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Pond Balance
The number one problem for pond owners is "GREEN WATER". A pond is a dynamic system that is constantly being bombarded with dirt, waste, airborne particles and sunlight, as well as plants and fish. These substances contribute to green water and sludge. With proper filtration and aeration and maintaining the proper parameters and bacteria population, a pond can be balanced.
Pond Problems (The Importance Of Proper Parameters)
The 3 essential parameters* that are required for a healthy, balanced pond are:
pH OF WATER MAINTAINED BETWEEN 6.5 AND 9.0
WATER TEMPERATURE ABOVE 60°F (15°C)
DISSOLVED OXYGEN LEVELS ABOVE 3 PPM (3 MG/L)
*Any sudden or drastic change in any of these three factors can
cause major problems within a pond environment.
pH - maintained between 6.5 and 9.0
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A rapid pH swing can cause a fish stress and massive fish kills. |
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Low pH water can harm fish gills; and high pH water can harm fins and gills and contribute to unwanted algae growth. |
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When the pH becomes too high, the natural bacteria within a pond can no longer function properly and these bacteria may die in large quantities. This causes a biological imbalance, because there isn't enough natural bacteria to help keep up with the constant load of organics and algae being formed in the pond. |
Temperature - Water Temperatures above 60°F
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Keeping the temperature of a pond at a relative constant could be the difference between a healthy, thriving pond and a stagnant pond. |
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Natural bacteria and many manufactured bacteria are most active at temperatures of 60°F or higher, and although a 10° fluctuation will not harm the bacteria for the most part, a 20° to 30° fluctuation may. |
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Once there is a bacteria die off or the bacteria become inactive due to parameter changes, the pond is prime for an algae bloom. |
Oxygen - Dissolved Oxygen levels above 3 PPM
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If there is little to no oxygen, then a pond will become stagnant and lifeless.
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When there is very little oxygen in a system, it can be dangerous to add any bacteria supplement to the water since bacteria will utilize some oxygen in the water.
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It is a good idea to have an aeration system in any pond whether it be a waterfall, a fountain or even simply a pump to keep the water moving.
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Example of Diagnosing a Pond Problem
Keeping a pond balanced is extremely difficult to explain, so an example is in order. A person has 20 fish and 6 lilies in a 200 gallon pond. The pond has green water and the fish and plant life are in questionable condition. What do you do?
When analyzing this pond, we must first understand what is happening in this system. This is best done by asking a series of simple questions that will lead to a resolution of the problem.
1. What is the primary problem of this pond?
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There are too many fish and plants present for a healthy, active pond environment. |
2. What are these fish doing to the pond?
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They are using a lot of oxygen, resulting in oxygen levels that could be dangerously low. |
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The fish are adding so much waste at one time that the natural bacteria cannot keep up. |
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Due to fish respiration, the pH is most likely low, causing stress on the fish, plants and natural bacteria. |
3. What are the lilies doing to the pond?
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They contribute to the sludge layer with their dead leaves and stems. |
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Most of the time plants help the system more than hurt the system.
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They remove nitrate and other plant nutrients. |
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They raise the pH via photosynthesis, which helps to alleviate the rising pH due to fish respiration. |
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They will provide surface cover. |
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4. What can be done to fix this problem?
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BALANCE THE SYSTEM! Remove at least 15 fish and 3 lilies. Too many fish and plants in one pond will cause many problems. |
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