When your fish are acting different then usual, testing the water is a must! The first thing Dreamscapes tests for is ammonia---ammonia is toxic to fish, as it burns at their gills and makes it hard for the fish to breathe. Because it is a slow and painful death, the damage is already done by the time people notice their fish acting weird.
Ammonia Prevention
 | To PREVENT ammonia, we recommend a drain & pressure washing cleaning to be done on the waterfeature every Spring. Ammonia spikes are invisible in the water, meaning that you won't always notice it at the time that you could have saved your fish during. EVEN if your pond water look crystal clear, you may have a build up of sludge in between the rocks and gravel on the bottom of the pond. If you wait until your water looks foul and has an odor, chances are you are way too late to save the fish. |
Causes of Ammonia Spikes
Ammonia stems from a couple different issues, which hand in hand, all cause a MAJOR issue!
1) Overfeeding-- Not only does overfeeding add extra poop to the water, but it could also mean the fish don't eat all the food you're tossing in, too! Often times, fish pretend to be starving and as soon as you throw in an extra large handful of food, half of it is destined to sink to the bottom of the pond.
2) Fish waste- The more you feed fish, the more the fish poop. Consider your "magic fish number" and how having "too many fish" can impact the amount of fish waste piling up in your water...especially if you haven't done or don't usually EVER do a Spring Maintenance on the waterfeature.
3) Dead organic matter-- whether it's dead algae killed by use of algaecides, dead leaves/pollen from the trees above or dead leaves off of pond lilies and other aquatic plants, dead organic matter all contributes to ammonia!
4) Beneficial Bacteria-- the weekly application of beneficial bacteria promotes the breaking down of dead organic matter in the pond, which without would contribute to the ammonia levels.
The good news is that water treatments and pond nets are all sold at Dreamscapes Watergardens during regular Aquatic Retail Hours AND we even offer Spring Maintenance and Summer Maintenance service options if you want to let us handle the hassle for you.
1) Overfeeding-- Not only does overfeeding add extra poop to the water, but it could also mean the fish don't eat all the food you're tossing in, too! Often times, fish pretend to be starving and as soon as you throw in an extra large handful of food, half of it is destined to sink to the bottom of the pond.
2) Fish waste- The more you feed fish, the more the fish poop. Consider your "magic fish number" and how having "too many fish" can impact the amount of fish waste piling up in your water...especially if you haven't done or don't usually EVER do a Spring Maintenance on the waterfeature.
3) Dead organic matter-- whether it's dead algae killed by use of algaecides, dead leaves/pollen from the trees above or dead leaves off of pond lilies and other aquatic plants, dead organic matter all contributes to ammonia!
4) Beneficial Bacteria-- the weekly application of beneficial bacteria promotes the breaking down of dead organic matter in the pond, which without would contribute to the ammonia levels.
The good news is that water treatments and pond nets are all sold at Dreamscapes Watergardens during regular Aquatic Retail Hours AND we even offer Spring Maintenance and Summer Maintenance service options if you want to let us handle the hassle for you.
Ammonia "Treatment"
Depending on the severity of the ammonia, a 25-50 percent water change should be performed immediately on the waterfeature and the addition of Ammonia Neutralizer can decrease the harmfulness of the ammonia until it is removed from the water. Please keep in mind, we have seen some ponds need MULTIPLE water changes before getting back in balance.
Fish Health Safety
We recommend also adding Pond Salt, as pond salt increases the slime coat of the fish to help protect them from parasites. Salt, however, does not dissipate until a water change has been performed on the feature. Make sure to follow the directions on the back of the container when dosing the pond. Too much salt can kill aquatic plants.
We recommend also adding Pond Salt, as pond salt increases the slime coat of the fish to help protect them from parasites. Salt, however, does not dissipate until a water change has been performed on the feature. Make sure to follow the directions on the back of the container when dosing the pond. Too much salt can kill aquatic plants.
So Now What?
Located in Lebanon, Pennsylvania, Dreamscapes Watergardens installs and renovates koi fish ponds and pondless waterfalls (disappearing waterfalls) all over the Central Pennsylvania area. For more information on koi ponds and waterfeature installations, please contact us directly!
Dreamscapes also carries a full line of pond supplies from water treatments and fish medications to pond pumps, heaters, fountains, plants and fish! Tadpoles and snails are also available at our Aquatic Retail Center in Lebanon, Pennsylvania seasonally while supplies last from May-August. If you think you need it, we have it!
Retail Hours: April 5th-October 27th 2018:
Monday-Wednesday: By Appt
Thursday-Friday: 10am-5pm
Saturday: 9am-12pm
October 28th-April 2019: HOURS BY APPT
Contact Us
2155 State Route 343, Lebanon Pa | 717-272-6555 | info@dreamscapeswatergardens.com
Dreamscapes Watergardens services the city of Lebanon, Lancaster, Harrisburg, Mechanicsburg, Camp Hill, Cleona, Cornwall, Fredericksburg, Indiantown Gap, Jonestown, Kleinfeltersville, Mount Gretna, Myerstown, Newmanstown Palmyra, Quentin, Reistville, Richland, Schaefferstown of Pennsylvania, PA
Dreamscapes also carries a full line of pond supplies from water treatments and fish medications to pond pumps, heaters, fountains, plants and fish! Tadpoles and snails are also available at our Aquatic Retail Center in Lebanon, Pennsylvania seasonally while supplies last from May-August. If you think you need it, we have it!
Retail Hours: April 5th-October 27th 2018:
Monday-Wednesday: By Appt
Thursday-Friday: 10am-5pm
Saturday: 9am-12pm
October 28th-April 2019: HOURS BY APPT
Contact Us
2155 State Route 343, Lebanon Pa | 717-272-6555 | info@dreamscapeswatergardens.com
Dreamscapes Watergardens services the city of Lebanon, Lancaster, Harrisburg, Mechanicsburg, Camp Hill, Cleona, Cornwall, Fredericksburg, Indiantown Gap, Jonestown, Kleinfeltersville, Mount Gretna, Myerstown, Newmanstown Palmyra, Quentin, Reistville, Richland, Schaefferstown of Pennsylvania, PA
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