Pond Ideas

Here you will find a number of useful ideas and tips well worth considering if you have a pond or are considering one.

Location

Of vital consideration for a healthy pond is choosing a suitable location. Therefore, plan carefully where you would like to construct your pond.

If possible choose an area in medium shade that is open to the south and west with approximately 4-6 hours of daylight a day. The north side of the garden is therefore less suitable.

An architectural pond can be constructed close to the house. An area underneath trees is not suitable due to the shade and the falling leaves.

When you decide on a location for a pond you should also consider your neighbors: The noise of a fountain or watercourse can irritate some people after a while and has caused more than one argument between neighbors in the past. Frogs can sometimes create an incredible level of noise that can rob people of their sleep. Last but not least you should consider the important subject of safety i.e. for children.
A further important factor to consider is the water supply and disposal. The pond water can be tap water, rainwater or water from a well. Pure, sterile tap water is not recommended for fish. However, certain additives can change the water quality so that is provides a good medium for fish to live in.

You should never use rainwater for the initial fill of the pond. It lacks minerals and may carry pollutants from the air. Therefore it should never be used directly but only for topping up. It is unavoidable that rain will enter the pond. Hence it should be treated regularly to compensate.

Well water is not suitable either for the initial fill. Generally it lacks oxygen and carries substances from various layers of the soil, which could be harmful to occupants in the pond. Therefore check the water quality before the initial fill.

Finally you have to account for the use of filters and pumps right from the start. To provide plants and animals with an ideal living environment it is important to choose the correct location for filter and pumps to enable effective operation.

If you plan to install lighting systems you need to consider the need for power supply, cable and switches. Don't forget you will need to use an approved 30mA RCCD (Residual Current Circuit Device). If you are in any doubt about this consult a qualified electrical contractor.




	Size The decision for the size and shape of the pond should be determined by your own preference, and the size of the garden and the intended location. In any case, the size of the pond plays an important part for the biological balance of the pond: The larger the pond is, the more natural the visual effect, and the better the conditions for plants and animals. If you intend to keep Koi fish, your pond will need a minimum depth of 1m to provide an ideal living environment especially in the winter. But many fish will hapilly live a pond 400mm deep.

Fish

Fish bring life and movement to your pond. They are not only beautiful and graceful but they also fulfil an important function in the ecological balance of the pond.

They feed on unwanted visitors to your pond such as mosquitoes and chrysalis and excrete nitrogen which is vital for pond plants.

If you want to keep fish in your pond you will have to provide the right conditions: The right size, shape and plants are just as important as the right technology to ensure the provision of oxygen as well as a constant current and movement in the water.

BIOsys filter systems and the pond aeration device Oxymax are just two great products amongst many effective choices from the OASE range.

The best time to add fish to the pond depends on the age of the pond or the pond water. In any case you should wait until the ecological balance in the water has established itself.

The OASE aqua activ water test set can help to check all the important water parameters. The right amount of fish for your pond can be roughly determined with the following general rule: Up to 1 kg (2.2lb) of fish per m³ (1000 litres) of

When choosing the type of fish you are spoilt for choice, with the number of different varieties available in the shops: Golden Orf, Shubumkins, tench or sarassa comets are just as suitable for your pond as Goldfish and Koi.

Make sure that you buy these fish from a specialist aquatic retailer. Fish from wild ponds often carry parasites and germs which could infect the fish in your pond.

A very special pond is the Koi pond. It is different in size, depth, plants and technology from other fish ponds. A Koi fish pond generally needs to be at least 1.5m deep.

When the fish stock levels grow, the filter technology needs to be powerful and easily expandable like for example our BIOsys systems. The filter capacity has to be calculated exactly for the existing fish stock levels and water quantity to offer the fish the perfect living environment.

Koi Formula 2 and 5 from the innovative OASE eco fit fish feeding programme offers you an excellent solution for providing your fish with health and vitality from the inside.

