The Nitrogen Cycle (Troubleshooting Pond Problems)
NITRITES
I suggest you read this in its entirety as the information will prevent you from doing the same things I did in the early years. Secondly buy a water quality test kit. Test your water when you fill the tank and weekly after that. Plants go in first then the aquatic animals. If your test kit reveals any reading above ZERO for nitrites, it means your new filter has not "cycled"yet. Or, you are overloading an established filter in some negative way. Nitrite is an intermediate chemical metabolite in the "cycle" of the biological filtration equipment process.
A brand new filter will take approximately 6 weeks to completely "cycle". This means it takes about 6 weeks for the friendly nitrosomona and nitrobacter bacteria to colonize. In very simplified terms these bacteria process ammonia and nitrite (fish waste products) into non-toxic nitrates. Nitrates are good. These bacteria live, and should happily thrive, in the filter media of your new AquaFarm self-cleaning filtration system. Through their efforts, if everything else is maintained properly, you do not have to worry about water quality problems.
However, if you have an established filter and are now experiencing a nitrite reading, you quite likely have a problem in
how you have been maintaining (or neglecting) your filter and/or filter media. The problem is causing the friendly nitrobacter bacteria to die off (again, a simplified explanation but sufficient for purposes here). They cannot process
the nitrites. That is why Old World AquaFarm™ invented the Self-Cleaning Filtration System.
It Is NOT Acceptable To Have A Detectable Nitrite Level In Your Pond Water!
Since nitrite cannot be seen or smelled, your pond water looks just fine. But nitrite can be deadly, particularly to smaller fish. Nitrite damages the nervous system, liver, spleen and kidneys. Koi exposed to low concentrations over extended periods can have long term, irreversible damage. A common indication that a fish has been subjected to a severe nitrite spike is evidenced by the gill covers. They may be rolled outward at the edges and cannot close flat against the fish's body.
Nitrite also binds the fish's red blood cells causing gasping and a condition called "Brown Blood Disease". Koi that die and have widely flared gills most likely have died of Nitrite poisoning.
Don't underestimate even a low reading of nitrite in your garden pond.
Water change-out instructions:
Nitrite level is less than 1 ppm: do a 10% non-chlorinated water change-out and ADD 1-pound of non-iodized salt per 100-gallons of total pond volume. (Water softener salt in granular form)
Nitrite level between 1 and 2 ppm: do a 25% non-chlorinated water change-out and ADD 1.5-pounds of non-iodized salt per 100-gallons of total pond volume.
Nitrite level greater than 2 ppm: do a 50% non-chlorinated water change-out and ADD 1.5-pounds of non-iodized salt per 100-gallons of total pond volume.
PROTEIN
Excess protein is indicated by foam floating on the surface and is due to overfeeding.
NITRATES
Are good, they are non-toxic and signify a healthy filtration system.
AMMONIA
Definition: A product of Urea or waste production.
What Can Cause Ammonia Accumulations?
99% of the time we can point the finger to one or a combination of these problems which cause the ammonia level to rise:
Over stocking the number of fish in relation to gallonage
Over feeding
Inadequate filtration in relation to gallonage
Inadequate turnover rate of the pond water volume thru the filer
A brand new filter that has not yet "cycled in"
Ph
Increased Ph increases ammonia, 6-8 is normal range: pH is rising into higher levels: conduct daily 10% non-chlorinated water change-outs to bring the pH back into your pond's "normal" range.
Perform a pH test after each change-out and again in 24 hours. **Also check the pH of the water you are adding as it may be part of your problem.
pH of 9.0: Do a daily 10% - 25% water change-out
pH of 10: Perform a 25% - 50% water change-out
If water is acidic or Ph crash then: Begin water change-outs and increase aeration to the pond water Add good 'old pure
baking soda (any generic brand is quite OK and cheaper than the name brand)
How much baking soda should you add? Well ... though you almost cannot overdo the addition of baking soda in emergency situations, I would start with approximately 16-ounces per 500 gallons of pond water. You don't have to be too worried about adding too much baking soda at this point. Baking soda has a pH of 8.4 so it can not raise the pH more than that. The fish will hopefully not be any worse off than they already are.
Mathematical Formulas to Determine Gallons
Nothing will be as exact as a water meter that you can purchase for a pretty reasonable price (around $10 on up). It
screws on to your garden hose and will reliably give you the exact gallons of water used to fill up your pond.
However, the following mathematical formulas are tried and true standbys and are quite alright to use.
**NOTE: all formulas are based on FEET and INCHES.
Rectangular or Square length x width x depth x 7.5 = gallons
Oval with straight sides length x width x depth x 6.7 = gallons
Circular diameter x diameter x depth x 5.9 = gallons
TEMPERATURE
I think you can probably visualize that the less water in a pond, the faster the water will be able to heat up or cool down. And rapid cooling will be accelerated if you have a waterfall along with a very small pond. So, being able to monitor the temperature "swings" of your pond will become important.
This becomes especially so (to repeat myself) if you want or have fish. Here are ranges that pertain to ornamental
fish and Crabs:
Temperature Ideal Range for fish: 65°F - 75°F (20°C - 25°C) Acceptable 35°F - 85°F (2°C - 30°C)
For Blue Crab temperature Ideal range for growth is greater than 59° F Below 50°F the Blue Crabs will bury up in the sandy bottom (called topor)
A special thanks to: www.the-artistic-garden.com
For the majority of content on this page.
