When a person builds a pond it is to achieve the vision of cryst

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When a person builds a pond it is to achieve the vision of crystal clear water. The vision normally includes a pond full of colourful 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
If you want to ensure your pond always stays crystal clear then an ultraviolet light must also be installed since without this the risk of a pea-soup coloured water developing is great. Fish and biofilter bacteria need large amounts of oxygen to survive so a reliable pond pump which will operate 24 hours per day every day must be obtained. A biofilter even the very best (vortex type biofilters are the best but are difficult to install and are only necessary on large sophisticated koi ponds) koi filters
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
How to select the right pond pump .. You only need this information to select right pump ... 1. Vertical height of waterfall inlet above water surface of pond (NOT bottom of pond) ... measure this in feet 2. Width of water overflow point for waterfall ... if overflow is series of smaller overflows add all together to get width in inches. If you have no waterfall choice is easier ... Waterfall Pump Selection Table ... check where height meets width in the table. This is the flow your pump model must deliver. For a wide range of guaranteed. http://www.practical-water-gardens.com/pumpselect.htm pond filter pumps
Bio filter starter bacteria ... Think carefully before buying any so called bacteria starter or bio starter. In general do not add anything to a pond unless you understand why you are doing it and are sure of the benefit to be gained. If no obvious, proven, financial or fish health benefit then Do Not Add to your pond. Many commercial pond products are a total waste of money and time. It is because many people do not have biofilters that products have been "invented" to compensate for this inadequacy. Manufacturers are quick to see opportunities to add to their turnover. biomedia for pond filters
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
Vegetable BioFilters ... Aquatic Plants For Gold Fish and Koi Ponds The idea of using vegetable filters (also called veggie filters is an area where plants are deliberately grown en masse) to remove algae for Nitrate control and green water control is not new by any means. It has found use in systems where people do not want or cannot afford UV systems. Concerns expressed about vegetable filters include blocking of pump impellers by stray roots and leaves. Some plants would be worse than others ... eg water hyacinth. Despite this they are excellent nitrogen removers. An ideal plant to use is Azolla also called Fairy Moss. It grows extremely quickly and is capable of removing large amounts of nitrogen and of course carbon through photosynthesis. It is also easy to remove simply by netting in the event it over-runs the filter area. http://www.pond-solutions.co.uk/pjmvegfilter.htm water gardens and pond filters
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
A pond's ability to hold koi should not merely be regarded as a function of its physical ability to hold koi, (ie, like storing groceries in a cupboard). A koi pond's stocking rate is determined by the filter's ability to process and breakdown the waste that koi produce. To be more precise, we need to be sure we do not overstock our filter, rather than our pond. This does not merely focus on the biological activity of a filter, but also it's ability to remove solids at the required turnover rate. A pond's water quality management system would also need to provide sufficient aeration for a given stocking rate. http://www.practical-water-gardens.com/benoverstock.htm pond pump selection
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

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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