For Your Convenience,
The Wakoola Water Feature and Pond Glossary

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Z

Acclimate – definition - basically means getting used to new conditions. Drastic change in the environment will stress most living things. So fish need to be introduced into a different body of water slowly. As an example you can let the bag they are transported in float in the new pond until the temperatures equalize. You could also say that a pond needs to acclimate to a change of a larger fish population. The bacteria of the pond would need to ramp up to take care of the new waste. Rapid changes in pH, temperature, fish loads, etc. can cause stress to the organisms in a system.
Helpful products: Stress Coat

Acidic - definition - having a pH value less than 7, the lower the pH the more “acidic” the water is.
Helpful products: -Ph Test Kit, Ph Up, Ph Down, Ph Buffer

Activated carbon – definition -is a carbon material that is used in the purification of water. Activated carbon is very porous with a large surface area for absorbing contaminants. Activated carbon is also used to remove chlorine. Activated carbon would be considered a type of filtration and would add to an overall filtration effort.
Helpful products: - Activated Carbon

Aeration – definition -is the process of adding of oxygen into the water. Typically by exposing maximum water surface to air, oxygen can enter the water. Waterfalls, jets, etc. all mix air with water. In deeper ponds it can be a good idea to pump air directly into the bottom of pond and have it diffused up through the pond. The prime reason for aeration is that the aerobic or oxygen using bacteria are the most beneficial in keeping water clean. By having more available oxygen in all areas of the pond, the populations of these oxygen dependent beneficial bacteria can be drastically increased.
An air pump or backup aeration system is a good safety item for a pond should the pump that powers the waterfall or jets go out. It is important to remember that in a pond, fish are more active in the summer than they are in the winter and thus use more oxygen during the summer. As a reminder we all know that as water is boiled air bubbles escape, illustrating that warm water holds less oxygen than cool water. So while the fish are using more oxygen in the summer, at the same time the summer heated water provides for less available oxygen. It can be damaging to the fish if a water feature with a large fish population experiences a pump failure in the summer. Even if not running all the time an air pump should be part of a fish keeper’s emergency equipment.
Helpful products: -Air pump, Air stone, Jets

Aerobic – definition -means requiring oxygen. In ponds this usually refers to those bacteria that require oxygen – Aerobic Bacteria. These bacteria are usually the best “pond cleaners.” Their population is increased by oxygenating the water more, thus the more oxygen in the water the better chances it has of being cleaner.
Helpful products: -Air pump, Air stone, Jets

Aeromonas – definition - a type of fish disease. Aeromonas is an ulcer or sore caused by harmful bacteria. Stress and/or parasites can contribute to this infection. The sores can look like a round hole in the side of a fish.
Helpful products: -Pimafix, Melafix, TriCide Neo, Parasite Guard

Air Pump - definition - (aka Air Compressor) – is a device used to push air through a hose or pipe. At the discharge end of the hose is a diffuser. The diffuser splits the air into a profusion of bubbles. The advantage of an air pump is that the aeration can happen in deeper parts of the pond. The principle is that while you can splash water at the top of the pond for aeration using a waterfall or a jet, the oxygen molecules are not driven down in to the deeper parts of the pond. Bottom aeration allows for oxygen to have a profusion of bubbles that spread upward and outward. Aeration is also used to supercharge biological filters so that more intense populations of bacteria can be developed. An air pump is a good back up to keeping the pond aerated when the jets or waterfall are turned off. In many winter situations an air pump can keep ice from forming solid across a pond.
Helpful products: -Air pump, Air stone

