Frequently asked questions and answers

1. Location: Consider how the water can enrich your landscape. Where makes most sense for the pond and where will you be able to clean, maintain and also see it best?

2. Elevation: Do not build your pond on a hillside or slope. Also remember that if you position your pond at the lowest level in your garden, as rain water discharge may pollute the water, wash fish away or destroy plants.

3. Sunlight: If you plan to include plants that require moderate to strong sunlight, you will need to select a site that receives at least six hours of sunlight. It is important to provide spacious deep water zones in sites exposed to a lot of sunlight. These zones will prevent the water from becoming too warm.

Do not position the pond close to deciduous trees and conifers. Dead leaves and pine needles will affect the water quality and tree roots can cause problems when laying out the pond.

4. Integration: The size, scale and layout of your pond will need to complement the other features in your garden.

UVC clarifiers are not normally used as filters. Instead, they are normally used in combination with a filter or actually within the filter itself. UVC clarifiers have been specially developed to tackle the problem of green water caused by algae, bacteria and other micro-organisms that flow through the clarifier. The clarifier then returns clear, clean water to the pond. The device itself comprises of an ultraviolet lamp, which is housed in a quartz layer and is located in a filter or PVC housing. All of the cells contained in the thin sheet of water that flows over the quartz layer are exposed to UV light and killed. The beneficial bacteria that grow on the media inside the filter or on the bottom of the pond are never at risk of being damaged or killed by the clarifier. A common misconception is that string or thread algae is killed after a UV light is installed. This type of algae generally covers and sticks to a substrate and is not drawn into the UVC clarifier.

The function of the PC UVC 9W clarifier from Aquanique can be checked visually because it is easy to see whether the UVC lamp is still operational. It is not necessary to open the housing of the device to do this.

Check and, ideally, replace the lamp at the beginning of each season to ensure that it continues to work efficiently.

No. Thread algae must be removed using a net, by hand with waterproof gloves or using our pond and pool vacuum.

No, UVC clarifiers are not at all harmful to fish.

To maintain a healthy, well-balanced pond environment, it is important to return oxygen to the water as oxygen creates a healthy environment for fish and plants. Pond aeration is especially important in the warmer summer months because more oxygen is required as the water gets warmer.

One option is to install a pond aerator in your pond. A pond aerator releases air bubbles into the water, thus enriching it with oxygen.

A water feature can also oxygenate your pond by circulating and bubbling the water

In spring, clear out the debris that may have collected in your pond during the winter. In addition, check any devices that you removed from the pond during the winter and put them back into use. It can be useful to use a filter starter to kick-start the activity of the filter. Also make sure that you check and, if necessary, replace the lamp in your UVC clarifier.

Your pond will be particularly susceptible to algae in the summer. It is therefore important to check the water values on a regular basis and take action as necessary. A pond aerator is an especially important tool in the warmer months because warm water requires more oxygen than cold water. You will also need to keep an eye on the water temperature and water level. If the water gets warmer than 22°C, top it up with cold water so that fish and other creatures feel comfortable again.

Autumn is the best time to get your pond ready for winter. Remove debris, such as leaves, thread algae, etc., on a regular basis and clear silt off the bottom of the pond. Remove and clean any devices that are not frost-proof, as well as any frost-sensitive plants that will not survive the winter. It is also worth using a net to protect the pond from leaves and other debris.