Water garden care
During the summer, a pond does not create much work .Checking the water and looking after the plants does not take long. In the fall, however, you should take sometime to prepare the pond thoroughly for the approaching winter, so that fish and other pond creatures will survive the winter well and the plants will flower again the following spring.
Water
The degree to which plants and pond creatures feel at home in your pond will depend largely on the quality of the water. The decisive factors for this are the acidity (pH factor) and the nitrite and nitrate content. It is necessary to be aware of these values, so that you can intervene if it becomes necessary.For ornamental ponds, a regular check of the water is necessary so that, in an emergency, fast action can be taken.
In a nature pond which contains no, or few, fish, checking will only become necessary in the case of disturbances (like too much weed growth).
Measuring the water values The pH factor and the nitrite and nitrate contents can be measured with simple, inexpensive procedures. The values obtained – the water values – will give you information as to whether intervention is required. Indicators (reagents), indicator strips, and other agents can be obtained from gardening suppliers. Exact, easy-to-understand directions are supplied.
Acidity of the water
The degree of acidity of the water is expressed by the pH factor:
•a neutral reaction is indicated by value of 7;
•values from 0 to 6.9 indicate that the water is acid;
•values from 7.1 to 14 indicate that the water is alkaline.
The right pH factor: pH values from 6.5 to 8.5 (slightly acid to slightly alkaline) are good for fish .Values below pH 6 may endanger your stock of fish.
The pH factor will fluctuate:During the course of a day, the pH factor may fluctuate slightly through the influence of the weather or through the presence of plants. These short-term fluctuations are normal and will not harm the fish .Measuring the pH factor: Duringthe warm part of the year you should make routine checks, wit hone measurement being particularly important:
•In the summer, after a heavy shower of rain, acid rain may detrimentally affect the pH factor.
In the fall, if leaf fall is heavy,large quantities of dead leaves may end up in the pond in a very short time. The rapid onset of decomposition may quickly reduce the pH factor to values around 5 – these are lethal values for most fish .Regulating the pH factor: You will have to intervene if the pH factor deviates from values that are com-for table for fish.
•If the pH factor is too low: slowly change one-third of the water, and repeat if necessary.
•If the pH factor is too high: suspend a sack of garden peat in the pond until the desired value is attained. Check regularly as the pH value should not drop too low.
The nitrite and nitrate content constant process of change takes place in a pond. The organic waste produced by creatures and plants -for example, plant debris, excrement, remains of fish food – are decomposed by bacteria. This creates nitrites that are harmful to fish,which are then changed into nitrates which are harmless for fish,The process uses up oxygen in the water. As long as plenty of oxygen is available, and there is not too much waste matter in the water,this process will function without ah itch. The nitrite and nitrate con-tents will remain low and will not affect the well-being of the fish.
If the nitrite and nitrate contents become too high: The more waste matter that accumulates in the water, the greater the danger of nutrient over-enrichment and lack of oxygen. Too much nitrite is formed and also too much nitrate, which binds a lot of the oxygen in the water. The consequences are that:
•Too many nutrients lead to increased growth of algae.
•A high nitrite content will lead to symptoms of poisoning in fish.
•Due to a lack of oxygen, the fish
rise to the surface gasping for air(emergency respiration).
Prevention (important in an rna-mental pond!)
For this reason, it is very necessary to:
•change one-third of the water every three weeks;
•feed the fish properly.
In an emergency: change the water and add an oxygenate (read the directions carefully).
The best prevention is to employ a running stream as a bio-logical filter.
Hardness of the water
The calcium and magnesium con-tent of the water will determine the degree of hardness.
The various degrees of hardness of water are determined as follows:5-10 degrees Clark = soft water;10-21 degrees Clark = medium hard water; 22-38 degrees Clark =hard water.
Suitable hardness: medium hard,although many species of fish will cope with harder water. American main water generally has the right degree of hardness. You can discover the degree of hardness of your main water by approaching your local water utility or measuring it yourself with the relevant reagents .Carbonate hardness is important for measuring water hardness. This indicates the amount of carbonates,which are compounds of calcium and magnesium with carbonic acid.The degree of carbonate hardness will determine how easy it will be to offset the fluctuations of the pH values, which would become extreme without the carbonate hardness and would have a lethal effect on many organisms. Carbonate hardness is part of the total hardness and is determined separately (reagent scan be obtained from aquarium suppliers).
The right water
Main water is usually suitable for garden ponds. In some regions,however, main water may contain high amount of nitrates because residues from artificial fertilizers used in agriculture have seeped in::the groundwater. Later on, pond plants will absorb these products but there may be increased algae growth to begin with. In the case water that is polluted with nitrates to a high degree, it is recommence:that you add a suitable agent.
