Interpet

If there is something wrong with your fish; they look ill or are dying, or there are water quality problems, we strongly advise that you test your aquarium water.

Use the images and descriptions below to determine what's wrong, then click through for treatment advice.

What is the Nitrogen Cycle?

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Before adding fish to your aquarium there are some important things you need to understand about how the aquarium water remains clean and healthy enough for fish to live in.

The short video below talks you through this process, or read on for more.

The breakdown of fish waste; too much food and dead plant matter will cause toxic compounds – namely ammonia – to build up in the water and kill your fish. As an aquarium is a ‘closed’ environment it means harmful waste can build up quickly because there is not enough water to dilute it or to wash it away, as would be in a pond or river. Thankfully, there is a natural process called the ‘Nitrogen Cycle’, which we can recreate in the aquarium, to convert the toxic waste into safer compounds (The image below explains how this process works).

Nitrogen cycle, inforgraphic, aquarium

This Nitrogen Cycle is carried out by ‘Nitrifying’ bacteria that establish in the biological media of the aquarium filter. These bacteria generally take about eight weeks to grow and reproduce in the filter to large enough quantities to carry out their role in the Nitrogen Cycle.
During this early period, when there are few bacteria, fish keepers often experience fish deaths caused by the build-up of invisible toxic compounds: this is referred to as ‘New tank syndrome’.

Ways to prevent New Tank Syndrome and encourage the Nitrogen Cycle:

  • adding a bacteria based filter starter product speeds up the cycle process
  • starting with a few, hardier fish varieties, and only add new fish over a number of weeks, if not months
  • feed only little amounts in the early days to reduce the amount of waste
  • measure how much of the invisible toxins are in your aquarium with an aquarium test kit
  • for the first six weeks do weekly water changes (20% of your aquarium water volume) to dilute and remove waste and toxins
Affinity Ice Vent Pond Heater in an Affinity Living Feature Pool

Will my fish survive winter if the pond freezes?

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Yes, if you prepare the pond properly.

Pond fish will very happily live in a UK pond all year round as long as there is sufficient oxygen and water quality is good. To make sure this is achieved, it is necessary to keep an area of the pond surface ice-free all the way through winter. This will ensure that the necessary gaseous exchanges can continue to keep your pond and fish healthy. Without a “vent” area, poisonous gases will build up under the ice creating unhealthy water quality, these gases are caused by the breakdown of organic waste within the pond. Your fish also require oxygen to survive which enters through the surface of the water as the pond circulates. Without a “vent” this cannot be achieved and will result in low oxygen levels in the pond. It is also advised to keep your filtration running through the winter to ensure waste is removed from the pond to prevent pollution. Waterfalls and fountains can drop the water temperature, so re-directing flow away from waterfalls is good practice.

How can I stop my pond freezing over?

The most efficient way to keep an ice free area of your pond is to introduce a pond heater like the Affinity Ice Vent Heater. It is not essential to heat the whole pond as pond fish will happily live in wintery water, however the heater will prevent an area of the surface freezing. Under no circumstances should you smash ice on the surface of the pond or use hot/boiling water to melt ice. This can cause serious trauma to your fish. If you need to make a hole in the ice do so by pouring warm water gently in one location to create an opening.

The Affinity Ice Vent Pond Heater has a unique convection chamber design resulting in it needing less power to run (just 50 watts) compared to other heaters, saving you money.

Find out more about the Blagdon Affinity Ice Vent Pond Heater in the video below:

What else can I do to help my fish?

To help your fish further, you can re position your pumps and filter outlets to create a warmer bottom of the pond and a cooler top. Once the water temperature drops below 4°c, warm water becomes denser and moves to the bottom of the pond. Fish will naturally swim in the warmer part of the pond during winter and adjusting your pumps and filters can ensure they are happy and “warm” until the following spring. Raise pumps from the base of the pond to ledges and move filter outlets under the pond surface and direct their flow horizontally so cold water is not pushed to the bottom of the pond. This will create a temperature divide within the pond, whilst still retaining circulation and filtration for healthy fish.

