Q : Before Constructing Your Help ?
First you must understand that there is Filtration and then there are Filters. The Filtration is basically the type of filtering a system performs, such as Mechanical, Chemical or Biological. The Filter is the actual unit that performs the job. Let's first discuss the different types of Filtration.
Mechanical Filtration - refers to the removal of large and small particles through a material that traps the particles. This is a very important part of any filtration media. Mechanical Filtration helps clean the pond water of solid wastes like uneaten food, dry leaves, feces and plant debris before it reaches the bottom of the pond or aquarium, thus keeping the water free of decaying substances which can later produce harmful chemicals. Mechanical filters sometimes come with skimmers to catch large floating debris; this is followed by a filter which catches smaller debris and prevents it from entering the pump. Therefore, a mechanical filter can be considered the most important part of pond or aquarium filtration.
Chemical Filtration - refers to using chemicals to remove chlorine, pesticides, heavy metals, ammonia and other chemical impurities from the pond or aquarium water by chemically binding them to the filter media such as activated carbon.
Biological Filtration - refers to a filter that provides a place for Beneficial Bacteria to grow, which helps remove pollutants from the water. You will have to add material such as matting or gravel for the beneficial bacteria to live on which is one more item to maintain. Also, if you use the wrong type of water, such as city water to clean the biological filter you can kill the beneficial bacteria. A biological filter will take weeks or months to mature enough to provide any benefit to your pond or aquarium.
Now let us discuss the type of Filters
Sand Filters - while sometimes highly recommended for ponds they should in fact only be used for swimming pools. They are not capable of trapping all the waste in the sand, thus allowing un-trapped particles to re-enter the water. They are extremely hard to clean as they must be back-washed on a daily basis which causes a significant waste of water and they must run 24 hours per day for the best filtration. Also if you have hard water, it can lead to the sand clumping at the bottom of the tank reducing filtration.
Bio Bead Filters - these are very similar to the sand filter, except that they are even harder to clean.
Submersible Filters - are hard to maintain as you may need to wade into the pond to retrieve the filter for cleaning. The waste from the filter may spill back into the pond during the cleaning.
Cartridge Filters (Swimming Pool Filters) - While most people balk at the idea of using a swimming pool filter for their Koi pond, we have found them to be the best all around filters. They filter out 99% of the waste, are very easy to clean and last a very long time. You can also use these for aquariums.
By using Mechanical Filtration with Cartridge Filters and a new and unique water clarifier called Forever Clear, you can reduce the time spent on maintenance as this method eliminates the need for water changes. You will also reduce your costs as you can set these filtration systems on a timer to only run 12 hours per day vs. 24 hours per day for other systems. There are so many benefits to using this method and I suggest you check into it further
Before constructing your koi pond, you undoubtedly took a lot of time planning the design. Then once it was built, you probably checked and double checked that everything was in perfect working order. The plumbing, the filter, the pump etc. Well, taking as much care, thought and planning over your koi is just as important.
Most experienced koi breeders will agree that in order to give your koi the best chance to thrive and live healthy lives it is vital to get your stock from a respectable, experienced breeder. Preferably a local one, as a lot of travelling can stress the fish. Keeping your koi healthy is imperative if you want to make a success of breeding and getting yourself a good reputation. Dealing with other breeders and suppliers of an equally good reputation is a good way to start, because their good habits will rub off on you.
I know that it is not always possible to have a local koi breeder, so sometimes it is necessary to transport them. As long as their traveling conditions are just right, they should be fine.
Quarantine new koi fish
Whenever you get new koi fish it is important to keep them in quarantine for at least 3 weeks. Do not put them straight in with the rest of your stock. If they are not quarantined properly, they could easily infect and wipe out your stock due to bacteria and diseases they could be carrying, like fluke ands worms, so isolation is absolutely vital. This means no contact, water or mixed food between your new koi and your present stock. While they are in quarantine you are required to watch out for signs of stress and illness. These can include lack of appetite, discoloration of the eyes or scales, damaged fins and lethargy. These are all treatable, of course. For example, physical injuries, like torn fins, can be treated with antibiotics distributed with the food. Another example is loss of appetite. It is possible that your koi could have internal living organisms, in which case you could use something like PraziPro, which is a safe treatment for internal living organisms including flukes and worms. I would advise against using Potassium Permanganate, except as a last resort, i.e if all other treatments wee unsuccessful. Potassium Permanganate can cause burning to internal tissues.
