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  • Lighting in and around ponds creates a brand new dimension and attraction to the garden. Normally for safety reasons these are low voltage. Lights can be submerged or above the water surface to create immediate impact and variation. You have submerged colored lights normally pointing up to the surface of the water. These could also be plain white light of course. Others focus the light down onto the bottom of the pond by creating a mushroom or umbrella effect. Still others float around the surface encased in glass globes. koi ponds and koi fish

  • 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

  • I received a very interesting question this week. The question was what is difference between a biofilter and the powder she throws into her pond every week as recommended by a dealer. The powder she was referring to is called a bio-starter or bacteria starter. These powder products are offered by many companies and are probably worthless in practice. The powder is supposed to be a mixture of naturally occurring bacteria that are also found in biofilters. The types of bacteria required for effective biofiltration convert ammonia to nitrites and then to nitrates. All fish ponds need a biofilter. This is non-negotiable. pond biofilters

  • Lighting in and around ponds creates a brand new dimension and attraction to the garden. Normally for safety reasons these are low voltage. Lights can be submerged or above the water surface to create immediate impact and variation. You have submerged colored lights normally pointing up to the surface of the water. These could also be plain white light of course. Others focus the light down onto the bottom of the pond by creating a mushroom or umbrella effect. Still others float around the surface encased in glass globes. koi ponds and koi fish

  • Measuring pond volume in USA .... Burt Ballou pointed out that in USA most homes have a water metre which can be accessed readily. This makes pond volume measurement simple if you start with an empty system. Just make sure that while filling the pond nobody uses the toilet, takes a shower does the washing up etc. All you have to do is then record the start and finish readings from the metre to get a very accurate indication of pond volume. fountain pumps

  • Many gold fish are born black and not gold ... they seem to appear from nowhere when they are about 1 inch long. In fact they have been hiding from the larger fish. Such larger fish even koi and "harmless" goldfish would have eaten them along with many others that did not survive hatching from the ova. Because they are black they can be difficult for us to see. Gradually they start turning gold until they do become little goldfish - what a delight they are too. All your own work at that. pond pump supplies

  • Pond pumps operate most efficiently with no pipe attached. This is obviously impractical so make sure the delivery pipe from the pond pump is not kinked or is being restricted by a build up of algae inside the pipe. This happens quickly in transparent tubing exposed to sunlight. Make sure that the pipe diamter is as wide as possibel and that the pipe length is as short as possible ... ie try to get as close as possible to "no pipe at all" so you get maximum efficiency pond filter pumps

  • Plants in a pond also help to reduce nitrate levels ... the nitrate is formed naturally by he action of bacteria on the excreted waste products from the fish and other aquatic animals. Nitrates are rich in Nitrogen and there is a process of conversion from ammonia excreted by fish to nitrite then to nitrate. Always spray water onto the pond surface when filling with fresh tap water ... any chlorine in the tap water will then be reduced. pond pump supplies

  • Algae Isnt Bad, Is It? Algae can be either beneficial or detrimental to a pond, depending on the owners viewpoint. Algae provide nutrients for newly hatched fry, and indirectly act as a color enhancer. As algae grow in a pond, a population of zooplankton will also develop, on which the fish feed. These natural live feeds help develop the intense coloration desired in most koi. Unfortunately, algae blooms prevent viewing the fish so that sick fish can go undetected for days or even weeks. pond algae and uv

  • Biofilters and bacteria starters ... Some manufacturers claim that their bio starters contain Nitrosomonas and Nitrobacter. Now it is extremely diffiult to freeze dry and keep alive such sensitive bacteria so any claim should be backed up by definitive proof of the fact that such powders do contain those bacteria and they are in a form that will work. If there was a viable population when packed then the question to be asked is are the bacteria still viable ater "x" weeks on a shelf in non-controlled conditions. If the concoction does not contain Nitrosomonas and Nitrobacter then what value is it anyway? biological pond filters

 

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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