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

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"
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.
So Now What?
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