Add them to your pond
Now that your koi have finished their quarantine period, and all is well with them, you can now add them to your pond. Remember, though, that now you have added extra koi to the pond, it means that you will have to increase your water changes. You should already be changing a minimum of 36% of the pond water per week to keep the ph value stable and the nitrates low. Adding more koi to the pond means an increase in waste to your filter. New nitrifying infections and bacteria may take some time to build up, so changing the water regularly will keep nitrites low. With regard to water changes, you should be adding salt daily. This is the iodine free salt that is used for ponds and aquariums. Salt is good for the koi. It helps with breathing, the coat, and killing off parasites. Plant fiber is also good for koi. Eating this will help prevent bloating.
Keeping your koi healthy can be challenging, but is definitely attainable by keeping them in a stress free, clean environment, with stable water and good quality food.
Most ponds and other water bodies lose their natural equilibrium under various uncontrolled conditions, such as, temperature variation due to weather changes, heavy rainfalls or sudden unexplained growth of weeds in the water body. All these factors lead to lower oxygen levels, growth of aerobic bacteria and green or murky looking water in the pond. Addition of beneficial pond bacteria in the water body assists your pond to set up and support favourable environment. A well balanced pond has clear water, healthy fish and plants.
Special formulations consisting of natural nitrifying bacteria are available with the pond or aquatic product suppliers. These blends contain bacteria that are already present in your pool but may have died out because of unfavourable conditions. Since these products are entirely natural, they do not harm other occupants of your pond including fish and ornamental plants. Bacterial blends or boost dosages help pond keepers to:
Reinstate clear and clean water in the pond eliminating the painstaking process of manual cleaning of the pond.
Beneficial bacteria hamper the release of nutrients in the water that support algae or murky water.
Improve the growth rate of favourable nitrifying bacteria.
Reduce bad odours generating from the pond by effectively degenerating the organic waste material made up of fallen leaves or twigs.
Most established suppliers offer unique bacterial blends for application in different seasons. All bacteria are not similar and would not survive harsh winters and low temperatures of 55°F, therefore the additive you choose should be according to the prevailing weather. Pond keepers could easily procure specialized products for different weathers.
All water bodies contain natural bacteria that break down organic waste and acts upon toxic ammonia to release nitrites and later far less toxic nitrites. These bacteria are aerobic; therefore water bodies should have enough diffused oxygen in them. Oxygen is not only important for the aerobic bacteria but also for the fish and other aquatic plants. All pond owners are advised to have aerator fitted in the ponds, especially those who own smaller ponds with fish. Waterfalls and fountains not only aerate the water bodies but also add visual appeal to the ponds or lake.
Natural bacteria act as power dosage to the water body that improves its quality in terms of clarity and lesser dissolved toxins. UV lights installed in the ponds thwart single cell microbes including algae and bacteria, these lights kill off favourable bacteria too. Pond owners, therefore, should switch off the UV lights for at least for 24 hours when products including natural bacteria are added to the pond so that the beneficial bacteria have enough time to colonize and spread throughout the pond.
Unwanted aquatic vegetation was increasingly becoming a problem for the lake in our backyard. Not only was it disturbing our lake's environment, but also affecting the fishes in it. While I understand that certain underwater plants are beneficial for a healthy and balanced ecosystem, our lake was overcrowded with plants not just restricting our outdoor activities and hurting the fishes inside, but had also began to create a bad odor that could be sensed yards away.
I therefore had to call the guys from Pond Medics, Lake Management in Allen, to help us out. Since then, I have been requesting their service each month for lake maintenance. Being the owner of a lake myself, following are five reasons one should maintain and manage lakes and ponds on a regular basis.
1. Lakes or ponds if not maintained on a regular basis, tend to develop undesirable aquatic plants that can not just suffocate the aquatic life, but also become an eyesore due to the large amount of fungus and algae growth in and around the corners of the lake. Regular maintenance by Lake Management in Allen can help prevent this problem.
2. Regular lake maintenance and cleaning can keep your fish healthy and maintain a well balanced eco-system that is important for the aquatic life. You will know that your pond or lake is free of infections and diseases and keeps the waters perfectly safe for recreational activities.
3. A lake that is well maintained will also keep the nearby surroundings fresh and free of bad odor, that can occur due to algae growth or dead fish. The purpose of lakes is to provide a recreation for its owners. If overgrown plants, dead fish, bad odor and so on keeps people from coming near it, then what's the point?
4. Regular maintenance of lakes also keeps future lake problems at bay. If your lake has a fountain or an aeration system installed, not maintaining the lake can result in blockages in it. If your lake's fountain stops working as it should, it will no longer be able to provide oxygen to the aquatic life resulting in further problems.
5. Lake maintenance done after regular intervals of time ensures that the lake is a safe place for the wildlife as well as the public and it develops and grows the area as a wildlife habitat.
