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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
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Ponds & Springtime ... Apart from maintenance problems, the main thing is the blanket weed, spirogya, cotton weed whatever. It is the candyfloss type of algae that gets a start on the rest of the plantlife in the pool and just loves that bright sunlight. It also loves water with a high pH. So if you reduce that with proprietary chemicals, although I have a client experimenting with vinegar, you will find that any other treatments are a lot more effective. Most aquatic suppliers have some remedy. Barley straw is effective for certain periods as long as the water is very well oxygenated and the straw is changed at regular intervals of not more than 10weeks water gardens, pond keeping
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Pond vegetable (veggie) filters ... Plants For Natural (Vegetable) Pond Filters. The Norfolk reed (Phragmites australis) is by far the best since it not only removes pollutants but is capable of adding oxygen to the water ... ie it is an oxygenator plant too. Oxygenators are generally those plants whose leaves are always submerged so that oxygen from the photosynthesis process has a chance to dissolve before being lost to the atmosphere. Other useful plants are generally in the fast growing class so that maximum biomass is created in the quickest possible time. Consider the following ... Sweet Galingale (Cyperus longus), Soft Rush (Juncus effusus), True Bulrush (Scirpus lacustris), Flowering Rush (Butomus umbrellatus) http://www.pond-solutions.co.uk/pjmvegfilter.htm koi filters
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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
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Winter and garden ponds. Pioneering marginals like Bog Bean (Menyanthes trifoliata), the Spearworts (Ranunculus flammula and R. lingua Grandiflora) and Parrots Feather (Myriophyllum aquaticum syn. proserpinacoides) that seem intent on investigating the outer reaches of their universe should be cut back to home base: show them what youre made of. The same goes for Reed Maces ( Typha angustifolia and Typha latifolia). Feel around the baskets to see which plants have linked up in a firm vegetative bond. A bit of basket busting may be in order to sort them out. marginal pond plants
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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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Pond pump don't stop for more than about 60 minutes because,if you keep fish, the biofilter is starved of oxygen. For this reason two smaller pond pumps are often a better choice than a single larger pond pump. The main reason for a biofilter in a pond is NOT to filter the solids out of the water. It is to purify the water by removing offending chemicals. These chemicals are actually produced by the fish themselves by virtue of their normal breathing, eating and toilet behavior. Biofilters need a continuous supply of oxygen sourced from that dissolved in circulating pond water. Beware low oxygen levels in summer. all about pond pumps
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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
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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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Fish food for ponds .. In the early days of artificial pond and fish keeping the only food available to buy was food made to feed trout and similar farmed fish. The trouble was this type of food was first of all not formulated for feeding to carp types (koi and goldfish) and the food sank to the bottom immediately. Now this sinking factor was not all that serious since carp are natural bottom feeders but fish pond owners like to see their fish eating (don't we all) so the market need for a floating form of fish food was born ... forget flaked fish food used in aquariums and mainly which is ridiculously expensive. Tetra, a German company, accepted the challenge and I believe created the first commercially available fish food stick that reliably floated. On the back of excellent technology and marketing they established a multinational market that thrives still today. http://www.practical-water-gardens.com/artfishfoodsticks.htm pond pump selection
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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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