How to have a high level of control over pH fluctuation and good level of hardness in the pond

Save money on pond pumps, pond filters, backyard waterfalls, fountains, ponds, water gardening, koi food and how to achieve crystal clear garden pond water too.

This is a 250 word (approx) summary of a chapter from my water gardens book pictured. For a complete list of summaries see the right hand column

Concepts:

water, pond, hardness, fish, carbonate, ammonia, high levels, plants, temporary hardness, salts, fluctuation, alkalinity, permanent hardness, calcium, magnesium.

Summary:

- In a pond with plants it will not be the same because of the photosynthesis cycle.

- pH is a measure of the acidity or alkalinity of water.

- At the mid point of the range the water is neutral since the acid and alkali balance each other which is the case for pure water.

- More than 7 and the water is alkaline (sodium carbonate is a good example and milk is between 7.1 and 8.5).

- It effects how the biofilter works, it effects the fish, it in turn is effected by the addition or removal of pond water and whether the water from the tap in your region is hard or soft.

- At higher pH levels toxic levels of ammonia become very deadly.

- To have a high level of control over pH fluctuation it is very important to have a good level of hardness in the pond.

- When you wash your hands in water and you find it difficult to get a good lather (even using Dove soap) you are in an area where the water is naturally hard.

- Hardness in water is caused by high levels of dissolved salts and particularly magnesium and calcium salts.

- There are also 2 types of hardness - permanent hardness and temporary hardness.

- Water which has permanent hardness has a lot of magnesium and/or calcium SULPHATE salts as well as some other salts.

- During the day any plants (and this includes algae which is a plant) in the water remove this small amount of carbonate and as a result the pH of the water can climb significantly and maybe even reach a level of 9.