Algae – definition - are tiny simple plants that are almost always present in water. There are two big groups of algae that are found in the pond. Single cell algae which are floating algae, and multi celled algae. When discussing algae be prepared for some confusement as there are lots of different common names for the same algae and the same algae can look a little different from area to area. Algae are not automatically a bad element in a pond. Algae are typically volunteering to grow in those environments where there is available nutrients to feed them. Floating algae is often not popular in ponds and other water features because they turn the water green and many people do not like the aesthetics of a greenish pond. String algae, blanket weed, and slime algae are three large categories of multi-cellular algae. String algae and blanket weed are two forms of filamentous algae that most pond hobbyist especially consider as being unsightly and obnoxious. Balancing and filtering the pond so that these algae are minimized is one of the goals of most filtration systems. When the pH is high (say above 9 or 10) algae usually has an advantage over other life forms (such as beneficial bacteria) and flourishes. An overabundance of algae in the pond can also be caused by excess nutrients such as organic debris like leaves and mulch from outside the pond, spent flowers and leaves from pond plants, and/or too big a fish load (too many fish, over feeding the fish.) A shortage of other plant types to metabolize the available nutrients can allow for a nutrient excess for the algae. Hair algae or string algae can be unsightly and cause problems with water flow. If a large population of algae is chemically killed or dies in the pond suddenly, oxygen can rapidly drop in the pond possibly endangering a fish population. Like any plant, algae needs light to complete photosynthesis. Shading a pond with water lilies and submerged aquatics can help minimize algae growth. Because of improvements in filtration, it is a fairly recent expectation to have pond water without the green effect of algae. The colorful fish we enjoy in pond were bred for centuries so that the fish color would be bright enough to be appreciated in greenish water. Vanishing water features (disappearing water features) are popular because they minimize algae growth by covering and masking water from sunlight. Using chemical (algaecides) and ultraviolet lights to kill or manage algae in a water feature will remove the visual problem of the algae, but these methods do not address the removal of the excess nutrients which caused the algae in the first place.
Helpful products: -Ph Down, Greenex, Green Clean, Algae Fix, Phos-x, Barley Products, Filtration Systems, Ultra Violet Lights.

Algae Bloom – definition - at certain times of the year events can occur which can cause a rapid growth of floating algae. This profusion of green algae in the pond is called a bloom. An algae bloom can typically happen in the spring when the spring warmth allows for the algae to grow. The water in ponds in the spring is typically high in nutrients because leaves and other nutrients have been moving into the water since fall, but the cooler temperatures has only allowed a minimum of biologic activity to metabolize these nutrients. This lack of beneficial biological filtration all winter while organic content increases sets the stage for an explosive growth of algae during a spring warm up. Typically if left to its own course the algae bloom will starve itself down and as the rest of the biology in the pond catches up the pond often clears. Any spike in the nutrient load of water can cause an algae bloom.
Helpful products: Ultra Violet Lights, Algae Fix. Algae off, Green Clean

Algaecide – definition - most words with the “cide” in it (i.e. pesticide, herbicide, homicide etc.) it has to do with killing and algaecide fits in this same pattern. Algaecide would be those chemicals used to kill algae. Because they may be harmful to desired organisms, algaecides have to be used very prudently in a pond. An algaecide would hopefully be the last resort to managing an algae problem.
Helpful products: Algae Fix. Algae off, Green Clean

Alkaline - definition - having a pH value greater than 7. Testing your pond for its ph level is a basic in pond management. Limestone and cement if used in pond and waterfall construction can cause an alkaline condition.
Helpful products: Peat Granules, Ph Test Kit, KH Test Kit, Ph Down, Ph Buffer

Alkalinity- definition - is a measure of the buffering capacity of water, or the capacity of bases to neutralize acids. Waters with low alkalinity are very susceptible to changes in pH. Waters with high alkalinity are able to resist major shifts in pH. Measuring alkalinity is important in determining a waters ability to neutralize acidic pollution from rainfall or wastewater. Alkalinity does not refer to pH, but instead refers to the ability of water to resist change in pH. The presence of buffering materials help neutralize acids as they are added to the water. These buffering materials are primarily the bases bicarbonate and carbonate.
Helpful products: KH Test Kit, Ph Buffer, Calcium Carbonate

Ammonia - definition -NH3 is the primary waste product produced by fish. Ammonia is extremely toxic to fish. The nitrogen cycle is nature’s way of reducing the danger of ammonia. This cycle of nitrification use several steps to break down ammonia into nitrogen compounds that can be metabolized by plants.
Helpful products: Ammonia Test Kit, Nitrite Test Kit, Ammo Lock, Filtration System.

