Notes about water quality in an aquatic garden from Valley K Greenhouses

WATER QUALITY

Water should sit for at least 2 full days after filling, to allow chlorine, metals and other toxic substances to evaporate. It is also necessary to start a natural life cycle in the pond, to develop healthy bacteria, and also to warm the water up to a level acceptable to plants. Chemicals are available to speed up the process, but are not necessary as long as you have the patience. If your water contains chloramine, you must use a water conditioner when filling. Check with the local health unit or your Town or City water department regarding chloramine in your area. Chloramine is a combination of chlorine and ammonia used to disinfect water supplies.

It is completely natural for algae to form in a pond. If you do not have enough floating leaved plants to cover the surface excess algae will be present. Water Hyacinths are an excellent plant to add to combat this problem, as they have massive root systems which absorb the green matter from the water. Snails can be added or increased to help as well, as they feed on the algae. You must realize that it is necessary for some algae to be present in order to provide a balanced ecosystem. The amount of algae present depends on many things; weather, amount of sunlight hitting the water surface, temperature of water, amount of oxygen present in the water, the different kinds of plants in the pond and the number of nutrients present.

There is a variety of biological controls you may purchase to add to the water which will restore the balance to your pond by out-competing the algae. Signs of bad water quality include:

excessive green algae floating
fish gasping for air at the surface
cloudy water
foul odor around pond
excess sludge forming at the bottom of the pond

If you have signs of bad water quality, the quickest way to re-establish a balance is to add a biological treatment to the water. There are many types available, we recommend Baktopur products to use in these cases.

It's a good idea to wait a week or two after adding plants, before adding fish to the pond. Click here for more details on animal life in the pond.

It is wise to figure out exactly the volume of your pond, in the event fish medication or water treatment is necessary. Most treatments are based on the U.S. gallon, some are metric, and a few are in Imperial gallons, but not many. The easiest way to figure out the volume is with a water meter, but not many people have one handy. Another method is to measure the square footage of the pond. It is difficult to get an accurate reading when your pond contains ledges of different depths. If the pond is 10'x10', with an average depth of 18", then your square footage would be 100, making your volume of water 150 cubic feet. (100x1.5) Multiply 150 cf by 7.5 to get 1125 gallons (U.S.) FORMULA:

LxW=square footage
sq. footage x average depth=cubic feet
cubic feet x 7.5=U.S. gallons

Oxygen is essential for life to thrive in the pond, and aerating water provides oxygen. Moving water is aerated, so waterfalls & fountains provide aeration, as well as being pleasing to the eyes & ears. If your water moves too much, good bacteria will be rinsed away, and if it flows too little, bad bacteria will thrive. As you can see, it is important to balance all the elements in your pond.

MAINTENANCE:

There is absolutely no need to drain your pond in order to clean it. Doing so drains away the naturally established ecological balance. Use a fish net or pond skimmer to catch dead or floating debris & leaves, along with floating algae. If left untended, decomposing plant material will rot and become foul smelling, polluting the water at the same time and making your garden unsightly and unpleasant to be around.

Be sure to check the water level from time to time, adding a little bit as necessary. Watch that the water temperature is not altered by more than a few degrees at a time. Rain water collected from your rain barrel is ideal for refilling the pond when needed.

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