Discover the expert in you.
Discover the expert in you.
The pH of water defines how acidic or basic it is. This term describes the amount of hydroxide (OH-) and hydrogen (H+) ions that are contained in the water. Pond water that has equal concentrations of hydroxide and hydrogen ions is considered to have a neutral pH, with a value of 7.0. An excess of hydroxide ions causes the water to be alkaline. The pH scale is logarithmic and the concentration of ions increases tenfold for each shift in the pH value. Pond fish prefer a neutral pH and can be fatally stressed by high pH values.
There are many uses of plants in the freshwater aquarium. Plants can make fish feel at home and many fish need plants for breeding. Fast-growing plants can provide a snack for grazing herbivores. At the same time, aquatic plants suck nutrients out of the water, discouraging algae blooms. Finally, aquarium plants can enhance the appearance of the aquarium.
If you have an outdoor pond, taking care of the fish requires more than ample food and clean water. You need to take steps to control predators. Aquatic snakes are a problem for some pond owners, as they feed on fish. Land snakes do not prey on fish regularly, but when they stop at your pond for a drink of water, they devour fish if given the opportunity. When a snake makes your pond its home, it's hard to get out, and it aggressively defends its habitat. To ensure a safer pond, you can keep snakes out using the right…
A trophic level refers to a specific organism's place in a food chain within an ecosystem. There are several general trophic levels, with more detailed places for species within them. Producers, consumers and decomposers are the most basic types of organisms that can be found in any ecosystem. A well-stocked and healthy fish pond will have several species within each trophic level that provides food for organisms on other levels.
Gravel has many benefits in a fish pond. Rocks and gravel are important for a healthy ecosystem and extend the life of your pond liner.
Live plants thrive in fishponds because of the increased level of nutrients in the water from rotting food and fish excrement. Several different types of aquatic plants benefit from fishpond wastewater.
Algae-infested water can be identified by the green cast it leaves throughout the water table, slime on rocks, hairlike organisms within plants and ornaments and the surface of your pond. While some algae growths are perfectly safe and needed for good pond health, an overgrown pond can be dangerous and nasty looking. Keeping a pond or aquarium clear from algae can be a daunting prospect if you are not prepared for the undertaking. Luckily, with a bit of studying and preparation, you can keep algae under control.
Decorative fish ponds have become a very popular addition to many backyards--but in areas where winter temperatures regularly drop below freezing--ponds and their fish need to be prepared for winter. Here are some ideas on how to do it.
Keeping a pond healthy means maintaining a healthy ecosystem. An integral part of the equation is a thriving colony of beneficial bacteria. Beneficial bacteria work by removing plant and fish waste before levels of ammonia and nitrates spike and kill the fish and plants.
A biofilter is usually a separate tank full of aquatic plants that filter pond water. Pond fish are known as "dirty fish" and produce a lot of nitrogen. The nitrogen compounds, ammonia and nitrate, can become toxic to fish especially when ammonia levels rise. Plants absorb the fish waste, purifying the ammonia from the water and keeping the fish healthy. Once the water has gone through the filter, it is purified and sent back into the pond.
Ammonia is a toxic byproduct of fish waste, excess food and plant matter decay. It is transformed by bacteria into a less harmful form of nitrogen usable by plants for growth. At high levels, it can disrupt the pH of the water and lead to fish death.
Taken at a park in Windsor Riverside, Ontario, this picture depicts a healthy fish pond. It is critical to understand what makes an outdoor fish pond appealing and refreshing and keeps the fish healthy and satisfied. Watching for signs of illness and knowing what to look for to prevent an unhealthy habitat will help reduce or eliminate health problems with an outside fish pond.
If you notice that your pond is fading rapidly away, more than just evaporation may be afoot. A hole in your pond's liner will drain it faster than you can refill it. Once you locate the hole, you can patch the liner.
Proper maintenance of a fish pond involves far more than filling the pond with water, running it through a filter and introducing fish. Your outdoor pond may be the perfect spot for native frogs, salamanders and insects, such as mosquitoes, to breed. Algae may bloom and take over, dimming your view of your fish. Herons may see your pond as an expensive soup bowl.
Ammonia robs the water of its oxygen content. The fish in a pond that has too much ammonia will have no choice but to gulp air from the surface. Eventually, they will become comatose and die. It's good to always test your pond water every week for ammonia levels to prevent this from happening. Healthy pond water will have ammonia levels of 1.5 parts per million or (if the test only looks at PH levels) a PH reading between 6.8 and 7.4.
Changing outdoor pond water without a filter requires using a sump pump to draw out some dirty water and using a regular hose to displace the pond water. Change pond water to maintain an outdoor fish pond with instructions from a koi breeder and aquarium specialist in this free video on fish care.
Plants are an integral part of a fish pond because they keep the water aerated, help prevent excessive algae growth and add shade for fish. By picking suitable water plants, you can foster a healthy environment for fish and your pond as a whole.
