Water Features

WATER FEATURES

Ponds or Water Features?

Water enhances all gardens when designed and installed properly, however what do you really want - a pond or a water feature?

Water Features
Water features create beautiful focal points and require specialist pumps purposely designed for the role. Most of the time additional filtration is not required.

Ponds
Ponds are a natural ecosystem that must stay in balance in order to provide a healthy environment for plants and fish. They will always require a filter system and, yes, some maintenance. However, when done properly, they will provide a stunning addition to your garden that changes with the seasons.

At The Irrigation Showroom, we have an extensive display of pumps, filters and pond treatment product. Our expert advice ensures the final result is the water feature of your dreams.

We also supply a range of plastic and fibreglass preformed garden pools. For more info, click here: www.gardenpools.co.nz, and then contact us for prices and to order.

Perfect Ponds Made Simple

Whatever your reason for having a pond, it's important to understand how to keep a pond clear and healthy so that plants & fish thrive, and the water stays fresh and sparkling.

Each pond is a complete, miniature eco-system and the water should be pH neutral (pH 6.5 - 7.5). Stagnant water lacks oxygen so you'll need to keep the water circulating. Plants are essential decoration for any pond as well as absorbing harmful carbon dioxide (released from fish and pond life).

How to Buy the Right Pump

There are many pumps on the market and, unfortunately, the old adage is true. You get what you pay for!

It is vital to select the right pump for the job, taking into consideration its size, performance, power requirements and running costs. Oase is the world leader in pump production and we have a large range available to ensure customer satisfaction.

Please visit our store for expert advice and recommendation, or for more info click here: www.oase-livingwater.com

Pond Plants

In addition to providing extra decoration to your pond, plants are a vital part of the ecosystem. They remove nutrients and release oxygen into the water, provide some shelter for pond life and can help prevent the water going green.

Aquatic plants consist of:

Oxygenating plants: thrive on nutrients, help reduce algae and release beneficial oxygen through the day.

Deep water plants: mostly known as lilies, these provide shade and beauty throughout your pond.

Floating plants: help to control "blanket weed" and algae as they also help to cut down the sunlight on the water's surface.

Marginal plants: stand in shallow water and are generally more for decoration than assisting with pond balance but provide a more natural appearance to your pond.

We recommend that you use specially manufactured 'lily baskets' as well as a good quality planting mix so that the shoots can grow via the holes on the side and clear water won't be disturbed by normal potting mix.

Filtration

Before considering a system, you'll need to calculate the pond size (volume m3)

-Length x depth x width = vol m3

-Tr2 = vol m3

-Volume m3 x 1000 = litre capacity.

You'll also need to consider additional factors such as: the amount of sunlight on the pond, whether you plan to include fish and plants and the depth of the water. Once you have these details, talk to us about the best pump and filter solution.

Problems can show themselves in many forms but the most obvious and frequently encountered is the 'dirty water' pond. Without a filter, you will almost certainly be disappointed with your pond and it will be a source of annoyance rather than a pleasure. Pond-keeping should be about enjoyment. In installing a filtration system, you'll ensure that your pond remains naturally clean and healthy.

How does a filtration system work?

It starts with the pump drawing in water and polluting solids and pumping these into the filter.

At the filter, the debris and harmful pollutants are removed by a three-way mechanical and biological process:

The physical debris are collected in the filter.
The foam cartridges contain 'good bacteria' which live there and remove the bad bacteria as the water flows through whilst converting harmful toxins into nitrates to be reused by pond plants, or into a gas that is released.
The final step involves the use of an ultra-violet clarifier (UVC) which kills the green water algae, ensuring your pond will always have clear water.

Finally, the cleaned and clear water circulates back to your pond adding oxygen vital for a successful, healthy pond.

Oase have a large range of filter options available, all designed to meet specific needs. Call into our showroom and we can advise you on the best solution.

Oase Clear Water Guarantee: Install the right pump with the right filter and we can guarantee clear water all the time!

For more info, click here: www.clearpond.co.nz, and then contact us for prices and to order.

The Easy Way to Build a Waterfall

This pebble brook will look even better once the ferns have matured. The waterfall is made from prefabricated material and is easy to install in one day! We also have an example on display in our courtyard. The cost of the three levels is approx $1200 or you may prefer to mortar your own rocks around pond liner.

Top Tips for Stocking your Pond with Fish

At The Irrigation Showroom, we have a range of pond products available to assist with keeping your pond clean and healthy. All our products are safe for use with fish and plant life.

It's a common problem to overstock your pond with fish. A good rule to follow is to keep less than 20cm of fish (when measuring from mouth to tail) per 1000 litres of water.

The best time to introduce fish is in late spring - as the water temperature is warmer but they are relatively hardy. You'll need to wait a few days for the chlorine to be eliminated from your water before introducing fish. Choose lively, sturdy fish with bright eyes and perfect fins and leave in their bag, floating on top of the pond for up to an hour before releasing so that they can get used to the water temperature.

Feeding Fish

It's best to use the flake type fish food as this doesn't cloud the water. If there is no information indicating the contents do not buy it. Aim for a minimum of 35% protein and ash content less than 8%.

Golden Rule - Do not feed your fish more than they can eat in two minutes (ie if there is food still available after two minutes, you are giving them too much or feeding them too often).

If you've got fish, it's also a good idea to include some plants as they provide shelter in full sun.

Keeping Your Pond or Water Feature Clean

pond vaccum cleaner Fresh air is a vital commodity that cities in particular know how to value. Oxygen however is not just in demand above the water surface. It also fulfills important tasks in the water. Fish require oxygen to breathe and microorganisms require oxygen to clean the water. Consequently, it is particularly important to always supply the pond with oxygen. Dead plants and fish waste are deposited on the floor as pond silt and this silt affects oxygen levels in the water. To keep your pond in top condition throughout the year we recommend vacuuming out the floor silt as needed. The Pondovac is ideal for this purpose.
With your Pondovac pond vacuum system, you can quickly and easily remove all manner of debris from your pond. Thanks to the supplied nozzles, many different applications are possible.