our bodies of water have awakened from the slower pace of winter.

Now is the Time to Reinstall Your Units

With more than 50 years of experience under Kasco’s belt,  we feel now is the time to get all units functioning in the water whether they are surface aerators, fountains, circulators or diffused aeration. I use the idea that for each 5 degrees C rise in temperature, the speed of reaction doubles. So what that means in water talk is:

• An increase in oxygen demand as water temperatures increase.
• Fish activity is stimulated and now is the time to stock more fish while temperatures are still a  bit cooler and they can be transported easier than during the warmer months of summer.
• Pollen drops to the water surface and at the very least can stay at the surface without some type of aeration. Pollen can also add to the oxygen demand as well as increase nutrient sources for unwanted plant growth.
• Horizontal movement of water can aid in helping keep pond/lake bottoms oxygenated and muck/weed free.
• Ponds will begin to thermally and chemically stratify with warmer water at the surface and cooler water towards the bottom. This density barrier can inhibit water movement to the point where the organics on the bottom can start consuming oxygen to the point where the bottom layer is void of oxygen.

Kick Start Your Water Quality Efforts

Now is the time to get all types of aeration installed and running to assist in:

• Allowing for less oxygen related stress on your fish as well as either the ability to stock higher densities of fish or feed the fish more. Aeration should be viewed as an insurance package to help keep your fish alive and protect the investment of time and money.
• Increasing the redox potential which is a fancy term for speeding up the rate of decomposition of organics.
• Improve water quality by mixing and potentially tying up nutrients that would otherwise be available for plant growth.
• Maintain oxygen levels to the bottom to allow for greater densities of benthic (bottom dwelling), organic consuming organisms to flourish.
• Add aesthetically pleasing fountain displays to allow for pond beauty as well as a tranquil peaceful setting.  People love the sound of moving water. I just added my third water feature to my yard (1 in front and two in the back yard),  because my wife told me that the pond-less water fall installed last year did not create enough of a “water splashing over the rocks” sound. Don’t underestimate or undersell the fact that water shooting into the air and dropping back down onto the surface is a tremendous benefit. The calming affecting of splashing water combined with its ability to block out background noise is a tremendous benefit and selling point to any fountain sale.

Take the time now to protect you or your customers’ water body. It is better to take the time now to help eliminate water quality issues that could show up later in the year. Contact us if we can help with your unit reinstallation or water quality this spring.