For people first getting into ponding and are
planning on handling their own pond maintenance, one of the first questions they
ask is "What type of pond supplies do I need?" With the sheer number of pond supplies
on the market and the various types
of products and pond supply manufacturers, it is easy to see
the confusion.
The first
thing that should be considered when determining the necessary
pond supplies is to understand what kind of pond you have and
what is its purpose. For instance, is it a koi pond/ backyard
fish pond or is it a water garden or is it a larger private
pond? All of these ponds are common, but they do not all require
the same type of supplies to maintain them. Also, you need to
decide if you are going to have fish or other animals living
in the water or even using the pond as a water source. This
is very important as some pond supplies, like algae control
products, can be harmful to fish and other plants. For the sake
of this article, we will discuss the basic pond supplies for
these 3 types of ponds: Fish Ponds, Water Gardens and Large
Ponds.
Fish Pond Supplies
Obviously
koi ponds and backyard fish ponds are the two ponds that require
the most maintenance and supplies to keep clean. If you have
spent hundreds or thousands of dollars on koi fish or fancy
goldfish, you want to be sure you keep them healthy. Now, your
pond should already be equipped with the proper pond filtration
and pond aeration to help keep waste and debris cleared out
and oxygen levels steady, so we will skip that part. It is the
issue of basic water treatments that is our focus.
Every fish
pond owner needs to use some kind of a quality water dechlorinator
to remove chlorine and chloramines from new water that is added
back into the pond. There are several full function water conditioners
on the market that provide dechlorination along with other benefits
like ammonia reduction, nitrate reduction, replaces skin slime
coat and reduces stress in fish and also adjusts pH, which makes
water changes very simple and minimizes the need for several
different products. Generally these types of water conditioners
are only used when making partial or full water changes.
Fish pond owners should also be using beneficial
bacteria. Beneficial bacteria can come in many shapes and sizes such as liquids,
powders, packets and blocks. All of which do the same thing. Beneficial bacteria
work to break down organic waste in the pond water, such as excess food, fish
waste, dead leaves and other similar matter. Beneficial bacteria also reduce
ammonia, nitrate and nitrite, as well as problem causing phosphate.
Additionally, pond
bacteria
are instrumental in reducing odors
and seeding and maintaining biological filters. What is nice
about pond bacteria is that they are very easy to apply and
pose no threat if they are overused. However, bacteria should
be added regularly, every 2-4 weeks depending on the pond.
Another pond supply that is a must is an algaecide.
Unfortunately, unsightly algae is a fact of life when owning a pond. Algaecides
are a
sensitive issue because they can be harmful to fish if not used
properly. There are several types of copper-based algaecides
that are effective at controlling alga such as Cutrine Plus,
Captain and copper sulfatee, but can also be dangerous if not
used properly. However there are new algaecides on the market
that are non copper based, EPA approved and have been proven
to be safe for use around fish. One such algaecide is GreenClean.
GreenClean works on contact to kill algae without detrimental
effects to the water. GreenClean has been tested at concentration
levels several times higher than the recommended dosage and
still posed no harm to fish.
Now having
the proper water treatments is definitely important, but on
top of that, it is critical to see what effect they are having
on your water from a water quality standpoint. This why a good
pond test kit is important. Pond test kits come in many varieties
and test parameters such as pH, ammonia, nitrate, nitrite, chlorine,
alkalinity, etc. For most any pond, pH level is the primary
factor that is measured since wide fluctuations in pH can result
in poor water quality and poor fish health. The tests are as
simple as dipping a strip into the water and matching colors
with a code on the box or bottle the strips come in. For more
high tech people, there are digital testers that provide a digital
read out of the pH level, but are much more costly.
These few
supplies are just the basics needed to maintain healthy pond
water. As you become more experienced you will see there are
also a wide assortment of pond products that treat specific
needs of fish health and individual water quality issues.
Water Garden Supplies
The pond
supplies used to maintain a water garden are very similar to
those used to maintain a koi pond. Like in a koi pond, beneficial
bacteria should be used regularly. Now while there may not be
fish food or fish waste to breakdown, there will still be debris
and other organic waste that can enter the pond that the bacteria
can and will break down. Also, a good algaecide will also be
important to keep that green pest away. In a scenario where
no fish are involved, the copper based algaecides work well,
however the GreenClean algaecide is still a good, safer alternative.
