Hints And Tips To Achieve A Clean, Healthy Garden Pond

How Do I Maintain A Perfect Environment For Pond Fish To Live In?

What is the perfect environment for pond fish to live in? To be honest I am not sure what the perfect environment is and I don't speak fish. I can only assume that a perfect environment is one in which your Koi, goldfish and other pond fish varieties can grow, develop and live what appears to be a happy life! It is far easier to point out what will definitely make their life pretty miserable.

A garden pond high in ammonia, nitrites and pathogenic bacteria will definitely make them want to relocate to somewhere else. Unfortunately if this is the state of play within your pond then they will get their wish; unfortunately the place they will be relocating to is that great big fish pond in the sky, with halos and angels.

So how do you ensure that your pond fish can live in a safe, clean, healthy pond environment? The secret is to ensure that first and foremost the levels of ammonia and nitrite in your pond are kept under control.

So How Do I Keep Ammonia Levels Under Control?

The secret to controlling toxic ammonia and nitrite is to use a biological pond filter, also known as a biofilter. A fish pond biofilter carries out the nitrogen cycle in your pond and removes these harmful chemicals by converting them into nitrate, which can be used by your aquatic plants as a food source.

It is important to regularly check your pond water using a pond test kit; check for ammonia, nitrite and pH at a minimum. The way a pond looks can be deceiving and does not necessarily mean that all is well below the surface. Your pond may have crystal clear water and be free from algae blooms but that doesn't always mean it is a healthy environment for your fish to live in. On the other hand a fish pond with small algae blooms might look dirty but because ammonia and nitrite levels are under control, it is in fact as near to a perfect environment as possible.

What Can I Do To Ensure I Have A Clean Healthy Pond?

  • As stated above ensure that you use a garden pond filter that is suitable for the size of your pond. For small to medium sized ponds the traditional gravity discharge filter and pressurized pond filter models are your best bet. Reputable manufacturers include Fishmate, Little Giant and Oase to name a few. Please be aware of the marketing hype out there! Just because the pond filter in question is a big filter doesn't mean that it designed for a big pond containing lots of fish. The secret to a successful pond filter, no matter what the size, is the choice of filter media used, in conjunction with the amount of oxygen, turbulence and ammonia ... read interaction between nitrifying bacteria and oxygen to get a better understanding.

  • When selecting the choice of pond filter make sure that you use a biological pond filter and not a mechanical sand filter, commonly used as a swimming pool filter. Mechanical sand filters are very bad for backyard ponds as they produce ammonia and encourage build up of heterotrophic bacteria. They will ultimately pollute your pond and severely interfere with the pond water quality.

  • Reduce the opportunity for ammonia to develop in your pond wherever possible. Routinely remove uneaten food after a few minutes, before it has chance to sink to the pond floor and decay. Use a pond vacuum to remove sludge and debris from the pond floor, from time to time. Prune back trees and bushes near to the pond so that leaves don't fall in to the pond.

  • Always make sure that you provide a constant supply of oxygen to the pond filter media, as they will die without it, within 5 to 6 hours. For this reason you should never switch off your pond pump for more than a couple of hours while you carry out routine pond maintenance work.

  • Installing a pond skimmer is an excellent way to rid your pond of unwanted leaves, twigs, pollen and other floating surface debris. This simple piece of pond keeping equipment will remove organic waste, and in doing so will reduce the load placed upon your pond filter in converting ammonia. A pond surface skimmer also removes fine particles such as pollen and silt that would otherwise cause the pond water to appear cloudy.

  • Use a UV Sterilizer to prevent algae blooms from taking over your pond, turning it into a slimy green hole. Although some algae is beneficial to Koi and goldfish, as they use it as a tasty morsel and also as a sun shade and hiding place from predatory birds, too much is bad as it starves the pond of oxygen. Remember ponds need as much as oxygen as possible for the nitrifying bacteria to convert ammonia and nitrite into nitrate.

Recommended Garden Pond Filters

It is important to know your pond volume to within 80% before you go any further. Once you know your pond volume you will be able to make an informed decision, and avoid complications further down the line. Always go for a model that is larger than you need as this will be able to accommodate increases in fish loads without putting too much stress on the filter. Remember that Koi eat 3 times as much as the same sized goldfish and produce much more liquid and solid waste.

Pressurized Pond Biofilters

As a rule of thumb, if you are a pond owner with a small to medium sized fish ponds then a pressurized pond filter will be more than adequate for your needs. These units are far more compact than gravity return filters (gravity discharge box filters) and are much more flexible. They are easy to hide and can be placed away from the pond. Their pressurized operation allows these versatile biofilters to power water to a waterfall or other water feature.

If you are looking to purchase either of the two best models on the market then choose from the Oase Filtoclear or the Fishmate Powerclenz filter.

Pressurized Bead Biofilters

For professional Koi pond filtration then a fluidized bed filter, usually referred to as a bead filter is one of your best options. The constant thrashing together of ammonia, oxygen, water and bead biomedia in the turbulent bio chamber ensures that large amounts of ammonia and nitrite are quickly converted to nitrate. Many models incorporate blowers and bead agitators to break up the beads to prevent them clumping together. This reduces routine maintenance.

The best selling bead filter in the USA is the Aqua Ultima II bead filter range by Aqua Ultraviolet. Other popular models include the Aquadyne Bead Filter, the GC Tek Aquabead and the Fluidart Challenger range. All models are supplied with excellent warranties, some with life time guarantees.