Jim Nelson

During the past 35 years I have traveled the world as a member of the scientific fishery community. My education and background training is in pathogenic microbiology and biochemistry where I developed fish vaccines for the aquaculture industry. During that time I gained an appreciation for how damaged the environment became around activities including fish culture and human habitation and farming practices. The pond standard now is a hole in the ground with water in it. The best way to treat disease is to improve the environment and the best way to do this is using natural components.

Does Barley Kill Algae?

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Dear Frog, We gotta get busy, spring is just three weeks away. It is time to think about pond plants. It is time to think about aeration. It is time to consider the weeds. Whoa! Hold on. Let us use a little science. You cannot expect to do any one thing to make a complex … Read more

Bark Dust Kills Ponds!

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Glug ole’ Froggie, The first thing people do in the spring is cover things with bark dust. This kills your food supply. The tannins in bark dust and conifer shavings contain chloro-phenols, natural insecticides and herbicides. These trees evolved in the age of the insects and were dinosaur food. Higher animals can sequester them but … Read more

Letters to the Frog from PonDoc

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Worried about early pond algae? Dear Glug, Spring is coming and I am getting my first calls.  The first algae are showing.  The human froggies are asking “What do I do?” “It looks ugly.”  PonDoc says, “Do nothing; it is the natural order of life”.  Algae are called primary producers being what everything on the … Read more