Pond water quality
May 16, 2021
Everything you need to know about pond water quality
It is well known that the basic condition for the proper development of plants and animals in a garden pond is to ensure and maintain water at an appropriate and stable quality level.
The most important parameters that have an unquestionable effect on living organisms are total and carbonate hardness of water, pH, the presence of nitrogen compounds and the content of phosphates.
Total and carbonate hardness of water
The total water hardness is determined by the content of calcium and magnesium salts in H2O, while the carbonate hardness – by the content of bicarbonates and carbonates. Medium hard water seems to be the most suitable for ornamental fish, most often kept in home ponds. In such water fish are more resistant to the harmful effects of heavy metals and many toxic substances than in soft water. Carbonate hardness acts as a buffering factor, preventing abrupt changes in the water pH – measuring this parameter in a garden pond is particularly important.
pH
The pH value in the pond is influenced by a number of factors – from the reaction of the water itself used to fill the reservoir, through the type of minerals contained in the substrate and the density of planting the pond with plants, to the processes of carbon dioxide assimilation by these plants. It is worth remembering that changes in the pH of the pond water may also be caused by sudden and heavy rainfall or runoff of liquid contaminated with fertilizers and other chemicals from the garden or field, as well as the inflow of groundwater.
Nitrogen compounds
Protein waste, food scraps, fish excrement, plant scraps, dead animals, etc. can become a source of harmful and poisonous nitrogen compounds. Both ammonium compounds and nitrites are especially dangerous to fish. The accumulation of these poisonous compounds occurs when nitrogen metabolism is disturbed, insufficient aeration and an excessive amount of waste substances.
Water stable quality level
Do you still wonder how to keep your pond water clear?
We are here for you! Our experienced team will help balance your pond water. How? We offer you Full-Service Deluxe Pond Clean-Out and it will allow you to enjoy low-maintenance water gardening season! Our services include:
- Clean mechanical filter
- Clean biological filter
- Drain and thoroughly rinse pond, removing residual debris
- Power wash rocks and gravel
- Top off and detoxify pond water, making it safe for fish and plants
- Reconnect pump for the season
- Reconnect Filtration Systems
- Reconnect Auto-fill
- Cut back necessary pond plants (additional charges for thinning out)
- Complete pond health assessment with recommended products or enhancements
- Acclimate pond fish back into their environment
Every pond owner wants to keep pond maintenance on a minimum. How to manage that? To make it easier, we prepared a little guide for you! Continue reading to find out how to minimize the amount of work at your own backyard pond. ⠀ HOW TO KEEP POND MAINTENANCE AT A MINIMUM There are few principle tips which can help you to keep your pond maintenance at a minimum. If your pond is small sized, you don’t need to bother yourself about regular cleaning. You just need to clean it once a year. In case of bigger pond, it will need to be cleaned often. Every two to four weeks, you will be obligated to do regular cleaning. What it means? Removing any debris, checking the level of water and adding if necessary. Remember to make sure if your pump system is working properly. These few tips mentioned above should help you keep your pond maintenance at a minimum. Season cleaning in smaller pond is very similar to typical autumn pond maintenance . It doesn’t require a lot of work, but it is very important.
What to do with the filter in winter? When can it be turned off and how to store the pond filter during this season? Learn about our winter maintenance of pond filters. ⠀ HOW TO CARE ABOUT POND FILTER IN WINTER Filter systems help keep your pond in good condition by operating most of the year. But what to do when winter comes and temperatures drop significantly? Each pond filter fulfills its role if the air temperature is kept above 50.0 °F , because it is at this temperature that the microorganisms that contribute to the biological cleaning of the pond become active. If the temperature does not reach 50.0 °F, the filter operation becomes pointless. The filter can safely overwinter in the place where it was installed, in some models you should additionally remove filter sponges and UVC lamps. In the spring, when the temperatures exceed 50.0 °F, we restart the filter and use dedicated products to accelerate the multiplication of microorganisms.
