Showa Butterfly KOI

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Showa Butterfly KOI

Size: 7.25"

Starting Bid: $.99

Breeder: Blackwater Creek Koi Farms

A Beautiful Showa Butterfly Koi with a strong pattern and lots of potential.  Don't

miss out on this elegant beauty.  Auction starts at just $.99.

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The Nitrogen Cycle

Pond/Aquarium Nitrogen Cycle

When it comes to the Nitrogen Cycle, many of you think that it’s some huge complicated process in which you may never understand. But, there’s nothing to fear!

Here’s an easy to understand blog about the process. 

The Nitrogen Cycle, also known as “cycling” is the most important process when starting an aquarium/pond. It’s the process in which beneficial bacteria becomes established in your aquarium/pond in the filtration system that will assist in the conversion of TOXIC ammonia into non toxic Nitrates.

Stage 1:

When you first place your koi in the pond/aquarium, there is always a risk of the water becoming rather foul in just a few days. This is because the koi release their urine and feces in the water. Decaying food and plants also play a role in this process. These waste products break down and are converted into Ammonia. Ammonia is toxic to fish, especially in large amounts. A pond/aquarium is a closed system, which means that there is no way to get these toxins out without replacing the water. Without replacing water, ammonia can accumulate rapidly.

You can measure your ammonia levels by determining the PH of your water. You can do this by using a freshwater aquarium/pond testing kit. If the PH of the water is under 7, ammonia can still be relatively safe for your koi. However, if it’s 7 or over, it is no longer safe. A high PH level with ammonia present will stress your koi, and if not treated immediately, it can damage their internal organs, and ultimately lead to death.  

When ammonia starts to be produced, and it begins accumulating in your pond/aquarium this is the beginning of the nitrogen cycle.

Stage 2:

When your fish were introduced into their new home, their waste started producing ammonia, as stated in stage 1. By about the 3^rd week, without water changes, the water is most likely already toxic. If this is the case, a water change is needed. Water changes don’t always have to be done to keep the ammonia under control though. There are bacteria that grow in your pond/aquarium that help to eliminate the toxicity of ammonia. This bacteria isn’t present when you first set up your pond/aquarium and can take anywhere from weeks to months for it to have enough established to help neutralize the toxicity of ammonia. The bacteria present are called Nitrosomonas. This bacteria does eliminate ammonia, however, it turns it into another element called Nitrite. Nitrite is also dangerous to fish. 

Final Stage:

Once you have successfully established Nitrite in your pond/aquarium, to complete this cycle, you need another bacteria known as Nitrobacter. This bacteria turns Nitrite into Nitrate, which is NOT harmful to fish. This bacteria won’t develop until you have a bountiful colony of Nitrite. This is why the actual cycling of a tank can take a while to establish. If you have plants in your tank, they will help with the production of Nitrate, which will complete the cycle faster.

There are several products that can be bought at your pet store to start the cycling process. There are also several other ways to start the process such as adding household ammonia to your pond/aquarium, or adding a piece of raw shrimp.  If you chose these options, do NOT add fish to your pond/aquarium until the cycle is complete.

You can start the cycle as well by adding fish to your pond/aquarium, but it is not recommended, as those fish suffer ammonia burn and potential death.

When you test your water, you want a reading of:

0 Ammonia, 0 Nitrite, 10-25 Nitrate

If you do not have a Nitrate reading, your tank is not cycled!

Summary:

There are 3 stages in the Nitrogen cycle to understand.

1.      Ammonia is produced by fish waste and decaying plant/food matter.

2.      A certain type of bacteria consumes the ammonia and produces Nitrites, which are toxic.
3.      Another type of bacteria consumes Nitrites and turns them into Nitrates, which are not harmful.
 

So You Want Some Pond Plants?

Picture a nice, large flowing pond with beautiful koi gracefully swimming about. The birds are chirping, the frogs are croaking, and it all seems perfect. Then you open your eyes.

