Ponds: Commonly Asked Questions

Pond with lilliesOur Green Team Experts are here to answer all of your pond questions in regards to suplies, fish, plants & more!

Why do I have green water?

The answers to this question could be a number of things. Is this a new pond that was just put in? In some cases a pond that has just been filled up may need to be drained to clean off the rocks. Secondly, it is very important that the pump and filter are adequate for your pond. We cannot emphasize enough that the volume of pond water needs to be filtered every hour. If your pond is 800 gallons then your pump needs to pumping water at least 800 gallons every hour into a filter that is large enough to filter 800 GPH. Another reason could be the pond’s location. If the pond sits in full sun all day then chances are you will have to fight this problem. Increasing the filter size will help – and the use of Microb-lift and Algae Fix will probably have to be used.  Alsip carries a full line of algae control products to help combat the algae bloom.

How do I get rid of string algae?

There are a couple ways to get rid of string algae. The first would be the use PondCare Algae Fix or Pond Balance. These are additives you put in the water that help destroy the string algae. Secondly, if string algae is on your stream area, the water can be turned off during night hours and table salt applied directly to the string algae. Simply leave on overnight and in the morning turn the water back on. This will wash the salt into the pond and the string algae will be dead. The Pond Salt we carry can be used and is safe for fish and plants. It is important not to use too much salt. 2# per 100 gallons of water is good for the fish in your pond. It helps build up there slime coat. Please keep this in mind when treating your string algae.  We also carry a couple of products  that are much like the oxy clean products, Algae-Off is one that will work well on removing algae from waterfalls.

What type of liner should I use?

Flexible pond liners are by far the best choice for water gardens. Flexible liner allows you to make your pond any shape you want. It is easier to work with and very puncture resistant.  We carry Firestone fish safe, 45 mil pond liner.  Available in widths, 10’- 15’ and 20’.  We also carry a selection of preformed tubs for use above ground or on the patio.

How do I know what size liner I will need?

For a water garden, add the depth twice to both the length and width, then add at least 1′ to both numbers for liner overhang. Example: 10′ L x 10 ‘W x 2′ D = 15′ x 15’ piece of liner.

How often should I feed my fish?

It is hard to say how much to feed your fish. It all depends on the size of the fish and the size of the fish. The one thing that is important is not to over feed your fish. If a pond is over fed clarity issues can become a problem due to un eaten food and higher level of fish waste. In smaller garden ponds feed koi small amounts twice a day, and in situations that you want the koi to clean up some of the algae in your pond only feed them once a day. In large ponds it may not be necessary to feed your fish at all. If you want them to grow fast then by all means you should feed them once or twice a day. Keep in mind that they should eat all the food you give them in about three minutes. If they don’t you are just adding unwanted nutrients to the pond. In large pond there usually enough food in nature to feed a normally populated pond.

What type of food should I feed my fish?

When feeding ornamental fish it is important to feed a highly digestible food. We carry many types of food for different times of the year. We do not recommend feeding fish when the temperature drops below 45 degrees. We carry a Spring and fall diet food that can be fed between temperature of 40-50 degrees. When temperature reach 50 degrees – normal feeding can be resumed. We carry food that helps develop coloring, growth, as well as highly digestible foods.  We carry pelleted food as well as extruded food.  Pelleted food is more readily digestible for the fish.

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