March News from True Pump, Your Pond Store

Greetings!

The change to Daylight Savings Time, the Spring Equinox, and some green patches in our water iris and ornamental grasses. There are plenty of signs of spring all around us despite the recent chilly weather! That means it's soon to be pond and water feature season!

In this month's newsletter we have information on fish anatomy, our 2023 seminars, an upcoming water conservation discussion at the Denver Botanic Gardens, a 2023 product update and this month's Aquascape video.

Happy Pondering,

The True Pump Team

Koi and Pond Fish Anatomy

Did you know your koi and pond fish have a simple heart with only two chambers? Should that even matter to you as an owner of pond with fish? Probably not, but you should be aware of koi and pond fish anatomy that actually does matter to you.

The Fins

Let’s start with the obvious. Koi and goldfish have the usual dorsal (top) fin, an assortment of bottom fins, and the caudal (tail) fin, as well as a few others. The dorsal fin in koi is extremely vulnerable to ulceration and it’s not uncommon for the mildest of bacterial infections to erode a hole right in the middle of it! Once the ulcer has healed, the fin can remain incomplete. When purchasing a new fish, inspect the dorsal fin to make sure it’s whole. The two pairs of pelvic fins are the pectorals and the ventrals. These are the fins that define the landmarks for injection of sick fish because it is the safest site with good absorption.

2023 Seminar Schedule

We have a wide variety of educational seminars coming up this year, from 30-minute classroom presentations to all day hands-on projects. Go to True Pump Seminars to sign up for the class that best fits your needs.

Water Gardening 101

Want to learn more about your pond or water feature? Then you should plan to attend some of our upcoming FREE educational seminars. These seminars will take place on the following Saturdays from 9:00 - 9:30 a.m. We are going hybrid this year so you can attend in-person or attend virtually via Zoom. No sign-up or reservation required.

April 1, 2023 Spring Start Up - Click HERE for the Zoom link

April 29, 2023 Fish & Aquatic Plants

June 3, 2023 Water Treatments

July 8, 2023 Pond Maintenance

August 26, 2023 Fall & Winter Prep

Homeowner Build A Pondless Waterfall Day April 8, 2023

Sign up for our one-day seminar and get your hands dirty! Learn how to create a paradise in your own backyard working side-by-side with the pros from True Pump! This unique "hands-on" training session will show you how to build your very own pondless waterfall. Seminar begins at 9:00 a.m. and working together we will create a beautiful pondless waterfall and stream by 4:00 p.m. Class size is limited to 15 people so sign up today! Class fee is $30 and is fully refunded with the purchase of a pondless kit within two weeks of the class. Lunch and beverages are provided.

Homeowner Build A Pond Day May 6, 2023

Sign up for our one-day seminar and get your hands dirty! Learn how to create a paradise in your own backyard working side-by-side with the pros from True Pump! This unique "hands-on" training session will show you how to build a pond, waterfalls and stream as well as teach you the importance of a well balanced ecosystem. Seminar begins at 9:00 a.m. and working together we will create a beautiful 8' x 11' pond and waterfall by 4:00 p.m. Class size is limited to 15 people so sign up today! Class fee is $30 and is fully refunded with the purchase of a pond kit within two weeks of the class. Lunch and beverages are provided.

Join the True Pump Team!

True Pump is looking for a warehouse associate to join our team for the summer. If you’re that person (or know someone who is), keep reading!

Primary focus of this position is shipping, receiving, and pulling orders for customers to pick up. This employee will also be involved in merchandising, organizing and stocking shelves, and general upkeep of the warehouse.

We are looking for someone with a friendly and energetic personality, a willingness to learn and the ability to lift up to 70 pounds.

For more information please call Tim Boettcher or Jo True at 303.744.3505 or email us at info@truepump.com.

Can Water Features be Xeric?

Water conservation is becoming a bigger and bigger topic as the Colorado population continues to grow. How can you transform your yard from water guzzling sod to other more water wise options (like water features)? Join us as Tim Boettcher from True Pump and other industry experts discuss this topic at the Colorado Water Garden Society's "Get Wet" program at the Denver Botanic Gardens on April 20 from 5:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. For more information go to the CWGS web site HERE.

Colorado Garden & Home Show

Thanks to everyone who stopped by to see us at the Garden & Home Show. It was great seeing old friends as well as many new faces. Congratulations to Steve Ozawa, the winner of our $250 Gift Certificate!

Product Update

The Faux Basalt Columns we had on display at the Garden & Home Show were a huge hit and will be available very soon! Unfortunately, the new SL Dosing systems have been delayed and won't be available until late summer. Click HERE to learn more about all the new Aquascape products.

As the temperatures warm up, we're already getting calls from people asking when fish and aquatic plants will be available. Colorado's spring weather can be unpredictable and we always want to play it safe so plants and fish won't be available until late April or early May.

Also, due to a paper shortage and increased printing costs, Aquascape is switching to a digital catalog. The big advantage of going digital is that the catalog contains clickable links to much more information than could be included in a printed catalog. Click on the catalog picture below to see it for yourself!

We Love Being "Your Pond Store"

We recently received the following 5 Star Yelp Review from Matt G.:

"We recently built an outdoor pond and really wanted a water lily. Thankfully the associate was ready to help! I got our lily plus a few things to keep the pond running smoothly! I also LOVED the oasis that you are into in the back! WOW, what a cool place!"

Thanks, Matt! Glad we could help you with your water feature project.

We sincerely appreciate everyone who has taken the time to review us on Google, Yelp and Facebook. We'd love to hear from each of you why True Pump is "Your Pond Store"!