The Purpose of a Pond Skimmer Filter

In its simplest terms a pond skimmer filter is a mechanical pond filtration system that removes leaves, grass cuttings and other vegetation that can be found, floating on the surface of your fish pond. They are particularly useful during autumn (fall) when trees start to shed their leaves; usually into your pond, unfortunately!

A pond surface skimmer doesn’t simply remove the pond surface debris so as to maintain the look and feel of your fish pond. By removing excess pond surface debris it also helps to ensure that the debris can’t fall to the pond floor and form sludge; thereby removing the opportunity for unwanted bacteria colonies to form. The build up of these heterotrophic bacteria encourages fish disease and the release of toxic gases, such as hydrogen sulphide.

The full article can be read at http://www.garden-pond-filters.com/pondskimmersexplained.htm

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How To Choose A Solar Pond Pump For Your Pond

Traditionally, garden pond owners have always used mains powered electricity as the power source to power their garden pond equipment; whether that is a pond pump, pond filter, pond skimmer or pond UV sterilizer etc. In recent years however many manufacturers are producing water gardening equipment that utilizes the sun’s natural energy as a power source.

This is especially the case when it comes to choosing a garden pond pump. As energy prices rise and people are becoming more frugal with their hard earned money there has been a dramatic rise in the numbers of solar garden pond pumps on the market; especially in the UK, where I live.

Yes I know what you are thinking “surely the UK doesn’t get enough sunshine to make a solar pond pump a viable option – wrong!). Believe it or not many of the leading solar pond pumps available to the UK water gardening market function very well, given the UK’s climate.

The full article can be read at http://www.garden-pond-filters.com/pondpumpsolarintro.htm

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Why Pond Vacs Are Essential For A Garden Pond

 Pond Vacuum Cleaners, more commonly known as Pond Vacs are a very practical and useful bit of pond keeping equipment. They are perfect for carrying out the mucky job of removing excess pond sludge caused by decaying fish food, rotting vegetation, dead string algae (hair algae). Unlike a domestic vacuum cleaner a pond vacuum cleaner has a more important function than simply tidying. The removal of slime (sludge) and other pond debris matter is essential to the well being of your pond environment so as to prevent the build up of excess ammonia, sulphur dioxide and a general increase in the build up of unwanted bacterial colonies.

By removing the unwanted sludge from the bottom of your fish pond you are helping to ensure that the delicate balance of your outdoor fish pond or indoor fish pool is maintained. Remember that it is seldom a possibility to completely empty the pond and relocate the inhabitants (fish, toads etc) simply because you want to carry out an extensive spring clean. It is far simpler and just as effective to use a pond vac cleaner to keep your fish pond a healthy, eco friendly home for its inhabitants.

The full article can be read at http://www.garden-pond-filters.com/pondvacuumselection.htm

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Koi Growth Explained

Koi Growth & Koi Size Depends On Several Factors


Given optimum conditions (quality diet, adequate space, healthy pond environment etc) Koi will grow rapidly like their plainer colored carp cousins. Koi are after all fancy colored carp.

Koi growth and Koi size is determined to a large extent by the size of the pond in which they live. A 1000 gallon pond, for example isn't going to produce substantially large Koi.

I'm sure you have seen pictures of really large Koi, which surprisingly don't look elegant and graceful, but more fat and disfigured.

These fish known as Jumbo Koi, in the Koi keeping world, have been substantially overfed and under exercised.

To achieve healthy Koi that reach their full growth potential, coloration and vibrancy, you will need a large pond, a feeding regime that incorporates the best Koi foods and excellent biological filtration.

Professional Koi keepers ensure that their Koi are in tip top condition by introducing a current into their ponds.

This current ensures that there is always resistance in the water. This is akin to us human's running uphill on a treadmill. Koi like humans need to exercise and watch their diet if they are to remain lean and fit.

What Encourages Maximum Koi Growth And Koi Size?

