to test or not to test

[gardenlady]

that's not the PH High test that I did and showed 8.4?

 

[HTH]

The high pH test is easier to read at high pH levels. That is the only reason I suggest it. I am not sure how you know the pH is 8.4 if you could not match the color to the chart.

 

[gardenlady]

I did the PH test and it showed a light royal blue which wasn't on the color chart..then I did the PH High test and it showed 8.4 so what does that tell me I need to do?

 

[HTH]

I did the PH test and it showed a light royal blue which wasn't on the color chart..then I did the PH High test and it showed 8.4 so what does that tell me I need to do?

8.4 is OK just keep an eye on it that it does not fluctuate too much.

 

[gardenlady]

Okay good...so what does it mean that my ph color isn't on the chart and what is an unacceptable level of PH and what damage does it do? If I reach the unacceptable level what do I do...a slight water change and test again? What's the best level of PH? How often should I be testing it? We are expecting (I'm in Houston, TX) a lot of rain for the next two days and I'm wondering what affect if any that will have on the pond and why. I wonder because I know it affects our pool water. Since everything besides PH is awesome, how often should I be testing those? On another subject while I have your attention :banana: with the previous pond before we redug this one much larger and deeper, I had a problem sometimes with blanketweed..what causes that and how do I keep that from happening again? Right now I just have a little bit of algae in the bog but it falls apart when I touch it. Are you sorry you responded yet? :cheerful:

 

[addy1]

I get that type of algae on the non plant covered pea gravel as it warms and the sun beats down on the gravel. It goes away in a few weeks. If it bothers me, i.e. too much, I just stir it up and it goes into the pond, where the fish go crazy eating it.

 

[gardenlady]

I think you were telling me that. I put some in the pond to see if mine would go for it but I didn't notice that they did. I can't wait to take pics and show you some of the new fish I got. One in particular is just awesome! My hubs really dislikes the netting on the pond..and I'm not crazy about it either but I don't want my fish eaten. I did though get a really awesome heron that was made by an artist out of recycled products and looks really life like and I ordered and received today a 28" life like alligator head. Once this rain that's heading in starting tomorrow for two days, I'm going to take the netting off *watching the sky and edge of the lake* and put the heron back out and the alligator in and see what happens. Once the netting is off I can get some pics of the new fish to post! I'm hoping to end up with babies which I've never had after I removed the one koi I had years ago. What's the secret to making that possibility more possible?

 

[addy1]

The alligator worked for me, at least seemed to. The bird would watch it, stretching its neck. I just did not trust it.

 

[gardenlady]

You didn't trust the alligator or the bird..lol! Do you net your pond or use something else? Possible you've told me but I've had so much imput here that I can't remember whose told me what. Once I take the netting off I will be watching to see if it works. I have a heron that's been out there for years, but didn't realize until I had the problem with the egret that they needed to be moved around. I've been moving him and the one I just bought around and now I'll add the alligator head and see what happens. Hopefully it works since I'd like to see my fish without the net ruining the view.

 

[HTH]

Okay good...so what does it mean that my ph color isn't on the chart and what is an unacceptable level of PH and what damage does it do? If I reach the unacceptable level what do I do...a slight water change and test again? What's the best level of PH? How often should I be testing it?

The worst pH is one that keeps changing! People think there is some magic right pH but there is not.

If your pond is steady at 8.4 then your best number is 8.4.

You need to learn about buffering and KH which will effect the stability of the pH but I will let others speak to that. I expect we have it in a sticky ?

 

[gardenlady]

buffering and KH...greek to me at this point. Petsmart didn't have the KH test which someone else expected they wouldn't. I'm reordering the Tetra Pond lily gro tabs so will add that to the order. I welcome everyone's advice

 

[crsublette]

buffering and KH...greek to me at this point. Petsmart didn't have the KH test which someone else expected they wouldn't. I'm reordering the Tetra Pond lily gro tabs so will add that to the order. I welcome everyone's advice

It's really not that difficult. KH test is just as easy as doing the pH test you have done. It is unfortunate KH is not part of the major test kits. You can get it online, at amazon api KH test kit. Ya don't need to know the technical details. When doing your pH test, you are actually testing the end result of your KH, other buffering, and other contaminants, and, in our context, pH is mostly a pointless test to do. Read the thread, Ok, now what do I do? and the hyperlinks within it if you want to learn more about it.

Avid hobbyists do become a bit overly obsessive about testing too much. It is like a skinny person trying to stay skinny by always counting calories with every single meal. It's really not necessary to calorie count to stay skinny nor to have a healthy pond.

4 most important tests you should do are the ones for ammonia, nitrites, KH, and chlorine (if using city water) or chloramine (if using city water). Once you are familiar with these test kits and how to properly react to the tests when things go wrong, then you can learn about the other tests.

 

[addy1]

You didn't trust the alligator or the bird..lol! Do you net your pond or use something else? Possible you've told me but I've had so much imput here that I can't remember whose told me what. Once I take the netting off I will be watching to see if it works. I have a heron that's been out there for years, but didn't realize until I had the problem with the egret that they needed to be moved around. I've been moving him and the one I just bought around and now I'll add the alligator head and see what happens. Hopefully it works since I'd like to see my fish without the net ruining the view.

I ended up netting the pond, the gator worked, then didn't work, then worked. The heron is good population control, but I sure don't want holes put into my liner. And it is my job to protect the silly fish. I used that wide gap fishing net, 5 inch holes, it does not show up well, i.e. not bothersome. I would prefer no net, but the heron does not allow that. I net for nothing else.

 

[gardenlady]

I haven't seen the egret since he was on my neighbor's roof although no doubt he's in the neighborhood..but there are a number of lake sections so maybe he's happy somewhere else for a while. Well I'm going to take it off when the weather is nice again and have my two herons out there and the alligator in the pond and see what happens. If he comes back I'm hoping they see him and go deep in the pond! Would be awesome if I had lots of plants growing in the pond so they could hide in them, but I don't at this point.

 

[gardenlady]

Thanks for the information and I'm off to read up on the link you attached and order the KH kit from amazon

It's really not that difficult. KH test is just as easy as doing the pH test you have done. It is unfortunate KH is not part of the major test kits. You can get it online, at amazon api KH test kit. Ya don't need to know the technical details. When doing your pH test, you are actually testing the end result of your KH, other buffering, and other contaminants, and, in our context, pH is mostly a pointless test to do. Read the thread, Ok, now what do I do? and the hyperlinks within it if you want to learn more about it.

Avid hobbyists do become a bit overly obsessive about testing too much. It is like a skinny person trying to stay skinny by always counting calories with every single meal. It's really not necessary to calorie count to stay skinny nor to have a healthy pond.

4 most important tests you should do are the ones for ammonia, nitrites, KH, and chlorine (if using city water) or chloramine (if using city water). Once you are familiar with these test kits and how to properly react to the tests when things go wrong, then you can learn about the other tests.