So when do you plan to get your lake cleaned next? Do you think regular maintenance has enhanced the number of activities you can perform around the lake?
Do you always reach for herbicides or algaecides when you see green bloom in your pond? The green mass is the hard-to-get-rid-of algae mass and most pond owners reach for chemical treatment to do away with this nuisance. Many of the commonly available chemical treatments include Copper Sulphate, Endothall, Diquat or other compounds that may prove harmful to the pond organisms including fish and decorative plants. Repeated use of these treatments may also alter the pH levels of your pond water and hence affect biome of the water body, making it difficult for the aquatic organisms to flourish and thrive.
The new mantra to check the algae growth and other underwater plants or weeds is colouring your pond water in blue. These dyes add shimmer to the water body. Dyes create reflective property in the water surface that acts as a beautiful background for your decorative plants. Blue waters against pink lotus or deep red tropical lily pads immediately charm the spectator. Apart from the benefit of prepping up your pond for a delightful view, pond dyes also inhibit algal growth. Pond dyes reflect away the sunrays (including UV rays) therefore, weeds and algae that flourish near the bottom of the water body are unable to make food and hence die away quickly. Coloured water bodies do not support photosynthesis at deeper levels as a result green algae is unable to survive for long without sunlight and food. While pond dyes hinder sunlight to penetrate deeper inside the pond, they remain completely harmless for floating or emergent plants that grow on the surface of the water.
Pond dyes are easy to apply and immediately give an even colour to the water. Although, dyed water does not stain you or your pets, manufacturers recommend that you wear protective gloves while applying water dyes. Pond dyes are available in liquid as well as the powder form. Powder dyes are thrice as strong as the liquid dyes. Powder water dyes require comparatively lesser quantity to change the colour of your pond. Follow the instructions given on the pack and calculate the amount of powder/liquid needed to dye the volume of water in your pond. You may fill the watering can or a bucket with pond water and dissolve the required amount of dye in it. The mixture could be poured near the pump outlet to allow even distribution throughout the water body. If pump is not installed than pour the mixture across the water surface at different parts of the ponds and using a long stick create ripples or little waves that carry the water dye around the pond for equal distribution throughout. Some manufacturers also offer the colourants in soluble bags that could be simply thrown in the water body and the colour spreads across the surface slowly. Water dyes mix rapidly and evenly to give your pond a natural and beautiful finish.
Mechanical Filtration - refers to the removal of large and small particles through a material that traps the particles. This is a very important part of any filtration media. Mechanical Filtration helps clean the pond water of solid wastes like uneaten food, dry leaves, feces and plant debris before it reaches the bottom of the pond or aquarium, thus keeping the water free of decaying substances which can later produce harmful chemicals. Mechanical filters sometimes come with skimmers to catch large floating debris; this is followed by a filter which catches smaller debris and prevents it from entering the pump. Therefore, a mechanical filter can be considered the most important part of pond or aquarium filtration.
Chemical Filtration - refers to using chemicals to remove chlorine, pesticides, heavy metals, ammonia and other chemical impurities from the pond or aquarium water by chemically binding them to the filter media such as activated carbon.
Biological Filtration - refers to a filter that provides a place for Beneficial Bacteria to grow, which helps remove pollutants from the water. You will have to add material such as matting or gravel for the beneficial bacteria to live on which is one more item to maintain. Also, if you use the wrong type of water, such as city water to clean the biological filter you can kill the beneficial bacteria. A biological filter will take weeks or months to mature enough to provide any benefit to your pond or aquarium.
Now let us discuss the type of Filters
Sand Filters - while sometimes highly recommended for ponds they should in fact only be used for swimming pools. They are not capable of trapping all the waste in the sand, thus allowing un-trapped particles to re-enter the water. They are extremely hard to clean as they must be back-washed on a daily basis which causes a significant waste of water and they must run 24 hours per day for the best filtration. Also if you have hard water, it can lead to the sand clumping at the bottom of the tank reducing filtration.
Bio Bead Filters - these are very similar to the sand filter, except that they are even harder to clean.
Submersible Filters - are hard to maintain as you may need to wade into the pond to retrieve the filter for cleaning. The waste from the filter may spill back into the pond during the cleaning.
Cartridge Filters (Swimming Pool Filters) - While most people balk at the idea of using a swimming pool filter for their Koi pond, we have found them to be the best all around filters. They filter out 99% of the waste, are very easy to clean and last a very long time. You can also use these for aquariums.
