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Measuring pond volume using science .. this is worth pointing out for its simple but brilliant bit of chemistry. Once more I am grateful to a reader for pointing this out to me. This method depends upon a pondkeeper using salt in the pond water. By measuring the salt concentration in the pond water before and after adding a known amount (lbs) of salt to the pond it is possible to calculate the pond volume very accurately and easily assuming the salt hydrometer is also accurate. If you want to know more e mail me and I will send you a calculator pond pump head or pressure
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Fish food understanding what's important ... ALWAYS, ALWAYS look at the analysis of the koi food you buy. The ash, fibre and moisture percentages are worth absolutely nothing. So the higher these percentages the more the money is being wasted. If a 5 kg bag of food contains 15% ash, 10% moisture and 3% fibre then 28% of the bags contents (amounting to a whopping 1.4 kg) is a total waste of money. This means that the R200 you paid for the 5 kg bag actually resulted in your paying R144 for food (3.6 kg) and R56 for rubbish (1.4 kg). Worse still 18% of the food (ash and fibre pass through the fish) now has to be handled/removed by the filter - 900 gms of solid waste has to be removed from the pond. http://www.practical-water-gardens.com/koifood.htm pond pump selection
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To correct pH problems in a pond use dilute solutions of vinegar, or lemon juice for high pH readings and baking powder for low pH readings. Make sure you do not add too much at once. The procedure is add some, wait, test again. It is important to always test at the same time every day since the natural pond cycle creates pH changes at different times of day. For example as carbon dioxide is released by plants the pH may well decrease, When the plants absorb carbon dioxide the pH could rise again. About 10am is a good time to test. all about water garden fountains
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Fish health ... One of the most important things in keeping your pond and your fish healthy is understanding pathogenic bacteria. There are a wide variety of pathogenic bacteria that can infect your pond. By far the most common are Aeromonas and Pseudomonas. These two bacteria kill more koi each year than all the other pathogens combined. Understanding how these pathogens live, eat and attack your koi is vital to controlling them. Aeromonas and Pseudomonas cause ulcers (also known as hole in the side disease), fin rot, mouth rot and tail rot. If left untreated the damage they inflict will eventually kill the fish. pond pump selection
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Pond pump don't stop for more than about 60 minutes because,if you keep fish, the biofilter is starved of oxygen. For this reason two smaller pond pumps are often a better choice than a single larger pond pump. The main reason for a biofilter in a pond is NOT to filter the solids out of the water. It is to purify the water by removing offending chemicals. These chemicals are actually produced by the fish themselves by virtue of their normal breathing, eating and toilet behavior. Biofilters need a continuous supply of oxygen sourced from that dissolved in circulating pond water. Beware low oxygen levels in summer. all about pond pumps
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UV light water filters, UV lamp changes & pond algae control. Pond volume, stock density and sunlight intensity is required to specify correctly the size of the Ultra violet (UV) light you need to prevent algae making your pond go green For a pond of around 250 gallons in full sun and highly stocked a 4 watt UV will do the job. This will also be big enough for a pond with very few fish and situated in the shade of 700 gallons. This assumes the UV comes equipped with a quartz tube to ensure the UV runs at peak efficiency. For a pond with average stocking an 8 watts UV will handle pond volumes up to around 1200 gallons depending upon the sun/shade situation. http://www.practical-water-gardens.com/artuvcapacity.htm uv maintenance, lamp changes
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Koi and breeding fish in ponds ... Two key factors that stimulate koi to breed are water temperature and day length (photoperiod). These stimuli work in tandem to influence when koi spawn. Water temperature will fluctuate at comparable dates from year to year, whereas photoperiod is far more consistent. I.e. We know that June the 21st will be the longest day each year but that temperature will fluctuate year on year and is not as predictable as day length (especially up in Lancashire!). The overall effect of these interactions means that koi will spawn at different times all over the country (or perhaps not spawn at all). http://www.practical-water-gardens.com/longkoispawning.htm water gardening and water features
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Pond fish food sticks ... Today fish food sticks are available in all flavours, colours, sizes and formulations but they suffer from a significant disadvantage ... the cost per unit of mass and especially per unit of protein is normally very significantly higher than a similarly formulated floating koi food pellet. One possible reason for this is the incremental freight component (although I doubt this very much) because the bulk density of sticks is lower than that for pellets. I suspect the real reason is that manufacturers, distributors, retailers and any other party in the chain all make higher profit margins on the back of marketing investment going back many years and which still remains today. Next time you think of buying sticks just do a quick comparison. Varying pack weights between sticks and pellets is a well known "trick" of making pricing comparisons very difficult for most busy shoppers pond pump selection
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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
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Ponds in winter ... Something very strange happens to water at 4C (39F). Instead of warmer less dense water being at the surface, as in the summer, the density changes and the water that is closest to freezing becomes the least dense and floats to the top. The result is that the bottom stays at a fairly steady temperature under a blanket of cold or frozen water. If the pool freezes, there is nothing to worry about for a few days. There is plenty of oxygen in cold water even if the fish needed it. But if there is any rotting matter in the bottom of the pool, toxic gases produced in the muck could build up. In order to maintain gaseous exchange between the water and the air, float a ball or a piece of wood in the pool. all about ponds and waterfalls
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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
Pond Links and Tips
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