In some households, ma -water runs through an ion-exchanger so that the pipes do nc-become furred up with calcium deposits. In this case, the water have to be extracted from the man before it reaches the ion-exchanger because the exchanger de mineralizes the water, which may kill the fish.
Rainwater that has been collections can be used quite safely your pond. If the rain runs through gutter, however, you should wait for some time after long periods of dry weather, until the rain has washed away most of the accumulated dirt from the roof.
Filling and changing the water
As a rule, let fresh water run in very slowly. Connect a spray attachment to your hose. The fine spray will drive out any chlorine. Too much chlorine can lead to acid burns on the fishes’ gills.
My tip: If you have one, check your water meter before and after the first filling of your pond. This will tell you the capacity of your pond. This value will dictate the number of fish you can install in the pond.
Pontederia will require a soil consisting of a clay, sand, and peat mixture.
Emptying the pond: For this, you will need a water pump, to which you should attach a long hose.Make sure to equip the suction opening of the pump with a suction filter or it will become clogged with plant debris.
Changing the water in an rna-mental pond: Change one-third of the water every three weeks, if pos-sib le. Add water treatment agents after the complete change of water following the fall cut-back of plants.
Changing the water in a nature pond: Only do this in an emergency. If the water level has dropped sharply and no rain is expected within the foreseeable, let water run in very slowly.
What to do with the water from your pond
A huge quantity of water is involve din the changing of pond water, certainly with a complete emptying and refilling. There are two ways of removing a large volume of water from a pond without too much fuss.Let it soak away in the garden: If you use a water pump with an out-put of 273 gallons (1,000 liters) per hour, the volume of water moved
when emptying a small pond (about820-1,090 gallons/3,000-4,000liters) will soak away very easily in abnormal, porous soil (lawn or flowerbed) without creating a flood.
Watch the pond constantly duringthe removal of the water so that you can intervene if it does not soak away quickly enough. The water must not be let penetrate your neighbors’ gardens. Always let the water soak away a good bit before the boundary of your land. There should be no problems when removing only part of the water in your pond.
Using an outlet into the sewer:There is often the opportunity to conduct the water into the end of downier from your roof gutter(house or garage). There is usually Atwater drain or gully at this point and sometimes you can push the hose into the down pipe or drain.
Responsibility for water damage
This is a very important point as ‘as you are concerned. If there is any damage, the conventional is that the person who built the pond and laid the water inlet or drainage line (whether this is the owner of the plot or a tenant) is one who is liable. If a damage pipe or improper emptying pond leads to flooding of neighbor’s land, the responsible person pays the cost of the damage.
My tip: Check the water pipe regularly to make sure it is in forehand, whenever you empty the pc- :make sure no water is flowing or::a neighbor’s land.
Care during the summer
The pond and pond plants will require only minimal care during the—er months; in the fall, when s-a making preparations for wintering, more is involved in way of care.
Ornamental ponds: Regular checks, changing water, routine of water values, and a bit for the plants are all that is necessary. which proliferate vigorously so almost explosively in the. providing there are plenty offer nutrients. This may lead to becoming overgrown, so that slow-growing plants, which do not flower until the fall, are smothered. Another thing that may hap-is that the nutrient supply by the fast-growing plants used up, which will make the plants die off rather rapidly. The debris will then decompose very quickly and this can often lead to a biological collapse of the pond within a few days. Fast-growing plants should, therefore, be thinned out regularly during the summer.
•Cut off troublesome growth as close as possible to the source withal pruning knife or rose clippers.
•Floating plants which have spread too widely can be fished out by hand or with a hand net .Nature ponds: Only replenish water that has evaporated and, if necessary, thin out wildly proliferating plants. If the temperature of the water rises above 68°F (20°C), Urgently recommend supplying extra oxygen.
Controlling algae without the use of toxic substances
Algae do have a place in a pond. Without them the pond would be biologically dead. They fulfill important functions, such as supplying food for water snails and micro-organisms. and provide protection and a hiding place for fish. The algae should not, however, be let gain the upper hand.
The cause of excessive growth of algae is an accumulation of nutrients in the pond, caused by the decomposition of plants, animals,food, and excrement, as well as the addition of fertilizers.
Measures against excessive growth of algae
To keep algae growth within limits you must implement all of the mea-sure’s mentioned below. One mea-sure alone will not lead to success .Plants: Employ marginal and water plants. They remove nutrients from the water, which will deprive the algae of their main source of food .Plants like Elodea, Potamogeton, pornography (water milfoil) should be included when stocking your pond but do not plant too many.
As the growth of algae will increase with rising temperatures, shade-providing plants, like water lilies,Symphonies pelt (water fringe),and other surface plants, will be useful aids in keeping the temperature of the water down.