Understanding Fish Sickness and Stress in the Pond

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Like humans if a Fish becomes stressed it is much more likely to fall ill so fish stress is one of the major causes of disease outbreaks in the pond environment. It is important to understand how fish are stressed, and how to prevent it to keep a happy and healthy pond. Reducing fish stress will cause them to be more active, show better colouration, grow and breed successfully. This will make your pond more enjoyable for you and your fish through promoting natural behaviours.
Water is a more stable environment in all areas than air. Non aquatic creatures like us are designed to cope with rapid fluctuations in our living environment, whereas aquatic creatures will find it stressful to cope with rapid changes to their environment as they are not designed to do so.
The most common cause of fish stress is poor water quality often caused by the build-up of fish and plant waste – after all fish live in their own toilet! The breakdown of this waste releases toxic chemicals like ammonia, nitrite and nitrate as well as causing fluctuating pH levels, these negatively impact your fish and create stress. A fully mature and well maintained filter will process the fish waste safely and effectively but problems often occur in new ponds or in Spring when the filter is immature or if the filter is not well maintained.
Water quality problems are not visible to the naked eye so the only way you can monitor them is with regular use of water test kits.
If you maintain a stable, stress free, environment then your fish’s natural immune system will generally fight off the disease causing organisms like fungus, bacteria and parasites which are present at safe levels in even the cleanest of ponds.

Below is a breakdown of the factors which create stress for the fish in your pond:

  • Fish waste levels – the presence of ammonia or nitrite will increase stress; actions should be taken to eliminate them. The presence of these toxic chemicals indicate a problem with your biological filter which should safely and effectively remove them. The filter breaks these down into less toxic nitrate – very high levels of nitrate cause algae and should be diluted by carrying out water changes.
  • Temperature – although pond fish are in unheated water conditions, fluctuating temperatures can still negatively affect their health. Make sure, when moving fish, that they are moving to and from a similar temperature of water to prevent a shock to their systems. Outdoor temperatures are impossible to control, however it is important to take precautions at the heights of summer and winter to ensure there is sufficient oxygen in the pond. Using a heater in the winter to maintain an ice free area for gaseous exchange and increasing water flow and aeration in summer because warm water does not hold as much oxygen. Rapidly topping up the pond with a cold water hose will create pockets of very cold water, it is best to top up gradually with a low flow rate.
  • Physical stress – rough handling of fish when netting them or garden predators like cats and herons add stress to the community as will excessive vibrations caused by people throwing stones into the pond or disruption to the ground surrounding the pond.
  • pH – high pH of above 8.5 or low pH of below 6.5 for a community of pond Goldfish, will cause unnecessary stress, regular testing and water quality maintenance is important. Sudden changes in pH of more than 1.0 will also severely stress your fish – environmental pollutants can affect the pond’s pH including heavy rain and the run off from concreted areas around the pond. Regularly monitor the levels of pH in the pond to catch fluctuations before they become a significant issue.
  • Environmental Pollution – the pond is an open environment and can be easily polluted by a variety of garden chemicals (herbicides/pesticides), chemical pollutants introduce through run off from rain, detergents, pollutants in the air or leaching from concrete garden structures. Be aware of the products you are using around the pond, taking appropriate precautions to prevent contamination and consider the pond’s position when starting a new pond to avoid pollutants becoming an issue.
  • Oxygen – A common sign of low oxygen levels is your fish gasping at the water’s surface. Oxygen levels can be reduced by: Poor water circulation; high water temperatures; high levels of organic waste; oily food coating the surface and some Fish medications. Good pond maintenance should minimise organic waste levels and you should ensure high levels or aeration and circulation when water temperatures are high during summer, or when using treatments. You can increase surface movement by introducing features like waterfalls and fountains. Air pumps will increase circulation and break up the surface of the water, they will also serve as a back-up if your pump were to stop. When plant levels are at their maximum during the summer months, and water temperatures are the highest, oxygen will deplete at night when plants are using oxygen rather than producing oxygen. This will be the time of most stress in the pond.

Avoid fish stress if at all possible but if you know you cannot avoid a stressful situation, for example when adding new fish to the pond or at times of high temperatures, then you can help your fish to cope better by:

  • adding a tonic salt like Blagdon’s Pond Guardian Pond Salt. This physiological salt helps fish to manage their internal salt levels more effectively freeing up energy for their immune systems to fight disease more successfully. Salt also provides anti septic properties. We always advise using Pond Guardian Pond Salt when using Blagdon treatments to support the fish and increase treatment success.
  • Carry out a preventative treatment of Stress Away this will negatively impact the natural population of fish disease organisms in the pond to help the stressed fish whose immune system is not working fully.

