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Newly set up ponds or ponds that have had a total cleanout will take at least 4-6 weeks to establish its eco-system. Most new water will not have what it needs to establish the eco-system. The water should be tested to determine what it needs to help establish the system. Beneficial Bacteria (Microbe Lift, Ki Nitrifier) should be added to jump start the system.

To figure the gallons of the pond, click here Calculating Pond Volume

Too many fish, in too small a pond, without sufficient filtration will overload the bio system.

The more you feed, the more fish poop. More poop is more fertilizer for algae. Filtration should be set up to help break down and remove debris from the pond.

Filtration is the key to everything. It is the key to clear water and healthy water. There is no such thing as having too much filtration. The more filtration, the healthier and clearer the water. Keep in mind too, that clear water doesn’t necessarily mean that it is healthy water. The toxins that are harmful to your fish (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate) cannot be seen.

Key elements to a good filter:

· External instead of submerged- An external filter is much better than a submerged filter for several reasons. Submerged filters restrict the intake of your pump. Restricting the intake of the pump wears the pump out faster. Submerged filters do not get enough oxygen to allow the beneficial bacteria to keep up with the biological load. A lot of debris washes back into the pond when a submerged filter is removed.

· Biological and Mechanical Media- Biological media is a home in which beneficial bacteria colonize and grow. Beneficial bacteria are what help to break down debris, and remove the toxins that develop from fish waste, decaying plants, debris, etc. Biological media should not be cleaned. Cleaning removes the beneficial bacteria. Mechanical media is foam pads that remove the solids that are in the water. Mechanical media can be removed from the filter and cleaned.

· Trickle Effect- Water should enter the top of the filter, spraying over the mechanical filter media, through the biological media, then back out into the pond. This allows the water to gather extra oxygen as it enters the filter, and carry it to the beneficial bacteria. The mechanical media collects solids before they can get to and clog the biological media. The beneficial bacteria that live in the biological media then break down the toxins (ammonia & nitrite) from the water, and convert them to relatively non-toxic nitrate. The filter media should never be submerged under water.

Water should be turned over through the filter once an hour, at the very least once every two hours. The more the water passes through the filter the better the water quality and clarity. Example: If your pond is 1200 gallons in size, your pump size should be at least 1200 gph. The gph should be more if you are running more than just the filter.

Temperature plays an important factor in how quickly the eco system/filtration becomes stable. In cold water, it takes longer for the beneficial bacteria to establish.

It is very important to monitor the quality of the water on a regular basis. Most everything that goes wrong in a pond can be traced back to a change in the water quality. New ponds should be tested at least every other day until the eco system becomes established. Established ponds should be tested on a weekly basis. By testing the water, you will be able to see a change in the test results and head off a problem before it becomes a disaster.

Ammonia and nitrite levels should be non detectable. KH (Total Alkalinity or Carbonate Hardness) should be at least 80ppm, preferably at 120ppm for regular filters and 150ppm for bead filters. PH will be at 8.4 if the KH is where it should be.

A balance of floating plants, and potted plants should provide 60%-70% surface coverage. No more than 75% of the surface should be covered because this will interfere with proper oxygen and gas exchange in the water. Floating plants (plants that are not potted) will use nitrate (fertilizer) from the pond that would otherwise feed algae. Floating leaved potted plants will help shade the water which will help starve out algae. In the spring before plants emerge, Aqua Shade may be used to help shade the water.

Algae are a plant. Chemicals to kill algae can/will also kill your wanted plants and algae. Yes, some algae should be there! Green water isn’t, but a blanket/carpet of algae on the liner is good. That is a sign that the eco system is balanced.

Chemicals. Killing algae all at once with an algaecide will suck all of the oxygen from the water causing your fish to die. Using chemicals to control algae without filtration is a never ending cycle. Without filtration to remove the dead algae, it is left in the pond to become food for more algae. Medications will destroy your beneficial bacteria which help control algae. Throwing fertilizer like 13-13-13 into the pond not only feeds the algae, it also can raise your nitrate to a level that is toxic to fish.

Debris in the pond contributes to algae problems. Keep aquatic plants pruned, and do not leave the old leaves in the pond. Also keep tree leaves skimmed out of the pond. Fish wastes, dirt, and silt should be sucked up by the pump and deposited into the filter.

Partial water changes help remove nitrate (fertilizer) from the pond.

Balancing a pond is a combination of filtration, plants, fish load, and maintaining water quality. A properly filtered, balanced pond should have very little problem with green water. A new pond, or an old pond in the spring, will go through "green water" stage while the eco system is balancing. This stage can be shortened drastically by adding beneficial bacteria and maintaining good water quality levels.

There are also some ponds that even though properly filtered, proper water quality levels are maintained, and everything is balanced, that just won’t have the clarity that is desired. This is where adding a UV light will achieve the wanted water clarity.

Ultra Violet (UV) lights. UV lights are fantastic for extra water clarity. As the pond water passes through the UV light, it alters the DNA structure of the algae causing it to die. Your filtration system will then remove the dead algae from the water. Keep in mind though, that a UV light does not take the place of filtration! Without a filter to remove the dead algae, it will accumulate in the pond feeding new algae and causing poor water quality which can/will harm your fish.

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