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  • 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

  • In winter make holes in the ice using a pan full of hot water to remove toxic gases. Do not break the ice - this is not good for the fish as you can probably imagine. These days there are low cost electrical heating devices that consume small amounts of power and maintain a "breathing hole" in the pond. pond pump curves

  • 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

  • This one sounds a bit crazy but works. Your fish will learn to recognise you especially if you feed them. To speed up this process move your hands as you approach the pond (or do something similar) ... just don't let the neighbours see you. Keep the movement the same every time. bio filter review

  • 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

  • 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

  • Measuring pond volume using science .. this is worth pointing out for its simple but brilliant bit of chemistry. Once more I am grateful to a reader for pointing this out to me. This method depends upon a pondkeeper using salt in the pond water. By measuring the salt concentration in the pond water before and after adding a known amount (lbs) of salt to the pond it is possible to calculate the pond volume very accurately and easily assuming the salt hydrometer is also accurate. If you want to know more e mail me and I will send you a calculator pond pump head or pressure

  • 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

  • Testing pond water. This is straight forward and is done by using special kits. Look out for expiry dates since chemicals used for testing are sensitive to time. Do not get carried away with the test results. After all they are indications only. The good reason for testing is to check stability or consistency and not absolute values. When you see a definite change then start testing. If you do test make sure you do the tests at same time every day and record the results on a graph so you can notice any significant changes. One-off results should always be treated with great circumspection. all about ponds and waterfalls

  • The maximum flow through a normal gravity (box type) biofilter is governed by the size of the outlet pipe from the box. Try to pump too much into the filter and you risk pumping your pond completely dry because what cannot come out of the pipe will overflow from the lid. This has happened many times. Where such a possibility exists let any overflow find its way back into the pond (eg by placing the biofilter on a slope above the pond and placing a plastic sheet between the filter and pond where possible. This will allow the water albeit maybe a bit dirty to flow back into pond ... this will save the lives of your fish. using pond filters for clean ponds

 

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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