NITRITES
I suggest you read this in its entirety as the information will prevent you from doing the same things I did in the early years. Secondly buy a water quality test kit. Test your water when you fill the tank and weekly after that. Plants go in first then the aquatic animals. If your test kit reveals any reading above ZERO for nitrites, it means your new filter has not "cycled"yet. Or, you are overloading an established filter in some negative way. Nitrite is an intermediate chemical metabolite in the "cycle" of the biological filtration equipment process.
A brand new filter will take approximately 6 weeks to completely "cycle". This means it takes about 6 weeks for the friendly nitrosomona and nitrobacter bacteria to colonize. In very simplified terms these bacteria process ammonia and nitrite (fish waste products) into non-toxic nitrates. Nitrates are good. These bacteria live, and should happily thrive, in the filter media of your new AquaFarm self-cleaning filtration system. Through their efforts, if everything else is maintained properly, you do not have to worry about water quality problems.
However, if you have an established filter and are now experiencing a nitrite reading, you quite likely have a problem in
how you have been maintaining (or neglecting) your filter and/or filter media. The problem is causing the friendly nitrobacter bacteria to die off (again, a simplified explanation but sufficient for purposes here). They cannot process
the nitrites. That is why Old World AquaFarm™ invented the Self-Cleaning Filtration System.
It Is NOT Acceptable To Have A Detectable Nitrite Level In Your Pond Water!
Since nitrite cannot be seen or smelled, your pond water looks just fine. But nitrite can be deadly, particularly to smaller fish. Nitrite damages the nervous system, liver, spleen and kidneys. Koi exposed to low concentrations over extended periods can have long term, irreversible damage. A common indication that a fish has been subjected to a severe nitrite spike is evidenced by the gill covers. They may be rolled outward at the edges and cannot close flat against the fish's body.
Nitrite also binds the fish's red blood cells causing gasping and a condition called "Brown Blood Disease". Koi that die and have widely flared gills most likely have died of Nitrite poisoning.
Don't underestimate even a low reading of nitrite in your garden pond.
Water change-out instructions:
Nitrite level is less than 1 ppm: do a 10% non-chlorinated water change-out and ADD 1-pound of non-iodized salt per 100-gallons of total pond volume. (Water softener salt in granular form)
Nitrite level between 1 and 2 ppm: do a 25% non-chlorinated water change-out and ADD 1.5-pounds of non-iodized salt per 100-gallons of total pond volume.
Nitrite level greater than 2 ppm: do a 50% non-chlorinated water change-out and ADD 1.5-pounds of non-iodized salt per 100-gallons of total pond volume.
PROTEIN
Excess protein is indicated by foam floating on the surface and is due to overfeeding.
NITRATES
Are good, they are non-toxic and signify a healthy filtration system.
AMMONIA
Definition: A product of Urea or waste production.
What Can Cause Ammonia Accumulations?
99% of the time we can point the finger to one or a combination of these problems which cause the ammonia level to rise:
Over stocking the number of fish in relation to gallonage
Over feeding
Inadequate filtration in relation to gallonage
Inadequate turnover rate of the pond water volume thru the filer
A brand new filter that has not yet "cycled in"
Ph
Increased Ph increases ammonia, 6-8 is normal range: pH is rising into higher levels: conduct daily 10% non-chlorinated water change-outs to bring the pH back into your pond's "normal" range.
Perform a pH test after each change-out and again in 24 hours. **Also check the pH of the water you are adding as it may be part of your problem.
pH of 9.0: Do a daily 10% - 25% water change-out
pH of 10: Perform a 25% - 50% water change-out
If water is acidic or Ph crash then: Begin water change-outs and increase aeration to the pond water Add good 'old pure
baking soda (any generic brand is quite OK and cheaper than the name brand)
How much baking soda should you add? Well ... though you almost cannot overdo the addition of baking soda in emergency situations, I would start with approximately 16-ounces per 500 gallons of pond water. You don't have to be too worried about adding too much baking soda at this point. Baking soda has a pH of 8.4 so it can not raise the pH more than that. The fish will hopefully not be any worse off than they already are.
Mathematical Formulas to Determine Gallons
Nothing will be as exact as a water meter that you can purchase for a pretty reasonable price (around $10 on up). It
screws on to your garden hose and will reliably give you the exact gallons of water used to fill up your pond.
However, the following mathematical formulas are tried and true standbys and are quite alright to use.
**NOTE: all formulas are based on FEET and INCHES.
Rectangular or Square length x width x depth x 7.5 = gallons
Oval with straight sides length x width x depth x 6.7 = gallons
Circular diameter x diameter x depth x 5.9 = gallons
TEMPERATURE
I think you can probably visualize that the less water in a pond, the faster the water will be able to heat up or cool down. And rapid cooling will be accelerated if you have a waterfall along with a very small pond. So, being able to monitor the temperature "swings" of your pond will become important.
This becomes especially so (to repeat myself) if you want or have fish. Here are ranges that pertain to ornamental
fish and Crabs:
Temperature Ideal Range for fish: 65°F - 75°F (20°C - 25°C) Acceptable 35°F - 85°F (2°C - 30°C)
For Blue Crab temperature Ideal range for growth is greater than 59° F Below 50°F the Blue Crabs will bury up in the sandy bottom (called topor)
A special thanks to: www.the-artistic-garden.com
For the majority of content on this page.