Product Profile by PondDoc.com
Doc's Prescription Spring Start
Pak
A Selection of Products to Insure a Strong
Start for Your Pond, Koi and Goldfish
Updated: January, 2007
There are several factors that come into play when the weather begins warming up. The pond's biological filter is, for all practical purposes, dead. For that reason, Ammonia and Nitrite spikes are almost a certainty! The fish are hungry but when you feed them you are adding to an already existing water parameter problem. The fish's immunity systems are not yet functional and their ability to withstand these water problems is lower than ever. Plus - it could turn cold quickly and plummeting water temperatures could cause proteins from their food to sit inside their digestive tracts and cause internal infection.
What's a pond owner to do!!!?
The trick to an easy transition into spring is to address these problems before they happen and be prepared.
We've chosen the items in this start-up pack for their role with fighting the problems associated with koi and goldfish ponds in early spring. We use these products ourselves and know what they will and will not do and how to use them successfully. There are two packs from which to choose. The only difference is that one includes Microbe-Lift's Bead Filter Starter instead of the regular PL and that one is best suited for ponds that have bead filters. Both packs treat up to 2000 gallons.
Doc's Prescription M-Wheat Fish Food
We do not want a high-protein diet when we feed our fish for the first few
months so we included a 4 lb. bag of Doc's Prescription M-Wheat Macrobiotic Koi
and Goldfish Food in our pack. Our fish love it and it's not as expensive
as some of the other brands when you compare it by the cost per pound.
Yes, it is our brand wheat germ-based food and, yes, we are pushing OUR brand.
There is a reason it is our brand! It is a very nutritious low-protein,
high-wheat germ diet with no corn fillers that will not cost you an arm and a
leg. Feed sparingly at first, once a day, then increase as the fish's
appetites and your water quality improve. Do not feed them any food at all
until the water temperatures are constantly above 50 degrees. You can
switch to their staple food once the biological filter has seeded for the season
and water temperatures are at least at a constant 64 degrees or above.
PondCare Master Test Kit
During the time when we start to feed the fish our biological filters will
not be active. If you never test your water for ammonia, nitrites (with an
"i") and pH, now is the time to do it -- and do it often! In the pack
you'll find a PondCare Master Drop Test Kit by Aquarium Pharmaceuticals.
This kit contains tests for ammonia, nitrites, pH and salt levels. The
drop test method is the most reliable, affordable and easy-to-read tests
available to the pond owner. They have rather short shelf lives so it's
best to change out the tests with each new season so you won't experience
incorrect readings because your test materials have expired. Throw away
the ones from last year. The ammonia test will not be accurate if the
water is too cold. When testing for ammonia always place the test tube
filled with pond water in a warm spot (an armpit will do!) to warm it up before
administering the drops.
Nitrifying bacteria are fickle little creatures that hate cold weather and need warm, aerated environments in order to grow. When the water temperatures are below 64 degrees it is almost impossible to seed a filter so don't waste your money by adding "seeding products" while the water is below 64. The nitrifying cycle is this: Waste becomes ammonia - Nitrifying bacteria, Nitrosomonas, changes ammonia to nitrites - Nitrifying bacteria, Nitrobacter, changes nitrites to nitrates (which is simply, fertilizer). Once Nitrosomonas and Nitrobacter are happy, happy in your pond your cycle is complete and your water is safe for fish. Until then, your fish are at GREAT risk when ammonia and nitrites (with an "i") are present in the water!
Ultimate Water Conditioner
When you begin getting ammonia readings it is time to begin treating the
pond with Ultimate. We actually begin using Ultimate when we begin feeding
the fish. Ultimate is a de-chlorinator and detoxifier that will
neutralize ammonia and nitrites - up to a
certain amount. We chose Ultimate instead of competitive brand Ammo-Lock
2 for many reasons. Ammo-Lock 2 will not address nitrites. Ultimate
does. Our test kits will not give us accurate readings when using
Ammo-Lock 2 but will work when using Ultimate.
Ultimate will work in lower temperatures and doubles as a de-chlorinator. In early spring, before the water temperatures are warm enough to nourish nitrifying bacteria, it's a great idea to perform a thorough pond cleaning. If you wait too late in the season it will disturb the tender balance your pond has developed and might even put you back to square one with seeding your filter. When you refill the pond after cleaning it use Ultimate as the de-chlorinator. Ultimate will render ammonia and nitrites neutral to specific levels. Your fish are safe until the ammonia and nitrite levels exceed the threshold of when Ultimate no longer is neutralizing the ammonia and nitrites. When you use drop test kits by PondCare you will begin getting readings of ammonia and nitrites when the concentrations have extended the thresholds. This will buy us time for the bacteria to seed in the filter and the pond to reach its nitrifying cycle. You will need to make additional water changes (in 50% increments) and adding back the proper amount of Ultimate every time the readings begin creeping back up. As the cycle begins balancing you will notice that your ammonia may go down and your nitrites will go up. This is because the bacteria responsible for changing ammonia to nitrites is up and working while the bacteria responsible for changing nitrites to nitrates is not functioning yet. It will be the last of the nitrifying bacteria to grow.
Microbe-Lift PL or Bead Super Start Bacteria
There are many products on the market that "help" the pond reach it's balance,
biologically. Some are more designed for helping clear the pond while some
are better suited for helping build up bacteria. Some do a little of
everything. I emphasize the word "help" because none of these products are
miracle workers and none of them do exactly or as quickly what the manufacturers
say they do. They "help" create the atmosphere in the pond so that the
natural and normal cycles can develop. It certainly won't hurt anything to
use them - it will "help".
Microbe-Lift PL can be used as soon as you want because it works in temperatures less than 55 degrees. It contains a formulation that aids with breaking down waste and building up the cycle. It does not contain active nitrifying bacteria. It works to promote the right environment for the production of nitrifying bacteria. You will not see instant results from its use but, be rest assured, that it is working.
The Bead Super Start Bacteria should not be used until the water temperature is constantly above 55 degrees. Like PL it has no nitrifying bacteria but will give your bead filter a hand while it's building its nitrifying cycle with breaking down waste, preventing "channeling" and promoting a healthy bead filter environment.
By using these products, within a month of nice, warm temperatures you should expect to be over the hump and able to enjoy your pond and fish more without the worry of water problems.
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