Clean Water in Your Water Garden? - Testing and medicine

The most discouraging factor for novice pond-keepers is the murkiness or greenness of the water. It is, therefore, useful to have an appreciation of the science of water, even if you don't understand it completely.

Essentially, 'green' water is the corollary produced by millions of little plants - of course algal cells - in suspension. This type of algae is invariably caused by an imbalance of pond water nutrients, and the culprits are usually fish. These produce both ammonia and phosphate as waste which, as every keen gardener knows, make excellent fertilizers. Introducing aquatic plants and oxygenators into the water while it is green would be a waste, because algae forestall light from reaching the plants, so their increase is restricted.

Microscope

So, if you are going to spend in a pond, it will pay to have a reasonably clear comprehension of the life cycle of the water before you begin.

It starts off clean, then gets polluted with fish waste and soil. These cause ammonia and varied other toxicities, which mostly turn into nitrites; these then get broken down in to plant foods (which is good), and the excess causes blanketweed, algae, acidic water and oxygen starvation (which is bad).

The accompanying flow-chart will help to put this life cycle into context, but the basal message is that the water in your pond needs to be healthy.

Testing And Treatment
As the slightest convert to the water chemistry of your pond can have a major corollary on the life in it, it is advisable to test the water, and there are a estimate of kits available that will check levels of pH, ammonia, nitrate, nitrite and protein for you swiftly and easily. However, with such a wide option available, deciding which kit to buy is rather like buying vitamins - do you opt for one to deal with definite needs in mind or try an all-round multi-vitamin for optimum health? Fortunately there are several kits which comprise tests for all the following:

Pond water testing kits are available from most organery centres and shops

pH levels
pH is the quantum of acidity or alkalinity of a substance and high levels of them influence the condition of your fish and plants. Acidic water is lower than pH6.5, whereas alkaline water is higher than pH7.5. The form of pH7 and a little either side of it are referred to as being 'neutral'. Most pond fish require a level in the middle of pH6.5 and pH7.5. Levels over pH8.5 can restrict plant increase as well as cause stress to your fish, which can lead to infection and disease.

Ammonia
Even the bottom levels of ammonia will stress fish, development them susceptible to infection and disease, so any sign of ammonia should be treated as an emergency situation for fish. High levels of ammonia in pond water are usually caused by over-stocking of fish, or too much detritus (uneaten food, fish waste, decaying plants and even dead insects).

Nitrite and nitrate
If ammonia in the pond is not treated, nitrites and nitrates will form. The previous are extremely toxic and very risky to fish, whilst the latter are non-toxic, and high levels act as plant nutrients, which leads to the increase of algae.

Protein
The build-up of animal proteins in the water is usually due to the remains of food, fish waste and decomposing organisms. If untreated, these will lead to higher pH levels, a build-up of ammonia, nitrites and nitrates.

If the results of your tests have highlighted areas for improvement, then it is requisite to take action as soon as possible. For optimum water ability there are varied treatments for reducing high levels of pH, ammonia, nitrites and nitrates.

Some normal treatments are made from evaporated sea water. These can temporarily block the toxic effects of nitrite in the water and replace electrolytes such as potassium, sodium, chloride, calcium and magnesium, which are all requisite for the uptake of oxygen and the publish of carbon dioxide and ammonium, which fish lose in times of stress.

There are also treatments that can be used for aesthetic problems such as unsightly sludge, algae or outside foam. In most cases these will come in the form of sachets of dry granules which are sprinkled over the pond. Be meticulous not to exceed the dosage.

The chemical treatments for clearing cloudy water - generally caused by suspended algae -work by bonding some of the suspended particles. This makes them heavy adequate to either fall to the bottom of the pond, or to be removed by filtration.

Finally, if you need to place your fish in fresh tap-water, there are treatments to neutralize the water and make it safe for them. Tap-water is usually treated by local authorities to ensure that it is fit for human consumption. However, this means that chemicals such as chlorine and chloramine are added, and these are harmful to fish. A tap-water conditioner eliminates these chemicals, and neutralizes harmful metal ions, development the water convenient for your pond.

Clean Water in Your Water Garden? - Testing and medicine

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