The maximum size of your Koi depends upon both genetic factors and the size of the pond, in which they live. The diet Koi's diet is also a major part in determining the mass of the individual Koi. These factors along with excellent biological filtration with result in excellent results in terms of the mass of the Koi.

The full article can be read at http://www.garden-pond-filters.com/Newsletters/Koi_KoiGrowth.htm

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Koi Digestion Explained

So How Do Koi Carp Digest Their Food?

A Koi is an efficient eating machine; designed to absorb nutrients that are useful, and discard what its body can't utilize.

The koi food and koi treats that are sold to pond keepers world wide is totally and utterly different from the natural diet of Koi, living in the wild. The digestive tract of Koi carp is designed to assimilate far more stubborn substances than laboratory manufactured koi food. These foods however will help you to avoid obese Koi and sick koi fish.

Koi Food Digestion Explained

In Koi carp, food is efficiently broken down into what is advantageous and what isn't. Nutritious goodness is digested and absorbed. Anything that isn't useful is expelled through its vent (anus).

This mechanical and physical process is aided by numerous food receptors that are highly sensitive to the presence of food. Koi are equipped with extremely good eye sight, a fantastic sense of smell and excellent hearing.

These highly tuned senses help the Koi to easily discern if they are about to receive a meal. You may have noticed that Koi appear to be excited and rise to the surface when they see a human presence, near the pond. They believe they are about to be fed.

When fish food or a tasty morsel, such as insect larvae enters the Koi's mouth it comes into contact with pharyngeal teeth. These teeth are perfect for grinding down the food substance into much smaller particles; these particles then pass into the Koi's digestive system.
The full article can be read at http://www.garden-pond-filters.com/Newsletters/Koi_Digestion_Article.htm

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Keep Koi Skin Healthy

Maintain Healthy Koi Skin


The majority of pond keepers who have Koi have them because of their beauty. Vivid colors and markings make these magnificent creatures a pleasure to behold.

In order to maintain this ornamental beauty it is important to ensure that you look after the Koi's skin in order to prevent serious skin infection on koi fishes.

I know! You are thinking that surely the color comes from the Koi carp's scales. It does, but contrary to popular belief, the scales are underneath a Koi's skin. This thin membrane is all that separates these delicate scales from the harsh realities of a pond environment.

By knowing what constitutes healthy skin you will also be able to spot early signs of possible disease and injuries.
What is the Purpose of Koi Skin?

As outlined earlier, the skin protects the delicate scales from the harsh realities of a fish pond; bacteria, rough objects, other fish. The skin acts as a barrier, providing a very important protective role by secreting mucus. This mucus fights off infection, bacteria and other fish skin problems.

When a Koi carp is stressed or living in a pond that contains poor pond water quality it produces extra mucus. This offers extra protection.


The full article can be read at http://www.garden-pond-filters.com/Newsletters/koi_skin_care.html

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Breed Koi In Your Garden Pond

How To Successfully Breed Koi In Your Koi Pond


If you are really lucky, your Koi will breed and provide you with some new Koi to admire. Breeding Koi, however, isn't as simple as throwing together male and female Koi. They need the right conditions to be present. To ensure that this is the case you, as the pond keeper will need to do some preparation, in advance of their spawning season.

A male Koi reaches its optimum breeding condition at around 3 to 5 years of age; whilst a female Koi carp reaches her peak at between 4 to 6 years of age. The libido of Koi can be somewhat on the slow side. Believe it or not the best way to prepare your Koi for breeding is to condition them in about 1 year in advance.

The first thing you need to make sure of is that your Koi carp are healthy and well fed. Starting during the colder winter months you will need to place your Koi in what is termed a "hibernation cycle". This needs to be done for several months.

As the pond water temperature drops during the colder winter months, experienced in northern USA and northern Europe, your Koi will stop eating. As Koi carp spawn in spring they need to go through this cycle.

Preparing Your Koi Pond For Spawning

There are four main requirements needed in order to successfully breed Koi carp

• Adequate media that provides a place where they can lay their eggs.
• The right pond water temperature.
• Privacy.
• Good water quality.

