Hello Steve,
I'll be at your koi show in March. Also, we should be holding the Grand Opening of our new Flagship Store around that time as well. I'd like to consult with you prior to that for a koi pond display at our store. Built from the ground-up to your specs using our products - how'bout that?
We'll agree to disagree on the use of rocks or gravel in Hybrid ponds and goldfish water gardens. What was started as a thread about SSA of biofilters has been turned into everyone's here favorite debate on the validity of R&G. Until everone agrees that all aquariums from the Shark Reef at Madalay Bay Resort in Las Vegas to the aquarium in my dentist's office has to remove the rocks and gravel for the safety of the fish - we will never see eye to eye on that. So the arguement is over. All that is left to be said on the topic is: come and see our Hybrids in action for yourself. Nothing I am saying about the topic is sinking in with any of you. That is fine, I respect your opinions. I truely do. We'll simply agree to disagree on that topic and move on.
At the koi show, we'll show you our bead filters, skimmers, centrifugal pumps, and our Hydro Rock columns. I'll want your honest opinions - and any suggestions you may have on how to improve them for your applications.
With regards to koi in gravel ponds. Nothing that you or I can ever say will put a stop to it. So what I have done is make drastic improvements to the systems that are marketed everywhere today. I encourage you to go to a variety of pond shops in your area and look at and physically touch the Aquascape Biofalls, Pondsweep Purifalls, Savio Livingponds, Little Giant Bio Vort, and all the other brands from Nursery Pro, Atlantic, and Pond-Eco. Then take a look at one of our systems. Look at it. Kick it around. Look at its function. Then compare our system to all the hugely popular systems I mentioned above. You will see what the rest of the industry is seeing.
Our Hybrid systems are to the R&G industry what High Definition is to the television industry.
Oh, and don't forget to take a look at our koi pond products (bead filters, skimmers, and centrifugal pumps - our Hydro Columns can also add a new cosmetic dimension to your ponds).
One thing that many of you here are overlooking is that you are talking directly to a national manufacturer that will be opening retail/wholesale outlets across the country starting in later 2007. You can have a direct influence on products that are sold in our stores.
You can't stop people from putting koi in R&G ponds. What we can do is work together to create an information program, and a step-stage format of koi keeping from novice to your level that will be featured in all of our stores nation-wide. Not forgeting the steps in the middle and the people that absolutely, positively have to have R&G in their ponds with koi.
Steve, lets get together to see what we can build at our Flagship Store. We can name the pond we build here after you, and we'll publish the design and give you credit as the "designer" on our web site - and provide all your contact information to the world. We'll photograph every step of the process for instruction manuals and our web site. We will of course be using our bead filters, skimmers, and centrifugal pumps, we'll also use Emperor Aquatics UV's, and what ever bottom drain you prefer. We can build settling chambers to your specs, and we'll use our media. The pond design has to pass the city of Redmond's permit requirements for safety in a public place, and we can't make it out of concrete because that would be considered a permanent alteration to the property and that is not allowed in our lease on the property. The pond will also be stocked with koi from the Kodama Koi Farm. This is the guidelines inwhich the pond must be built. A few hoops I know, but a business has to follow guidlines set by the City inwhich it operates, and under the lease they sign on the property.
If we can make it work,that would be the definition of "working together"!
See you all soon,
Sincerely,
John Russell
President/CEO Russell Watergardens