Question about pH

[ashirley]

Interesting. Liquid test tube kits I am aware of do not have number ranges for their test results. The results are actually quite more specific dependent on the number of liquid drops used in the test tube.

@ashirley ... What is the name of the test kit you are using?

Maybe i am not reading it properly. Mine has a table in the instructions that translates the number of drops to actual number i think. It the API one.

 

[ashirley]

Many things, including your fish's excrement, increase phosphate levels... I doubt your rocks alone would be the primary contributor to your high phosphate.

@ashirley ... Your high phosphate is due to one of 3 actions : 1) tremendous amount of organic decomposition in your pond; 2) your well water is high in phosphate; 3) not enough plant growth to consume those phosphates.

I think it is more of #2 and #3 because many of us water gardeners here have a tremendous amount of organic decomposition in our ponds, but rarely experience quite high phosphate levels.

I am going to test the well water. Pond plants are hard to find around here. Plus the koi eat them. I netted the bottom of the pond yesterday and the amount of stuff on the bottom is negligible now. Earlier this year i was able to net out a significant amount of junk on a dead spot but i added the uv return to that spot to help circulate the water better.

 

[crsublette]

Maybe i am not reading it properly. Mine has a table in the instructions that translates the number of drops to actual number i think. It the API one.

Ok. Now I know what you're talking about... You are correct about the table in the instructions. Personally, I do not use that table in the instructions since it is far too general..

You can also simply multiply the number of drops by 18 and you will share a more precise test reading with us.

Example... If you did 6 drops until the vial water changed color... then... 6 x 18 = 108 ...

@ashirley Do you remember the number of drops? ... would be better to share the number of drops rather than what the table says... there is a BIG difference between 1 drops and 3 drops and 6 drops.

 

[crsublette]

Pond plants are hard to find around here.

@ashirley ... I entirely understand. The same here as well. I have to travel 110 miles to the nearest greenhouse that actually sells pond plants.

@addy1 was quite awesome to gift me some small pond plant cuttings a very long time ago when I first started here. You might want to private message her. I don't know if she still does this, but she was quite awesome to get me started when I first came here.

 

[sissy]

I use strawberries and cream plant in my filters and waterfall pond and it is at most garden centers .Even fountain grass or lemon grass works and are great cleaners .If the plant in the garden center says for moist areas it will work.You would just need to trim up the roots and transplant them

 

[crsublette]

Plus the koi eat them.

Consider this... Floating planter rings (https://www.gardenpondforum.com/threads/floating-planter-rings.2581/)

You can also easily lodge some plants in the rocks on the border of the pond.... or... build a small bog from a container that drains water back into your pond... you could use your pump current or another pump to divert some water to continually flood the top of the bog container...

There are many ideas you can do for increasing plants in your pond without letting the fish eat them.

Many good ideas elsewhere on this forum.

 

[sissy]

even celery from your grocery store and parsley plants and ginger roots work .I grow celery from the left over bottoms

 

[crsublette]

Do not forget below...

@ashirley I also agree with @Meyer Jordan about the suggestion of increasing the minerals in your water... as he described below....

The simplest way of raising the GH of water is with Calcium Chloride and Epsom Salts. This combination will keep ph swings to a minimum and the calcium and magnesium are good for your fish and plants. Start with 3 tablespoons of each dissolved in a container of pond water before adding it to the pond slowly pouring around the perimeter. Allow to mix and retest GH. Repeat this process until you achieve a reading of 100 - 150 mg/L'
Epsom Salt can be found most anywhere. Home Depot carries 'Pool Time calcium hardness increaser' which is safe for use around fish in the quantity required.

A GH of 100 or higher is simply good for a healthy water garden pond. The calcium will help to protect your fish from some toxic metals and, if your pH ever increases above 8.0, then the calcium will significantly stop a quick pH increase. Also, the calcium and magnesium will help the "water cleaning" actors and plants in your pond.

I have never heard of increasing GH stopping the pH from falling, as happened to you with your dawn to dusk test, but the GH will definitely stop the pH from significantly rising above 8.0.

 

[crsublette]

even celery from your grocery store and parsley plants and ginger roots work .I grow celery from the left over bottoms

That reminds me... Water Chestnut as well, that is the same you can get from the grocery store, is a good pond plant.

Awesome mention there @sissy ... I completely forgot about those plants from the grocery store that can be used.

 

[crsublette]

@ashirley ... I also agree with @Meyer Jordan 's recommendation below... I do not want this to be overlooked.

Keeping Phosphorus at <0.05 mg/L will greatly restrict algae growth especially string algae. Some Phosphorus is necessary for normal growth of all aquatic life, plant and animal so Zero levels are not wanted. Any commercially available Phosphorus binder will fill the bill. They are completely benign and the Phosphorus is permanently removed from the water column. PhosOut and PhosLoc are only two that come to mind. Follow directions per manufacturer.

@ashirley This would be good to do before you get a big algae outbreak. Once you increase plant growth, then the plants and microbiology will absorb the phosphorous in the future.

API sells a good product for this.

 

[sissy]

koi clay helps Thank you but it is the cheap in me coming out Plus i get to use the celery .Even those little scallions work great .I have them in a planter basket ..Stole a couple this morning for my salad

 

[cas]

Pond plants are hard to find around here. Plus the koi eat them.

Try Home Depot or Lowes. I paid an outrageous price for a bare root blue flag iris at a pond store, Found the same plant at Lowes in a 4" pot for a third of the price. My Koi do not eat the flag iris. They swim between the stems when they are spawning, but they are sturdy flowers and can handle it.

 

[cas]

The simplest way of raising the GH of water is with Calcium Chloride and Epsom Salts. This combination will keep ph swings to a minimum and the calcium and magnesium are good for your fish and plants. Start with 3 tablespoons of each dissolved in a container of pond water before adding it to the pond slowly pouring around the perimeter. Allow to mix and retest GH. Repeat this process until you achieve a reading of 100 - 150 mg/L'

Meyer, would you start with this amount for a 1,000 gallon pond?

 

[ashirley]

Try Home Depot or Lowes. I paid an outrageous price for a bare root blue flag iris at a pond store, Found the same plant at Lowes in a 4" pot for a third of the price. My Koi do not eat the flag iris. They swim between the stems when they are spawning, but they are sturdy flowers and can handle it.

How do you get them to the pond? I have alot growing in my stream but the pond is deep and when i try to elevate baskets they end up getting turned over and making a mess.

 

[cas]

I don't believe I have seen a picture of your pond, so I am not sure what your edging is like. When I built my pond, I didn't think I wanted any marginal plants and so I did not build any planting shelves. What a mistake. So these are the things I have tried. I built a shelf out of rocks and placed planting baskets on top. I removed some of the rock edging to put pots. And just recently I have tried planting one iris bare root in among the rocks.
I know others have made planting shelves out of crates or have created floating islands for their plants.