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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

  • If you pond is losing water then do a quick check by shutting down the pump. If the level stops falling then the leak is outside the pond itself. If the level continues to fall then obviously the leak is inside the pond itself. When a constant level is reached then you know the leak is at that point where the surface remains level. Leaks from concrete ponds are notoriously difficult to repair and many sealants claim to do the job. In my experience fiberglass resins with glass fiber are best suited and it is worthwhile doing complete resurfacing job. sump pumps

  • Not got a biological filter? Then all the microbial activity that happens in biological filters has to happen in the bottom of the pool. All the muck that falls has to be digested by bacteria down there. But with the advent of winter this activity slows right down at a time of year when the potential load is increased by falling autumn leaves. Any leaves that have found their way in to the pool need to be dredged out with a net. Leave the resulting muck to drain away on the side of the pool for 24 hours. This will give time for any wildlife to make its way back into the pool. using pond filters for clean ponds

  • Winter and garden ponds. Tender marginals need to be removed wholesale. Canna lilies can be potted up and plunged into a bed in cold frames, otherwise keep them cool but frost free and dry along with all the other exotics you have been tempted buy over the last few months. Once upon a time Arum lilies (Zantedeschia aethiopica Crowborough ) and Lobelia cardinalis were treated with the same respect, but now our winters seem quite bearable to them. The more exotic looking yellow and spotty leafed Zantedeschia elliotiana , Z. pentlandii ... Store them under greenhouse staging. oxygenator pond plants

  • Pond building materials ... Specially formulated flexible plastic non preformed pond liners are also suitable. Look for good guarantee. Do not use ordinary plain black sheeting such as that used by builders. Always source from reputable supplier. For larger ponds (above 600 litres or about 120 gallons) garden pond liners should be installed - preformed liner ponds become too expensive. Rubber (butyl or EPDM) is the material of choice. You can go as big as you like. Even small reservoirs use this type of material. Liner ponds are ideal for water lily ponds. For ponds below this size it would be very wise to choose from a range of preformed pond liners or preformed garden ponds as they are better known. A word of warning: Do not let your dogs swim in water where garden pond liners are used non preformed pond liners are easily damaged by their claws. If you do have dogs go for fibreglass preformed garden ponds. http://www.practical-water-gardens.com/pondliners.htm fiberglass water features

  • Spring marginal plant favourites ... The Marsh Marigolds (Caltha palustris and all the species and varieties) are still at it. Brilliant. The Water Forgetmenot (Myosotis palustris) is also making waves of blue around the pond. Also there is the Golden Club (Oronitium aquaticum) and in the deep water The old South African stew ingredient, the Water Hawthorn, Aponogeton distachyos, is flowering its socks off. An amazing plants that comes up from unlimited stygian depths to perform at the most ludicrous times of the year. It still thinks its down in the Cape, nestled in the fynbos looking up at Table Mountain. where to buy pond plants

  • 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

  • Pond and garden lighting ... A very unique and effective garden light has been newly introduced into the UK and Europe. During the day this device is a highly realistic looking rock. At night the whole rock glows with diffused light creating a magic and enchanting effect. Japanese lanterns also create magical effects. Foggers used in conjunction with lights add magical and mystical properties to pond and plants. preformed garden ponds

  • Koi will normally stop feeding around 8 degrees centigrade, 46 degrees Fahrenheit. They will lie motionless at the bottom of the pond when water gets down to about these levels. They must NOT be fed when water temperature is at these levels under any circumstances. Many serious koi keepers now heat their ponds in winter to keep their fish active and growing. water gardening and water features

  • 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

 

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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