Serenity Water Gardens

Water Quality is the most important aspect of fishkeeping there is.  Poor Quality water introduces stress in the fish and creates the right environment toxins which can ultimately cause death.

If you would like to know how much you spend on the electricity of your pump? You may find the following formula will be helpful.

We've found these formulas and conversion factors to be helpful!   Have Fun!!

Once a week with a normal amount of fish and plants, twice a week for a large amount of fish and plants.

 

Pumps give your pond water circulation. If they are the right size for your pond and are properly placed, they eliminate stagnant water and provide oxygen to your pond.

Plants want a definite daily light and dark cycle each day; 10-14 hours is fine; twelve hours is the duration on the equator, where many tropical plants are found.

Fish are one of the components in balancing a successful water garden.

Generally speaking, you should not feed your fish more than twice per day, and not more than they can eat within five minutes each time.

The skimmer basket is designed for catching the debris from your pond and housing the pump.

The skimmer baskets establish the water level, house the pump and plumbing, remove floating debris, serve as biological filters, and circulate oxygenated water back to the pond.

Depends on the size of your pond.

What's the newest, most innovative and cost effective way of controlling the simpler forms of algae in a water gardening setting?   Well, how about tossing a small bale of Barley Straw into the pond?  Yep,   we said "Barley Straw".    Farmers in Scotland have used this method to control green floating algae in farm ponds for centuries (or so the story goes).  Nobody knew how or why it worked, but the farmers would toss in a couple bales of their straw every spring.  The United Kingdom's IACR-Center for Aquatic Plant Management (formerly the Aquatic Weeds Research Unit) has conducted extensive testing into the dosage regimen and method of action for Barley Straw's algaecidal reputation.

Fish stocking density is affected by many different variables.  Larger fish require a LOT more water than smaller fish.  The number of plants in your pond, the type of filtration system, and the dissolved oxygen levels in your pond affect it.  The waste handling capacity of your filter system and how much of what quality food is fed plays a big role.

 

Chlorine (Cl) is a gas which is added to municipal water systems to control harmful bacteria.  In the United States, if you don't have a water well on your property, you probably pay for chlorinated water.   Test kits are rarely owned by the pond hobbyist because it's an "all or nothing" sort of thing.....  If you use well water, you don't have chlorine.   If you don't use well water, you do have chlorine and need to take care of it before (or while) adding water to your pond.  Most city systems run a chlorine content of 0.5 to 3.0 ppm, but will sometimes "flush" the systems with higher concentrations.  Check with your local water authority to find out if chlorine is present in your water.

Surface area is all important to the oxygenation of the pond water.  Aeration increases the surface area of water that comes into contact with the air.

 

Nitrates are the end product of the breakdown of ammonia. It would be more worrying if Nitrates were not present in the water as this would tend to suggest that the filter is not functioning correctly.

Nitrites in the water are caused by the breakdown of ammonia.

Ammonia is toxic to fish.  Exposure to ammonia results in an increase in mucus on the fish. The increased mucus may harbour bacteria and parasites which will cause infection. Gills may also become swollen and both will result in the reduced ability of the fish to absorb oxygen.

 

A pH measurement will help us determine if our water is a proper place to put the fish. For our Koi ponds, the pH should normally be between 7.0 and 8.5, but it is probably acceptable to be anywhere between 5.5 and 9.0. Although most of the fish could tolerate a pH as low as 5.0, bio-converter bacteria are subject to damage. Long term conditions above 9.0, can cause kidney damage to the Koi.

What is pH and Hardness?  pH refers to the acidity or alkalinity of water. Different fish have learnt to adapt to different pH levels, thus, it's important to know the requirements of your fish.  Although many fish can adapt to a range of pH levels, fluctuations outside this range may well prove fatal.

Green string algae is the biggest headache for pond keepers.

One of the most misunderstood happenings every year in the life of pond keepers is the spring PEA SOUP. The cries for "Oh my God, my pond is green!" echo throughout the land - somewhat akin to the age old cries of "the plague, the plague". However, a little understanding, a splash of education and maybe it "t'aint" so bad after all".