Anaerobic – definition - means without oxygen. In ponds these conditions usually happen where water is not exposed to oxygen for instance in the deeper areas of a pond or in a pond that has no water movement or aeration. This term also is also applied to those bacteria that can live with less oxygen. Anaerobic bacteria are usually the bacteria that help digest the sludge that can develop on the bottom of a pond. Anaerobic bacteria activity can develop a rotten egg odor. This is from hydrogen sulfide being produced. Hydrogen sulfide in sufficient quantity can be dangerous to fish. It is important to not allow for the bottom of the pond to have sand or gravel that can build up and hold a quantity of hydrogen sulfide.
Helpful products: Bugs2Go, Fall/Winter Microbe Lift

Anaerobic bacteria - definition - the bacteria that help digest the sludge that can develop on the bottom of a pond. Anaerobic bacteria are beneficial in that they are able to digest organic matter in areas where aerobic bacteria cannot.
Helpful products: Bugs2Go, Fall/Winter Microbe Lift

Anchor worms – definition - A parasite that attacks fish. Often know as lernea, they are elongated y shape creatures that emerge from under the scale of fish. The fish will flash, or swim eradicate against things in an effort to knock the worms off.
Helpful products: Anchors Away, Dimilin

Annual – definition - commonly referred to as those plants that cannot survive the winter of an area. These plants would have to be replaced “annually.” A plant may be an annual in one zone and a hardy plant in another zone.
Helpful Products: Water Gardening Book

Aphids – definition -are insects that are tiny and oval in shape. These pests attack the leafy portion of plants. They will stick their mouth part into the plants and if left untreated could actually destroy the plant.
Helpful products: Aphid-x

Aquatic plants – definition - refers to those plants that can grow with their roots constantly submerged in water. Many aquatic plants are heavy feeders and respond prolifically to recommended fertilization.
Helpful products: Plant Tabs, Aquatic Soil, Planting Baskets, Lily Pots, Plants for Water Gardens Book

Automatic Fill Device – definition - is a term to describe a plumbing component that typically can detect when water is low and add water automatically. There are several successful designs for an automatic fill device. They can use mechanical floats or electronic sensors to monitor water levels. These sensors then open or close a valve that is on a water line. While automatic fill devices are not necessary and do add another step in water feature construction, they take some maintenance out of the water feature. Adding water to a pond is not that much work, however these devices help avoid the negative of going into a beautiful garden and seeing what should be an attractive water feature tarnished by water hoses stretched out every where or worse the pond is low because of lack of attention. Some auto fill devices do not work properly if there is too much pressure on the line, a pressure reducer need to be minimally set below 50 psi.
Helpful products: Savio Autofill, Dare-o-matic, Pool Miser, Laguna Float Valve, Pressure Reducer

Bacteria - definition - bacteria are living things that are neither plants nor animals, but belong to a group all by themselves. They are very small--individually not more than one single cell--however there are normally millions of them together, for they can multiply really fast Pond keepers refer to “beneficial bacteria,” which is a description of those bacteria that help water quality by breaking down waste and toxins. By encouraging the growth of beneficial bacteria a pond keeper is encouraging “biological filtration” and is being pro active in helping improve water quality.
Helpful products: Bugs2Go, Greenex, Microbe Lift, Air Pump, Filter Media, AquaMats
Filtration System

Balancing a Pond - definition - (aka Balancing Nature, Water Balance) – This is fairly soft term that can point to a couple of things. One it can mean making sure that the KH of the pond is in check and that pH does not swing up or down radically. The term usually means that the pond has enough desirable plants and beneficial bacteria that can absorb the nutrients as fast as the organic load comes in on average. If you think of water quality as a see saw in a playground, we have the good guys –(beneficial bacteria, oxygen, filtering plants and neutral ph) - on one side of the see saw and we have the bad guys – ( debris, organic load, extreme ph, low oxygen) - on the other side of the see saw. When the good guys are stronger, or at least at equilibrium, we have good water quality. When nutrients rise faster than the good guys can keep up we have ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, and phosphates for algae. Algae will be the first opportunistic plant to take advantage of this buffet. (Nature loves a free meal!) In balancing a pond we try to make sure that conditions are always in favor of the good guys thus the good water quality. We can stack nature into the favor of the good guys by having more filtration, increasing the plant population, increasing bacteria, fixing pH, etc. But it can equally mean decreasing the fish population, using less fish food or higher quality (less waste) fish food, and removing other elements that may be adding to organic waste in the water. Frequent testing of your water pH, oxygen, ammonia, nitrites and nitrates will give you the best picture of your water quality and how your pond is balancing.
Helpful products: Master Test Kit, Ammonia Test Kit, NishiKoi Food, Filtration Systems, Phos-X

