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Water Gardening Direct Blog

  1. Reducing Energy Costs Of A Pond

    With the cost of electricity currently rising rapidly we are seeing an increasing number of customers looking at how they can reduce the running costs for their ponds.

    The most common products which consume electricity in a pond are pond pumps and the UV in filter systems.

    If you have a pond without fish then a pump and filter are not necessary. They will help keep the water fresh, clear and can reduce mosquito larvae, but the other inhabitants do not need them to be running.

    If you keep fish, then during the feeding season circulation through a filter is vital twenty-four hours a day. Oxygen in a pond is vital for all fish and bacteria in your filter. The oxygen levels in a pond are primarily kept high through circulation, although waterfalls, fountain and air pumps will also help. The worst time for low oxygen levels in the pond is at night when underwater plants including oxygenators and algae stop producing oxygen but continue consuming it. Thus, running the pump at night is as important as running it through the day.

    Filters also need to be run continuously during the feeding season, the bacteria in the filter are living organisms which require food, water and oxygen, without this they can begin to die off within 3 hours. If this happens the fishes waste could build up to dangerous levels and cause your fish harm. In addition, most filters strain the waste material out in foam. If a filter is switched off and on, the surges will dislodge the waste and flush it out, if this happens too often it will not produce clear water.

    The UV light in the filter affects single cell algae allowing it to be caught in the filter. This is not a health issue for the fish but will affect water clarity, so could be sacrificed if you are happy for green water.

    The property of water means that as it cools it holds more oxygen. As winter approaches the fish become less active and the need for the same high circulation levels drops. This can mean that a smaller pump could be used and if the fish stop feeding for an extended period the pump and filter could be switched off completely. If you do switch your filter off, it is important to remember not to feed the fish until the filter has been switched back on for a while. Obviously replacing your main pump with a smaller pump has an initial cost. Whether this is worthwhile will depend on the savings you can make between the power consumption of each pump, but a second pump brings added benefits. It should prolong the life of the main pump and is very useful to have a standby for when and if the main pump fails.




  2. How to Check and Clean a Pump Impellor

    Looking after your pumps impellor could save you money long term

    The impellor or rotor is the vital part of your pump which spins “day in and day out” moving the water around your pond, or water feature. In most ponds it clocks up a huge number of hours and this work inevitably leads to wear and tear, which can lead it to failing. Rather than it fail in the height of summer it is better, despite the temperature, to take it out in the winter and give it a clean and check it over. 

    ………Continue reading “How to Check and Clean a Pump Impellor”




  3. Pond Pump Cleaning Advice

    Dirty Pond Pump
    Slow flow rate from your pump?
    Make sure your pump is clean with our
    Pond Pump cleaning advice

    A pond pump is the heart of your ponds life support system and the flowrate it achieves will dramatically affect the health and clarity of your pond. To ensure your pump is in tip top condition for the new season we strongly suggest examining it to clean and check for wear and tear. To help with this we have created a simple guide to help you along.

    ………Continue reading “Pond Pump Cleaning Advice”




  4. Winter Special Offers

    Pond Heaters

    Winter Special Offers
    Get ready for winter with our range of pond heaters from only £14.99Pond Heaters

    Winter will soon be here.

    As any Koi keeper (from amateur enthusiast to professional breeder) will tell you, UK Winters provide a different set of challenges. Koi themselves aren’t native to the UK and so some care needs to be taken to ensure their comfort and survival.

    ………Continue reading “Winter Special Offers”




  5. Green Water – Make sure your UV Quartz is Clean

    Green Water?
    Make sure your UV Quartz is Clean

    During the start of the season with everybody undertaking pond spring cleans we sell a huge number of replacement UV bulbs, but changing your bulb is only part of the job. All UV bulbs are protected from the water by a quartz sleeve, these come in lots of different shapes and sizes, but are common to all units and are there to keep the water away from the electrics. They are made out of quartz glass because the UV light used in out systems does not travel well through normal glass, unfortunately, this does make them delicate and prone to damage. In the same way that the UV light produced by the bulb will not pass through normal glass, it will not penetrate in to the water if the quartz sleeve is dirty. After a faulty bulb the second most common reason for poor UV’s performance is the quartz sleeve being coated in limescale. This limescale build up can be so extreme that you can’t even see your finger through the quartz, so the light has no chance.

    ………Continue reading “Green Water – Make sure your UV Quartz is Clean”




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