Fish: Algae-eating fish, like gras scarp (Ctenopharyngodon idella),silver carp (Hypophthalmichthysmolitrix), and bitterling (Rhodeussericeus), can be used to keepalgae in check.
Water snails: If you introduce a fewto your pond, they should not getout of hand as long as you do notfeed the fish so much that remains of food sink to the bottom to pro-vide extra food for the snails.
When building and caring for the pond, the following points should be borne in mind:
•Design your pond in such a way that remains of lawn fertilizer are not washed into the pond every time it rains.
•Routinely check the pH factor of the water and, if necessary, re gu-late it.
•Supply sufficient air. The more air that is pumped into the pond with an air pump, the more carbon dioxide is pushed out and the cooler the water will become.
•Carefully remove existing algae(long clumps and cotton wool-like formations).
•A running stream is recommend-ed as a biological filter.
Unsuitable measures: I would strongly advise against using chemical agents to control algae growth. These contain toxins that provide only temporary relief in removing algae, which will quickly grow back again.
Over wintering of the pond
When the temperature of the waterfalls below 54°F (12°C) in the fall,the leaves will change color and start falling, and it is now time to carry out several measures to ensure that both fish and plants survive the winter safely.
Preparing an ornamental pond for winter
The most important signal for the start of fall care is the temperature of the water. When it drops below 54°F (12°C), most fish will stop
feeding.
Removing some of the pond water: You will have to remove ago od two-thirds of the pond water before you can begin your preparations for the winter.
Catching the fish: As soon as the water has been removed, take out the fish and any amphibians (frog sand newts, etc.). These creatures are easy to catch in shallow water with the help of a net or even with your hand if you are gentle.
Be careful: the sensitive mucous membranes of fish must not be injured. Immediately place the fish(not the amphibians. which would drown!) in a large, water-filled container (a bathtub or aquarium). The water should be provided with plenty of oxygen (use an air pump).Cover the container with a cloth as the fish might otherwise leap out because they have been scared by the catching procedure. Do not us ea hard cover, which might injure the fish if they leap against it.
Release the amphibians in secure, damp, sheltered position near the pond.
Clearing out the pond: Decaying processes during the winter rest period might seriously lower the quality of the water. For this reason,everything that might decay duringthe winter should be removed from the pond.
•Stand all planting baskets by the edge of the pond. This will make it easier to work in the pond.
•The bottom sludge, which con-tai ns decomposed plant matter and other debris, should be completely removed if possible.
•The algae along the edge of the pond should be scrubbed off with ab rush.
•Cut back all vigorously proliferating plants by four-fifths; they will start shooting again in the spring.
•Some plants (like water lilies),which have rooks that grow as rhizomes, bulbs, or tubers will need special care.
•Please note the tips on care for individual species. Filling the pond again: After completing all the work, the pond can
be filled with fresh water. The should be treated with a suitable agent (obtainable from aquarium suppliers).
Preparing the pond forever
Change one-third of the water. T.-,best way is to let the pond run cs lowly. Only very large nature ponds, with a surface area of mc√ɬ¢√¢‚Äö¬¨√Ǭ¢ethan 538 sq ft (50 sq m) should be left without any preparation for winter. In the case of a small pond, more care will be necessitate it would silt up or eve-dry up within a few years’ time.
Care of water lilies
The rhizome of the water lily is constantly growing at the tip and decaying somewhere else. It will,therefore, always smell rather strongly of rotten eggs. When the water lily root is submerged in the pond, however, you cannot same -and it does not affect the beauty health of the plant.
Care: Water lilies (and all other plants with rhizomes) must be transplanted in the fall.
•Cut back the rhizome by a
and remove all decaying parts Wi7a sharp knife.
•Remove leaves, flowers, and stalks. Do not cut off any en-try-cleaves or flowers that are already present in the fall. The young lea e-:are rolled up and shaped like arrow, -heads.
•Plant the rhizome again, in larger planting basket if necessary.
•Hardy species can be planted in the deepest part of the pond.
•More sensitive species should be over wintered in a frost free position, , covered Mwth dead leaves,preferably in a cool cellar. Check the rootstocks occasionally, as decaying parts should be remove:Propagating: Water lilies are keas:to propagate in the fall. Divide the rhizome between the buds (where toots will grow) with a sharp knife.The buds are shield-shaped, usually—angular, and about the size of agenda. Set the divided rhizome pieces in planting baskets.
Care of bulbous or tuber-like roots
The bulbous or tuber-like swellings of the root system must not be damaged as the rootstock would- en quickly decay and the plant mc, die.
Care: In the case of perennials, remove only the leaves in the fall,then carefully remove the young tubers and set them in a planting basket. In the case of annuals, likes agitation (arrowhead),the mother plant, which dies in the fall, is removed and the young tubers are planted.