Ball Valve – definition - is a valve used to regulate water flow through a pipe. It is has a ball like center piece that rotates inside the valve. It allows for complete flow when fully open. Ball valves are typically stronger than Knife Valves and can handle the stress of being partially open.
Helpful products: Fittings, Ball Valve

Barb – definition -refers to a plumbing fitting that is inserted inside a pipe and has a shape that anchors itself. Barb fittings are used with flexible pipe, hoses, or tubing. Barb fittings should be used in conjunction with a clamp aka “worm gear clamp” aka “hose clamp.”
Helpful products: Fittings, Clamps

Bare root – definition -refers to plants that have the soil removed from their roots for transplanting purposes. Plant nurseries often use this as a technique to allow for easier shipping and handling of the plants. Plants that are bare rooted are in a delicate state and extra care needs to given to them. Typically the larger the plant the harder it is to successfully bare root it.
Helpful products: Landon Aquatic Fertilizer, Schultz Planting Soil, Fafard Heavy Aquatic Soil

Barley straw – definition - is used as a natural method to control the growth of string algae. The theory explaining the success of barley straw includes thoughts that the straw releases hydrogen peroxide and possibly enzymes as it decomposes. The use of barley straw was originally started by farmers who used the straw in water tanks to help keep the water clear for their livestock. The Tennessee Valley Authority has used barley straw in their nuclear power plant cooling ponds to help with water quality. Barley straw is usually sold by the bale, bag, or extract.
Helpful products: Barley Extract, Barley Straw, Barley Pellets, Bugs2Go, Barley/Bacteria Combination, Green Clean

Bead filter – definition - is typically a pressurized filter that has plastic beads or other shaped plastic particle as the filter media. Bead filters often look like the sand filters used on swimming pools. They are a water tight “can” with a filter media that the water is forced though by the pump. Because the bead media is larger than sand it is more porous and does not clog as quickly with organic build up. Sand filters used for pools would typically clog when dealing with a bio active water feature. Sand filter often rely on chlorine (poison to a pond) to dissolve the organic material that can lodge in the media. Bead filters primarily provide good mechanical filtration but minimal biological filtration. Bead filters are washed typically by turning a valve and backwashing or flushing out the filter. Some use air compressors to help this back wash. This backwashing can be a convenience over cleaning the mats in other types of filters. As “open” filters depend upon the water using gravity to flow past the media, the filter has to be located so that gravity can get the filtered water back into the pond. Since pressurized bead filters can have water moving under the pressure generated by the pump through the media, the pressurized bead filter can be located above or below pond water level (typically outside of the pond.)
Helpful products: Aquadyne, Nemar Media

Beneficial bacteria – definition - pond keepers refer to “beneficial bacteria,” which is a description of those bacteria that help water quality by breaking down waste and toxins. By encouraging the growth of beneficial bacteria a pond keeper is encouraging “biological filtration” and is being pro active in helping improve water quality.
Helpful products: Bugs2Go, GreenEx, Microblift spring/summer