Plants for a koi pond need to be chosen carefully since koi love to eat pond plants. Therefore it is advisable to neglect sensitive little plants but choose robust plants like water cress instead. Apart from eating plants Koi also like to wallow in the mud at the bottom of the pond. To avoid this it is a good idea to cover the bottom with pebbles.
Just a few more things: Koi need company, they grow quite old and they continue to grow in size. Consider these facts when constructing a koi pond and a minimum recommended depth of 1m.

The most important points in brief are: • Ensure the right size and shape as well as the right plants and technology. • Do not put the fish in the pond before the biological balance has established itself; that means generally 4 weeks after the initial filling

Some tips to solve pond problems


Problem	Possible cause		Simple solution
Algae build up	Too many fish and overfeeding cause surplus nutrients in water	->	Take out fish/feed less/use Oase pond clear or algae stop
Algae build up	Fallen leaves and decayed plant matter	->	Remove leaves and dead plants/suck out, use Oase sludge vacuum and/or pond filter
Algae build up	Too few plants/inappropriate planting	->	Change planting
Algae build up	Shallow water (water warms up more, so more algae growth)	->	Use pond clear or algae stop, change water
Algae build up	Pond newly set up, balance may not be right yet	->	Remove algae or suck out with Oase Pondomatic vacuum cleaner
Algae build up	Carpet of algae (due to string algae)	->	Remove with pond pliers/net/suck out with Oase Pondomatic vacuum cleaner
Murky water	Floating particles	->	Use Oase pond filter
Murky water	String algae	->	Use pond filter with UVC light. Apply pond clear
Murky water	Too many fish or overfeeding	->	Remove fish with pond net, feed less
Odour	Pond is out of balance	->	Partial water change
Loss of water	Normal evaporation or evaporation through stream	->	Top up with water (preferably collected rain water)
Loss of water	No capillary barrier (seepage through to adjoining planting or earth)	->	Build capillary barrier, to create a barrier between water and garden planting
Loss of water	leak	->	Repair leak
Death or illness of fish	Pests (bacteria, viruses, parasites)	->	Use filter with UVC appliance
Death or illness of fish	poisonous matter	->	Use filter with UVC light. Partial water change

PLANTING

The ideal time for pond planting is mid-Spring to Summer. One of the keys to having a healthy natural pond is to include a considerable amount of oxygenating plants.

There are three types of oxygenating plant:

Submerged:
These grow entirely underwater thus providing a hiding place for pondlife.
Callitriche (Waterstarwort)
Ceratophyllum demersum (Hornwort)
Fontinalis antipyretica (Willow moss)
Myriophyllum verticullatum (Milfoil)
Floating:
These plants drift on the pond surface. By providing shade, they starve unwanted algae of light.
Hydrocharis morsus-ranae (Frogbit)
Lemma minor (Duckweed)
Stratiotes aloides (Water soldier)
Deep Water:
These plants have their roots on the pond floor and their leaves on the surface.
Nuphar lutea (Yellow pond lily)
Nymphaea alba (White water lily)
AVOID Nymphoides peltata (Fringed water lily) and Hottonia palustris (Water violet) as these are listed by the CFB as aquatic invasives

Non-Oxygenating Plants:
These are oxygen-consuming plants which live in the pond's shallows and in the waterlogged ground surrounding the pond. There are two types:
Marginal:
These plants grow in the shallows and provide shelter to amphibians. They should be chosen to flower in succession throughout the summer to attract insects.
Caltha palustris (Marsh marigold)
Iris pseudocorus (Yellow flag)
Menyanthes trifoliata (Bog bean)
Myosotis scorpioides (Water forget-me-not)
Ranunculus flammula (Lesser spearwort)
Veronica beccabunga (Brooklime)
Bogplants:
These grow in waterlogged ground and attract bees and butterflies.
Ajuga reptans (Bugle)
Cardamine pratensis (Lady's smock)
Filipendula ulmaria (Meadowsweet)
Lychnis flos-cuculi (Ragged robin)
In a small pond, grow plants in planting baskets. This stops them spreading rapidly and makes dividing easier.

RockWorld WATER FEATURE SHOWROOMS OPEN MONDAY TO SATURDAY 10AM TO 5.30PM.

Allenwood, Co. Kildare, Ireland (CLICK HERE to see map & directions )

Phone 045 870 970 or Contact us