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  • Measuring pond volume in USA .... Burt Ballou pointed out that in USA most homes have a water metre which can be accessed readily. This makes pond volume measurement simple if you start with an empty system. Just make sure that while filling the pond nobody uses the toilet, takes a shower does the washing up etc. All you have to do is then record the start and finish readings from the metre to get a very accurate indication of pond volume. fountain pumps

  • Spring has arrived. Pool lights which give an aura of nighttime mystery around the pond can come back out now. Check the water quality. Many serious fish keepers will do a partial water change of up to one third in order to dilute any build up of salts and chemicals they may have been adding. As the water temperature gets nearer to 10C (50 F) you can start feed the fish their normal food. A bit of live daphnia would be a special treat or chopped worms, yummy! preformed garden ponds

  • Thinking about a pond? ... The pool must be in full sun especially in the UK. Away from trees and prevailing winds that could carry leaves into the pool. Avoid trees with poisonous leaves. In the UK these include Willow, Elder, Poplars, Laburnum, Yew and Oak. Avoid too much exposure to prevailing winds. Avoid boggy areas ii your landscaping ideas. Consider now whether you will have waterfalls, fountains, filters, lights and other accessories like Ultra Violet Clarifiers. You will need an adequate power supply and the connections to cope. Consider accessibility to a water supply. What are you going to do with the excavated soil? Keep the top soil, but what about the rest. fiberglass water features

  • If you would like to test how much water looks best for your waterfall do the following. i) Place a hosepipe into the waterfall inlet ii) Adjust the flow until you are happy with the effect iii) Without closing the hose fill a known volume container from the hose iv) Calculate the flow rate by dividing the volume of the container by the time taken to fill it. v) You can weigh the container as an alternative to knowing its volume because 1 US gallon weighs 8.83 lbs, 1 Imperial gallon weighs 10 lbs, 1 litre weighs 2.2 lbs. vi) If one hose does not deliver sufficient water then use 2 hose pipes. fiberglass water features

  • Plants and algae in a pond compete for the available nutrients in the form of phosphorous and nitrogen containing chemicals. It follows that the more pond plants there are then the greater the probability of reducing algae blooms (green or brown murky water). Old well-planted and chemically stable ponds as a result tend to suffer less from algae problems than newly created young ponds. Yes algae are plants and blanket weed is algae. Ponds with lots of blanket weed tend to have crystal clear water. Blanket weed thrives best in alkaline (higher pH) ponds. pond algae and uv

  • Normal centrifugal pumps can operate against a closed valve with little effect upon the well-being of the pump. What you should not do however is restrict the suction side to control flow unless this is for a smallish fountain pump. You know when a pump suctions needs cleaning when the height of your fountain or flow down the waterfall reduces significantly. These days the best pumps do not have sponges inside the suction body. Such sponges are a source of major hassles especially in summer when they block up every couple of days and have to be removed. submersible pumps

  • Water gardening and winter ... Take a leaf from the Japanese approach. The Japanese build their gardens for all seasons. Part of the purpose of a garden is to reflect the time of year in the scene laid out to view. A view that seems static in itself, unchanging from year to year; but it changes from season to season. In winter the harmony between the various basic elements of stone, evergreen shrubs and trees and water is most obvious. The balance is not formal but is derived from the almost inimitable feel that the true master Japanese garden designer has for these elements. blanketweed in fish ponds

  • If you have very young fish in danger of being eaten by larger fish you can seperate them until they are a bit bigger as follows ....... Create a fine mesh bag about 2 feet deep. Attach the bag to pieces of foam (or maybe polystyrene) that float creating a ring or square. Add a bit of weight to bottom of net ... eg stones and let it float around the pond. Of course you must catch the fish first and then put them in their safe floating environment. backyard ponds

  • A waterfall adds oxygen to a pond by creating a large surface area across which air can be absorbed into the circulating water. A simple fountain also adds large amounts of oxygen to pond water. A fountain is cheaper than a waterfall. It makes good sense even in the smallest pond to have a small fountain running night and day if at all possible. When fish deaths occur in a pond they often occur in the early hours of the morning ... at this time oxygen levels tend to be at their lowest. all about ponds and waterfalls

  • 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

 

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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