By using Mechanical Filtration with Cartridge Filters and a new and unique water clarifier called Forever Clear, you can reduce the time spent on maintenance as this method eliminates the need for water changes. You will also reduce your costs as you can set these filtration systems on a timer to only run 12 hours per day vs. 24 hours per day for other systems. There are so many benefits to using this method and I suggest you check into it further
Before constructing your koi pond, you undoubtedly took a lot of time planning the design. Then once it was built, you probably checked and double checked that everything was in perfect working order. The plumbing, the filter, the pump etc. Well, taking as much care, thought and planning over your koi is just as important.
Most experienced koi breeders will agree that in order to give your koi the best chance to thrive and live healthy lives it is vital to get your stock from a respectable, experienced breeder. Preferably a local one, as a lot of travelling can stress the fish. Keeping your koi healthy is imperative if you want to make a success of breeding and getting yourself a good reputation. Dealing with other breeders and suppliers of an equally good reputation is a good way to start, because their good habits will rub off on you.
I know that it is not always possible to have a local koi breeder, so sometimes it is necessary to transport them. As long as their traveling conditions are just right, they should be fine.
Quarantine new koi fish
Whenever you get new koi fish it is important to keep them in quarantine for at least 3 weeks. Do not put them straight in with the rest of your stock. If they are not quarantined properly, they could easily infect and wipe out your stock due to bacteria and diseases they could be carrying, like fluke ands worms, so isolation is absolutely vital. This means no contact, water or mixed food between your new koi and your present stock. While they are in quarantine you are required to watch out for signs of stress and illness. These can include lack of appetite, discoloration of the eyes or scales, damaged fins and lethargy. These are all treatable, of course. For example, physical injuries, like torn fins, can be treated with antibiotics distributed with the food. Another example is loss of appetite. It is possible that your koi could have internal living organisms, in which case you could use something like PraziPro, which is a safe treatment for internal living organisms including flukes and worms. I would advise against using Potassium Permanganate, except as a last resort, i.e if all other treatments wee unsuccessful. Potassium Permanganate can cause burning to internal tissues.
Add them to your pond
Now that your koi have finished their quarantine period, and all is well with them, you can now add them to your pond. Remember, though, that now you have added extra koi to the pond, it means that you will have to increase your water changes. You should already be changing a minimum of 36% of the pond water per week to keep the ph value stable and the nitrates low. Adding more koi to the pond means an increase in waste to your filter. New nitrifying infections and bacteria may take some time to build up, so changing the water regularly will keep nitrites low. With regard to water changes, you should be adding salt daily. This is the iodine free salt that is used for ponds and aquariums. Salt is good for the koi. It helps with breathing, the coat, and killing off parasites. Plant fiber is also good for koi. Eating this will help prevent bloating.
Keeping your koi healthy can be challenging, but is definitely attainable by keeping them in a stress free, clean environment, with stable water and good quality food.
Most ponds and other water bodies lose their natural equilibrium under various uncontrolled conditions, such as, temperature variation due to weather changes, heavy rainfalls or sudden unexplained growth of weeds in the water body. All these factors lead to lower oxygen levels, growth of aerobic bacteria and green or murky looking water in the pond. Addition of beneficial pond bacteria in the water body assists your pond to set up and support favourable environment. A well balanced pond has clear water, healthy fish and plants.
Special formulations consisting of natural nitrifying bacteria are available with the pond or aquatic product suppliers. These blends contain bacteria that are already present in your pool but may have died out because of unfavourable conditions. Since these products are entirely natural, they do not harm other occupants of your pond including fish and ornamental plants. Bacterial blends or boost dosages help pond keepers to:
Reinstate clear and clean water in the pond eliminating the painstaking process of manual cleaning of the pond.
Beneficial bacteria hamper the release of nutrients in the water that support algae or murky water.
Improve the growth rate of favourable nitrifying bacteria.
Reduce bad odours generating from the pond by effectively degenerating the organic waste material made up of fallen leaves or twigs.
Most established suppliers offer unique bacterial blends for application in different seasons. All bacteria are not similar and would not survive harsh winters and low temperatures of 55°F, therefore the additive you choose should be according to the prevailing weather. Pond keepers could easily procure specialized products for different weathers.
All water bodies contain natural bacteria that break down organic waste and acts upon toxic ammonia to release nitrites and later far less toxic nitrites. These bacteria are aerobic; therefore water bodies should have enough diffused oxygen in them. Oxygen is not only important for the aerobic bacteria but also for the fish and other aquatic plants. All pond owners are advised to have aerator fitted in the ponds, especially those who own smaller ponds with fish. Waterfalls and fountains not only aerate the water bodies but also add visual appeal to the ponds or lake.
