Maintaining Your AQ Ecosystem

We've all heard the horror stories about the maintenance headaches that are part and parcel of owning a water garden. 

YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN...the pond that owns and controls you, instead of the pond that you own and control. You certainly don't want any part of that kind of problem. That's why you've installed an Aquascapes' Pond. In any case, the most important thing for you to understand right up front is that...You've just installed a balanced ecosystem, and... The key to a "low maintenance water garden" is to keep your new ecosystem in balance!

The elements making up your natural, organic, holistic Aquascape ecosystem include...

• Your filtration system (your BIOFALLS® and skimmer)

• Your circulation system (your pump and plumbing)  

• Rocks/gravel in and around your pond, even on the bottom (including aerobic bacteria)

• Aquatic plants  

• Aquatic animals

These elements work together like a team, to make up your ecosystem. And they must all be present in order for the system to work. Eliminate any one of them (like the gravel in the bottom for instance?) and you're out of balance, asking for trouble.

Now these things not only must be present, but they must be cultivated in proportion in order to work properly. In other words, ft's entirely possible to have too many (or too few) fish, plants, gravel or bacteria in your pond. And if you do, you'll he out of balance and ask­ing for trouble.

Once you're in balance, it's not hard to see why we say, maintaining a well-balanced ecosystem is easy. It basically boils down to tossing a little aerobic bacteria into your pond each day, and cleaning out your skimmer net once every other week. For most ponds we're talking about 5 minutes per week on aver­age... maybe less. On the other hand, for an out of balance ecosystem you're looking at 5 hours a week, maybe more. You choose.

Now let's look at the various parts of this ecosystem in a little more detail, and some of the considerations you'll need to make in the long run.

Understand that the Aquascapes' Pro-Pond Ecosystem has been specially designed to achieve two things, excellent water quality, and minimum maintenance. One of the most important parts of the ecosystem recipe is the skimmer.

The Skimmer...
The skimmer filter sweeps the surface of the water so that it's free from debris, and it also pre-filters the pump. The net inside the skimmer will collect leaves, twigs, seeds, and other pond debris. It takes approximately 2 to 3 minutes every other week in the summer to empty the debris net. More frequent changes will be required during the fall and spring due to the quantity of leaves falling off the surrounding trees. The skimmer filter supercharges your BIOFALLS® with highly oxygenated water from the pond's surface which increases the efficiency of the nitrogen cycle.

Emptying the Net…
Remove the "stone" skimmer lid and set it aside. The debris net is hung along the top of the skimmer for easy access. The net's support ­bars rest in grooves found on either side of the skimmer. The front support bar is U-shaped and fits snugly under the mouth of the skimmer. The rear support bar is straight and rests across the rear grooves.

Now swing the front U-bar from underneath the skimmer mouth towards the center of the skimmer. The skimmer net can now be removed. Empty the net by the "flip" method. Simply flip the net inside out and shake the debris out. The net is now ready to install back into the skimmer.

Installing the Net…
Swing the front U-bar underneath the skim­mer mouth and rest the top ends of the support bar in the grooves found at the front of the skimmer. Now bring the rear support bar towards the back of the skimmer and rest the top ends of the bar in the grooves found at the rear of the skimmer. Replace the stone skimmer lid.

It's a good habit during your first season with the pond to periodically lift the stone lid off the skimmer and check the quantity of debris in the net. This is especially true in the fall. Keep a mental note as to how often the net has to be changed. It's important that the debris net is not allowed to become too full. Too much debris can reduce the water flow to the pump and may eventually damage it.

Cleaning the Skimmer Filter Mat…
The skimmer filter mat is designed to remove the fine debris that makes its way past the debris net. The filter mat does not require clean­ing as frequently as the debris net, but it does require an occasional cleaning and rinsing.

Typically, if you notice a reduction in flow from your waterfall, it is time to shut the pump off and remove and clean the filter mat.

Probably the only maintenance on your pond you will perform is emptying the skimmer net every couple of weeks.

To access the filter mat, you must first remove the debris net. Once the debris net is removed, you'll want to reach inside the skim­mer and pull the filter mat out. It (the filter mat) should be rinsed off with a garden hose until most of the fine debris has been removed. The mat can now be replaced inside the skimmer and the pump can be restarted.

Note: The filter mat has a slot cut to fit around the discharge pipe. Install the filter mat correctly so the slot fits around the dis­charge pipe.

Replacing Your Filter Mats...
Skimmer filter mats are designed to last for about two years. Filter mats may be discolored and appear dirty and old, but will work just fine in your skimmer and BIOFALLS®. Replace old filter mats if they begin to tear or fall apart. Ask your installer or local garden center about replacement filter mats.