Understanding the Pond Environment

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When starting or maintaining a pond, it is important to understand how the environment works. Whether you are keeping a wildlife or fish pond, the natural processes will be the same however factors like fish stocking levels will change how much pressure you are putting on these processes, and how you can support them.

 

One of the main biological processes in any water system is the nitrogen cycle. This cycle is how waste products like fish waste, plant decay and general organic sludge are broken down and processed by a variety of different useful bacteria. These waste materials are broken down through the nitrogen cycle to remove toxic chemicals and turn them into healthy nutrients which plants use to grow. The nitrogen cycle works like this:

nitrogen-cycle-diagram-1

The various good bacteria used to process waste in this cycle are naturally occurring in water, gravel and surrounding soil. As your pond matures, the levels of bacteria will slowly increase in line with the amount of waste produced. In the early stages of your ponds development, the levels of bacteria will not have built up sufficiently quickly to support the life in your pond so supportive treatments like Bio Start can be used to boost bacteria levels.
There are also various ways to support the rapid and healthy development of these essential bacteria populations:

  • Eau natural – Bacteria will develop on any surface in the pond to help process waste. This will not be sufficient for an ornamental fish pond where the population of fish are sustained by feeding. This additional food adds nutrients to the pond system and means it is essential to have a biological filter to maintain water quality – see below. Having a strong plant presence in the pond will also help to balance the water quality as they will use nitrates and phosphates for growth.
  • Pond pump – the addition of a pump aids the biological balance of the pond by introducing oxygen stopping it becoming stagnant and smelly. Pumps are often used to create fountains and water falls which circulate water and break up the surface of the water, adding oxygen. To ensure the correct level of circulation (moving water from the bottom of the pond to the surface) your pump should have a flow rate (described in lt/hr) of half the pond’s volume per hour e.g. 1000litre volume pond = 500lt/hr pump circulation. This will not be sufficient for an ornamental fish pond where the population of fish are sustained by feeding. This additional food adds nutrients to the pond system and means it is essential to have a biological filter to maintain water quality – see below
  • Pond filters – filters are designed to specifically help create healthy water quality in your pond. Pond filters can be housed outside or inside the pond depending on the style of pond and space available. Filters require a pump to circulate pond water through the media (in-pond filters often have a built in pump). There are a variety of creative ways to disguise external filters like creating waterfalls or well-designed planting. A pond filter contains a specific high surface area biological media which make the ideal home for the bacteria which carry out the nitrogen cycle. The water is circulated through the biological media and supplies the bacteria with a steady supply of waste chemicals and the oxygen they need to process them. Filters will also have media to remove visible waste (mechanical filtration) to keep the pond water clear.

The other thing to remember is that ponds are an open environment meaning they can be polluted by outside sources like: run off from heavy rain, garden chemicals, detergents, concrete etc. It is important to be aware of possible pollutants as they can change the quality of the water and make it unhealthy for fish and wildlife.

Here are a few top tips to keep your pond environment working properly ensuring it remains healthy for fish, plants and wildlife

  1. Filter bacteria take a long time (up to 8 weeks) to get established on their own you can speed the process significantly when setting up a new pond by adding a bacteria and enzyme product like Bio Start or Clean Pond Pods to get the process started. The bacteria will also be dormant for most of the winter so may need a helpful boost in spring.
  2. Check that your pumps and filters (if installed) are running properly, check the flow and remove any blocages.
  3. Every month:
    1. Maintain your filtration systems and pumps by rinsing the various elements in pond water to clear blockages. Foams will need replacing every now and then
    2. Trim dead plants to encourage new growth.
    3. Remove floating matter with a net and bottom debris with a pond vacuum to prevent excess waste
  4. Top up any evaporation in your pond to dilute waste, always treat the new tap water with a de-chlorinator like Fresh Start as chlorine and chloramine in tap water is designed to kill bacteria which prevents the spread of disease in humans but will decimate the biological filter essential for a healthy pond. Chlorine and chloramine can also damage sensitive gill membranes of fish and other wildlife.
  5. Manage waste levels by using a pond filter and using products like Sludge Buster or Clean Pond Pods which include bacteria that will eat waste.
  6. Most of the toxic chemicals are completely invisible to the naked eye so you need to test your water regularly to check for chemical irregularities. This way you can catch problems early before they have severe effects on the health of your pond.

