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All this talk of themes and pumps and fountains is great, but now a
short discussion on water treatment is in order. You see, even though
you may have your brand new water garden brimming with fresh water,
you still aren't quite ready to introduce plants and fish to your new
habitat.
Municipal water supplies always include a number of additives designed
to make the water safe for human consumption. However, many of these
same additives are quite harmful to aquatic life. For this reason,
Little Giant recommends following a six-step procedure for treating
and maintaining your pond water.
1. Dechlorinate - Use Little Giant Water Prep to break the
chlorine/chloramine bonds in the water. This process removes these
substances (which are deadly to fish and plant life if left untreated)
from your water supply.
2. Test - Use Little Giant Test Strips to periodically test
your pond water of pH and nitrate levels, as well as buffering
capacity. If the measures are within the safe ranges, as indicated on
the bottle, then your pond water is fine.
3. Buffer - Be sure to maintain the buffering capacity of your
pond with Little Giant pH Stabilizer. This enables your pond to resist
wide pH swings that can be caused by fish respiration and
photosynthesis.
4. Test - Once your pond has been buffered, it's best to test
the water again to make absolutely sure that the pH of your water is
safe.
5. Lower pH - Photosynthesis, acid rain and other external
factors can drive the pH level of your pond down to dangerous levels.
Apply Little Giant pH Salts Up to gradually raise the pH level back up
to safe levels. Remember, always adjust pH levels gradually. Drastic
changes can cause stress and even death in ornamental fish. If
required, use Little Giant pH Salts Down to lower pH levels.
6. Ensure Water Clarity - Now that your pond has been primed,
it's ready to be seeded with bacteria that will keep your water clear
and healthy. Apply Little Giant Bio Balance or Little Giant Nitrifier
to help keep ammonia and nitrate levels down and your pond water free
of algae.
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About Water Treatment
