Frequently Asked Questions

Why should I treat my pond with beneficial bacteria?

Whether you have a rubber lined, ornamental koi pond or a 2acre earth bottom pond, it is especially important to add beneficial bacteria such as Mock 4 in 1 Formula or Mock Good Stuff. Your pond is an ecosystem and adding bacteria will help keep it in balance. Beneficial bacteria will aid in knocking down the nutrient levels that weeds and algae thrive on, therefore keeping your pond crystal clear. It also helps to eliminate odors and digests organic matter (sludge) in the bottom of the pond.

Why do I treat with cold water bacteria?

In the colder months, such as early spring until the water temperatures are at a consistent 65 degrees or more, we recommend using our Mock Cold Water Formula. Then again in the fall, when water temperatures drop back below 65 degrees, we recommend you begin using Mock Cold Water Formula.

In between, when your water temperatures are above 65 degrees, we recommend our Mock 4 in 1 Formula.

When/How do I feed my fish?

Our summer staple fish food is a minimum of 36% protein, and should only be fed to fish when the water temperature is over 65 degrees. We recommend that you only feed your fish once per day, giving them just enough to finish eating in 2-3 minutes. Overfeeding will result in poor water quality.

We offer a high quality, high protein fish food. Available in 3 pellet sizes, we also offer a discount program for container refills (this does not apply to cold water fish food).

Koi will eventually eat right out of your hands if you feed at the same time every day. They will begin to recognize you by the sound of your footsteps! Another fun way to feed your fish is to offer treats, such as “Koi Krunchies”, or even fruit like watermelon or mango!

Fish in hibernation cannot metabolize or digest a high protein diet.
When water temperatures are between 55-65 degrees, you need to feed your finned friends a cold-water food. Cold water fish food will have a much lower protein content and your fish will be able to metabolize this food as their bodies start to slow down for winter. During the fall and spring months we have this in stock!

What is the difference between string algae and a microbial algae bloom? How do I treat these problems?

String algae is the dark green “seaweed” that will latch onto your rocks, waterfalls, plant baskets, and the like. It will appear for a couple reasons.
1. If you do not have a good balance of beneficial bacteria
2. High summer temperatures and lots of sun, leading to excess nutrients

String algae is relatively easy to avoid and control, as long as you have a good amount of beneficial bacteria in the pond at all times.

Microbial algae, or “green water algae” seems to often appear out of nowhere, with little to no warning. If you aggressively treat your pond with a heavy dose of beneficial bacteria, such as Mock 4 in 1 Formula, you should be able to control and remove this algae pretty quickly. Once the algae particles start to turn brown and die off, consider using a flocculant, like Mock Clarifying Formula or even a calcium clay powder to solidify those particles so that they are more easily filtered. Sometimes, if your microbial algae bloom is bad enough you will need to attack it with an algaecide. While our Mock Rock N Clean is best for string algae, Aquascape’s Liquid Algaecide is a more appropriate approach. Liquid algaecide is a systemic treatment and may take a few days to show results, but it is effective when used according to package directions. You want to make sure to know roughly how many gallons of water are in your pond (always err on the side of caution) and never over treat. Algaecide can kill fish if overdosed. Also, make sure you have filtration and aeration working well, especially during treatments. NOTE: It is not recommended that you treat with liquid algaecide during extremely hot temps. Pay close attention to the heat, or treat late at night when temps are cooler during the summer.

How do I know how much mulch, top soil or gravel to buy?

When measuring for mulch, top soil or gravel, consider these facts:
*There are 27 cubic feet in a cubic yard
* 1 Cubic yard will cover 162 square feet if spread 2″ thick
*1 Cubic yard will cover 108 square feet if spread 3″ thick
*One ton of rock will cover 240 square feet if spread 1″ thick
*One ton of rock will cover 120 square feet if spread 2″ thick
*One ton of rock will cover 80 square feet if spread 3″ thick

