SEPTEMBER MEETING REVIEW

It was like a petting zoo at the Pitchford’s! There were 3 goats, geese, ducks, chickens, a rabbit and 2 large tortoises! President, Dan S., started the meeting by raffling a book. The lucky winner this month was Fran Thurber! The meeting was turned over to pond owner, Steve P. He described the construction process and filter challenges he has faced with so many pond inhabitants. He has discovered that there are no aquatic plants that the ducks and geese won’t eat! A pair of herons that live in a tree nearby have decreased his fish count by half. Vice President, Clyde P., announced that he is getting an early start on the 2005 pond tour and would like anyone willing to have their pond on the tour to contact him. The treasurer’s report was given and it was agreed to give a $500 donation to Wild at Heart. The meeting was turned over to Jeff J. of Arizona Lake and Pond Management. He suggested that some of the steps in winterizing a pond include: muck out the bottom, thoroughly clean the filter, change the UV bulb (he suggests changing it every 6 months), trim back plants, bring cold sensitive plants indoors and add bacteria. Jeff specializes in bacteria and has developed a combination of bacteria especially for Valley ponds. He said that bacteria does not stop algae. It goes after the nutrients in the pond and since it is a better consumer than algae, it starves the algae out. He said that a healthy, balanced pond should have some algae. Bacteria can be added to the pond any time of year in the Valley. If there is a food source, bacteria will double in population in 20 minutes. UV clarifiers will kill some of the bacteria, but not enough to worry about it. When purchasing bacteria, Jeff suggested checking to see that it has an expiration date and make sure that it has not expired. He also suggested attaching a water filter cartridge (can be bought at Home Depot) to the end of the hose when adding water to the pond.