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Pond pumps and running costs. Before buying any pump check what the running cost will be. Look on pump box and if you can find watts consumed multiply this by 8.76 and you will get units (kWhrs) of electricity consumed every year by your pump. Find cost per unit and you can work out running cost of the pump. If you can only see amps on box you can work out watts as follows: amps x voltage of mains supply = watts. Once again multiply by 8.76 to get annual cost. use this figure to compare costs of 2 different pumps since running cost is generally far more important than the purchase cost. waterfall pumps
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To buy two pumps, if selected correctly, is often no more expensive than buying a single larger pump. However being able to switch off the waterfall pump (normally the bigger of the two pumps) can save an enormous amount of money over the lifetime of the pond. The fish do not mind the waterfall being switched off most of the time and if you are at work you cannot enjoy the sights and sounds of the waterfall - so why waste electricity. Furthermore if one pump does break down you can keep your biofilter alive by using the second (spare) pump. In one of my calculators you are shown how to calculate how much you will be able to save by using two pumps in your pond. In the example I use in the calculator $309 is saved over 3 years http://www.practical-water-gardens.com/art2pumps.htm all about pond pumps
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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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Once upon a time all ponds were concrete. Today unless you wish to have a very large or special pond concrete is NOT the material to use. It is simpler, cheaper, better and quicker to use pre-formed ponds ideally made from fibreglass in natural rock finishes with matching waterfalls or streams. If you want a pond whose volume is larger than about 500 litres then it is best and most economical to use a black plastic liner designed specifically for pond building all about ponds and waterfalls
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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A tip from Patricia in Ireland. She has a large pond with no fish. It had green algae problems. Patricia tried barley straw which took 6 weeks to work. Her tip is that to prevent the mess floating barley straw can make put it into old (or new for that matter) tights. Thanks Patricia. uv light specification
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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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