Water gardens
do open the window of opportunity for pond supplies like pond
dyes or pond colorants, that generally do not get used much
in fish ponds. Pond dyes are most commonly found in blue, but
are also available in black. They basically tint the water a
clear blue (or black) color to add aesthetic appeal. Pond dyes
are also used as part of algae control programs to help filter
sunlight that enters the water. Good pond dyes are harmless
to plants, animals and fish and are non-staining. They are also
compatible with most every other water treatment on the market.
Another
pond product that is nice to have (but not a must) for a water
garden is a good stone/waterfall cleaning product. These kind
of products commonly use oxygen power to break down debris and
clean stone surfaces like on waterfalls, planters and other
hard surfaces. As with pond dyes, they are safe to use with
other pond supplies and help with the overall aesthetics of
your water garden.
Depending
on where the water garden sits, it may experience cloudy water
from inorganic matter like dirt and clay or just simply fine
particles of organic waste that are suspended in the water column,
in which case a flocculent can be very handy. Flocculants cause
suspended particles to bind together, allowing them to settle
to the bottom where they can either be broken down by the bacteria
or removed via filtration. Flocculants are often times forgotten
about or overlooked but can be very helpful with stubborn water
clarity issues.
Large Pond Supplies
Larger ponds
like commercial ponds or farms ponds generally require fewer
supplies than their smaller counterparts. As the body of water
gets larger, nature begins to play a larger role with the maintenance.
Additionally, water for these type of ponds do not come from
tap water, but rather rain water, creeks or underground springs,
which do not require dechlorinating. However, there are still
a few supplies that any pond owner with a pond larger than ¼
acre should know about.
Every body
of water, even larger ponds and small lakes, can benefit from
regular use of beneficial bacteria. What sets the large ponds
apart from the water gardens or fish ponds, is the way the bacteria
is applied to the large ponds. Generally, powder forms of bacteria
are better for larger ponds because they are more concentrated
and require less product than the liquid varieties, although
there are concentrated forms of the liquid bacteria that can
be very cost effective. As a matter of fact, many powder formulations
come in pre-dosed packets, which are ideal for accurate applications
in big ponds.
Commercial
ponds and farm ponds will also need a good algaecide at some
point during the year, particularly in the summer months. Copper
based algaecides are very prevalent among large pond owners,
but as in the case of fish ponds and water gardens, GreenClean
is an excellent alternative. GreenClean Pro is the commercial
pond version of GreenClean that has a slightly modified formula
better suited for large applications. Algaecides and bacteria
generally don't work well at the same time, so it is important
to add your bacteria about 3 days after the algaecide has been
applied.
Another key pond supply for the care and maintenance
of a large pond is a good aerator or fountain. Aerators and pond
fountains
provide
critical circulation and dissolved oxygen to help the beneficial
bacteria thrive and help prevent the growth of algae, as algae
does not thrive in oxygen rich, circulating pond water. A good
pond aerator is particularly beneficial in the summer months
when ponds become stagnant and are exposed to more direct sunlight.
Aerators and fountains come in all shapes and sizes, however
a good rule of thumb is to decide what you want more: aeration
or aesthetics. A pond aerator is going to provide less visual
appeal, but is more efficient at adding oxygen back into the
pond. Where as a pond fountain provides a greater array of visual
appeal, but is less efficient at adding back oxygen, although
they do still provide aeration benefits.
Water clarity
issues are also common for large ponds that receive large amounts
of run-off or have high concentrations of fish that keep sediment
and waste stirred up. As in small ponds, flocculents can help
with this, but for most people the products used in fish ponds
and water gardens can be cost prohibitive when treating ponds
an acre or larger. In these scenarios products like gypsum and
lime are a good way to go. They are much less expensive and
are readily available in bulk sizes. Gypsum and lime is not
found everywhere and pond owners generally can work with their
local agriculture extension agent to obtain these types of pond
supplies.
There are
certainly more pond supplies available on the market than the
few mentioned here, but having these basic pond products (depending
on your pond) will provide you with the foundation to a healthy
pond that can be built upon as your knowledge base and experience
grows.
