The secret to controlling toxic ammonia and nitrite is to use a biofilter. The way a pond looks can be deceiving and does not necessarily mean that all is well below the surface. Your pond may have crystal clear water and be free from algae blooms but that doesn't always mean it is a healthy environment for your fish to live in. On the other hand a fish pond with small algae blooms might look dirty but because ammonia and nitrite levels are under control, it is in fact as near to a perfect environment as possible.
Steps To Achieving Healthy Pond Water
- Ensure that you use a bio filter that is suitable for the size of your pond. For small to medium sized ponds the traditional gravity discharge filter and pressurized pond filter models are your best bet. Larger Koi ponds need a bead filter or vortex filter.
- Reduce the opportunity for ammonia to develop by removing uneaten food after a few minutes, before it has chance to sink to the pond floor and decay. Use a pond vacuum to remove sludge and debris from the pond floor, from time to time. Prune back trees and bushes near to the pond so that leaves don't fall in to the pond.
- Always make sure that you provide a constant supply of oxygen to the pond filter media, as they will die without it, within 5 to 6 hours.
- Installing a pond surface skimmer is an excellent way to rid your pond of unwanted leaves, twigs, pollen and other floating surface debris. This reduces the load on your pond filter in converting ammonia.
- Use an ultraviolet sterilizer to prevent algae blooms from taking over your pond. A small amount of algae is beneficial to Koi and goldfish ponds, as it is a food source, sun shade and hiding place from herons and other predatory birds. On the downside however, algae starves the pond of oxygen. Ths is detrimental to the ammonia oxidizing abilities of the nitrifying bacteria living on your pond filter media.
Why not take advantage of my pond calculators to help you convert between metric and imperial measurements quickly and accurately.