Here is it, this pond that took you 3 summers to finish; but it’s nothing like you imagined. It’s definitely not anything close to all those pond pictures in the magazines. So you think to yourself… what’s missing?

PLANTS AND FLOWERS!

I know exactly what you’re thinking. Is this going to be expensive, and will it take years of pruning, trimming, and growing to get the final desired results? The answer is simple: No.

Let’s talk a little walk through the different plants that create your drab pond into the picture perfect pond you’ve always wanted!

*All of the plants mentioned in this blog are suitable for temperature climates, but some will benefit from protection in the winter. *

Let’s start with: Marginal Plants

Many preformed ponds have marginal shelves, and many ponds that are built by pond keepers also have marginal shelves. A marginal shelf is a ledge around the inside of a pond, that’s about 12” below the surface of the water.

Marginal shelves can provide retreats for young fish, as well as make a barrier that proves to be more difficult for predators to reach the your fish. Some marginal shelves spread down into the water, which helps to hide the perimeter. 

• Arrowhead- origin is North America. It reaches a height of about 3 ft. You want to plant this in damp soil around edge of the pond, or on the marginal shelf. Can withstand temps of -10F.  It is easily divided to create new offspring.   The leaves of this plant are held vertically and shaped like arrowheads. They get white flowers on spikes that produce in the summer. If you don’t want this plant to spread on it’s own, you will want to plant it in a container, and divide at your own desire. 

• Water Forget-Me-Not- origin is Europe and Asia, but it has become readily grown in North America. This plant reaches 6-12”. This plant grows best in shallow water rather than being submerged. It can withstand temps of -20F. This plant can be grown from seeds, or by the division of existing plants.  This plant is very easy to grow and can create a very informal edging around a pond. The small, pale blue flowers have tiny yellow eyes in the center, and in some subspecies, the blue is replaced with white. They have oblong leaves in which have a slight hairy appearance.

• Bog Arum- origin is Northern Europe, Asian, and North America. This plant can grow up to 8”. It can be grown on the marginal shelf down to a depth of 4”. This plant can withstand temps of -30. You can have offspring by dividing the rhizomes in spring. Although it looks like an Ethiopian Lily, this plant can be identified by the smaller size and lighter coloration of it’s leaves. The white, flattened flowers can be fertilized by water snails rather than my insects. The reddish berries produced after flowering will maintain the plants attractive appearance.

• Yellow Skunk Cabbage- origin is North America. This plant can grow up to 4 ft in height. You will want to plant this in damp soil, and do not submerge more than 2” in water. This plant can tolerate temps of 0F. You can take offsets from established plants or grow them from seeds.  The wonderful yellow flowers of this plant are produced in spring. Measuring up to 8” tall, the flowers unfortunately have a somewhat unpleasant odor- hence the name. When in bloom, the large green leaves unfurl. This plant fares best when in relatively rich soil at the side of the pond. However, it can be grown in a container on the marginal shelf. It does take time for this plant to establish itself.

• Japanese Clemantis-Flowered Iris- origin is Asia. This plant reaches an height of about 3 feet. This grows better around the edge of ponds rather than in the water itself. It can tolerate temps of -20F. This plant can ONLY be divided by separating the bulbs. This plant is among the favorites of plant keepers; this is mostly from the large, broad flower petals it displays. These plants now come in a variety of colors from purple, white, pink to even blue! This plant does not like being suspended in water, and does it’s best when planted in the ground. If not planted in containers, they should be sheltered for winter. You will want to plant these in a nice shady location for the best results.

There are a variety of other plants that you can place around your pond such as: Flowering Rush, Water Hawthorn, Yellow Flag, Common Cattail, Pickerel Weed, Water Canna, Monkey Flower, Creeping Jenny, Water Avens, Gunnera, Giant Water Buttercup, Marsh Marigold, and Harts-Tongue Fern.

All of these plants are beautiful, and look absolutely stunning around or in the pond.

Before you know it, your pond will be just as wonderful as those magazine pictures, if not better!

Happy Ponding!

-Melissa (KTTW blogger)