Basic Pond Keeping Questions and Answers Home Page |

 

Complete Pond Solver

 

 

 

 

 

 

More info or buy here


 

 

How To Use These Links

We have extracted brief information about the page you will go to if you click the link at the end of each paragraph.

  • 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

  • Do not buy fish food with more than 10% ash in it unless you know why. Read the label. If no label BE CAREFUL of quality. Gold fish food or koi food bought in stick form is normally money wasted and offers no real benefit to the fish. It is the analysis of the food that is important not the physical shape. Gold fish food or koi food in stick form was developed before pellets could float - this is the reason gold fish food or koi food sticks were invented. pond pump selection

  • Pond pumps preparation for winter .... Remove any submersible pumps for waterfalls or filters to give them a thorough clean and overhaul, even gently scouring away any build up of lime or silt on fins and bearing surfaces. Put the pump back at a level less than 30cm(1ft) below the surface so that only the surface water is in the cyclical flow of water in the pool. This is so that the water at the bottom of the pool, if left undisturbed, is more likely to remain at a more even temperature. The pumps can be left in operation until it gets really cold sump pumps

  • 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

  • Water has a maximum density at 4 degrees centigrade, about 39 degrees Fahrenheit so when a pond has a frozen surface the water at the bottom of the pond is normally at this temperature (higher density water sinks). Only in extremes of climate or in very shallow ponds therefore does a pond completely freeze solid. As the ice gets thicker form the top downwards then the water becomes even more insulated and will tend to stick at 4 degrees or 39 Fahrenheit. pond pump flow rates

  • Looking for a pond? If you want a stable pool environment then consider a pool with a surface area of at least 3.3 square metres or 30square feet. There may be the just the shape amongst the array of preformed pools on offer that fits your conception perfectly. On the other hand, armed with your dimensions, you will possibly find that those preformed pools stacked up in racks at the garden centre that look so vast, would seem pretty insignificant in your allotted space. Estimating the size of a flexible liner. Add double the depth to the length and breadth of the proposed size. The minimum depth ought to be 18inches to 2ft or half a metre. Keep the shape simple blanketweed in fish ponds

  • Biofilters need lots and lots of oxygen ... This might sound strange but it is true as I will explain. However before I do I would like to discuss oxygen in terms of good and effective pond keeping. You may know that trout and salmon can only breed in running water such as streams or rivers. You will also know that these particular fish make hazardous journeys up to the very top parts of river systems. The essential reason for these long perilous journeys to these headwaters are that the water is: cool, pristine, clear, fast running, shallow, full of gravel ... ie the oxygen levels are high and suitable for breeding. koi pond filters

  • Bio filter starter bacteria ... Think carefully before buying any so called bacteria starter or bio starter. In general do not add anything to a pond unless you understand why you are doing it and are sure of the benefit to be gained. If no obvious, proven, financial or fish health benefit then Do Not Add to your pond. Many commercial pond products are a total waste of money and time. It is because many people do not have biofilters that products have been "invented" to compensate for this inadequacy. Manufacturers are quick to see opportunities to add to their turnover. biomedia for pond filters

  • 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

  • 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

 

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

 

 

 

copyright 2005 all rights reserved