Seasonal Pond Maintenance Guide

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Spring

Spring is the time where your pond comes back to life after the dormancy of the winter months. Not only is your pond enjoying the warmer weather, but it is likely that you are too, so starting to make sure your pond is looking beautiful and healthy is important when you start spending more time in the garden.

Blagdon’s Tips

Fish:

Your fish will begin to become more active as temperatures begin to rise. After the relative hibernation of winter, fish can become weakened and it is important to support them by supplying the best possible water conditions. Start by reigniting the effectiveness of your biological filter by using products that host good bacteria and enzyme cultures like Bio Start and Clean Pond Pods.We would also suggest using a treatment of Stress Away and adding Pond Guardian Pond Salt to support your fish’s immune system as disease organism populations can respond more quickly than the fish to increasing water temperatures. If you notice any abnormal fish behaviour such as clamped fins, flicking or symptoms of disease, treat the problem promptly but also test your water to see if there is an underlying water quality issue.

As the pond temperatures begin to rise over 10oc you can start feeding your fish regularly again with good quality and easily digestible pond food. It can be hard to work out how much food your fish need, as a guideline give them as much as they can eat in about 5 minutes. If food is remaining after 5 minutes, remove it from the pond with a net.

Plants:

Cut back the previous year’s growth early in March/April when new growth begins to appear. Start feeding with a good quality plant food, this is especially important for successful water lilies. Plant foods like Flora Boost are specially formulated as low nitrate and low phosphate which will encourage healthy plant growth but limit algae blooms and green water problems. Spring is also the time to introduce new plants to the pond, as this will give them time to establish in time for summer. Divide and re pot overgrown marginal plants to encourage variety and seasonal interest.

Maintenance:

The increase in light and nutrients in your pond in Spring can often lead to an algae bloom or green water problems. Now is a good time to replace your UV lamp or add a UV to your pond to eliminate green water issues. Ensure all dead leaves and plant matter is removed as the rising temperature will speed up their decay. Thoroughly clean your biological filter media in pond water and rinse or replace mechanical media such as: polymer wool and open cell foam.

Cutting_Away_Plants Green_dirty_pond

Summer

Summer is when your pond should be at its best with lush plant growth, happy, active fish and lots of wildlife making it a wonderful area in the garden for you to enjoy.

Blagdon’s Tips

Fish:

Your fish will be at their most active in the summer months as the water temperature is higher. As temperatures rise make sure your fish are getting sufficient oxygen, if oxygen is lacking you will notice the fish gathering near water flow areas or gasping at the surface as this is where oxygen levels are at their highest. Increase oxygen levels by encouraging water flow at the surface of the pond with fountains, waterfalls or moving filter outlets to above the surface. Additionally, consider introducing an air pump and air stone to the environment to provide extra surface agitation – this is particularly important on those hot close thundery days. Summer is the best time to introduce new fish as your biological filtration is matured – however do not overstock your pond as this will increase the chance of fish health problems (see how many fish can I have in my pond?). Introducing now will also give the fish time to gain strength and adjust to a new outdoor environment before the winter.

Plants:

Continue to feed plants regularly to encourage healthy plant growth. Cut back dead leaves to stop them contaminating the water. Encouraging plant growth will also increase surface cover which will prevent blooms of algae like Blanket Weed and green water algae. Add floating plants like water hyacinth, water soldiers, water chestnut and water lettuce to increase shading and rapidly remove excess nutrients (and they’re pretty).

Maintenance:

Regularly maintain your filters and pumps monthly or as the flow reduces indicating maintenance is required, cleaning/replacing foams and removing blockages to keep water clarity and a healthy environment.
Pond_waterfall Adding_pond_fish[1]

Autumn

Autumn is the time to start preparing your pond for Winter making sure your fish stay healthy over the colder months.

Blagdon’s Tips

Fish:

Fish should be prepared for Winter by feeding them with a high quality food. As the temperature drops, below 10oc you should stop feeding your fish. Treat the pond with Pond Guardian Tonic salt to support the fish as the temperature drops and reduces the freezing point of water.

