How to Keep your Pond Water Healthy

Those of us who have ponds in our gardens know the feeling of tranquillity they create. However, a concern that most of us should worry about is whether the pond water is healthy enough to support the aquatic life, and to view the fish and plants we keep. Here are some considerations to ensure that your pond water remains healthy, and your fish and plant life, happy.

Consider how much fish you have

Filtration in your pond isn't always necessary, but it becomes vital when you have a large number of fish such as koi or goldfish. The fish's natural habitats are vast bodies of water which are so large that no toxins can actually build up from their waste. The smaller the pond, the higher the level of toxins secreted from their gills or faeces, especially without a filtration system. In addition, the level of toxins are further increased from plant matter, and even dirt that enters the pond.

Waste removal methods

You need to provide some form of waste removal in order to ensure healthy pond water. The two common methods used are mechanical filtration and biological filtration. Mechanical filters physically remove the waste material from the water through collecting it in a brush or sponge. It's an effective method, but often the filters need to be cleaned to remove accumulated debris. You can find a filter that's a mechanical and biological filter in one. Biological filtration is a more effective method as it removes toxins from the water by breaking down ammonia into nitrite, then into nitrate. This happens in a natural way using bacteria called Nitrosomonas and Nitrobacter.

Be mother nature to your pond

In natural bodies of water, ammonia, the toxin produced from aquatic life is broken down. Due to the limited space we have for our ponds, and sometimes keeping as much aquatic life as we can, we need to work some of Mother Nature's magic to ensure that the process still occurs in your pond. We therefore need to provide the right environment for necessary bacteria to thrive.

A biological filter ensures that the bacteria is exposed to enough food and oxygen. A material made of a fibre matting provides a large surface area on which the bacteria can colonize, and it also provides a large area for sufficient water to flow through, carrying food for the bacteria. But be wary of filter materials that are too dense, they will cause clogging, making it harder for the water to flow through. You can ensure that the bacteria receive a decent supply of oxygen by using air stones, as you would in an aquarium.

The power of UV

Even after trying everything, you may still experience pea soup water in your pond because of a build-up of single-cell algae. This could be down to two reasons, what time of the year it is, or if there's an imbalance within the amount of fish or plants compared to the power of your biological filter.

Your best method of keeping the levels of algae down to a minimum, is by using an ultraviolet sterilizer. It uses a UV lamp, which is placed in a pipe that allows water to pass all around, providing a major reduction in algae, if correctly sized to the pond. However, never use an ultraviolet sterilizer without a biological filter, as the algae waste still has to be broken down by the filter. You can also support this method of controlling algae by monitoring the pH levels of your water, which is also important for healthy fish. You can make use of a pH test kit. A good pH level is between 6.8 and 8.0.

If you are unsure of how to keep your pond water healthy, or of the best products to use, contact us to help make you and your aquatic life happy.