Gardening Container - Lazy Fish Worries

Lazy Fish Worries

If your fish hang out at the bottom of the pond, or act restlessand lazy, then it's likely that your pond is suffering from pooraeration.

When oxygen levels drop below 7 PPM it not only affects theability of your fish to breathe, but it also negates your pond'sbio filtration systems. That's because optimum bio filtrationresults require large quantities of air. When bio filtrationdegrades it results in the buildup of toxic ammonia levels. This,in return, causes stress in your fish which can result inlethargy and even death.

Your immediate first aid calls for increasing oxygen levels atonce. Unlike chemical treatments, you can't cause any problems byputting "too much" oxygen into your pond. The easiest way tomaintain oxygen levels is to run an aeration pump 24 hours a day.If you are already doing that, and your oxygen levels are stilltoo low, then either your pump is defective, undersized for thepond, or your water temperatures are so high that the water isnot capable of retaining sufficient oxygen. Treat whichever ofthese conditions exist.

Once you have cured the oxygen generation system problems, itstime to test your water for ammonia, nitrite, and pH. It's also agood idea to test for total alkalinity and hardness. Adjust anylevels that are out of normal ranges using pond additives thatare designed for each problem.

If you found multiple problems, or suspect that you have ageneral water quality issue, then you should commence a dailychanging of 20-40% of your pond's total volume until you haveturned the water over twice. Of course, you need to usechlorine-free water. After you have turned the water over twiceyou should perform all of the tests that I wrote about earlierand make any required adjustments.

If your fish do not recover, or you are experiencing kills, thenyou may have a parasite or other health problem. Check ourarticle archives for potential solutions.

**************************************************
Brett Fogle is the owner of MacArthur Water Gardens and several
other pond-related websites includingMacArthurWatergardens.com
and Pond-Filters-Online.com. He also publishes a free monthly
newsletter called PondStuff! with a reader circulation of over
9,000. To sign up for the free newsletter and receive our FREE
'New Pond Owners Guide' visit MacArthur Water Gardens today!
**************************************************

Car Insurance Rates | Dental Insurance | Health Insurance | Home Owner Insurance | Life Insurance Quote

| 1 | 2 |

A Guide For Servicing Your Chainsaw
Chainsaws provide many years of service for very little upkeep. Taking the time to service your chainsaw will help ensure that your equipment will not let you down. For safety reasons, make sure you only service your chainsaw wh...(related: Gardening Container)

Storm Damage And Mature Tree Pruning
One winter evening I was working on the computer when the power went out. The freezing rain that had been forecast must have been the culprit. It was getting late so I went to bed figuring we would have power again by morning.Thunder and lightning woke me a couple times, but then I heard something a little different. An explosive popping sound followed by what seemed to be a shower of sparks. In my minds eye I tried to picture the cause of this sound. An exploding power transformer with hot lines arcing around it? There is nothing like a puzzle to keep me awake; but I didn't want to get up and lose the warmth I had built up under the blankets. Just drifting off again I heard the sound repeated but up the hill behind my house and more distant... more crackly s...(related: Gardening Container)

The String Algae Blues
Now that Spring is upon us and things are coming back to life in your pond with the warmer weather, many of us are battling with string algae. String algae is caused primarily by a combination of the buildup of organic nutrients in the water, and sunlight.What happens is that during winter, when things slow down and many of us turn off our filters, decaying leaves and other organic matter (including fish waste) begin to break down in the pond.The result is an excess of organic nutrients in the water, which is essentially food for algae growth. Add sunlight and some warmer weather to the...(related: Gardening Container)

Hydroponics Gardening - An Introduction To Hydroponics Gardening For Beginners (part 2) Plant Needs
THE BASICS OF HYDROPONICS.What Do Your Plants Need?All plants need the correct conditions in order to grow to their full potential. Plants grown using hydroponics systems are no e...(related: Gardening Container)

No Dig Gardens - How To Build One
The no dig garden is exactly what it describes...a fertile garden bed with no digging at all. It involves layering clean, organic materials that will literally compost around your plants as they grow.The No Dig Garden is built on top of the ground, so you c...(related: Gardening Container)

Hydroponics Gardening - An Introduction To Hydroponics Gardening For Beginners (part 3) Lighting
THE BASICS OF HYDROPONICS.An Introduction To Indoor Plant Grow Lights.There are basically three types of grow lights used in horticulture. These are:

High Intensity Discharge Lights. (HID)

These come in two types, the Metal Halide Grow Light(MH) and the High Pressure Sodium Grow Light (HPS)Metal Halide.Metal halide bulbs are designed for plants during their growing cycle. That is, for non-fruiting or non-blooming plants. Metal halide lighting is therefore the best HID choice for the plant's growing phase.High Pressure Sodium Lights.The HPS grow light is used primarily for plants that are in their blooming or fruiting phase. Modern high pressure sodium lighti...(related: Gardening Container)

Enjoy Creating And Growing A Sustainable Garden While Feeding Your Family
A sustainable garden means one that can be sustained over time, and would necessarily involve I) growing food you want to eat, so you are motivated to continue growing, II) growing economically, so that it is worthwhile doing, as well as III) taking care of environmental issues, so that the ground will continue to support growing.I) The plants to be grown should be chosen primarily on what your family wants to eat, and what will grow in your locale. After that, Consider using heirloom seed rather than hybrid, if you are very concerned about losing the ability to replace seed each year from commercial sources. However, growing and saving your own seed is d...(related: Gardening Container)

Sleeping Beauties: Porches For Dreaming
There's something magical about sleeping outside, drinking in the night sounds of crickets, frogs and wind chimes, watching fireflies and stars, and feeling the cool night breeze. You'll find children giggling long past their bedt...(related: Gardening Container)

Indoor Gardening Tips For Jerry Seinfeld
"I have no plants in my house. They won't live for me. Some of them don't even wait to die, they commit suicide" ~Jerry Seinfeld
The Advantages Of Both A Liner Pond And A Preformed Pond, Rolled Up Into One Box!
INTRODUCTIONSo you've decided to build your very own backyard water garden. You are in the process of actively planning out your design, and you're visualizing the end-result. But have you paused to consider what kind of pond construction you will be using? Do you know what ...(related: Gardening Container)