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  • Not got a biological filter? Then all the microbial activity that happens in biological filters has to happen in the bottom of the pool. All the muck that falls has to be digested by bacteria down there. But with the advent of winter this activity slows right down at a time of year when the potential load is increased by falling autumn leaves. Any leaves that have found their way in to the pool need to be dredged out with a net. Leave the resulting muck to drain away on the side of the pool for 24 hours. This will give time for any wildlife to make its way back into the pool. using pond filters for clean ponds

  • Winter water gardening ... Clear the surface. Light to the water surface is desirable in the winter months. You have probably already cut back the fleshy leafed early risers like the Marsh Marigolds (Caltha palustris), Bog Arums (Calla palustris) and the Water Forget-me-Not (Myosostis palustris), but leave the long grassy foliage to waft around in the breeze adding life to a seemingly lifeless scene. These reeds, rushes and grasses will double as cover for animals coming and going from the pool. Marsh Marigolds burst into yellow flower in early April again. waterlilies in ponds

  • When a person builds a pond it is to achieve the vision of crystal clear water. The vision normally includes a pond full of colorful fish and attractive aquatic plants. Often the reality of a pond is something quite different ... a green smelly hole in the ground. This need not be the case. Before you dig the hole do understand that if you intend to keep fish then a biofilter must be installed. A biofilter can be a fairly simple box shaped container with a suitable biomedia inside it onto which bacteria can accumulate so that they can do the job of purifying the pond water day in and day out. all about water garden fountains

  • Pumps ... most small submersible pumps have impellors designed to turn in a single direction. This type normally have curved rotor blades for improved pumping efficiency. To make sure they do not start up in the wrong direction when you switch them on this type of rotor can only be turned by hand about 3/4 of a turn before it comes to a deliberate stop. If and when your pump suddenly stops pumping this is the first and easiest test to do to find out if the rotor needs changing or if something more serious is wrong with your pump. If the blades go round and round and round you probably just need a new rotor. pond pump flow rates

  • In winter make holes in the ice using a pan full of hot water to remove toxic gases. Do not break the ice - this is not good for the fish as you can probably imagine. These days there are low cost electrical heating devices that consume small amounts of power and maintain a "breathing hole" in the pond. pond pump curves

  • Many people use salt in their ponds. I do not recommend it but the reason is to help prevent parasitic diseases that lead to complicated bacterial diseases. It is important not to overdose and if the intent is to remove parasites from individual fish then rather place the fish in another small temporary pond loaded with salt for a few minutes. Use about 2 lbs per 20 US gallons of pond water as a general treatment. As a short term soaking to treat individual fish use about 3 times as much salt as above. Adding pond start bacterial mixtures can do no harm especially at springtime. blanketweed in fish ponds

  • Plants in a pond also help to reduce nitrate levels ... the nitrate is formed naturally by he action of bacteria on the excreted waste products from the fish and other aquatic animals. Nitrates are rich in Nitrogen and there is a process of conversion from ammonia excreted by fish to nitrite then to nitrate. Always spray water onto the pond surface when filling with fresh tap water ... any chlorine in the tap water will then be reduced. pond pump supplies

  • To determine an approximate average depth of your gold fish or koi pond whose depth is not constant take a stick and mark it in intervals of say 3 inches with an indelible ink pen. At 10 different places in the pond insert the stick and record the depths (10 numbers). Add the numbers together and divide by 10. Use this answer as the average depth of the pond. If your pond is of equal depth and the same cross section then you can very accurately measure the pond volume. solar pumps for ponds

  • Make access to your biofilter easy. If there is a risk of it overflowing and emptying the pond in the process then try to ensure the overflowing water would find its way back into the pond. This risk is real for most biofilters - if the outlet from the biofilter blocks then the pump will cause the water to overflow through the lid. If you are installing a new pond and arranging for a supply of electricity to it then do add any extra power point for possible future use. pond biofilters

  • Many gold fish are born black and not gold ... they seem to appear from nowhere when they are about 1 inch long. In fact they have been hiding from the larger fish. Such larger fish even koi and "harmless" goldfish would have eaten them along with many others that did not survive hatching from the ova. Because they are black they can be difficult for us to see. Gradually they start turning gold until they do become little goldfish - what a delight they are too. All your own work at that. pond pump supplies

 

Never switch off your pond pump for more than about 60 minutes

Make sure the delivery pipe from the pond pump is not kinked

Must the UV be placed before the biofilter?

A waterfall adds oxygen to a pond by creating a large surface area

Submersible pond pumps can operate against a closed valve

It is a good idea to pump out about 10% of your pond water

Lighting in and around ponds creates a brand new dimension

Sick and tired of looking at debris on the bottom of your pond?

Do not feed more food than what you fish can eat

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