Tag Archives: ammonia

Mechanical Pond Filters Keep Your Pond Fish Healthy

If you are lucky enough to have a Koi or goldfish pond in your back yard then you know the importance of keeping them clean.  To keep your pond clean you need to change at least twenty percent of the water in your pond on a regular basis is because most biological filters harbor a type of bacteria that coexists with good bacteria. This eats nitrite and excretes nitrate. Nitrate is non-toxic to fish in small quantities and is used by plants as fertilizer.

 

There are basically two types of mechanical pond filters: gravity filters and pressurized filters. Gravity filters need to be placed at some height above the pond and are best concealed behind a waterfall.  If you need a filter that needs to be positioned lower than the pond or several feet away from the pond then you need to use a pressurized water filter. Ultima II filters are a recommended brand because they can be cleaned with a twist of a valve.

 

You might also want to note at this point, that a swimming pool filter would not work on a fish pond. The reason is, in a swimming pool you use chlorine, and the pool water has very little solids and ammonia (fish wastes) in it. A swimming pool filter used on a fish pond will require frequent back flushing. Also a high powered pump will be required to push the water through the filter. Remember, that no matter what kind of water pump you choose, you will need to run the pump 24 hours a day, and this will likely show up as a huge cost your electric bill.

 

Chemical filters are also solutions that are added to the pond to correct the pH level for you and also rid the pond of excess ammonia and nitrates.

 

A recent and very simple innovation is an item called an ultraviolet sterilizer, which although expensive, are easy to install and keep your pond water crystal clear.  However those going for a more swampy or natural effect may not want to opt for a filtration system at all and instead depend on a hand held skimmer and solutions that correct the water’s pH to clear the pond of debris and algae.

 

In the koi world, these nitrates are like smog.  A lot of pollutants in your pond is life threatening, but a, long term exposure to a medium amount is also unhealthy for your fish.

 

 

Home Remedies That Might Help With Pet Urine Stains

Pet urine stains can be notoriously hared to clean up. Whether or not a home remedy is effective for your particular situation may also depend a great deal on the type of surface that needs cleaning. For instance, some home remedies might work better on tile and cork floors than carpet or upholstery.  And some remedies, for instance using soap and water on a wool carpet, might make the problem even worse and even bleach out or warp the flooring.

 

One remedy for cleaning wood floors is to use ammonia, but with oil soap. This probably will actually make the smell wore if you use it on a carpet. Ammonia may increase the strength of smell and maybe even attract your pet to urinate in the same spot again.

 

The solution is to take one part Murphy’s oil soap with one part ammonia and apply the mixture on a sponge to the floor to try and get rid of the odor. This works best on wood floors and not on anything that is fabric or that is very absorbent like a cork floor.

 

A home remedy that has been used for years on pet-urine soaked carpets is baby powder. It is a very absorbent powder because it contains cornstarch. The idea is that the liquid is soaked up by the powder and leaves a baby-powder scent behind. However, the smell of baby powder mixed with urine is not that pleasant, especially if the urine is already degrading into the smell of ammonia.  You might be better off simply using corn starch on the problem. You will also need baby powder and paper towels.

 

Although using baby powder is inexpensive it does contain fine particles of silica that a pet can inhale into its lungs. Baby powder is also not an anti-bacterial agent and in fact could give bacteria a place to grow see keep an eye on the situation if you use it to correct pet odors.

 

Baking soda is another home remedy that is for people who do not want to use any kind of harsh cleaner, bleach or soap on the problem. You will need baking soda, water, a scrubbing brush, paper towels and a vacuum cleaner. You simply clean up the mess the est. you can with paper towels and the sprinkle baking soda over the remain stain in an inward motion. Repeat this process again and again until all moisture seems absorbed and the vacuum up the remaining particles with the vacuum cleaner.

 

Just like the baking powder remedy this may not be that effective and bacteria may grow over time. With both methods be sure not to scrub the urine and the odor deeper and deeper into the carpet!