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May 20, 2009
Dissolved oxygen in water is essential to maintain healthy life in your pond. Oxygen is naturally fed into the water by plants through the process of photosynthesis. In addition to plants providing oxygen, one of the primary reasons for installing a water feature is to actively increase the uptake of oxygen into the water by increasing the surface area available to absorb oxygen.
In the warmer summer months, with the sun shining, the plant life in your pond will be producing more oxygen than ever. Surprisingly this positive impact is outweighed by the fact that warmer water is less able to store dissolved oxygen. Coupled with this, the warmer water supports increased activity of both the fish and other organisms. The result of this increased activity is that more demand will be placed on the already depleted oxygen supply.
During the summer months when oxygen depletion is more likely to be an issue, the most likely time of day to observe discomfort in your fish, such as gasping for air, is at dawn. Plants produce significant oxygen levels during daylight but overnight revert to being a further consumer of oxygen. When dissolved oxygen levels are already depleted at the end of a warm day, this increased drain overnight, coupled with the temporary cessation of oxygen production can push things to the absolute limit.
The key assets in ensuring sufficient oxygen levels are planting and water aeration. An air pump with air stones is a useful accessory to artificially introduce an increased oxygen level. Plants require sunlight to facilitate photosynthesis. Removal of some submerged plants that have little access to natural light will help to reduce the oxygen depletion.
May 19, 2009
One of the biggest influences in maintaining the health of your fish is water quality. A significant number of fish ailments are directly related to poor water quality. Master the art of maintaining good quality water and you have mastered one of the key facets of fish husbandry.
Water quality can be measured quite easily which is always a great assistance in ensuring you have things under control. It is important not to confuse the actual measures of water quality with your own desire for clear water. It is quite reasonable to desire clear water in your pond, particularly if it is stocked with decorative fish. It is, however, important to understand that your fish will be quite happy is a murkier environment.
The key constituents to manage in your pond water are as follows:
Ammonia, this is a waste product produced directly by your fish. Ammonia is directly poisonous to your fish and the aim should be to have a quantity of as close to zero as possible.
Nitrite is produced in the breakdown of ammonia. Whilst less harmful than ammonia itself, it still requires maintaining at low concentrations.
Nitrates are produced by the breakdown of nitrites. Nitrates are an important source of food for aquatic plant life and are therefore an essential constituent. Excessive nitrates do pose problems in that they will encourage algal growth so their levels should be balance with your planting.
pH is a measure of acidity or alkalinity. Ideally your pond should be between 7 and 8 on the pH scale. These values are very slightly alkaline.
If you are able to manage these key constituents through promoting a balance pond eco-system, you will eliminate many of the potential health issues that fish can face.
May 18, 2009
However you choose to enjoy your pond, be it sat with a book, or a beer, or simply an appreciative gaze, summer should be the time to enjoy your pond with minimum worries about maintenance.
Summer is the payback period for all of the hard work from removing leaves in autumn, through to the necessary spring clean and servicing of the pump and filter. Whilst this is the easiest season in terms of management, there are still things to be aware of.
One of the biggest summer influences on the water environment is the temperature. Temperature fluctuations will have a direct impact on fish, being cold blooded, they become more active as the temperature rises. This has a direct impact on the amount they eat which consequently sees them producing more polluting waste. All of this happens at a time when the warmer water holds less dissolved oxygen. Pronounced fluctuations in temperature will cause stress to your fish also. Whilst much of the advice read during the pond design stage will have strongly advised avoiding trees near your pond, it is during these summer months that some shade will be greatly beneficial. A combination of shade from outside the pond and aquatic plant cover of the water’s surface will ensure that some of the pond surface is spared the full heat of the sun.
Algal growth and weeds will thrive in the summer months and should be dealt with proactively. Use of a UV clarifier will help manage this issue and a good filtration system should help to ensure the water environment stays stable.
May 17, 2009
In order to maintain good pond water quality you need to create a balanced environment that consists of a good supply of nutrients for plant life and a healthy level of oxygen for your fish. This balancing act is easier the bigger the pond. In a larger pond, any life introduced to the water will have proportionately less impact on the water quality. The smaller the pond, or the more heavily stocked the pond, the more difficult it becomes to maintain this balance.
