Items You Might Need:
Microbe-Lift Super Start for Bead Filters
As pond owners it is especially hard on us. We gamble with the lives of our fish by not making water changes when we really need to (like when there is ammonia and nitrites in the water) and we tend not to want to top off the pond as it evaporates. Another deadly thing I've seen happen is when pond owners turn off their pumps to lower the evaporation and splash factor. If you have fish you are taking a risk of suffocating them by doing this and it is NOT advisable for the sake of the lives of your koi and goldfish.
Of course - we cannot tell you it's okay to make water changes, to leave on the waterfall or fountain or to top off the pond when it gets low. With water restrictions in place it becomes a hairy situation with the controlling municipalities. You must obey their restrictions. When the lives of the koi and goldfish are at stake, however, we advise you to seek special permissions.
If all goes well and there are no problems that create a need for changing the water, a pond generally does not require much water once it's filled. There are many things that we can do to prevent having to add or replace water in our koi ponds and water gardens. You can keep your pond healthy and fresh with minimal use of new water by being "water smart".
Fountains
Don't turn off your fountain if that is the only way of aerating your pond. It's critical for the life of the koi and goldfish and to keep mosquitoes from breeding in "still waters". Fleur de Lis style fountains tend to be the most water-wasting. When the wind blows it can literally blow the water right out of the pond plus a lot of water evaporates. You might either turn it down or replace the fountain head with a bell or foaming spray head. You can also remove the fleur de lis fountain head and just let the water bubble out of the top of the pipe.
Leaks
Stop them and do it now! Do whatever is necessary. If you don't know where the leak is, replace the whole liner. Read THIS ARTICLE for help on locating a leak.
Waterfalls
Waterfalls tend to be the culprit the majority of the time whenever there is a leak in a pond or water garden. Look closely at the waterfall for signs of any splashing where water could be splashing out of the pond. Sometimes the rocks in the waterfall get clogged with branches or even string algae and these "dams" that are created from the debris in the waterfall can actually channel water over the edge and out of the pond. Over time heavy rocks placed over the edges of the rubber liner tend to settle and press down the sides of the waterfall allowing a steady stream of water to leave. Check each stone to make sure they are not pressing the soil down below water level.
If there is a lot of spray in your waterfall you are experiencing water loss, whether you realize it or not. White rapids are fun and it's great to show off to guests but it is also very wasteful water-wise. Lots of water ends up on the sides of the pond instead of in it when the waterfall is high-powered. My advice is simply to turn down the volume. If your pump doesn't come with an adjustment to the flow you can easily install either a ball valve or gate valve in the line to the waterfall.
Cleaning the Filter
Don't go without cleaning the filter if you want to have a clean and healthy pond environment. Use your noggin, though, when you're cleaning the filter pads or backwashing your bead filter. If cleaning pads with a hose, don't leave it running. Spray the pads off into a bucket and use the water over and over again in the bucket.
Backwashing a bead filter requires quite a bit of water and it should be done about once a week during pond season. For the sake of quality fish health we like to add new water every week so the backwashing has always been a "good thing" as far as we're concerned. But - now with the water situation - it's a luxury we can't afford. Most bead filters require the pressure of the water to jostle the beads and release the debris that was trapped within the beads so that it can be flushed away or used to water the garden. This is what uses so much of the pond water. Today's bead filters have the option of a blower / bead agitator. The blower / bead agitator uses air to jostle the beads and break apart the debris before any water is used. When a blower is used before backwashing it cuts down on the amount of water used during the backwash so much that we are amazed! The blower's water-saving abilities is a great benefit. Blowers have other benefits as well. They help keep the beads from clogging and introduce aeration that nourishes nitrifying bacteria in the filter. This is great when trying to seed it and is especially suited for koi ponds with heavy fish loads.
If you have the choice of a bead filter with or without a blower - go for the blower. If you already have a bead filter but do not have a blower on it, we have come out with a kit just this month that allows easy installation of one. These Blower / Bead Agitator Conversion Kits come in either 2" or 1 1/2" to fit onto the 6-Way Valve of your bead filter. They fit all models of SuperPro, ProBead and Aquadyne Bead Filters. The kits can be made to fit almost any type of filter that uses a 6-way valve on the market so if you don't have one of the filters we listed just email the Pond Doc or call him at (770) 663-6325.
Lastly, don't throw away the water that you use to clean the filter pads or backwash the bead filter. It's great fertilized water for the vegetable or flower garden (as long as it doesn't have more than .1% salt). You can easily attach a flexible hose to the waste port of the bead filter to give you control of the backwash water.
Water Changes
Water changes are very necessary when it comes to protecting the koi and goldfish from the effects of ammonia and nitrites in the water. During early spring, after a pH crash or while seeding a new filter, if the pond has koi or goldfish in it you will experience ammonia and nitrite spikes until the biological filtration kicks in. Any amount of ammonia or nitrites, especially if the pH is high, WILL KILL the fish so we must dilute the pond water with water changes or render the ammonia and nitrites harmless.
Ultimate Water Conditioner will detoxify ammonia in the pond water up to 2 ppm. Using Ultimate Water Conditioner will buy us time and delay having to change the water until the ammonia gets so high that it begins registering toxic readings again. I would suggest if you are adding more fish load, seeding a filter or introducing fish into a new pond that you keep Ultimate on hand and the correct type of test kits that work when Ultimate is in the water. The PondCare test kits will work and that's what we suggest you use.
Pure salt in a .3% dose will ward off the effects of nitrite poisoning but we still suggest you make water changes when the nitrites build up to dangerous levels.
Whenever you are seeding the pond it speeds up the process a bit when you use biological balancing agents such as Microbe-Lift products and "bottled bacteria". Although you can't really bottle nitrifying bacteria you can encourage its growth. For this we recommend two really good products. Microbe-Lift's PL is great for almost any pond situation to help spur the growth of new nitrifying bacteria. If you have a bead filter use Microbe-Lift's Super Start for Bead Filters. It just makes good sense. These products can be used safely along with the Ultimate Water Conditioner.
Conserving water not only helps with the drought situation it makes good "cents". The less water you use the less you will pay. It's that simple. We are charged a premium for water usage over an established gallons per household. The Pond Doc and I have successfully - even with a 15,000 gallon pond - been able to stay within that established limit. You could too!
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