Caring For Your Koi Pond During Spring

Clifford Woods

Throughout the spring, your Koi fish pond will become more active. For most of their time during their deep winter sleep, the existing creatures in your pond are preparing to spring alive at the very first indications of the warm weather. This point is the most ideal time to care for your fish pond and preserve it well before your fish, vegetation, and other organisms in your pond return to life from their deep hibernation. Considerable changes will be taking place as the days and nights become warmer.

Simply keep track of temperatures and when it reaches about fifty degrees on average this will be about the most ideal time to take care of your Koi pond. 

The upkeep necessary for your fish pond is dependent upon just what has occurred throughout the winter months. A harsh winter calls for even more modifications than normal. This is one of the reasons that it is a smart idea to start once caring for your pond as soon as you notice alterations in the climate.

Always remember that servicing in the springtime must be carried out on an annual basis, regardless of how minor or severe the prior winter season has been. Pay attention to the water quality of your Koi pond. You will observe that the pond's water is extremely clear when the conditions change from winter to spring.

Do not let this clear appearance deceive you, because there are going to be variables which will result in serious complications once summer comes along if you do not solve these problems at the earliest opportunity.

Throughout the autumn and winter months, leaves along with other plant substances could possibly have found its way into the fish pond. Despite the fact that the water appears clear, these components have inserted considerable amounts of nourishment in the water, which will lead to immediate algae development once the spring hits.

In addition, large quantities of natural materials in the pond will begin to go through decomposition, which will reduce the oxygen levels in the water. Now, because the water in your pond is extremely clear, this will be the ideal chance to clear all those undesirable debris and wastes.

  You can accomplish this by:

• Employing a fine mesh net to scoop out most of those particles. At this point, the only real issue here is that many nets are only going to cause more debris in your pond as opposed to eliminating them from it.
• Once you have taken out those unnecessary particles and wastes, test out the quality of your water. The winter months would have caused changes in the pH quantities of the fish pond. At the start of the spring season, the pH volume of the water should be eight.
• Above all else, always remember to take care of and look after your fish. Take into account that spring is an extremely vulnerable time for your fish since they have not ingested any food for ages and they've been dwelling on a fairly low amount of energy. This could cause your fish to be far more susceptible to problems with harmful bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites.
• At this point in time, it is an excellent idea to take every one of the essential precautionary actions for your Koi and the overall health of the pond.

Manage your Koi pond with the addition of a probiotic algaecide solution filled with beneficial microorganisms which will substantially reduce those dangerous infestations and debris. As soon as the weather warms up, an additional amount of this kind of treatment solution will secure the well-being of your Koi as they rebuild their own defense systems.

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Clifford Woods is the CEO of Effective Environmental Services
and Organic Environmental Technology
We brew Beneficial Microorganisms that eat toxins and offer Natural Organic Solutions

PLANTS IN PONDS

By Clifford Woods

Plants in ponds will reduce the amount of algae that is able to grow, but also use the waste from the fish to give a natural water filtration system.

Plants below the water:These plants are the major contributors to water quality. They will oxygenate the water during the day and provide oxygen for the fish as well supplying excellent shade. Submerged plants compete with algae for use of nitrogen produced from fish waste and decaying plant material.
If you pot these plants it will allow for easy removal for thinning or when winter comes.

A few examples

Jungle Val - Hornwort - Cabomba

Floating and Surface Plants
Pick plant species that grow flowers and leaves on the surface of the water. The difference between floating and surface plants is that floating plants float freely on the water’s surface without attached roots, while surface plants have roots that extend down and anchor into the pond’s soil. Remember to remove plants if coverage exceeds two-thirds of the pond's surface area.

A few examples

Floating Plants:Duckweed - water lettuce

A few examples

Surface Plants: Hawthorne - Four Leaf Water Clover- Water Lotus

Side or Marginal Plants
Plants that grow well in moist or soggy soil or that grow well in standing water. Plant them along the side or edge of your pond. They will root in the soil and their foliage will spread out over the water. Careful to not choose plants that grow rapidly or that will spread to much and too far.