The full article can be read at http://www.garden-pond-filters.com/Newsletters/breed_koi_inpond.html

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Japanese Names For Koi Carp

So How Do The Japanese Name Koi?

To those who are new to pond keeping please note that Koi, belong to the carp family, and are indigenous to Japan.

Many of the leading Koi carp breeders and experts are Japanese; not too surprising given that they have been dealing with these beautiful fish for hundreds of years.

Fortunately, however, you don’t need a thorough grasp of spoken Japanese, to be able to understand the meaning of Koi names. You may find some of the pronunciation a bit difficult though.

The Japanese language is fairly logical and the names they have attributed to Koi carp describe the patterns and colors of each variety.

Japanese terms used to describe Koi

The Japanese use specific words and terms to describe particularly varieties and features of Koi fish; including color, pattern and undesirable patterns or features.

In the Koi keeping world the ultimate winner is the Go Sanke varieties, of which there are three:

• Kohaku – A white Koi with a red pattern.
• Sanke – A white Koi with a red and black pattern.
• Showa – A black Koi that has a red and white pattern.

The full article can be read at http://www.garden-pond-filters.com/Newsletters/Koi_japanese_names.html

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Have I Got Male or Female Koi

For the average pond keeper, differentiating between male and female Koi is no easy task. The task is a bit easier come spring time, however, with the onset of the mating season.


The task of identifying whether or not your baby Koi is male or female is almost impossible until he or she is mature enough to breed.

In the Koi world it is the female Koi that are larger than their male counterparts. In competitions it is usually female Koi that win the silver ware. Too bad fellas...

This is a generalization however because the size of a Koi depends upon several factors, including:

• Pond size
• Koi diet
• The number of fish in the pond.

For professional Koi breeders, and those buying and selling Koi it is very important to be able to identify whether a particular Koi is male or female.

During the breeding season, male Koi carp will often exhibit small white bumps on their head, unlike their female counterparts.

During spawning the female Koi will release her eggs, ready for fertilization by male Koi. These eggs will need something to attach to.


The full article can be read at http://www.garden-pond-filters.com/Newsletters/male_or_female_koi.html

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What is Pond pH

Pond pH is a subject area that is frequently mentioned in pond keeping circles. Like Grammarian's i.e. those that study English Grammar, some people go one step too far and make the subject area all encompassing and mystical sounding.


In simple terms, the pH of any substance is a reading between 0 - 14; 0 being extremely acidic and 14 being extremely alkaline. A reading of 7 is what is known as a neutral pH.

Examples: Sulphuric acid has a very low pH and caustic soda has a high very high pH. A lower pH, indicates a stronger acid; the higher the pH, the stronger the alkali.

So from the above scale it can be deduced that anything with a pH of less than 7 is classed as acidic. pH is a logarithmic scale i.e. the difference between a pH of 6 and a pH of 7 is actually a difference of 10 points; not 1.

Common vinegar known chemically as acetic acid, whilst acidic is nowhere near as acidic or dangerous as Sulphuric acid. In fact acetic acid is commonly used in small doses on the famous English dish - fish and chips.

At the other end of the pH scale is caustic soda (pH of 14); a strong bases or alkali.

A weaker alkali is common baking soda or bicarbonate of soda (taken for upset stomachs).

When a strong alkaline solution is added to a strong acidic solution there is a tremendous amount of heat generated, along with vigorous activity, as a chemical reaction takes place.

So what has this got to do with my pond?


The full article can be read at http://www.garden-pond-filters.com/Newsletters/Not_another_pond_ph_article.html

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Pond Plant Insects & Pond Plant Diseases

I recently received an email from a subscriber to my newsletter series, who lives in Australia.


Robert, was looking for some advice relating to to some of his aquatic water lily. His lilies appear to be under attack from a fungal infection, of some description; most probably Water Lily Crown Rot.

It struck me that despite all the articles I've written regarding pond keeping, I seldom write about pond plants.

So here goes...