Biological Filter - definition - (Biological Filtration) –
1.a biological filter is defined as living organisms that have the advantageous ability is to metabolize or remove unwanted compounds, such as excess nutrients, toxins, ammonia [NH3,] nitrites [NO2,] nitrates, phosphates, etc. from the pond water. They can be plants or bacteria. They can live in the pond or stream, or in a container outside of the pond-proper which is part of that pond’s filter system. Biological filtering organisms such as beneficial bacteria (aerobic and anaerobic) are often added to the pond for enhanced filtration. Biological filtration to some degree often takes place on all surfaces in the pond. The sides of the pond provide surface area for biological filtration to take place.
2. a biological filter can also be defined as the bed or chamber within the pond’s system, which provides an environment with aerobic conditions and ample media for beneficial bacteria, whose advantageous function is to remove unwanted compounds, such as excess nutrients and toxins (ammonia NH3 and nitrites NO2) from the pond. When the organic materials in our pond are reduced to microscopic size by pumps or by dissolving, we almost always have to rely on biological filtration to remove them.
Some devices such as floating strand mats (Aquamats) specialize in intricate surfaces which can hold large populations of bacteria. The more surface area for the beneficial bacteria to do their job, the larger the biological load the bio-filter can support. The more oxygen there is in the water the larger the population of aerobic bacteria the pond can support. Some biological filter pads also provide some mechanical filtration as they not only give a surface for bacteria to colonize, but they also capture chunks of debris for removal.
Helpful products: Aqua mats, Savio Filter system, Atlantic Filter System, Bugs2Go

Blanket weed- definition - is a common name for a type filamentous algae. There are thousands of varieties of filamentous algae so accurately defining them can be difficult. Every region may have a different common name. However blanket weed can refer to Pithophora.
This algae is coarse to touch and gets names like “horse hair” or “wooly algae.” It can go from yellowish green to green to brown, and it grows from the bottom of the pond and on the sides. It is one of the fastest growing algae. Blanket weed thrives on nutrients, sunlight and carbon dioxide in pond water. This is why blanket weed thrives in the summer.
Helpful products: GreenClean, AlgaeFix

Bog - definition - (Bogs) – Is wetland type ecosystem. In water gardening this term covers a type of water garden or an area of a water garden that has soil or gravel pretty much at water level. The soil can dip down to expose some water and it can rise up to benefit those plants that prefer "less wet feet." Rather than have the water stay still in the bog, often with a little design and plumbing the bog can be developed as an Up Flow Bog Filter, which is a great way to filter a pond. If you build a bog as a standalone feature, unless you add some water movement to the feature you could definitely be in for a "wild natural ride." One other comment is that a lot of the plants that thrive in bog conditions are pretty aggressive. Unless you raise and lower the gravel or soil in the root zone in relation to water, you might end up with one species that wins the "battle for the bog." However, selective plant removal could balance the bog plantings. As a design tip if you are using a bog around your pond it might be interesting to break up the bog in smaller independent bogs so that each bog can display one or two species with out competition.
Helpful products: Water Plant Book

Bog garden- See Bog

Bog plant - definition -plants that prefer their roots to be constantly moist but not are not deeply submerged. Different bog plants can have slightly different depth requirements.
Helpful products: Water Plant Book

Bottom Drain – definition -The term bottom drain can refer to a component or closable opening in the bottom of a pond that can drain the pond for various reasons like cleaning the pond. Most home owner ponds do not have a gravity type drainage system for their ponds. However “bottom drain” is commonly a term used for the water suction point in the bottom of a pond and can be part of the filtration system. In koi ponds and other deeper ponds it is desirable to pull water from the bottom so that the water is mixed and all water is filtered. Sometimes the bottom drain is used to pull debris from the bottom of a pond for removal as well. “Bottom intake” would be a less confusing term for this component. It is very important to realize that when you are installing or managing a pond with a bottom drain or a bottom intake, that you are dealing with a component that could drain the pond completely if it somehow fails. Unless provisions are made to prevent this or unless this event is caught in time, this can be fatal to the entire fish population.
Helpful products: Tetra Bottom Drains, Tetra Vacuum Bottom Drain

Breaker unit - See GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter)

Buffer – definition -When dealing with water quality, buffer refers to a substance (usually carbonate or bicarbonate) that can dissolve in the water to help stabilize pH. Alkalinity of water is a reference to buffering conditions. KH is a measurement system for water hardness or buffering.
Helpful products: MicrobeLift, pH Buffer, Calcium Carbonate, KH Test Kit.

