It is very difficult to guess the exact circumstance of each aquatic ecology in different water bodies but years of experience in the industry has proved that green water control is related to your water pH, which is related to carbon hardness (KH).
Therefore it is important to regulate your pond’s pH level in order for ANY treatment to offer desired results. fluctuate daily and is determined by complex relationships between carbon dioxide, hardness, alkalinity, photosynthesis, and respiration
pH levels fluctuates frequently and are also related to complex relationships between carbon dioxide, hardness, alkalinity, photosynthesis, respiration and pollution. pH can also be effected by other factors such as rain, thunder, an accumulation of biological waste, direct sunlight, in some cases fish food, chemical water treatment products and if you are using borehole water, most likely the water calcium or lime levels.
Check the pH levels in your pond during Spring, Summer or even rainfall season every 2 to 3 days. Do not test it with pH strips, instead invest in a good pH water tester. Talk to your Pet Store assistant or take a look at these online options. As you will need to measure pH regularly either taking it to your nearest Pet store for testing or investing in a meter that is accurate and reliable is of utmost importance. A balance pH is the foundation of a healthy balanced water ecology that will make treating algae so much more effective with any water treatment and preserve the water clarity for much longer.
For algae and green water control we recommend maintaining a pH balance between 6.8 and 7.2. Some experts say that it can even go up to 7.5 but for me personally, I recommend the 6.8 – 7.2 range to all of my clients as I have found that 7.5 does not offer enough leeway should you want to treat for algae or green water.
When your pH level is too low (below 6.5) the water will become more acidic and can be unhealthy for various aquatic species that can result in sickness and fatalities and impact the water clarity. Beneficial bacteria will also die off in acidic levels and reduce the effectiveness of biological filtration.
A pH level too high will result in more alkaline water which often wrecks havoc in managing the water clarity and often results in green water and algae growth. As mentioned above the ideal level should read between 6.8 and 7.2. An indication of “hard water” is when the pH level is above 7.5 and can indicate that the water contains too much calcium and/or magnesium.
As temperature fluctuates the pH level, it is important to test at the same time periodically. In the morning the pH reading will most likely be lower than in the late afternoon. If possible try and test midday. Alternatively test in the morning and afternoon for up to 3 consecutive days to get an average reading.
This is when your pH level spikes or drops radically over night due to reduced carbon hardness (KH) and can be caused due to heavy rain, pollution and result in either hard or soft water. This can also occur after a water changes when the source water contains reduced KH and therefore it is important to not only test your pond pH levels but also the pH of the source water.
These results are warning signs of a crashed pH level. Even so, testing is still recommended to measure the accurate pH level reading.
Although it is impossible to prevent the fluctuation of the pH level, you can follow some of these steps to prevent the harmful effect of a pH crash on your fish or aquatic plants.
There are various products on the market that can assist with balancing the pH level. Depending on the source water pH level, this can become a rather expensive exercise. I found the following methods to be natural and economic options:
This is a short term solution and often used in smaller bodies of water or aquariums.
• Add standard, white household vinegar to your pond if the pH testing kit
reveals a pH that’s above 7.5. Use 1/4 cup of vinegar for every 2000L of
water in your pond. The acid in the vinegar helps neutralise the alkalinity
and lower the pond water’s pH levels.
• Wait for 12 hours, then retest the pond water. If the pH is still above 7.5,
repeat the vinegar application and continue until the pH measures at 7.5
or lower.
• DO NOT REDUCE THE PH LEVEL WITH MÔRE THAN .3 / DAY!
This is recommended as a long term solution, especially where the source water has got a pH reading above 7.5 Peat moss will soften your pond water by binding the calcium and magnesium ions while simultaneously releasing tannic and gallic acids into the water. These acids then attack the bicarbonates in the water, reducing the water’s carbonate hardness and pH. Although there is no exact application recommendation, you can follow the suggestion below and regular testing will show if you need to add more Peat Moss.
This is achieved by either applying:
1 teaspoon for every 35L of pond water. (250grams / 8 000L pond)
• Best practice is to collect some pond water in a bucket and dissolve the
in the bucket. Then pour the entire contents directly into the pond water. Be sure to rinse out any bicarb that remains on the bottom of the bucket.
• DO NOT INCREASE THE PH LEVEL WITH MÔRE THAN .3 / DAY!
Similar to the Peat Moss it is a bitt of a guessing game getting the right application dosage for Crushed coral or Oyster shells.
I love to hear from you!
Let me know what works for you to balance the pH levels in the comments below. Happy organic fish keeping!