In winter, not only animals hibernate. The pond also needs rest. If there are fish living in your pond, you must ensure that the entire surface of the water does not freeze. In this guide, you will learn what to look for when it comes to maintain ponds in winter. ⠀ WINTER POND MAINTENANCE IN NUTSHELL During the winter period, the garden pond requires almost no maintenance. But it is very important to secure it properly. Fish in the pond during winter Fish can be left in the pond for the winter without any problems – they do well in low temperatures. Although they can easily survive in the pond during the winter, it is imperative that the pond does not freeze completely. Only in this way will you provide the fish with an air supply. In winter, these animals do not need food: they reduce the activity of their digestive system and live on reserves set aside in summer and autumn. Protecting the pond from freezing A gentle way to protect a pond from freezing in light frost is to leave a piece of wood or a rubber ball in the water. In sub-zero temperatures, regularly pour hot water over these items to keep the cavity from freezing. Depending on the prevailing temperatures, it may be necessary to repeat this activity even several times a day. If your garden pond is shallow, you should, if necessary, move the fish to a warmer place during the winter, e.g. a special winter quarters. Depending on the number and size of the fish, you can overwinter them in a light-tight rainwater container that you can put in your garage or in a cool place in the basement. Water heaters and pumps The water heater is an effective solution for protecting ponds against freezing in the event of long-term frost. These devices work on the same principle as heaters. They turn on automatically in sub-zero temperatures, and turn off automatically when it gets warmer. Good quality water heaters are equipped with circulation pumps that ensure the circulation of water around the device. This serves even better protection against freezing.
Many of you may wonder how to properly secure your pond before winter comes. We provided for you a short checklist to make sure that you didn’t forget anything! ⠀ Winter is coming! According to the motto of Stark’s family, mainly characters from popular series Game of Thrones, it is better to prepare to winter properly. With our checklist, you can stay calm and easily step by step secure your pond before winter come. Where to start? How to secure the pond before winter? We have prepared a list of the most important activities that you should do before the first frost which you can find below. Cleaning the leaves It must be remembered that no matter what the size of the pond, fallen leaves must be removed from the water. Otherwise, the leaves from the trees will start to settle at the bottom of the pond and rot, which in turn will lead to overgrowth of anaerobic bacteria. These bacteria break down organic matter, producing substances that are poisonous to plants and fish (e.g. hydrogen sulphide). Providing air access In a deep pond (over 3 feet), water usually does not freeze to the bottom, so fish and plants can safely overwinter there. However, they must be provided with constant access of air. You can forge an ice hole, but the vibration and noise of hitting the ice can stun the fish. Another way it to put reeds or straw in the pond, which will allow air to get under the ice. A piece of polystyrene will do the same. Transferring fish from a shallow pond Fish living in a shallow pond should be fished out and placed in an appropriate-sized container (it can be an aquarium, barrel, bowl). The size of the tank must be adapted to the size and quantity of the fish. We should install an aerator or an air filter in the tank.
As the winter comes, there are a number of activities that should be performed to secure our pond. These include, among others, the wintering of aquatic plants. Learn how to safely winter your plants so that they survive to the next season. ⠀ WINTER POND MAINTENANCE The pond freezing to the bottom is also not conducive to wintering aquatic plants, so we should move it inside . Thermophilic plants should be placed in a warm ( approx. 18-20° C ) and bright place (to allow the plants to photosynthesize). These include, for example, water hyacinths or melted hyacinths. Other aquatic plants (e.g. water lilies or water lilies) require slightly cooler conditions during winter: approx. 8° C. Some plants should be kept in a completely dark place, e.g. tiger lotus or fine water lily. Some of them must overwinter in water (e.g. in a shallow aquarium), such as salvins. Other plants can overwinter in a container of wet sand or clay (e.g. water hyacinths). The method of storing plants during the winter depends on the species and the variety.
Many aquatic plants grow very quickly. Find out how to plant plants, so they could increase attractiveness of your reservoir instead of overgrown it. ⠀ HOW TO PLANT POND PLANTS? Water lily can occupy two or even more square meters of water after two or three years of cultivation. This can lead to the complete overgrowing of a small pond. Thinning plants growing in water is quite troublesome, so it’s better not to plant them too densely . One or three fast-growing plants per 1 m2 of water table , or three or five slower growing plants are enough. They should be planted in separate places, for example in the depressions at the bottom of the pond filled with a substrate for aquatic plants. There will also be no problem with overgrowing the pond if the plants are planted in baskets , the walls of which will effectively limit the growth of roots. The walls of the baskets should have fine meshes so that the substrate does not leak out. If they are very openwork, they must be lined with a jute fabric . Flexible pots made of strong fabric are convenient to use. WHAT SUBSTRATE YOU SHOULD CHOOSE? Water plants grow in clay soil mixed half-and-half with sand or garden soil. Substrate for aquatic plants should not be fertilized, as fertilizers dissolve easily in water, favoring the service of the toxic algae blooms . The active effect of the fertilizers that can be applied works like a working fertilizer. They are placed near the roots when planting plants. The only fertilizers that can be used are slow-acting fertilizers. They are placed near the roots when planting plants.