Natural bacteria act as power dosage to the water body that improves its quality in terms of clarity and lesser dissolved toxins. UV lights installed in the ponds thwart single cell microbes including algae and bacteria, these lights kill off favourable bacteria too. Pond owners, therefore, should switch off the UV lights for at least for 24 hours when products including natural bacteria are added to the pond so that the beneficial bacteria have enough time to colonize and spread throughout the pond.
Unwanted aquatic vegetation was increasingly becoming a problem for the lake in our backyard. Not only was it disturbing our lake's environment, but also affecting the fishes in it. While I understand that certain underwater plants are beneficial for a healthy and balanced ecosystem, our lake was overcrowded with plants not just restricting our outdoor activities and hurting the fishes inside, but had also began to create a bad odor that could be sensed yards away.
I therefore had to call the guys from Pond Medics, Lake Management in Allen, to help us out. Since then, I have been requesting their service each month for lake maintenance. Being the owner of a lake myself, following are five reasons one should maintain and manage lakes and ponds on a regular basis.
1. Lakes or ponds if not maintained on a regular basis, tend to develop undesirable aquatic plants that can not just suffocate the aquatic life, but also become an eyesore due to the large amount of fungus and algae growth in and around the corners of the lake. Regular maintenance by Lake Management in Allen can help prevent this problem.
2. Regular lake maintenance and cleaning can keep your fish healthy and maintain a well balanced eco-system that is important for the aquatic life. You will know that your pond or lake is free of infections and diseases and keeps the waters perfectly safe for recreational activities.
3. A lake that is well maintained will also keep the nearby surroundings fresh and free of bad odor, that can occur due to algae growth or dead fish. The purpose of lakes is to provide a recreation for its owners. If overgrown plants, dead fish, bad odor and so on keeps people from coming near it, then what's the point?
4. Regular maintenance of lakes also keeps future lake problems at bay. If your lake has a fountain or an aeration system installed, not maintaining the lake can result in blockages in it. If your lake's fountain stops working as it should, it will no longer be able to provide oxygen to the aquatic life resulting in further problems.
5. Lake maintenance done after regular intervals of time ensures that the lake is a safe place for the wildlife as well as the public and it develops and grows the area as a wildlife habitat.
So when do you plan to get your lake cleaned next? Do you think regular maintenance has enhanced the number of activities you can perform around the lake?
Do you always reach for herbicides or algaecides when you see green bloom in your pond? The green mass is the hard-to-get-rid-of algae mass and most pond owners reach for chemical treatment to do away with this nuisance. Many of the commonly available chemical treatments include Copper Sulphate, Endothall, Diquat or other compounds that may prove harmful to the pond organisms including fish and decorative plants. Repeated use of these treatments may also alter the pH levels of your pond water and hence affect biome of the water body, making it difficult for the aquatic organisms to flourish and thrive.
The new mantra to check the algae growth and other underwater plants or weeds is colouring your pond water in blue. These dyes add shimmer to the water body. Dyes create reflective property in the water surface that acts as a beautiful background for your decorative plants. Blue waters against pink lotus or deep red tropical lily pads immediately charm the spectator. Apart from the benefit of prepping up your pond for a delightful view, pond dyes also inhibit algal growth. Pond dyes reflect away the sunrays (including UV rays) therefore, weeds and algae that flourish near the bottom of the water body are unable to make food and hence die away quickly. Coloured water bodies do not support photosynthesis at deeper levels as a result green algae is unable to survive for long without sunlight and food. While pond dyes hinder sunlight to penetrate deeper inside the pond, they remain completely harmless for floating or emergent plants that grow on the surface of the water.
Pond dyes are easy to apply and immediately give an even colour to the water. Although, dyed water does not stain you or your pets, manufacturers recommend that you wear protective gloves while applying water dyes. Pond dyes are available in liquid as well as the powder form. Powder dyes are thrice as strong as the liquid dyes. Powder water dyes require comparatively lesser quantity to change the colour of your pond. Follow the instructions given on the pack and calculate the amount of powder/liquid needed to dye the volume of water in your pond. You may fill the watering can or a bucket with pond water and dissolve the required amount of dye in it. The mixture could be poured near the pump outlet to allow even distribution throughout the water body. If pump is not installed than pour the mixture across the water surface at different parts of the ponds and using a long stick create ripples or little waves that carry the water dye around the pond for equal distribution throughout. Some manufacturers also offer the colourants in soluble bags that could be simply thrown in the water body and the colour spreads across the surface slowly. Water dyes mix rapidly and evenly to give your pond a natural and beautiful finish.
Comments
Post a Comment