How to Filter Your Water Garden

Your water garden is beautiful, but what happens when leaves and other debris builds up in your fish pond? Even if you skim your pond every single day, it may still develop a build-up of debris from storms and adverse weather conditions.

So what is the alternative to dealing with muck and debris in your backyard water garden? It may be time to invest in a water filter. Water filters are a practical investment in the maintenance of your backyard pond.

What kind of filter system do you need for your backyard water garden? There are a variety of pond filters on the market that you can choose from and each one has their own advantages.

For a small or large water garden, you can invest in an Atlantic water garden FilterFall. Not only do they feature the latest technology, but they also create an attractive feature that will enhance the appeal of your water garden.

A waterfall garden filter will help keep the water in your backyard garden flowing so that insects and other debris can’t gather. Finding the right pond supplies for your backyard pond is as simple as understanding what’s available and how it will work with your budget.

Browse the enormous selection of pond supplies and pond filters at Pondliner.com to find the perfect one for your backyard water garden.

*Photo courtesy of ConspiracyofHappiness via Flickr

Disaster Zone! Dealing with Pond Damage

Whether from Mother Nature or unwanted guests, if your pond has experienced damage, you need to understand your options.

A backyard pond is meant to be one of the highlights of your home. Keeping your home protected from muskrats, beavers, turtles, weeds and muddy water is just part of the job. But, if you know how to effectively deal with these unwanted problems, you can continue to enjoy your pond for many years to come.

Beavers, Muskrats & Turtles, Oh My!

In many states, animals can be a serious problem for pond owners. These pests can kill fish, damage your pond pumps and block your drain pipes. In some cases, larger animals can even cause pond banks to collapse and leak.

The best way to remove these unwanted pests is to contact a licensed trapper and have them remove the animal from your yard. It may be difficult to prevent animals from coming back, but the best way to avoid unwanted house guests is to maintain your pond. By trimming away weeds and keeping your grass mowed, these animals will have nowhere in your yard to hide and they will seek shelter elsewhere.

Muddy Water

The first step to cleaning a muddy pond is to eliminate the source of the dirt. Commonly, muddy water can occur when there is a runoff of dirt and debris seeping in from areas around your pond, when animals get in your pond, or from fish unsettling the bottom.

Dealing with these issues is simple, once you know how to eliminate the source of the dirt and debris, you can simply clean it up and enjoy. It may take a while for your pond pump and filter to restore your pond to its healthy appearance, but once it does your pond should be good as new.

If your pond will not clean out naturally, you may need to check that your pond filter is working properly and help things along by using a treatment recommended by your pond supplies store.

Be prepared for any pond damage by stocking up on essentials from Pondlliner.com. Shop today.

*Photo courtesy of James Preston via Flickr.

How to Plan Your Pond Supplies Since the Ground Hog Saw His Shadow

On February 2^nd, Punxsutawney Phil was scared by his shadow as the crowds gathered around Gobbler’s Knob. While this may not have normally affected you, as a backyard pond owner, it may ruin the plans you had for an early spring. What are you supposed to do now?

Punxsutawney Phil may have actually helped you out! Spring is one of the hardest seasons to predict. Weather can warm up and then instantly turn cold again. Just when the trees are ready to bud, an icy frost comes to ruin their early development. But, this unpredictable weather just gives you more time to stock up on the pond supplies you will need to prepare your pond for the warmer months ahead.

As spring approaches, there are several things you should do to prepare your backyard pond. Check the temperature of your water garden occasionally. Once the temperature hits about 10 degrees C, you can begin to pull out your pond supplies and give your pond a thorough cleaning.

Some of the pond supplies you need to start preparing for your spring pond opening include:

• Pond vacuum
• Pond skimmer
• UV Sterilizers/clarifiers
• Pond filters
• Test kits
• Pond treatments
• Pond thermometers

After cleaning your backyard pond it’s important to test the water and ensure the pH is at proper levels. You will also want to test for nitrates, ammonia and oxygen levels.

Punxsutawney Phil also gave you a little extra time to make sure your pond pump and filter are working properly. If not, you might need to invest in more pond supplies than you anticipated. Even if all parts are working at 100%, you will still need to clean the outside of the pump and ensure all filters and strainers are completely clear.

Spring also means it’s time to start feeding your fish again. If your backyard water garden has fish, you can start feeding your fish when the pond reaches a constant temperature of 8 to 10 degrees C. Only feed your fish in low quantities and remove excess food when necessary.

Stay one step ahead by preparing your pond with pond supplies from Pondliner.com.

*Photo courtesy of El Frito via Flickr

Fish Safety Around Pond Pumps

How can you keep your fish protected from the pond pump in your backyard pond? Fish safety is an important aspect of being a pond-owner. It is your responsibility to properly feed your fish and protect them from weather fluctuations and unclean or unsafe water conditions.

Having a pond pump is a necessary component to keeping your backyard pond clean and clear. However, it’s also important to understand how to place your pond fixtures to ensure your pond pump won’t harm your fish.

By placing your pond pump in a larger pond, your fish will have more room to swim around without every interfering with the pump. Properly placed rocks and water decorations can also help keep your pond pump away from your fish.

It’s important to only add as many fish as your backyard pond can handle. By adding only two to three fish at a time you can see how they acclimate themselves to the pond and decide if any more fish will fit. Over time, you will be able to more easily determine how many fish fit in your backyard pond without interfering with your existing water garden and pond pump.

Looking for a new pond pump? The newer the pond pump you have the better it will protect your fish and your backyard garden. Shop the Pondliner.com collection of functional pond pumps to find one that will work with your backyard.

*Image courtesy of P_Linehan via Flickr.