Archive for the ‘Garden Pond Articles’ Category

If you’re ready to build your own garden pond, there are some important things you need to know before you begin. Just follow these five tips for having fun with building your own garden pond.

1. An important factor when you start to build your pond is making sure that you know exactly what you want it to be. The reason why this is important is because you have to decide between at least 4 main categories of designs to choose from e.g. a fish pond, a pond-less waterfall, a water fountain and a water garden. If you don’t decide on what you want, then you run the risk of ending up with a garden pond that is different from what you exactly wanted it to be.

2. Another important consideration for building a garden pond is it’s location in your yard. You should take the following factors into consideration when deciding on the location of your garden pond:

- Build your pond where you can easily see and enjoy it.
- Your pond should get enough sunlight.
- Make sure that rain runoff will not affect your pond.
- Build your pond away from trees and other plants to avoid dry leaves that can damage your pond.
- If you are going to add additional water features and lights it will be wise to build your pond close to sources of water and power. It’s critical that you consider the above factors when deciding on the location of your pond as you will be able to avoid a lot of future headaches.If you make sure that you adhere to tip number 2, you’ll be fine.

3. Now that you know what your pond should look like, where it will be built and how much it will cost, it is time to go over to action. The next step will be to start digging the hole. Remember that you will need a hole whether you chose flexible liner or a rigid preformed shell. All you need to do from here is to build your pond, and make sure that you follow the instructions on how to build a garden pond. This is a proses on its own which can’t be covered here because of limited space.

4. Instead of complicating your garden pond building efforts by following your own techniques and methods, it is in your best interest that I advice you to follow the professional instructions obtainable from your local pet shop when using flexible liner. There are hundreds of low cost books, videos and dvd’s available in the market if you can’t get instructions from your pet shop.

5. The last tip is the preparation to populate your pond with pond plants, frogs and fish. Before putting any plants or fish in your new garden pond you will have to remember that tap water is high in chlorine which could harm your pond life. A useful tip is to mix a bucketful of water from an established pond with your pond water and wait for about one week for the chlorine to evaporate. Ponds need a balance to keep the water clear and the only way to achieve this is to add pond plants to your pond.

So if you really want to build your beautiful garden pond, follow these tips to please your family with an attractive garden pond. Enjoy!

Daniel S. Klaaste is an Internet Marketer and Entrepreneur who is passionate about continuous development of his personal skills and those of his family and friends or those close to him. He loves wild life, outdoor life and sports.

Garden Ponds

Author: Daniel Klaaste
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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How Does Ammonia Affect Pond Fish?

As a child I remember having several goldfish over a period of time. I used to keep them in a goldfish bowl, where I used to watch them feed on the goldfish flakes that Mom bought for me. The strange thing was they never seemed to live a long time. I never understood why! It was only as an adult after I had become hooked on water gardening that I learned the secret of their demise. It was due to ammonia poisoning. Unbeknown to me at the time I was sealing the fate of the poor goldfish by trapping them inside of a bowl where they had to eat and go to the toilet. They had no way of escaping the gradual build up of ammonia.

In a garden pond, even though there is a larger volume of water than in a goldfish bowl the level of ammonia build up will increase significantly, particularly if you have plenty of Koi, which are voracious eaters. The only way of preventing a constant build up is to remove it as soon as it is released into the pond water. The most effective method is to use a pond bio filter.

How Does a Pond Filter Oxidize Ammonia?

In the biological chamber of any successful garden pond filter you will find the following key components: a source of food (ammonia); nitrifying Nitrosomonas and Nitrobacter bacteria (the dinner guests) that oxidize ammonia into nitrates and plenty of oxygen. Oh by the way did I mention oxygen? Oxygen is absolutely critical to the nitrifying process. Without it the oxidization of ammonia will not be able to take place. It creates turbulence which provides the optimum conditions for ammonia break down.

The chemical process responsible for the conversion of ammonia into nitrites and then into nitrates is known as the Nitrogen Cycle or Nitrification Process and continues within the biofilter chamber 24/7. This process will only stop when you switch your pond filter off or if the pond filter stops working. Warning! Don’t switch the pond filter off. Nitrifying bacteria require a constant supply of oxygen. If they are starved of oxygen for more than 5 hours they will die. This renders your pond filter pretty much useless until the bacteria colonies have had time to build up again, which can take up to 5 weeks. In the mean time you will have to carry out frequent water changes and ensure that you do not overfeed your fish. You will also have to constantly measure the pond ammonia levels, using a suitable test kit.

Factors Affecting Ammonia Levels in Garden Ponds

* The type of fish you keep in your pond and the numbers stocked will have an influence on the levels of ammonia in the pond water. Koi are ravenous creatures that when healthy will eat as much food as you feed them. This obviously has a major impact on pond water quality; not only in terms of ammonia levels but also upon levels of heterotrophic bacteria that cause fish diseases. You will probably be more familiar with the rotten egg smell than the term. Heterotrophic bacteria release Hydrogen Sulphide, the cause of the rotten egg smell.

* If you have a pond that hasn’t been routinely cleaned from time to time and where rotting vegetation has been allowed to accumulate on the pond floor then ammonia levels will be higher. Decaying organic matter releases ammonia into the pond system.

* The quality of the fish food and the amount fed will also influence the ammonia concentrations contained within the pond water. Always feed low ash content branded fish food that contains protein, vitamins and trace elements. This high quality fish food will allow your Koi to use up more of the food to grow and develop, rather than excrete it into the pond in the form of ammonia.

How Can I Improve The Effectiveness Of My Pond Filter?

You will need to maximize the potential for nitrifying bacteria, oxygen and ammonia to be in constant contact. In practical terms the following suggestions will significantly improve your pond filter performance:

* If you currently use plastic coils, hair curlers or any other plastic media and have a box type filter or compact pressurized biofilter then over a period of time replace it with a superior filter media that has a much larger surface area. One of the best low cost options in the USA is Supra filter media, known as Alfagrog in the UK. Have a look on the web for the nearest stockist to where you live or try your local pet store or aquarium stockist.

* Pump as much oxygen into your garden pond as you possibly can. Add a water feature, waterfall or pond aerating pump. A water feature or waterfall will not only add much needed oxygen but will also add the sound of flowing water and make a great focal point.

Buy a pond net and scoop out any floating leaves, grass and uneaten fish food on a regular basis. Basic housekeeping such as this will remove the potential for pond debris to rot on the pond floor. Rotting organic matter produces ammonia.

The secret to successful pond keeping is to read as much as you can about your hobby and to learn from mistakes. The internet is a great source of information and there are many water gardening forums where you will readily get answers to many of your questions. The last bit of advice I would like to offer you is to ensure your garden pond has a plentiful supply of oxygen and that you don’t overstock your pond with too many fish, particularly Koi. One last thing buy a master pond test kit and regularly monitor the pond water levels for pH, ammonia and nitrate. By frequently testing the quality of the water you will get to know your pond better and will become familiar with the various fluctuations in reading that take place. If you notice anything out of the ordinary then this may be an indicator that something is wrong.

Want to save money and choose the right pond keeping equipment? Want to learn the secrets of successful garden pond keeping? Go to http://www.garden-pond-filters.com to learn everything you need to know NOW!

Why not take advantage of my pond calculators to make conversion between imperial and metric measurements quick, simple and accurate.

Author: Sean Roocroft
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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