Bulkhead – definition - refers to a special plastic fitting that provides a watertight seal through a plastic container or a flexible pond liner. A bulkhead fitting is one way to penetrate a liner, skimmer, or other flat surface and still maintain a water tight system.
Helpful products: Bulkhead fittings, liner boots

Bushing - definition - a part that is glued or threaded into a fitting such as a coupling or elbow to adapt to a different pipe size. These are sometimes known as a pipe reducer.
Helpful products: Bulkhead fittings, liner boots

Check valve – definition - (Foot Valve) - used to provide flow through a pipe in one direction only. When installed between a filter and the pond, it keeps the dirty water in the filter from flowing back into the pond if power is lost. They are also used to keep an external pump primed if power is lost.
Helpful products: Check Valves

Chemical Filtration – definition - while typically not thought of for a living water feature, there are some additives that are relatively benign which chemically bind up compounds and debris. Some chemical filtration additives are called flocculants. Flocculants simply bind small particles of debris together forming larger particles. When the aggregated particle is large enough it can settle out of the pond or be caught in a mechanical filter. Another safe chemical filtration scenario would be those compounds that bind up other compounds chemically. Phos-x is a successful material that absorbs phosphates from the water. As phosphate is a key nutrient that algae need to grow, this chemical process helps clear the water.
Helpful products: Accu-clear, Phos-x

Chloramines - definition - are a fairly new additive some public water works are adding to the city or counties water. Obviously while it is deemed as an asset to public health, it is dangerous to fish. Unless you are sure about your municipalities drinking water make sure the de-chlorinator or de-chlor you are using remove both chloramines and chlorine.
Helpful products: Dechlorinator Plus, Stress Coat Plus

Chlorine - definition - This is the old standby chemical used to sanitize public water by destroying harmful bacteria and organisms in the drinking water. In minute quantities chorine is deemed not harmful to humans, however the same amount of chlorine can damage your fish. One of these reasons why the fish are more sensitive to chlorine is that they breathe it in through their gills. Chlorine is very dangerous to humans when we breathe it in as well. On a dark note, chlorine gas was the first choice of the Germans in WW1 to kill the enemy in trenches - thus making it the first choice in chemical warfare and the Geneva Convention was started in response to its use. We point this out because we want to make sure our customers are doubly aware of the danger their county or city drinking water can have on their fish. While a small amount in a pond is probably negligible, danger occurs when some one is topping off the pond with the hose and lets it run too long. Or when some one does not season or break in a new pond. It is best to be safe and to use a de-chlorinator or a carbon filter.
On a good note while chorine also literally oxidizes or burns organic matter (similar to the way Clorox get you shirt white) the good news that organic matter uses up chlorine by making it react. Also chlorine dissipates quicker when exposed to air. So if you are in an emergency and need to use municipal drinking water, it would be wise to spray it as mist and to have it land on something loaded up with organic material.
Helpful products: De-Chlor, Stress Coat, Carbon Filters

Chlorophyll - definition - (not to be at all confused with chlorine or chloramines) Chlorophyll is the green pigmented substance in plant cells that is integral to photosynthesis. And as we know from our 5th grade science class the food chain start with photosynthesis- plants combining sunlight with nutrients to produce living cells, which are eaten by other things, and on and on. One of the most primitive and effective plants to use photosynthesis is algae. By combining the nutrients in the water with sunlight algae is often the first plant to volunteer for the free meal. So when we see our pond is green, it is just little one cell plants filled with chlorophyll having an all-you-can-eat buffet. In order to minimize this algae feeding frenzy we typically need to focus on our biological filtration.
Helpful products: PondTabbs fertilizer

Coupling - definition - (piping or plumbing) is a very short length of pipe or tube, with a socket at one or both ends that allows two pipes to be joined together.
Helpful Products: Fittings

Cubic foot- definition - equals 7.48 U.S. gallons (which does equal 6.428 gallons (imp), 28.137 liters.) One cubic foot of water equals 62.4 lbs weight. Many additives require that you know the quantity of gallons in your pond in order to distribute the correct dosage. You will need to convert from cubic foot to gallons. Length x Width x Depth x 7.48 = Total Pond Gallons. Please note few ponds have dimensions this simple, so you will need to base this on an average length, width, and depth.