Pond Plant Health & Factors Affecting Aquatic Pond Plants

The sight of crystal clear water, fishing swimming around, and decorative pond plants is a truly wonderful sight to behold.

The aim of the majority of pond keepers is to maintain this relaxing, tranquil image in the forefront of their minds. The last thing anyone wants is a fish pond containing decaying and lifeless aquatic plants.

Not only is this unsightly, but it also impacts upon the pond water in many ways; including: increased pond sludge, increased levels of ammonia and nitrite, changes to the pH of the water, increased levels of heterotrophic bacteria etc. All these eventually affect the health of pond fish and pond life.

The full article can be read at http://www.garden-pond-filters.com/Newsletters/pond_plant_disease_insects.html

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Help! Some Advice Needed Regarding A Fish Pond Kit

Today, I would like to share an email I received from Tony, a subscriber to my newsletter, who lives in the UK.


Tony is new to pond keeping and was looking for some advice relating to a fish pond kit that had been given to him by a neighbour.

"Sean,

I have just registered with your organisation and I need help and hope you can advise me. I would be most grateful for any assistance whatsoever as I am a complete novice in respect of ponds.

Last year as a birthday present I was given a complete pond kit after my neighbour, having a clear out, gave me an unused but shed soiled fibreglass pond. Now that I have got this pond liner in place I plan this spring to set it all up. I am not sure if I need a pond filter (I will eventually have fish) or whether the pre filter in the pump (part of the kit) will be adequate to deal with the water capacity which I have calculated to be 1500 litres.

The kit I have got is a Gardenline PLU 481 by Heissner UK who I am unable to contact as I presume they have gone bust or closed down. So I am struggling.

I am a pensioner so not a lot of dosh is available but I would like to get things up and running so my grandchildren and the rest of the family can enjoy this feature which forms an integral part of my small but rescued garden and is adjacent to an old concrete pond, put in buy a previous owner that is being converted to a marsh area; to attract wildlife.

I am getting older so I need to get this sorted soon otherwise I will have to abandon the project and fill the pond in.

If I do need another filter Argos have some in stock and wonder if a Fishmate 2500 litre pond gravity filter UVC will suit? (But what does the gravity description mean?)

Please help.

Regards,
Tony.


To see my reply go to http://www.garden-pond-filters.com/newsletters/Pond_Kit_Advice.htm

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Will My Pond Fish Suffer If They Miss A Meal?

Today I would like to discuss how you can maintain the health and vibrancy of your Koi, goldfish and other popular pond fish varieties by feeding the right amount of fish food.


Your Body Digests Food Differently To Pond Fish

Unlike human beings, fish don't have a stomach as such. Instead they have one long intestine that extends from their throat to their vent (anus).

A Koi's digestive tract is more efficient the longer food remains in contact with its gut. The longer the contact, the greater the number of nutrients absorbed. In many ways this can be likened to the speed at which water containing microscopic algae cells passes through a UV clarifier. If water passes through too quickly then exposure time to UV light will be insufficient; rendering the unit pretty much useless.

These nutrients are essential for development and growth, fin and cartilage repair, maintenance of healthy bones and blood flow. In fact these nutrients are required for nearly every bodily function.

That is why it is important when choosing a fish food to always consider the nutritional content (protein and vitamins) as well as the shelf life and freshness. Avoid foods that contain plenty of fillers. They are of little calorific value and quickly pass through the fish's digestive tract.

Observe Pond Fish Behavior And Take Note
Pond fish will often appear to be constantly on the look out for a tasty morsel; this is especially true of koi carp (the pigs of the pond) who are fantastic foragers and often responsible for uprooting potted pond plants, in their quest for food.

You can't really blame them because they are acting according to their nature. They are looking for a favorite snack; some tasty insects. Ever the opportunist, they will often venture to the service hoping that some fish pellets have been added to the surface of their home.


The full article can be read at http://www.garden-pond-filters.com/newsletters/Pond_Fish_Food_Facts.htm Learn how to choose the right pond keeping equipment online, to save money, Guaranteed!

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