Pond Chemicals ..pond testing and adding chemicals and treatments to fish ponds

The first point to bear in mind if you succumb to the temptation to add something to your pond is ...... you MUST know and know ACCURATELY the volume of water in your pond which includes the volume in the waterfall, filters (if large) and streams etc... in other words ALL the water in your system and not just the pond.

You must then be able to measure the dose based upon the total volume and the instructions. This can be difficult for many because of poor instructions and mixed units on the container.

If in doubt ..... seek advice

For example a common pond additive or treatment is Malachite Green. This chemical is actually a dye which is used in treating parasites, and fungus diseases in a pond.

By overdosing you would tend to kill off your biofilter which is very dangerous. On the other hand it can be totally ineffective if dosage is not right. Are you starting to see what I mean about adding chemicals to a pond?

It is probably best to turn off flow to the filter before adding but only for an hour or so.

Most dyes are broken down by air and sunlight so best time to treat is late in the day. This is another reason your supply might not be what you think (ie it has deteriorated in the container). This creates more complexities. Once added it cannot be added again for a period of time. Like I said before treating a fish outside the pond, in a bath for example, is almost always better than treating in pond.