A few examples

Western Blue Flag Iris - Sweet Flag - Dwarf Bamboo

Advice: cleaning your pond and using only organic pond cleaners, makes for healthy ponds, happy fish and thriving plants and it also contributes towards a safer environment for any adults, children or pets spending time in the yard.

Clifford Woods is the CEO of Effective Environmental Services

and Organic Environmental Technology.

We brew Beneficial Microorganisms that eat toxins and offer Environmentally Friendly products.

Controlling Algae Naturally in Your Pond

By Clifford Woods

You have two choices in dealing with algae in your pond and that is with chemicals or naturally.
Chemical methods are fine if you there are no living creatures or plants in your pond because algaecides and chemicals will kill any and all life in the water. Normally chemicals would be used in a swimming pool or perhaps outdoor fountains, any water feature that does not have plants and or fish in them.
The natural way works with Mother Nature, not against her. You could use plants and fish, or good bacteria that would create and maintain a healthy well balanced ecosystem. Algae itself is a plant, it needs nutrients and light to grow so when you add plants to your pond they directly compete for the nutrients available. Add enough plants and you naturally minimize the nutrients available to the algae.
Over feeding your fish. Fish food that is not digested by the fish is the main pollutant in many ponds. Fish eat many things in the pond and that includes algae. Too much food for the fish increases waste and provides nutrients that feed the algae. When the algae goes on an over population bloom reduce or eliminate feeding until it is under control.
Reduce sunlight penetration: Cover at least half of the surface area of your pond with plants. Water that is not covered is much more difficult to keep in balance than ponds filled with beneficial plants.

Add beneficial microorganisms

colonies of healthy bacteria found in Pond Magician are a crucial part in ensuring a naturally balanced pond. When cooler water temperatures are present add more and during the warmer months add less.
Keep the water moving: pulling water from one end of the pond and then filtering it before it returns at the opposite end will greatly improve water quality. Oxygen is added to the water as it is circulated.
Water run-off from lawns and surrounding gardens can overload the pond with nutrients and that is not good for the life in your pond.
Create a run off or add a drain tile.
You must manually take out the dead and decaying plants and their leaves: Decaying leaves and or plant debris will also create excess nutrients in your pond. Skimmers are by far the most efficient and easiest way to keep your pond free of debris.
Water change: A partial water change (10-30%) every month or month and a half may also help reduce excess nutrients in some situations.
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Clifford Woods is the CEO of Organic Environmental Technology. and Effective Environmental Services.

They brew Beneficial Microorganisms that eat toxins in the environment and sell Environmentally Friendly products

Tips for Keeping a Clean Pond All Year Round

By Clifford Woods

You have done all the work to create your beautiful pond. You've got the correct, colorful fish and the pumps are pumping, the plants are "just so" and you start enjoying.
You then do all the right things. Add the chemicals and things recommended and one day your pond is not as clear as it was. You cannot see your fish and worse - it's all green!
Oh no!

Well, here are some no chemicals tips for a clean, all natural, organic pond that you and your fish will love!

The first point is NEVER put any chemicals what-so-ever in your pond. They damage the environment; destroy natural vegetation and they can HARM your fish! If you are currently using chemicals, it is strongly recommend that you cease using them. At the very least, they are not safe for the environment.

Use effective microorganisms - always - an organic pond cleaner! Some kinds of microorganisms help us, but other kinds give us trouble. Among microorganisms, there are good bacteria and there are bad bacteria. Good bacteria cleans water, produce cheese, bread etc. and are of help to our health. Bad bacteria contaminate soil, pollute water and air. They cause sickness and disease and degrade health. So, look around. Do a little research and locate some effective microorganisms that you can use in your pond. Use organic pond cleaners, your fish will love you for it.

No Ultra Violet Lights - ever. Ultra Violet light does reduce the bacteria in the pond; however, the UV cannot tell the difference between the good bacteria and the bad ones. Because of this, a UV light kills the friendly bacteria in the Pond and in any effective microorganisms you are using - right along with the bad guys!

