ZZZ DISCONTINUED Algae Inhibiting Plant Pack

All too often newcomers to garden ponds, fired with enthusiasm, soon find that their newly established pond turns pea green in Summer, making the whole effect of crystal clear water a disaster! This is especially so with newly established fibreglass pools, some plastic liners and concrete pools alike. The recourse to the use of expensive and often suspect chemicals can do nothing to correct Nature's imbalance or the cause of the free suspension of algae in the water. The latter, in moderation, is not harmful to fish, but of course is unsightly and is the cause of the pea green soup effect!

Since the early 1950's our family has employed the principle of nature's way of arresting this problem or re-establishing natures balance. Minerals naturally occur in pond water that is exposed to the elements and wind blown debris. Unfortunately, there is always a tendency to overstock the pond with fish. Overstocking can contribute to the green water problem, due to the excreta of the fish themselves, especially if they are fed frequently and overfed as people often do!

Our method, natures way, avoids this problem in entirety for good, provided that the pond is not overstocked with fish. The so-called 'experts' and many books on the subject, maintain that you can only keep Koi in constantly filtered and aerated water. That is nonsense, the Koi is only a variety of coloured Carp, and will enjoy and thrive in the same conditions as goldfish but is known to consume aquatic plants with great relish!

You can maintain a crystal clear pond that is healthy to your fish and that can eliminate the 'pea green soup' effect, without incurring any further expenditure ever again, it doesn't involveinstalling pond filtration or anything more complicated than this water plant collection!

The plant selection we offer, always includes a large proportion of Lagarosiphon major (formerly known as Elgeria crispa) and can alone eliminate the green water syndrome. We also include beneficial Watercress (edible if it gets too rampant) and Ceretophylum demersum (also known as Coontail or Hornwort). Occasionally, in early Summer, only Lagarosiphon is available and this may alone be supplied, until such time as other oxygenating plants are vigorously growing, although we try to avoid this if possible.

In order to maintain nature's balance, it is essential to establish a good planting of the plants we supply and all your murky pond water problems will be solved biologically. In order for these plants to survive they need the very minerals and conditions that cause green water! They provide excellent spawning (fish breeding) medium for all pond fish and are a source of alternative vegetative food. In the presence of sunlight the plants absorb harmful toxins from the water, including carbon dioxide expelled by the fish in their breathing. In turn, in the presence of sunlight, they liberate or produce life giving oxygen. You can prove this, if you wish, by placing a few sprigs in a jam jar of water on a sunny window ledge or even under artificial light and, within five minutes, you see bead like bubbles appearing on the surface of the foliage, growing bigger until they can be contained no more and rise to the surface of the jar. In this process, the water is oxygenated, as it is termed. (This is particularly noticeable with Lagarosiphon and Coontail also known as Hornwort).

If your pond water is very green, with the algae held in suspension, as it is known, you can clear the water mechanically in the first place. This is simple! You connect a garden hose to the household water supply and let this run into the pond from, say, a height of a couple of feet to eliminate the effect of the minimal amount of chlorine found in domestic water supplies (contrary to popular belief, water from the domestic supply is not harmful to fish), this should be allowed to run until the pond is quite clear. Depending on the size of the pond, this can be achieved within about three or four hours, normally. Please take care to ensure that the fish are not swept away by the overflow of water, that quickly dispels into the garden ground or may be siphoned to a convenient drain. However, it is not essential to run a hose into the pond as with the correct plant establishment nature will soon readjust the balance in about four to six weeks. The decision is yours! If you are in a hurry you may wish to flush the pond a couple of times.

You then simply drop your plants into the water, they do not need planting in anything. Establishment and growth is especially fast during the summer months (i.e. periods of strong and long daylight hours). Watercress, easily recognisable by the broader leaf, should be planted in soil or grit, no deeper than about 9". You can use a cut off old nylon stocking or part pair of tights for this purpose and indeed, other marginals. Cast off nylon underwear can make excellent planting bags for all aquatic plants including water lilies!

Ponds exposed to full sun are at greater risk than pools that are shaded for part of the day and are , therefore, likely to have a greater or more excessive growth of algae in suspension. Fish need an element of shade, especially in very hot weather. Like us, they suffer from the effects of sun or heat stroke. Do not overstock your pond with fish and only feed them sparingly. Water pollution by overstocking, overfeeding and even falling leaves from deciduous trees and fruit from trees will pollute your pond water and cause fish to die. In such conditions, no amount of our oxygenating plants would normally be able to cope. Excess light can be reduced by the use of floating plants, such as fairy moss, water lilies or water hyacinths. The use of water soldiers will reduce 'free lime' from hard water sources (i.e. Kent and Thames Valley water supplies).

Very shallow ponds or pools, likewise can cause problems. A small volume of water, especially on a Summer's day heats up to alarming temperatures, reducing the water's oxygen content and can cause fish to suffocate. Shade will correct and virtually cure this problem.

During late Autumn and Winter your submerged aquatic plants will appear to die back or become dormant. They are not dead, and should not be disturbed for they will grow away, with increased vigour, in the late Spring again (i.e. from about mid May onwards-not before!).

Finally, do not be tempted to use chemical treatments! If you do, you will find this is a repetitive exercise and can do harm to the fish and is not stamping out the root cause of the problem. Do the job Nature's way, safely!

This collection can be used with the Bilo Technica system.

Please note if you have hungry fish it may be advisable to fence off an area and put the plants one side with the fish the other - therefore the water gets the benefits of the plant life but the fish don't!

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