Fortunately, for the noughties water gardener, there are modern tools that greatly facilitate this pond water management. If you feel like a purist and wrestle with the notion of using technology to manage this environment, then you probably needn’t be too concerned. The use of modern equipment enables life to flourish in a pleasant and healthy environment.
The key technology tools employed in the water garden are the pond pump, the biological filter and the UV clarifier. The latter two components effectively manage constituents of the water. A biological filter removes harmful pollutants from the water through a natural process of bacterial breakdown of waste products. This is not totally dissimilar to the function of bio-yogurts in your digestive system. A UV clarifier is used to tackle algal growth problems in conjunction with a filter system. The UV clarifier causes microscopic algal growth to form into clumps that can then be filtered.
The engine room of these two processes is the pond pump. Without the water being passed through the biological filters and UV clarifiers they quite simply don’t work. A pumps use is not simply restricted to a supporting role though. Even a pump used in isolation of any other equipment will help maintain a healthy environment. Pumps help to oxygenate the water simply by causing movement. Usually this is done in a visually pleasing manner such as a fountain or a waterfall.
May 16, 2009
Ponds are identified as an important habitat for many varieties of British wildlife, and yet we have lost over half of our ponds over the last hundred years.
The loss of our ponds over many hundreds of years has largely been the result of Humankinds draining of ponds and wetlands. Primarily this was the result of land reclamation for either urban or agricultural use. In addition to this, many natural ponds will go through a natural lifecycle that eventually results in their silting up. With nature allowed to take its course, these dried up ponds would often be replaced by new ponds in different locations and the cycle would continue. With mans intervention these new ponds have simply not been created at anything like the pace they have been lost.
As we are unlikely to see any great swathes of claimed land turned back to nature, the responsibility for supporting pond dwelling wildlife falls to the humble water gardener, the local authorities, farmers and initiatives designed to encourage the creation of new wild ponds throughout the British Isles.
Quite simply, most ponds will support a broad spectrum of wildlife beyond what has been intentionally stocked by the keeper. Any pond is an important asset in maintaining biodiversity but even better for this purpose are specifically designed wildlife ponds. One of the great joys of choosing to create a wildlife pond is the manner in which it will evolve, without interference, over time. If you want to enjoy a pond in your back garden but do not have a focused idea on what this pond should be, then a wildlife pond is a fantastic way to add a living breathing feature to your life. This will also be performing an important function in supporting British wildlife.
May 15, 2009
The most common approach to building a pond is to use a flexible pond liner. This approach gives the pond designer great scope to create a unique shape that could either be necessitated by a difficult plot or simply the aesthetic interpretation of a creative genius. Flexible pond liners are affordable, generally durable and also, simple to install.
There are a number of materials used as flexible pond liners and these range from the more affordable plastics such as polythene and PVC to the more expensive butyl (rubber) and the modern equivalent to butyl, EPDM.
The plastic materials provide the most affordable route to pond liners but they do vary greatly in quality. Good quality plastic liners are available with 15 to 20 year guarantees and these are perfect for a smaller pond. It is important to be wary of poor quality liners that offer little better performance than bin liners.
For many years, butyl has been considered the top quality flexible pond liner material. This rubber material is durable, highly flexible and easy to repair in the event of failure. It is the most expensive material used in flexible liners but the quality is assured.
EPDM is essentially a synthetic evolution of butyl. It possesses most of the same properties that have ensured butyl’s success for many years. Due to its widespread use as a construction material it is now achieving better economies of scale in manufacturing and a subsequently lower retail price. One popular make of EPDM material is Epalyn.
Whichever flexible liner is used, an essential part of the installation process is to line the excavation with a cushioning material. This is quite simply to reduce the risk of puncturing your liner.
May 14, 2009
The pH is a measure of either of either acidity or alkalinity in a substance. It is measured on a scale of 0 – 14 with 7 being a neutral value, acidity being any value below 7 and alkaline being any value greater than 7. The more extreme the value, the stronger the acidic or alkaline the properties.
When managing the water quality in a fish pond, it is important that the values remain in the roughly neutral zone around 7 to 8 on this scale. Whilst a fairly inert body of water such as a swimming pool will maintain a very stable pH, a living eco-system such as a pond will exhibit changes in pH as conditions vary. With fish naturally polluting the pond water continuously with ammonia, the tendency will be for the pH to increase and become alkaline. Should it become excessively alkaline (a value around 9) your fish will begin to show clear signs of distress and the ammonia will become very toxic. Fish will appear lethargic and gasp for air.
