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  • Pond building materials ... Specially formulated flexible plastic non preformed pond liners are also suitable. Look for good guarantee. Do not use ordinary plain black sheeting such as that used by builders. Always source from reputable supplier. For larger ponds (above 600 litres or about 120 gallons) garden pond liners should be installed - preformed liner ponds become too expensive. Rubber (butyl or EPDM) is the material of choice. You can go as big as you like. Even small reservoirs use this type of material. Liner ponds are ideal for water lily ponds. For ponds below this size it would be very wise to choose from a range of preformed pond liners or preformed garden ponds as they are better known. A word of warning: Do not let your dogs swim in water where garden pond liners are used non preformed pond liners are easily damaged by their claws. If you do have dogs go for fibreglass preformed garden ponds. http://www.practical-water-gardens.com/pondliners.htm fiberglass water features

  • 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

  • The job of the biofilter is to purify the water first and foremost. Fish excrete ammonia which if allowed to build up results in the fish poisoning themselves ..... remember those goldfish in the bowl which lasted about a week ... they died because there was no biofilter to purify the water. The fish poisoned themselves to death in simple terms. It is easy to make a homemede biofilter for yoru pond. pond filters

  • 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

  • A biofilter is absolutely essential if you want to keep fish in a pond. In my opinion it is cruel not to install a biofilter since without a biofilter the fish will live in a potentially highly toxic environment. A biofilter will automatically start itself up once fish are introduced into a pond. Nitrosomonas and Nitrobacter are naturally occurring and will rapidly find their own way into the filter. They then need oxygen from circulating water as well as excreted ammonia from the fish (this occurs naturally) to thrive and multiply. It will take some considerable time for the biofilter to reach maturity. pond filters

  • Koi will normally stop feeding around 8 degrees centigrade, 46 degrees Fahrenheit. They will lie motionless at the bottom of the pond when water gets down to about these levels. They must NOT be fed when water temperature is at these levels under any circumstances. Many serious koi keepers now heat their ponds in winter to keep their fish active and growing. water gardening and water features

  • Winter and garden ponds. Floating plants like Water Lettuce (Pistia stratiotes) and Water Hyacinth (Eichornia crassipes) must be taken indoors and kept in light frost-free shade. Water Hyacinth can be potted up into a light, merely moist compost. Water Soldier (Stratiotes aloides) will sink to the bottom before the first frosts whereas Frogbit (Hydrocharis morsus-ranae ) and Water Chestnut (Trapa natans) form nuts or buds that sink to the bottom to rise again the following year to form plantlets. Unfortunately the Frogbit will fall prey to predatory snails and the Water Chestnut is unlikely to form nuts in cold climates, so they need rescuing to a pan of muddy water in good time before the autumn party is over, so they can do their thing in the warm protective ambience of a greenhouse or light shed or attic. all about garden pond plants

  • If you are sick and tired of looking at debris on the bottom of your pond then consider buying an electrically operated vacuum cleaner. Just make sure that it is safe for pond use. OASE make the one that is best known. The latest version is Pondovac 2. For people who do not like to get their hand too mucky when cleaning out a pond there are specially made long length gloves extending right to the shoulder. If the water is a little too cold then the fishermen amongst you could easily use those waders to enter the water if cleaning has to be done. fountain pumps

  • 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

  • Sponges in pond pumps ... 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. So long as you keep this type of pump away from heavy debris on bottom of pond (stand the pump on a brick for example) you will get away with removing the sponge permanently ... although such use would nullify the pump's guarantee. The sponge is there to protect the impellor form debris damage. fountain pumps

 

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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