DO NOT clean the filter mats in the BIOFALLS® more than once a year. Cleaning them often will rinse off or kill any beneficial bacterial that is growing on them.

Decreased Water Flow...
Even though the water has been pre-filtered by the debris net and filter mat, your pump may occasionally become clogged. If you notice that the flow from your waterfalls is still reduced alter emptying the debris net and cleaning the skimmer filter mat, ft may be time to clean your pump intake. Removing your pump will require about 5 minutes of your time.

Removing the Pump...
The first step to removing your pump is to unplug ft from the electrical source. Now, remove the debris net and filter mat from inside the skimmer. Unscrew the threaded collar at the top of the black check valve. This will allow the water that is in the BIOFALLS® and in the flexi­ble PVC to flow out and back into the pond. After the water is drained out, simply pull the pump out of the skimmer box.

Cleaning the Pump Intake...
The pump intake is typically found on the bottom or side of the pump. Remove any debris that has covered the intake screen of the pump. The pump can be placed back into the skimmer once the intake has been cleaned.

Installing the Pump...
Set the pump in the skimmer. Attach the check valve back to the pump by screwing the threaded pipe collar back on to the check valve. Next, install the filter mat and debris net back into the skimmer. The pump is now ready to be plugged in. Your ecosystem is designed to be run 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Do not turn your pump on and off unless you're servicing it.

BIOFALLS®...
The BIOFALLS® filter is the starting point of your waterfall. The filter is designed to require once a year cleaning when used in combination with a skimmer prefilter. Rinsing the BIOFALLS® filter mats more than once a year will kill all of the beneficial bacteria that is growing on them. The yearly cleaning should be completed in the spring. See the section on Spring Clean-out to learn how to complete your yearly BIOFALLS® clean-out.

AquaCleaner Bacteria...
One of the main ingredients in the clear pond recipe is the AquaCleaner bacteria. AquaCleaner~ helps convert excess waste and chemicals found in the pond into nutrients that can be readily taken up by plants in the pond.

Virtually all ponds contain bacteria, but this will happen over time. To start your system on the right foot seed the water with the recom­mended dosage of AquaCleaner.

Water Level...
Every pond will experience a certain degree of evaporation. Row much evaporation your pond experiences depends on factors such as waterfall height, the amount of splashing, stream length, amount of sunlight the pond receives, and temperature of the region you live, to name only a few Generally, a small residen­tial pond will require weekly watering. During rainy periods, adding water to your pond may not be necessary at all.

Your Pond's Ideal Water Level...
The water level of the pond can be monitored using the opening of the skimmer mouth as a reference. The ideal water level should be set at approximately 3/4" below the top of the skim­mer mouth. Make ft a point to check your water level when you are emptying your debris net. If the water level is low, simply drop a garden hose into the pond and add the required amount of water. De-chlorinator does not need to be used when adding less than 20% of the pond's total water volume.

The water fill valve is perfect for the pond owner who travels or is away from home for extended periods of time. If your pond is equipped with an optional water fill valve inside the skimmer, the water level of the pond will be maintained for you. The fill valve can be con­nected to the garden spigot on your house or connected to a main line of an underground irrigation system.

The water fill valve works similar to the float valve in the back of a standard toilet. When the water level in your pond drops, the float on the valve drops also. Water is added through the fill valve until the float rises back to its original position. Simply bend the float bar or adjust the swing arm screw (depending on what type of fill valve you have) to set your ideal water level

Leaks...
If you notice you have to add water on a daily basis or hear the "hissing" of your water fill valve constantly running, (alter properly setting the water level) you may have a leak. We have found that 99% of all leaks occur along the perimeter of the waterfall and stream. Small leaks are generally due to the ground settling; this causes the water to trickle over the edge of the liner in the stream or waterfalls. Leaks such as these can be fixed very easily.

Steps In Finding a Leak

• Check the perimeter of the pond for any areas that are wet. Damp or saturated soil is usually a good indicator that water is leaking over the liner. 
• Check to make sure any slow moving sections of the stream have not become obstructed by leaves or plants. 
• Investigate the outside perimeter of the waterfalls and stream. Look for any water that is noticeably being diverted over the side of your liner. 
• Once you have found the leak, simply pack soil, pebbles or a small rock beneath the liner in order to raise the edge above the water level Ride the exposed liner by replacing the gravel and mulch. Once you have found the leak, simply pack soil, pebbles or a small rock beneath the liner in order to raise the edge above the water level. Hide the exposed liner by replacing the gravel and mulch.