Mock Pools and Ponds will not issue refunds or accept returns or exchanges on the following items: • Pool or pond pumps that have been used (unless defective and within the warranty limitations) • Any items with electrical components that have been used (unless defective and within the warranty limitations) • Open pool or pond chemicals • Cut liner or tubing • Fish • Plants • Any Mock & Co. item (ALL SALES FINAL) – exceptions will be for defective jewelry. We will work with the artist to get your item replaced if possible. This applies only to jewelry. If you purchase an item with a warranty, please do your best to hold onto your receipt. Mock Pools and Ponds will attempt to keep a record of purchases but does not guarantee we will still have proof of purchase upon your potential need to exchange or return the item. If you have a defective item, we will do our best to issue a warranty and get you a replacement. We will submit the item for warranty, and if approved by the manufacturer we will replace the item as directed. In some cases, the manufacturer will deny a warranty claim due to improper care or use/alteration of an item. This is out of our control. If the manufacturer requires the item be shipped back to them for inspection, you will be required to pay a shipping fee to return the item. If you pay by check, you must wait 14 days to return the item to ensure the check has cleared prior to a cash refund. NO EXCEPTIONS. All refunds will be issued back to the original form of payment. Returns must be made within 30 days of purchase. NO EXCEPTIONS. Any cash returns over $200 may be required to wait for a check refund. Please see a member of management if you have any questions. All special-order items will require a 15% restocking fee, and any shipping fees will not be refunded. No exceptions. This includes but is not limited to the following: Pond/Pondless Kits, Large Pond Décor, Above Ground Pools, Pool liners, Pool equipment, etc. Mock Pools and Ponds reserves the right to deny any return or exchange at any time, for any reason. Please see a member of management if you have any questions.

How do I know if my pond is losing water through evaporation or if I have a leak?

This simple calculation works really well.
1/2%-1% of the GPH/day

For example:
3,000 GPH pump
1/2%=15 gallons/day
1%=30 gallons/day
Make sure to estimate the flow rate after head pressure loss, 3,000 GPH pump may only supply 2,500 GPH or less, this will make a difference.

The variations are used according to the site conditions, full sun and full wind will be 1% a sheltered pond will be 1/2%.
These numbers are an average, it will fluctuate throughout the season.
This is also for the Midwest, it will work for most of the country except Arizona and other hot, dry climates.
Evaporation continues to increase as the amount of water flowing thru the atmosphere increases along with the increased splashing and vaporization of water as it crashes over boulders.
The next question or answer you need is how much water is 1″ of water loss in a given pond.
• 11’x16′ pond = 176 sq. ft. If it was a rectangle x .85 for irregular shape = 150 sq. ft.
• 150 x .62 gallons/sq.ft. X 1″ deep = 93 gallons
• 3000 GPH pump x 1/2% = 15gallons x 7 days = 105 gallons/week or 1″ of water loss/week.

You may have a leak if you are losing water faster than ½%-1%. Here are a couple of things you can do to diagnose a leak on your own:
1. Fill your pond to the “full” level, and mark it on a rock with chalk.
2. Turn off your pump
3. Monitor your water level for 24 hours, and if the level drops more than what is expected during evaporation, you may have a leak.
4. Continue to watch the level until it stops dropping, and note the time frame. Once it stops dropping, you can assume the leak is either in the water fall, tubing, or in the liner somewhere above the water line. At this point, you will want to start looking for soft spots around your waterfall or skimmer box. If you find one, that is likely where your leak is located. You may need to replace some tubing or re-level your waterfall spillway or skimmer box. Many times, the water will leech out of the front of the skimmer box where the liner attaches. Draining your pond below the intake and re-applying some new silicone around the weir opening of the skimmer is the best repair.

How many fish can I have in my pond?

A general rule of thumb when adding fish to your pond…Keep in mind your pond size. There IS such a thing as having too many fish!
Generally speaking, keep your fish load to 1” of fish for every 10 gallons of pond water. For example, if you have a 1000 gallon pond, try not to let your fish load be more than 100” of fish. That gives you about ten koi or goldfish at 10” each. Having more than this will increase the ammonia in your pond, and also the amount of maintenance you will have to perform due to the added fish waste. Not sure how many gallons you have? See next question…

How do I figure out how many gallons of water is in my pond?

Keeping it simple, some guidelines:
• Square or Rectangle: Length X Width X Average Depth X 7.48 = Gallons
• Circle: 3.14 x Radius X Radius X Average Depth X 7.48 = Gallons
• Irregular Shape: Average Length X Average Width X Average Depth X 7.48 = Gallons
For irregularly shaped ponds, you can also divide the pond up into sections. For example, a kidney-shaped pond could resemble two circles pushed together. Make the calculations and add them up to arrive at the total number of gallons of water in the pond.

**It is best to err on the low side so that you do not over-treat the body of water when treating for algae or fish illness.

How do I keep predators out of my pond?

Living in Northeast Ohio, we have several predators to watch out for if you have a pond with fish. Blue heron, racoons, stray cats, minks, owls, hawks…just to name a few. Stray cats, minks and raccoons are the only ones not protected by the department of wildlife. You are not permitted to trap, kill or harm the birds in any way. What do you do? Well, it can be tricky… The use of decoys is the most common way to deter heron or other feathered predators from entering your pond and stealing your fish. We have several decoys to choose from, and it may take a few attempts to find what works best for you. Visit our store to see what is available, and we will talk you through what may be best.

Can I put lights in my water feature?

The answer is YES. We offer a wide variety of lights for above ground and under water features. Please see a sales associate for more details.