Plants:

Cease feeding plants. As the trees surrounding your pond begin to lose their leaves, it is important to stop them polluting the pond water this is best done by using a cover net to keep them out or alternatively remove them manually every day. Net out half hardy/non frost resistant floating plants which are unlikely to survive the winter.

Maintenance:

Give your pond a good tidy up, removing sludge from the bottom or planting shelves using a pond vacuum. Make sure filters and pumps are running well and use treatments like Sludge Buster or Clean Pond Pods to put healthy bacteria into the pond to help with processing waste. Add an energy efficient heater like a Blagdon Affinity Ice Vent to prevent freezing. When temperatures drop below 4oC in winter, warm water sinks so the bottom of the pond becomes the warmest place where the fish tend to gather. To prevent mixing the cold surface layers and lowering the overall pond temperature reduce pump flow rates and move them to a shelf within the top 30cms (12 inches) of water in Autumn.

Leafy Pond Cover Net Netting Leaves Pond

Winter

Winter is the time where your pond is at its quietest but it is important to still pay attention to the pond regularly to keep your fish healthy.

Blagdon’s Tips

Fish:

Generally, pond fish do not need feeding in the winter, unless there is a long mild period where water temperature rise consistently above 10 oC. Ensure there is sufficient oxygen in the pond by ensuring the pond is never fully frozen over by using an energy efficient heater like an Affinity Ice Vent this is much more successful and convenient than the old trick of using a tennis ball or hot water to retain an ice free area, which are in reality only short term solutions. NEVER break the ice on your pond with something like a hammer as the shock waves may kill the fish.

Maintenance:

Continue to remove dead plant matter from the water to prevent pollution. When the surface of the pond is frozen, leave the pump running for circulation but turn off fountains and waterfalls to prevent the pond emptying.

Ice_Vent

Why should I use Pond Guardian salt in my pond?

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Fish stress is one of the major causes of disease outbreaks in your pond. It is important to understand how fish are stressed, and how to prevent it to keep a happy and healthy pond.

Pond Guardian Pond Salt can be used to alleviate the impact of stress on your fish and can be used regularly as a preventative or at times when you know your fish are likely to be stressed such as: in a new pond, when new fish are added or when treating for diseases.

Freshwater fish have to invest a lot of energy keeping their internal fluid salt concentration from being diluted by the influx of water across the gills. Increasing salt levels in the pond reduces the water influx and releases energy which can be used dealing with stress and fighting disease.

We would recommend using Pond Guardian alongside any Blagdon Fish Aid Treatments as it will help to support the fish’s immune system for successful recovery.

Watch the video below to understand how to use Pond Guardian salt effectively in your pond

Testing your Pond Water

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Testing the water in your pond should be a regular part of your maintenance routine. Bad water quality will hugely affect the health of the pond and is the cause of many pond and fish problems. Water quality problems are the most common causes of fish stress and disease so should be avoided at all cost.

The main tests you’ll need to do regularly are Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate and pH which are all naturally occurring in your pond as part of the Nitrogen Cycle. To really understand how and why these chemicals occur, and also why they fluctuate, it is important to understand the pond environment.

Testing regularly will highlight any abnormalities in your pond which can lead to an unhealthy environment and outbreaks of disease. Results can be used to prevent problems and find solutions to worrying changes in your pond. Once you have tested your pond you can find advice on your next steps by using the Diagnose What’s Wrong page.

The below explains how to use Blagdon Complete Pond Dip Test Kit to monitor levels of Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate, pH, Carbonate Hardness and General Hardness in your pond.

Ammonia


1. With dry hands, remove 1 strip from the tube without touching the pads.
2. Dip test strip into the pond for 5 seconds.
3. Wait for one minute, then compare strip to results chart on the packaging.

5-in1 Mixed Test

1. With dry hands, remove 1 strip from the tube without touching the pads.
2. Dip test strip into the pond for 1 second.
3. Compare strip to results chart on the packaging:
Immediately:

KH Hardness, Nitrite and Nitrate

After 1 minute:

pH and GH Hardness.

Results

Nitrate

Nitrite

Water Hardness

Low pH

High pH

Volume Calculator

Lengthm
Widthm

Depthm

Volume

litres