Keeping the Balance of Nature: Pond Water Maintenance
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Article by: Brett Fogle You might be tempted to let Mother Nature, , Hydroponic Plant Systems - What, No Dirt? tend to your backyard pond, and who could blame you? After all, she does a pretty good job of taking care of really big ponds, , Gardeners Gift Ideas so why would your backyard ecosystem pose much of a challenge to her? Unfortunately, the fact is your backyard , Landscaping Design - The Primary Principles pond is only going to get some cursory attention from Mom; the rest of the work is going to be left up to you. In the "real world" chlorinated water , Barefoot at the Cottage doesn't find its way into ponds very often. "Big" pond water , Hydroponics Gardening verses Organic Gardening: Which Grows the Best Cannabis? passes through a great many natural filtration and oxygenation systems, and the various fish and flora work together to keep the pond , 5 Fengshui Ways to Increase Curb Appeal clean and fresh. Our backyard ponds , Gardening as a Hobby don't have quite that much help, so here's where you need to step in: If you are going to keep fish , Bring the Smell of Nature into Your Home with These Fragrant Flowers then you absolutely must remove all traces of chlorine from your pond , Backyard s before your favorite Koi , Discount Garden Benches set up housekeeping. Pond , Hydroponics Gardening - An Introduction To Hydroponics Gardening For Beginners (part 4) Environment fish cannot live in chlorinated water , Teak Patio Furniture Is The Perfect Choice For Your Terrace so don't even try. There are many products , Spring Wedding Flowers available to remove chlorine quickly, or you can opt for the old-fashioned, natural , A Storage Bench Provides Much Needed Outdoor Space way if you have the time to spend. If you opt for 'a la natural' then expect to wait about 8 to 10 days for the chlorine to dissipate. You will need to make sure that your pump , Colorado Blue Spruce And Lush Red Roses and filter are running and that you have set up an aerating method such as a waterfall , Spring Wedding Flowers or "splasher" to bring oxygen into the water. , Gardening During Hard Times or Emergencies - You Can Feed Yourself! Make sure that the pond , Colorado Blue Spruce And Lush Red Roses is exposed to plenty of sunlight (the natural , Properly Watering Hillside and Sloped Landscaping enemy of chlorine), and use a chlorine testing kit to check the water , Industrial Blowers daily. Me? I just drop some de-chlorinating product , Backyard Ponds into the pond , Patio Accessories – Complete The Great Outdoors and check back the next day. Even if chlorine is totally removed, you still have nitrite and ammonia to worry about. These two toxic buddies are byproducts of fish waste and can wreak havoc with your Koi's health. After a while Mother Nature , Hydroponic Plant Systems - What, No Dirt? will kick in some help by allowing beneficial bacteria colonies to develop that enjoy eating nitrite and ammonia for breakfast, lunch and dinner. They won't be present in new ponds, , Easy Fall Propagation Techniques however, unless you buy some bacteria starter kits to kick start the process. Your garden , Colorado Blue Spruce And Lush Red Roses pond could become overtaxed, ecologically, if you add too many fish , Industrial Blowers too quickly. Start out adding no more than two per week so that the newly introduced bacteria do not get overwhelmed by the waste that will be produced. Just when you think you've got it all under control that ugly thing called "pH" raises its head. Testing for pH levels is also very important since neither plants , Outdoor Kitchens: Attention All Cooks - You've Never Had It This Good! nor fish , Bonsai Trees For Sale - Things To Know Before You Buy will survive very long if the pond's pH is out of whack. Your pH test kit should show a reading of between 6.8 and 7.4. You can add the proper chemicals to raise or lower if as neccessary. Speaking of test kits, get one that will allow you to test the pond's salt levels as well. Unless you're raising baby Sea bass, too much salt is not a good thing. After your pond , The Magic Plant Copier is fully established, Mother Nature , Skip The Pesticide And Use Natural Alternatives will lend a bigger hand and you can settle into a routine of testing every three of four weeks unless something serious, such as flooding, has occurred in between.Brett Fogle is the owner of MacArthur Water Gardens , This Fall, Give Your Trees Some TLC and several other pond-related websites including MacArthurWatergardens.com and Pond-Filters-Online.com. He also publishes a free monthly newsletter called PondStuff! with a reader circulation of over 9,000. To sign up for the free newsletter and receive our FREE 'New Pond , Gardening Tips and Tricks for Late Autumn Owners Guide' visit MacArthur Water Gardens , Do Statues Have a Place in a Modern Garden? today! |
  
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