Pond Tech Ltd. Relaxation at its Finest! We specialize in Pond and water feature construction, Water Garden construction, Water Features, Pond supplies, Lake management, pond maintenance, Koi fish, fish maintenance, Decorative fountain installs, Koi Ponds and pondless waterfall kits. And much more. 513-628-2685 www.pondtechltd.com we are serving the Greater Cincinnati and outer areas from brookville to hillsboro and from dry ridge to middletownUnderstanding Your Pond Water
The facts about the water in your pond
Ammonia levels, nutrients, oxygen, and alkalinity – the list can baffle you whether you are new to ponds, or if you have been a long time pond owner. Everyone tells you something different. Some say your pond will be okay if your pH is between 7.0 and 8.5 … some say between 6.8 and 8.0 is the optimum level for your pond. It is confusing to anyone without a degree in chemistry. Who's right and who's wrong? What is it you really need to watch when it comes to protecting the plants and aquatic creatures in your pond?
The Science of water
Water is not only one of the most abundant resources on earth, it also one of the most scarce. Although it covers three quarters of the Earth's surface, only three percent is fresh water, and only one percent of that is available to us for our daily water needs. No one knows more about the importance of water than pond owners. And with the droughts that many parts of the country experience, water has been the topic of many discussions.
pH and Alkalinity
Let's take a moment right here and now to go back to high school chemistry and review a few things about pH levels. First of all, what are they? Well, pH is a measure of the concentration of hydrogen ions in a solution. And if you jog your brain a bit, you may remember that the scale ranges from 0 to14, where 7 is neutral. Values less than 7 are considered acidic, and values greater than 7 are basic or alkaline. On this inverted scale model, there's a 10-fold increase between each number on the scale, meaning that a pH of 4 is 10 times as acidic as a pH of 5.
According to the environmental protection agency, a pH level ranging between 6.0 and 8.5 is a good profile for any natural stream, yet time and time again, you'll see people debating levels. And each time it's different. Koi experts believe that for their fish to thrive, pH levels should not be lower than 7.0 and should remain fairly neutral. The truth is that if you are merely raising Koi as pets, your best bet is to watch their behavior to see if conditions are suitable for them.
Ideal conditions for ponds range from 7.5 to 8.5, below 6.5 can be too acidic for Koi.
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