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  • Algae influence the water quality of the pond mainly by affecting the balance among dissolved oxygen, pH, carbon dioxide and nutrients. Algae produce oxygen, remove nutrients and take up respired carbon dioxide from both the fish and the algae itself. In heavily stocked ponds, the water becomes super-saturated with carbon dioxide. During daylight hours, algae can quickly strip the carbon dioxide out of the water, and pH levels can rise above nine in a matter of hours. Fish not acclimated to such sharp shifts may initially show signs of stress. uv light specification

  • 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

  • Filamentous algae and blanket weed. Attached filamentous algae can be seen growing on the rocks of a waterfall or on the sides of the pond. The growth of filamentous algae results from high levels of nutrients, carbon dioxide and the catalyst, the suns energy. Methods of controlling filamentous algae include increased shade, reducing the frequency of fish feedings, practical water changes, and the use of chemicals or plecostomus (algae-eating fish) during the summer months. High pH levels suit algae growth of this kind. This is one reason chalk stream or spring creeks tend to have blanket-weed and are very clear. blanketweed in fish ponds

  • This one sounds a bit crazy but works. Your fish will learn to recognise you especially if you feed them. To speed up this process move your hands as you approach the pond (or do something similar) ... just don't let the neighbours see you. Keep the movement the same every time. bio filter review

  • 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

  • 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

  • Looking for a pond? If you want a stable pool environment then consider a pool with a surface area of at least 3.3 square metres or 30square feet. There may be the just the shape amongst the array of preformed pools on offer that fits your conception perfectly. On the other hand, armed with your dimensions, you will possibly find that those preformed pools stacked up in racks at the garden centre that look so vast, would seem pretty insignificant in your allotted space. Estimating the size of a flexible liner. Add double the depth to the length and breadth of the proposed size. The minimum depth ought to be 18inches to 2ft or half a metre. Keep the shape simple blanketweed in fish ponds

  • Oygenators, pond plants ... All plants that live happily under water can be described as oxygenators. Out of these plants there are bound to be one or two that are the best for the job we need them to do. There is no doubt they are specialised. Roots tend to be merely for anchorage and the nutrition absorption and gaseous exchange occurs on the surface of the plant directly to each cell. The plant therefore has very thin walls and thin leaves to allow this to happen. This makes the plants floppy, which in fact becomes an advantage under water as they are able to bend with the eddies in the water. Two plants that have made this a real speciality and thrive in streams are Water Crowfoot, the true Water Buttercup (Ranunculus aquatalis) and Curly Pond Weed (Potamageton crispus). all about garden pond plants

  • If you want to save money and reduce dramatically the risk of pond infections and fish disease do NOT use a sand filter for a pond. They are great for swimming pools, and bad for ponds. The basic reason is that many "dead-spots" are created because the water makes channels in the bed of sand. All water then flows through these channels and all the other sand becomes de-oxygenated. This situation allows anaerobic bacteria to grow (those that grow in absence of oxygen ... normal these cause bad smells). Anaerobic bacteria create pathogenic conditions in a pond. koi pond filters

  • 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

 

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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