Pond Plants When is the best time to Plant Pond Lilies? The best time to plant pond lilies is early spring. Ensure the outside temperature is above 15° C for Hardy Lilies / 21° Celsius for Tropical Lilies and the area of your pond receives high levels of sunlight.
Pond Pests How do I keep Mosquitoes away from my pond? Mosquitoes around your pond can be an absolute nightmare. Whilst Fish actively feed on larvae, they can be an awful pest. To keep them at bay use strong scented plants such as Lavender to repel Mosquitoes.
Fish Care Will thunderstorms hurt my fish pond? Thunderstorms can change the water temperature and pressure in your garden pond. Generally speaking, Thunderstorms will not harm your fish - however heavy storms may cause rapid raised water levels and increased debris in your pond which could damage your water filtration.
Fish Care How do I treat swim bladder disease in pond fish? Swim bladder disease in pond fish can be treated by feeding your fish the correct type of food. In some circumstances it might be worth placing your fish in a hospital tank for further treatment.
Pond Liners How can I make my pond deeper? To make your pond deeper you must first drain your existing pond. Once drained you can then dig out more ground and lay a new liner. Once laid, refill your pond and introduce your fish and plants.
Pond Liners Do I need a concrete base for a raised pond? A Concrete base should only be considered if the ground you are building your raised pond on is very soft and riddled with roots. A solid base is vital to ensure your raised pond will not sink when it rains.
Pond Plants Why my Pond Lilies are not flowering and dying my ultimate guide If your Pond Lilies are not flowering this may be due to a lack of sunlight, poor water quality/conditions, incorrect planting depth or your aquatic compost may need replacing.
UV Pond Lamps Why is my pond tripping the electric box fuse? Faulty pumps and UV lights are often causes for Electrical faults. RCD’s are designed to be tripped/triggered when a fault occurs (which is why your pond should be on it’s own circuit).
Pond Filters When should I replace my pond filters? Pond Filters will last many years under normal operation - however if you're noticing your filters are not cleaning your pond water, or they appear damaged it's time to replace them.
Fish Care Can I use rainwater to fill my pond? Rainwater is a 'free' source of water and can be used to fill your pond. In fact, Rainwater in most circumstances is healthier for your pond than tap water. There are some caveats to this, and I cover the potential problems with rainwater for your pond.
Fish Care Will the hot weather harm my fish? How weather can negatively affect your pond fish. Decreased Oxygen levels in the water can make it difficult for your fish to breath. Long periods of hot weather can also accelerate algae growth and cause your fish to experience higher levels of stress.
Pond Plants Can I use normal soil instead of aquatic compost? Normal Topsoil should not be used as a direct replacement for Aquatic Compost due to the lack of nutrients - however, mixing topsoil with sand and gravel can be a viable cheaper alternative.
Pond Filters Why is my pond water green? Green pond water is mainly caused by Algae blooms, which are often a result of excess nutrients, sunlight, and imbalanced pond ecology. Every pond owner will at some stage be faced with Green Pond Water - you are not alone!
Pond Plants How often should I replace my aquatic compost? Aquatic Compost should be replaced every 2-3 years. This is providing your pond planters are still in good condition. If your baskets are damaged, or you're able to see roots, then you may need to replace your aquatic compost much sooner.
Pond Plants Why are my Lilies not growing? Pond Lilies require good amounts of sunlight, good water quality that is filled with nutrients - or you may have planted them at the wrong depth in your pond. In this article I go over each reason in more detail.
Pond Plants Will Koi kill my Lilies? Koi will not intentionally attack and kill your Pond Lilies. However, like most pond fish, Koi "if hungry" will start to tuck into your beautiful plants. Using sturdy containers for your pond plants and covering roots with gravel will help protect them from hungry Koi.
Pond Filters Does my wildlife pond need a pump? To ensure your Wildlife pond is a habitable place for Frogs / Tadpoles and other "wildlife" I would always recommend using a pond pump. If you do not use any form of filtration you run the risk of your wildlife pond becoming dirty, smelly and hazardous to any wildlife that uses it.
Fish Care Can I feed my fish more if I forget to feed one day? Feeding your fish should be part of your daily routine, and doubling the amount of food because you “forgot” can have damaging effects on your water quality. Overfeeding your fish is not ideal (imagine eating a huge meal every 2 days), but can also attract pests to your pond/garden.
Pond Pests How to Keep Rats away from Your Pond To summarise this article, there are a number of things that you can do to prevent rats from becoming a problem in your garden. From covering up any holes around your garden fences, to planting specific types of plants around your pond – I’ll cover all your options below.
Pond Pests Will bird poop affect my pond and what can I do to prevent bird poo? The odd one or two pieces of bird poop will not affect the overall quality of your pond – in fact it can provide additional nutrients to help your pond plants thrive. Excessive bird waste can introduce high levels of nitrogen into your pond fuelling algae and blanketweed growth.
Fish Care Can I top my pond up using a hose pipe? Yes, you can top up your pond with a hose pipe - however you must ensure that you treat the water with a pond chemical to remove harmful Chlorine and Chloramine.
Pond Pumps How do I sink my pond air line? Sink your pond air line by placing small rocks and other items over the tubing - not too heavy to restrict air flow, but enough to keep it floating to the surface. Alternatively use "Sinking Airline" which is already weighted.
Fish Care Should I remove leaves from my pond? Yes you should remove any fallen leaves that enter your pond and in this article I discuss the reasons why and what you can do to prevent it.
Pond Liners Should I double layer my pond liner? Double layering your pond liner can increase the lifespan of your pond whilst providing extra leak protection, however it may end up costing more when comparing with a higher quality single layer liner.
Fish Care Can I feed my fish pellets from coarse fishing? Yes you can occasionally feed your pond fish pellets from coarse fishing, however commercial fishing pellets are usually coated / mixed with additives and flavourings which will discolour, or add an oily layer to your pond water.
