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  • A waterfall adds oxygen to a pond by creating a large surface area across which air can be absorbed into the circulating water. A simple fountain also adds large amounts of oxygen to pond water. A fountain is cheaper than a waterfall. It makes good sense even in the smallest pond to have a small fountain running night and day if at all possible. When fish deaths occur in a pond they often occur in the early hours of the morning ... at this time oxygen levels tend to be at their lowest. all about ponds and waterfalls

  • In winter the filter will continue to operate mechanically at all temperatures above freezing but there is little point in using the U/V unless the temperature of the water rises well past 10C (45F). If this is likely then many U/V clarifier manufacturers advise you fit new a bulb. If it freezes, drain the filter and start again in the spring as though from scratch. This means it will take about 6 weeks for the pond filter to be effective so start up early. all about pond uv and algae

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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 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

  • It is a good idea to pump out about 10% of your pond water every month or even weekly if you have lots of fish and replenish with tap water. The reason is that nitrate levels slowly build up and can reach a level that is too high for the fish in the pond to tolerate easily. The easiest way to arrange this is to place a valve and "Y" or "T" piece into the pump line then all you need to do is connect a temporary pipe to the valve and lead the pipe to a spot in your garden - pond water makes for a good garden fertilizer. fiberglass water features

  • 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

 

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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