03.22.08
Posted in Pond Bacteria at 8:15 pm by Administrator
All ponds contain bacteria, both beneficial and detrimental. Nature is a wonderful thing. Our lined ponds are not natural, so it’s up to us to balance nature from time to time. I prefer live bacteria when starting up a pond, over the spore-based powdered forms, because it is already grown and ready to go to work immediately. All it needs is a food source (ammonia nitrogen), an ambient temperature (above 55F) and sufficient alkalinity (pH 7.4 is ideal). Salt will hamper performance, so I would do a water change if I’m using salt in the pond, and then add the bacteria. (I save salt for emergencies, so this rarely arises.)
Bacteria grow on the sides and bottom, rocks and even the plants in the pond. They have polymer threads by which they can attach to the first thing they touch. They can be killed by the UV if they haven’t touched down in your filter yet, so I would shut the UV down while cycling the pond. They build layer-upon-layer on top of themselves, forming that wonderful bio-film so many people want to pressure wash off the sides of their ponds. Don’t remove that! It’s your denitrifying zone, where the nitrates will be removed by bacteria. There are Nitrifiers and Heterotrophs, Chemotrophs, Autotrophs, and things I don’t have a name for, but they form “forests” with the other micro-fauna (nematodes and rotifers) in that bio-film which will keep your water clean.
So, to the age old question of “Can a pond be too clean?” I have to say “YES!” If you do not allow the bacteria to grow, to form the bio-film, you will always struggle with water quality. If you keep fish, they will fail to thrive if the water is not good. And it starts and ends with the bacteria.
Bookmark or Share this Informative Article on Pond and Watergardens
Permalink
03.18.08
Posted in Ultraviolet Lights at 9:32 am by Administrator
I wholeheartedly recommend using a UV light on your pond, no matter how large or small the pond or whether it has fish or not. The ultimate purpose of a UV (Ultra-violet) light unit is to kill bacteria, the unwanted kind. They have been used in hospitals for many years as sterilization units. They were not designed to kill algae.
However, that being said, most people are using them to rid their ponds of unwanted green growth. A UV only works on the pea-soup type algae, not string algae. Whatever it controls has to go through the unit, pass by the light and have a certain minimum exposure time in order to work. So, they are installed after the filter, with clean water (from the filter) going through them, back into the pond. One thing that is important is to direct the right amount of water through the UV light, since there is desirable bacteria that controls clarity functions and cleanliness in the pond… which would be sorely missed! By using a diverter or bypass valve sending only half the flow (which can be slowed down if needed) through the light, the water (and its occupants) will have the required contact time to do the job.
We highly recommend Aqua Ultraviolet as they have been the most reliable and best working UV units on the market. Aqua provides a Lifetime warranty on the body of most of the units and a 12 month prorated warranty on the lamp which you don’t find anyone doing and you get a toll-free customer support number to contact Aqua Ultraviolet with any technical issues that should arise from your UV unit. The best part is the “CRYSTAL CLEAR WATER” that you will have. When a UV unit is sized properly, you can see that within 2-3 days your pond will be clear. Some have even commented how they can see the specs of sand at the bottom of the pond
The question we get often is about maintenance. This is very simple; change the lamp once a year. The lamps need to be replaced each year as they lose there intensity. Although the light may still be lit up, it will have lost its potency after the first season. So, even though you have a UV in place, the second year you will most likely have your algae bloom if you do not replace the bulb. If you need help replacing a bulb, call us at 123Ponds.com and we will help you get it done. Later in the season, it will help with bacteria blooms.
Bookmark or Share this Informative Article on Pond and Watergardens
Permalink
03.11.08
Posted in Feeding Koi at 8:46 pm by Administrator
There are many guidelines for feeding. The one I like is NO food under 50F water temperature. The fish may be acting out a habituated response to you at the side of the pond, rather than actual hunger. But to feed at lower temperatures can be dangerous. It takes the koi 4 days, I am told, for the food to go from mouth to “exit” at that temperature. They are cold-blooded animals. Their metabolism slows down as the temperatures drop. My fish used to gather in the bog area, to sun themselves in spring.
When they begin feeding, I like to wait until the water is consistently around 55F, and I start with once a day, wheat germ or cheerios. (Cheerios do not generate much waste, but they don’t offer too much nutrition either.) Some people feed their fish chopped broccoli, but I prefer to let them eat the hair algae from the sides. I want to wait until I’ve tested the water and found reduced ammonia AND nitrites before feeding my fish. If the bacteria are not active and ready to remove the ammonia nitrogen compounds, then I am going to harm my fish more than help them by feeding.