Hard water is naturally more resistant to pH level increases and also filtering your pond will help to manage ammonia levels. The way to check the pH is through the use of a test kit available from retailers. In the event that you identify an issue with pH, it may be necessary to replace a significant proportion of the pond water to restore a more neutral value. This may ease the immediate distress of your fish but, it will also be necessary to take steps to identify the root cause of the issue to avoid further problems.
May 13, 2009
You’ve decided you want to install a pond in the back garden with a vision of your fish stock and planting already in place. When it comes round to bringing this reality to life, there will be a number of considerations to make. With your location, general size and shape planned, one of the key decisions is how you are actually going to construct your pond. One thing is certain, just digging a hole and filling it with water isn’t going to achieve the desired outcome.
If the above approach of digging a hole and filling it with water does hold a certain appeal, then there is a construction method that does almost fulfil this remit. The beauty of using a flexible pond liner is that it does give you this freedom to excavate in a totally bespoke manner. This flexibility can either exhibit your creative talents or compliment an awkward shaped plot.
A traditional, but infrequently used method of waterproofing your excavation is using puddle clay. This technique gives you all the freedom of design that a flexible pond liner offers. It is however a very labour intensive method of pond construction that will also, inevitably make high maintenance demands.
Almost the opposite approach in terms of simplicity and maintenance requirements to puddle clay is the preformed, or rigid, pond liner. This type of pond liner gives you the almost instant pond installation with a long life expectancy. Beyond the excavation and landscaping, this is the least labour intensive route to a garden pond.
Potentially the longest lasting pond construction is the concrete model. Providing it has been constructed to a high standard, a concrete pond can be expected to last many, many years with minimal maintenance. Building a concrete pond is a significant undertaking but it does enable some unique features such as deep vertical walls. Such characteristics of concrete ponds are conducive to more formal designs and particularly good for Koi ponds where depth is a desirable characteristic.
May 13, 2009
Once you have installed your new pond, one of the most exciting moments for the keeper is buying and introducing the fish. Obviously, some pond keepers either don’t wish to keep fish, or possibly consider them as just one feature. For many keepers though, the fish really are the central attraction.
When choosing fish there is obviously nothing to stop you buying whatever fish you like. If you wish to enjoy a happy fish keeping experience, it makes sense to be aware of the particular needs and desires of the different species. There is a wealth of difference between successfully keeping half a dozen goldfish and keeping the same half dozen Koi carp.
The biggest factor that will determine what fish you should be keeping is the size of the pond. When considering the pond size it is important to consider both surface area and depth. If you wish to keep Koi or any of the larger Carp breeds, it is important to ensure that the pond is sufficiently deep. A depth of 1 metre should really be considered a minimum for the fish to thrive, whilst approximately 50 cm depth should be considered as a minimum depth for any pond. Too shallow a pond and the water temperature will fluctuate greatly.
As a general guide to what quantity of fish your pond will support, it is suggested that 25cm of fish per square metre of surface area is a good guide for a new pond. With time, as your pond becomes more established it will eventually be possible to gradually increase the stocking levels.
May 12, 2009
One of the most renowned pond locations in both the UK and the world is Kew Gardens. In addition to the River Thames which marks the northern boundary of the gardens, there are three water features within the grounds. These are the Waterlilly pond, The Lake and the Palm House Pond.
The Waterlilly pond is the smallest and most modest of all the ponds at Kew. This pond is situated at the edge of the woodland glade and is well planted with, unsurprisingly, water lilies in addition to irises and many other marginals. This pond also plays host to a broad spectrum of animal life.
The Lake is the largest of the three water features and has a very natural feel to it. Despite the natural appearance of the Lake, it has its origins as a gravel pit. Much of the waste removed from the gravel pit was used in construction elsewhere in the gardens.
By far the most formal of all of the water features is the Palm House Pond. Unlike the other two water features, the Palm House Pond makes no pretence of understatement. It is clearly designed to reflect the grand structure of the Palm House itself and contains an ornate fountain with a sculpture of Hercules wrestling a serpent god. Lined on one side by the striking planting of the Palm House Terrace and accommodating both visiting birdlife and the resident, ornamental waterfowl, this truly is a water feature, well worth a visit.
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