The edges of the foil that protrude above the water level not only look unsightly, but also reduce the durability of the foil. Find out proven ways how to hide pond liner. ⠀ DEALING WITH POND LINER Sticking above water’s surface, pond liner loses its elasticity under the influence of sunlight and may crack. The earth, grass or stones covering its edge significantly increase its durability. When burying the pond liner in the ground, make sure that its edges are raised . Otherwise – if the pond liner is laid flat – the water from the pond will easily seep into the soil next to the pond, and it will be necessary to add it frequently. One of the best ways of hiding the pond liner is to create a swamp zone around the pond filled with garden soil, into which water seeps from the pond. Pond plants create rushes that not only cover the bottom and shore of the lake, but also act as a biological filter; so they contribute to the self-cleaning of the pond. The most influencing of this process is: reed, calamus, water cattail and rushes.
As an owner of your own backyard pond, you might be thinking you gather all knowledge about pond maintenance. But for sure? Find out these 5 tips, which might become useful. ⠀ POND MAINTENANCE IN NUTSHELL No matter if you start your journey with pond maintenance or if you are advanced reservoir owner, we provided 5 useful tips about pond maintenance down below. Let us know which you found most attractive! Calcium increases the hardness and pH of the water. Too hard and alkaline water (pH above 8) adversely affects the development of fish and plants, and promotes toxic algae blooms . To avoid this kind of problem, it is better to give up limestone as elements of the pond finishing. In case of huge development of algae, find out how to get rid of algae in your garden pond . The pond liner must be durable and flexible. You can also use polyvinyl chloride (PVC) foil with a thickness of at least 0.5 mm. However, ordinary polyethylene foil is not suitable. If you consider using pond basin instead of pond liner, find out what to choose here . Mosquito larvae breed in stagnant water. In a small pond it is usually enough to install a pump that will set the water in motion, and mosquitoes will not be more bothersome than in a garden without a water reservoir. Mosquito larvae are eaten by fish and tadpoles of frogs and toads, as well as by predatory insects. Therefore, it is worth creating a friendly environment for these animals: rushes and stones, among which they can hide, and gentle shores, on which adult frogs and toads can easily enter and get out of the pond. Learn how to make a wildlife pond here .
What to remember when starting a garden pond? We present the most common pond building mistakes. Find out how to avoid them and create your dream reservoir! ⠀ MOST COMMON POND BUILDING MISTAKES Instead of clear water in the pond, the sound of the wind and a pleasant microclimate, we have an overgrowing puddle which brings more trouble than joy? We advise you on how to avoid most common pond building mistakes . ALGAE MAKE THE WATER CLOUDY When algae develops, the water turns brown green. The algae settle to the bottom and on submerged objects, sometimes they form a thick skin on the water surface. In large, planted ponds, algae appear soon after they are established, but after some time they disappear. This is because a biological balance is established there – just like in natural ponds. This is why it is very important to settle your backyard pond safely – learn what causes algae in ponds and how to avoid it! PLANTS OVERGROW THE POND Many aquatic plants grow very quickly. For example, a water lily after two or three years of cultivation can occupy two or even more square meters of water. This can lead to the complete overgrowing of small water reservoirs. Thinning plants growing in water is quite troublesome, so it’s better not to plant them too densely. One or three fast-growing plants per 1 m2 of water table, or three or five slower growing plants are enough.
Ponds can be small, larger, with or without waterfalls, with vegetation, with or without any animals. How to maintain and care for a garden pond if we decided to have it? ⠀ HOW TO CARE FOR A GARDEN POND? Building a pond, we should consider many elements, such as the location of the pond, size, shape, possible restocking, which will be crucial for its later functioning. According to the choice made, we should get the right equipment that will help us take care of this place. ⠀ To enjoy the eyesight of the pond at any time of the year, we should take care of it by using, among others appropriate water purifying preparations, as well as filters, pumps. If there are fish in our pond, we must provide them with special food for the ponds. It is also worth growing plants in the pond – discover pond plants for beginners – which will add charm to the pond and enliven our water installation. You can also consider installing specialized pond lighting to make it look even more attractive. ⠀ How to deal with having a pond and how to take care of it all year round? Each season of the year brings slightly different challenges for the owner of a pond. Generally speaking: in spring, in the period from March to May, we start cleaning our small reservoir, in summer we make sure that the water does not bloom, in autumn we protect the reservoir from leaves, and before winter we should protect the pond from complete freezing of the water.