Once the water temperatures are 65F and over, I can switch to a summer staple food. I begin feeding twice daily at 70F. By this time, color-enhanced and higher protein foods can be added. Mid-summer, if water temperatures in your pond reach 80F, go back to the wheat germ, once a day, or every other day. At 85F, STOP feeding. It’s too warm in there. These are temperate zone fish, not tropicals. And in fall, when the water cools to 65F, we start backward, feeding wheat germ until 50F, and then stop…
In the south, some areas have year ‘round feeding. That winter rest period is actually very healthy for the fish. What the southern fish gain by eating and growing all year is lost when their lifespans are supposedly shortened by half.
Oh, and they DO love krill and crustacean treats, whether home-made or processed!
Bookmark or Share this Informative Article on Pond and Watergardens
Permalink
Posted in Spring Start-up at 8:40 pm by Administrator
After posting our first Spring Start-up post I got to thinking about many important things that had been left out.
First you will want to inspect your pump and test it out. There is nothing worse than getting your pond ready to go when the temperatures are already climbing to find out that your pump does not work. Pumps can sometimes lock up while they are stored if not stored in a bucket of water in a garage or basement. We have so many customers that buy pumps in the spring and want to have one air shipped which of course is an added expense that nobody wants to have.
Second: If you have an ultraviolet unit you will want to inspect the unit making sure there is nothing clogged inside, the quartz sleeve is not damaged and the transformer is ok (no breaks in the cord or visible cracks). Then you should replace your uv lamp. UV lamps lose there intensity and can light for many years. They however lose there effectiveness over time. We recommend that every March is a good time to replace the lamp.
Third: Skimmers and filter should be inspected for clogs, cracks and anything that looks out of the ordinary. Media should be replaced if worn out or corroded. Again, we recommend March to do this. It will also depend on geographical location with the temperatures and such but that is usually a good regardless of where you are except for a few of you that are still under 2-3 feet of snow.
In thinking about your pond it is just like a car or anything else that requires maintenance; do weekly or monthly checks and set up a preventive maintenance schedule. This will keep your pond in tip top shape and you will save money over time by using less water treatments, not paying for rush charges and your enjoyment will be the biggest reward paying ten fold.
Bookmark or Share this Informative Article on Pond and Watergardens
Permalink
03.03.08
Posted in Spring Start-up at 1:54 pm by Administrator
Spring is the most difficult time for your pond fish. First, they have been dormant for a number of months without any real nourishment. Luckily, they haven’t needed to use much of their stored nutrients thanks to a slowed metabolism. But come spring, they will be coming to life on little resources. Wait! Don’t feed them yet! It takes energy and stored reserves to ingest and digest food right now. Wait until the water temperatures are consistently above 55F (night and day). They need to use whatever reserves they have to get their immune systems up and working again. Shallow ponds will cool dramatically at night, so it is important to wait until the pond has more constant temperatures, above 55F.
Their environment is less stable at this time of year, too. The nitrifying bacteria is waiting for warmer temperatures (night and day) before they can absorb ammonia, converting it into nitrites, and then into nitrates. You’ll know when the nitrifiers are finally working by doing water tests. You should see less ammonia and more nitrites initially. Then, you should see almost no ammonia, some reduction in nitrites, and much higher nitrates. What you can see at this time, without a test kits, is your first algae bloom. To minimize this, don’t feed the fish, stock your pond selectively and keep it clean at all times.
Ah, what do you need to do? Start with checking the system, look at the fish to see that they are healthy, look for signs of trouble (fish flashing or gasping at the surface), and do those water tests. Maybe you need to start with a water change. Maybe you need to clean out the bottom of the pond if you do not use a bottom drain, or if you shut off the system during winter months. Look for leaks; any wet areas around the pond could be an indication of a leak in the liner. This is a good time to increase the circulation (when the water temperature is wavering around 55-55F), so as long as the weather is safely past a late snowstorm, turn on the waterfall and stream. You will need to add water to compensate for increased circulation when using a stream, but check and recheck for leaking spots. Streams and waterfalls are the primary areas where water is lost from a system.
If you get that inevitable algae bloom, do not panic! As soon as your bacteria is reactivated, and providing the pond is clean (without being overstocked with fish) it will pass!
Bookmark or Share this Informative Article on Pond and Watergardens
Permalink
BlogMarks
Furl
Newsvine
Rojo
Email
