| When we think of water quality, we
usually think of two things: the water's ability to support aquatic life and
clarity. Clarity is usually not a problem for aquatic life but limits our ability to
see and enjoy our fish. The pond owner should be concerned with both of these
aspects.
While it is true that you can keep fish in an ornamental pond
with no filtration, it severely limits the number of fish you can keep. In the wild,
fish have large amounts of water so the toxins (ammonia) from their waste do not build up
to dangerous levels. Most hobbyists will want to keep more fish in their ponds than
what the pond will naturally support. Fish excrete waste into the water in the form
of ammonia, primarily through their gills. Also, adding to the problem are organic
compounds from fish feces, plant matter and soil which may flow into the pond.
In order to provide good water quality, some form of waste
removal system must be provided. These methods used in the average
ornamental ponds are mechanical filtration and biological filtration. Mechanical
filters physically remove solids from the pond by trapping debris usually by a large
filter pad. Mechanical filters are effective but generally require
frequent cleaning to remove the accumulated matter. Biological filtration
is the most effective method of removing toxins (ammonia) and breaking it down into
nitrites and then into nitrates which provide food to your aquatic plants (referred to as
the Nitrogen Cycle). This is accomplished by using naturally occurring bacteria and
giving it a place to live in a biological filter where it is exposed to large quantities
of food and oxygen. This is done most effectively by having a source that provides a
lot of surface area for the beneficial bacteria to grow on including rocks, filter pads, Aquamats or bioballs. You can use our
beneficial bacteria products such as our Microbe Lift for small ponds (less than 50' x
50') or our Pond Bio-Solutions for large ponds (over 50' x 50') found here. Aerators will also help to
increase the efficiency of the biological filter besides add necessary oxygen to the
living fish and organisms within the pond.
A biological filter must run continuously during the season and
not be shut down for more than a few hours or the bacteria will die. It should not
be cleaned using dechlorinated water (not tap water) as the chlorine and chloramine from
the tap water will kill the bacteria. Care should be given as to not rinse the
filter too much and eliminate the brown stain on the filter media. This brown stain
is the bacteria living in the filter pad and should not be removed.
When the biological filter breaks down ammonia into nitrites and
then into nitrates, these nitrates are food to the plants in your pond, and to algae if
you don't have any plants. If you keep fish and have no plants, you will also need
to do partial water changes to remove the nitrates and other organic compounds from the
water. If you keep sufficient numbers of plants, large water changes are usually
unnecessary although small water changes of approximately 10% can be beneficial.
When putting new water into your pond, run the water through some Super Activated Filter
Carbon so that it may help dechlorinate the tap water used and not kill your
biological filtration during the process.
If you just started a new pond or recently drained and refilled
your existing pond, it will take a good month or longer for your pond to find it's balance
and for a bacteria colony to start. In the meantime, your pond can look a bit
discouraging - green water and minimal visibility of your fish. You'll be
tempted to drain it and refill it, but be patient and your pond will find it's own
balance. A newly filled pond with cold tap water and a hot sun beating down on it is
a great recipe for an abundance of algae blooms. Put some barley bales (for small ponds less
than 50'x 50') in your pond and this will help combat string algae and plankton (green
water algae) and will work throughout the season providing you with an organic
algaecide. Some algae in a pond is expected, but to create and keep a good balance
in your pond, here are a few suggestions: |