Over wIntering fish in a pond
If your fish are to over winter in pond, measures must be taken to ensure that the fish survive the win-t er safely. Even if you were to adopt only one of the measures described below, this would benefit the fish and the entire pond. The best results will be obtained, however, if you combine several of the mea-sure’s or even use all of them.
All over wintering measures will also benefit pond visitors that over-winter in the water (such as dragon-fly larvae, snails, and frogs).Warning: If the deep-water zone isles’s than 28 in (70 cm) deep, you should over winter the fish in an aquarium. In order to find out how to do this, you must consult a book on aquariums or seek advice frogman aquarium expert.
Covering the pond
In my experience, the ideal overmastering measure is to cover the pond with transparent material. This will help to utilize the sun’s warmth, just as in a cold frame or greenhouse.The time for covering up is before the leaves begin to fall from the trees. This will prevent the wind from depositing large quantities of leaves in the pond.
Covering material: glass, Plexiglas. or corrugated plastic .Corrugated, transparent plastic is very stable and tough and can be rolled up when not in use (saving storage space during the summer).It can be obtained from builders ‘merchants in various widths (up to15 ft/4.5 m).
Method
• Place the covering over the pond at an angle so that rainwater will runoff the upper side and condensation can run off the under side, and so that a slight but vital amount of ventilation is assured.
• The slope of the covering should face south.
• Weigh down the edges of the covering with lattice bricks.
• In regions that experience frequent falls of slushy snow, support widths of corrugated plastic that are longer than 8 ft 4 in (2.5 m) with lengths of wood (1 by 2 in/24 by48 mm). Arrange the lengths of wood like a grid, spacing them 24-32 in (60-80 cm) apart.
Care: Sweep off thick layers of wet,slushy snow. Powdery snow can be left, as it is an excellent additional insulator which will considerably hinder ice formation on top of the pond.
Keeping a hole free of ice
If you can keep part of the surface of the pond free of ice all winter, by using a pond heater or ice-prevent-er, you will ensure an adequate supply of oxygen.
An oxygen supply during the winter
If you have a covered pond contain-in few fish, you need not necessarily add oxygen (although it is better if you do). However, you will have to provide additional oxygen if:
• a covered pond is stocked with lots of over wintering fish;
• the pond is not covered.
Air pump: Blowing in air will pro-vide the pond with necessary oxygen and will hinder constant freezing up
• Lay the air hose in a medium deep part of the pond. If air is blown in at the deepest part, farther strong current would be created in the pond. This would be stressful for the fish and they would tend to lose condition.
Hang the air pump up in heated room so that warmer air is pumped into the pond. Again, this will hinder rapid freezing over of the pond.
Oxygenate: This can provide up to three months’ supply of oxygen under the ice, but it will not keep ah ole open in the ice as an air pump will.
What you should not do!Never hammer a hole in the ice
cover. You will only succeed in disturbing the dormancy of fish and other pond creatures. It would probably frighten them so much that they would start swimming around in a panic and might injure themselves badly. Never throw polystyrene, twigs, bundles of straw, or automobile tires into the pond to prevent freezing up. This would do more harm than good.
Pond care in the spring
If you have prepared your pond properly for the winter, just a few measures will be necessary in spring to prepare it for the summer.
• Check the reinforcement of the banks and secure loose stones or paving stones.
• Check the drainage
and make sure it is not
clogged with decomposing leaves.
• Check all gadgets to make sure they are functioning properly.
•Resume use of the filter or stream.
• Lower the water lilies gradually,at intervals of one week.
• Test the water and, if necessary,regulate.
• In the first month of spring, add plants if required.
• When the temperature of the water rises above 50°F (10°C), start feeding the fish that have over-wintered in the pond.
• Do not put fish that overwrite an aquarium back into the pond until the difference in temperature between the aquarium and the pond water is only a few degrees .Reintroduce the fish into shallow water!
Problems can appear in spring if you neglected to care for the
pond in the fall. It is quite likely that not all of the pond life will have survived if your pond was not properly prepared for winter. If you have been negligent, by early spring the oxygen content of the water will be so low that you really must take measures, during the last month of winter and in early spring, to prevent the biological collapse of the pond and damage to the fish.
•Immediately blow in oxygen and thaw the ice at the relevant place with a stream of water.
•Let fresh water into the pond very slowly!
•Remove the ice cover. It will be lifted up by the rising water level, sc it can easily be broken and lifted off.
•Afterward, let more water run inland, by letting the pond run over,gradually exchange the water in the pond.
•Fish out any sludge that rises tithe surface, using a net.
•On no account feed the fish,even if they are swimming around the top. As soon as the oxygen situation has normalized, they will return to the deeper regions of the pond until the temperature of the water rises.
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