Tag Archives: fertilizer

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.

 

 

Surprising Ways to Use Bleach in Your Home

Nothing smells fresher than a home freshly cleaned with Clorox or Ajax bleach. However did you know there are other uses for bleach that you may not have thought of that are simple and help you get your money’s worth of the money you spend on bleaching products.

 

Are you planning to go camping but your cooler smells of mold. Simply use a half of cup of bleach in gallon of warm water to clean and rinse it out. You can use a teaspoon of bleach with warm water to clean a thermos in the same. Just be sure to rinse the thermos with water well afterwards.

 

Bleach can also be used to remove coffee stains or tea stains from China. However be careful and check with the maker of your China to make sure that this will not bleach out the pattern on your good China.

 

Bleach is also an excellent sanitizer of cutting boards, especially that wooden board you are always cutting meat on. Be careful using bleach on plastic as it has been known to yellow plastic cutting boards.

 

Some people also use bleach instead of jet dry in the dishwasher to disinfect their dishes as well as make them shine. Be sure to use liquid bleach and not the powered type or it can leave a film that is very hard to get off on all of your dishes.

 

Did you know bleach can used to extend the lasting power of cut flower blossoms? All you have to do is add one quarter teaspoon of bleach for every quart of water that is used in your vase. The flowers might last as much as ten days longer.

 

There are also clever ways to recycle and reuse the bleach bottle. If you cut a bleach bottle diagonally across the bottom you automatically create a handy shovel that can be used to scoop up cat litter or be used as scoops for foods. Big jugs can be used as scoops for fertilizer and outdoor gardenting chores.

 

Yet another surprising use for a bleach bottle is as a protective guard for young plants against frost, hail and cold weather. Simply cut off the bottom of a bleach jug and then cover your seedlings with it at night.

 

Another nifty use of an old Clorox jug is to cut a hole in the side of an empty bleach jug and then put your clothes pins in it. You can then hang the holder on your clothesline by stringing the line through the handle.