Use your dechlorinator. If your water is chlorinated or every time you add fresh water to your pond; dechlorinate. Chlorine is not good for the microbes in any effective organisms you use.
Plants and animals are not likely to store chlorine. However, laboratory studies show that repeat exposure to chlorine in air can affect the immune system, the blood, the heart, and the respiratory system of animals. Chlorine causes environmental harm at low levels. Chlorine is especially harmful to organisms living in water and in soil; so, use your de-chlorinator!
No sludge build-up! When effective microorganisms are used regularly in ponds, about every 6 weeks or so all-year-round, the black, stinky, smelly sludge build up on the bottom of ponds does not seem to happen.

Good practice:Some good practices when dealing with ponds are:

1. Calculate the gallons of water in your pond correctly. Use a calculator - The formula is: length x width x average depth x 7.5. This ensures that whatever you are adding to it is being added correctly to your pond.
2. If you have heavy rains, double the dosage of whatever effective microorganisms you are use.
3. Do not fertilize your pond plants. This also fertilizes the algae - and we do not want to be doing that!

Using effective microorganisms, at the recommended dosages, all-year-round (every 6 weeks or so) and keeping your pond dechlorinated whenever you add fresh water, will give you:

• Happy fish
• Thriving and beautiful plants
• No green water
• A clean, healthy, beautiful pond all-year-round!

Clifford Woods is the CEO of Organic Environmental Technology.
You can find out more about our Organic Pond Cleaner at www.effens.com
We brew Beneficial Microorganisms that eat toxins in the environment and sell environmentally friendly products

What is Pond Magician

What is Pond Magician and how does it work?

By Clifford Woods
Pond Magician (PM for short) contains beneficial micro-organisms which eat toxins. When they eat the toxins, they give off as a by-product antioxidants and probiotics (a substance containing beneficial micro- organisms) which are very good things for fish, plants, etc.
One very important thing to understand is that Pond Magician is NOT a chemical, nor does it contain any chemicals.
Sometimes you will see little white particles floating around on the top of your Pond Magician. These particles are just one of the ingredients in the product. They do not mean the PM is old or not longer good. Just keep the lid on tight so no air can get into the container as air tends to make these little white particles show up.
You may ask..."How do I know if the PM is still good?" Well, if it smells kind of sweet, similar to soy sauce, it is still good. When it goes bad it smells really bad and you can tell just by smelling the Pond Magician if it is still good or not. The shelf life of Pond Magician is 6 months after purchase.
It will last longer than that.
If you have a question about your Pond Magician, you should smell it. If you have had it for some time but haven't used it. The smell will tell whether it is good or not.

How Does Pond Magician work?

Pond Magician's millions of friendly microbes move through your pond and gobble up the organisms and pollutants that make your pond unsightly and smelly. Different than other pond and lake cleaners which solely treat organic substances, Pond Magician contains both beneficial aerobic (living or occurring only in the presence of oxygen) and beneficial anaerobic (grows and thrives in an oxygen-free environment) microorganisms and therefore can adapt to a wide variety of pond water conditions.
These two categories of microbes team up to eliminate the organic and inorganic pollutants that live in your pond. As these microbes do their work, you get the following benefits:

• Your pond water will be as fresh and clear as water from a fresh running mountain stream.
• Your pond fish and plants will be very happy, thriving.
• Your fish and plants will live longer.
• Your pond will have a very pleasant "alive and healthy" scent.

How much Pond Magician do I need?
First, you have to calculate the number of gallons in your pond using this simple formula:

1. Multiply the average length in feet of the pond by the average width in feet.
2. Then multiply that answer by the average depth in feet.
3. Then multiply that answer by 7.484. This answer is the approximate number of gallons in your pond.

Next, using the Table below, determine the amount of Pond Magician you need for two applications.
Gallons of Water in Pond:

• 0-1,000 Gallon Pond   - 1 Quart
• 1000-5000 Gallon Pond - 1 Gallon
• 5,000 - 12,500 Gallon Pond - 2.5 Gallons
• 12,500 Gallon Pond or More  Please call for specific instructions 818-897-4444

Clifford Woods is the CEO of Organic Environmental Technology.
You can find out more about Pond Magician at www.effens.com
We brew Beneficial Microorganisms that eat toxins in the environment and sell Environmentally Friendly products