You can start by looking through the product descriptions on our website or by reading the packaging in the shops. Some water treatments are easy to work out because they target a specific problem. e.g. Clearpond Pondclean kills algae that turn ponds green and Clearpond Pondzyme cleans up sludge from the bottom of the pond. Some treatments are algae preventatives like Oase Aquahumin and some alter the waters chemistry like Clearpond pH down. Whilst all of these treatments are beneficial for you pond some of them might need further explanation as to how they work. You can get further information by reading the packaging and instructions on the bottles or by asking one of our stores.

Water treatments must be used as per the Instructions. As following the directions carefully means you wont overdose your pond and fish and plants will be safe. Most water treatments are easy to work out because they target a specific problem. So always read the bottle and check in store. Note: just because they are used in the water doesnt mean they are safe for fish and plants. Some water treatments are designed for water features, ornaments and displays that dont include fish or plants..

If youre experiencing problems with excess algae, poor plant growth or fish health problems then you should start looking at the reasons why. Testing the water is a good start as this can determine if the pond is out of balance. Testing the water before you use a water treatment is also a good idea because many of them wont work as well if the pond has unfavorable water conditions. Testing the water will help identify problems that water treatments can fix or if you need to consider other alternatives such as filtration.

You dont have to revisit your high school chemistry days to test your water. There are two types of water tests - the drip test and Oase Quicksticks. Drip tests work by taking a small sample of water in a test jar, adding some drops or powder and checking it against a colour chart to tell you the reading. All of the equipment comes with the products. Examples of these test kits are the Oase Consumer Test Kit and Oase Test Kit Plus. Whilst these test kits are easy to use the Oase Quicksticks are even easier. These use a paper strip that is dipped into the water and then held against a colour chart to determine the reading. Whatever method you choose, testing the water is easy and should be part of every pond keepers routine.

When you need to. Although water treatments are safe to use it's not a good idea to use them when you don't have to. For example, it's unlikely that you'd need to use an algaecide over the winter months because algae naturally die off over this time of year so why load you system with unnecessary products? Depending on your pond, you may need to use balancing products like Clearpond pH down or Oase Aquahumin all year round as these products provide stability and maintain the general health of your pond.

Yes, some treatments use chemicals but some use natural products such as bacteria and enzymes.

No, most medications have undesirable side effects such as reduction of oxygen level or killing some of the filter bacteria. Your fish should only be subjected to these effects if there is a specific disease problem in the pond that poses more of a risk to their health. Even then it is important to ensure the water quality is correct and to identify the cause of the problem before commencing any treatment. Poor water quality kills more fish than any disease and testing the water parameters should always be the first step if your fish are unwell.

Aquatic test kits show up levels of fish waste in the water: Ammonia, Nitrite and Nitrate, all of which are detrimental to the fish and in the case of Ammonia and Nitrite can be fatal at high levels. Because these substances are all dissolved in the water they are not visible and it is quite possible to have water that is clear and appears clean but which is extremely unhealthy for your fish.

Nitrogen control is important in ponds which have dense fish populations. Free ammonia and nitrite, which are compounds of nitrogen and hydrogen, are highly toxic to fish. Toxic forms of nitrogen are converted to less toxic nitrates by nitrifying bacteria. These bacteria attach themselves to any surface area which is well aerated. If your pond has more than just a few fish, you can greatly increase the numbers of nitrifying bacteria by installing a biological filter. These filters supply a far greater amount of well aerated surface area for the bacteria than the pond provides

The Clearpond Pond Maintenance pack includes, 1x500ml Pondstart, Removes chlorine and chloramines for the establishment of new ponds and aquariums. 1x500ml Pondzyme, A special enzyme based formula that removes harmful sludge from the bottom of ponds. 1x500ml Crystal Lagoon, Clears cloudy water for a crystal clear pond or aquarium. Best used in conjunction with a biological filter. 1x500ml Biostarter, Beneficial bacteria for the fast start-up of the filter system or to give a boost to new or existing biological filters.

In most cases the best method is to take a bucket of your pond water, mix in the correct amount of liquid or powder and distribute throughout the pond. Some treatments differ from this procedure so please follow the instructions.