Deadhead - definition - removing faded flowers before they form seed. Any grooming that you do to the vegetation will prevent organic debris from decomposing in the pond.
Helpful products: Laguna Pruning Tool

De-chlor – see De-chlorinator

De-chlorinator- definition - (De-chlorinate) – removes chlorine from water. Many municipalities add chlorine to the public’s supply of water for safety reasons – the chlorine acts to minimize or kill bacteria and minor plant growth. However if added in sufficient quantity to a pond this water can be dangerous to fish and other desired organisms. Because we are supporting life in these various kinds of ponds, it is important to first de-chlorinate the water before introducing life. Fish’s exposure to chlorine and chloramines damages their gills and the effect can be a slow decline in health to death. It may not be possible to see the damage to fish gills with the naked eye from outside the pond. Any time we change out or add tap water to the system, it is important to de-chlorinate.
Helpful products: De-chlorinator, Stress Coat

Decomposition - definition - breakdown of organic matter by bacteria and fungi
Helpful products: Bugs2Go, MicrobeLift

De-Icer – definition - a mechanical unit placed in the winter pond to maintain a hole in the ice, which forms on the pond surface during freezing conditions.
Helpful products: Pond De-Icer, Laguna Winterizing Kit, Floating Thermometer

Detrimental Release – definition -Releasing exotic species into the environment. When a pond has a direct discharge to a lake or stream, do not stock the following: Koi, goldfish, hybrid water lilies, non-native lotus, and other exotic species. Unless you have designed a trap to stop their movement into natural waterways. Likewise, do not release your pet fish or non-native plants into other waterways. Some people consider such a release as being kind to the animal or plant, but it is quite the opposite. This is disrespectful to the environment and to responsible pond hobbyist.

Diffuser - definition - A device that is used at the end of an airline to break up air into smaller bubbles. Diffusers can be mats, air stones, or porous hose. The theory is that the more you break up air into smaller particles, the more oxygen is available to be absorbed into the water.
Helpful products: Air Pumps, Air Stones, Laguna Aeration Kit

Direct Drive Pump – definition - a pump whose impeller is connected directly to the motor
Helpful products: Artesian pumps, Tidal Wave Pump, Savio Pump

Disappearing Fountain – See Vanishing Water Feature

Division- definition - Separating plants so each has roots and shoots in good growing condition. When using plants to filter water it is important to remember that younger plants grow more aggressively (thus filter better) than mature plants, so by dividing plants we are turning older plants into younger plants.

Dormant - definition - inactive phase for living organism where biology slows down for some plants, animals, and bacteria. It is most often brought about by cold weather. Fish slow down their metabolism during the winter season. Bacteria, pathogens, and parasites slow down as well during the winter. As the water warms up in the spring, the pathogens can move faster and create problems for your slowly awakening fish. Thus your fish may be more susceptible to infections and/or parasites during the arrival of warmer weather.
Helpful products: Wheat germ fish food, Stress Coat, Pond Salt

Emergent plants - definition - have their roots anchored in the pond substrate, and their leaves flowers emerge above the water’s surface. In the pond industry, they are also known as ‘marginal’ or ‘bog’ plants. They can be found in nature growing along the margins of lakes, ponds, and streams. Water Iris, Reeds, Rushes and Cattails are good examples of emergent plants.
Helpful Products: Plants for Water Gardens Book

Enzyme – definition - a protein that helps speed up a chemical reaction. In a pond, enzymes are used to help with the breakdown of organic debris
Helpful products: MicrobeLift

EPDM – definition - it stands for ethylene propylene diene monomer; commonly known as “rubber liner”. This is the flexible sheet of membrane that provides the waterproofing for a lot of ponds. The advantages of this material really helped make water gardening affordable. Developed primarily as a roofing material, EPDM is very flexible and ultra violet light resistant. With that being said, a pond builder has to be careful that the EPDM being used in his project is rated for ponds. According to one manufacturer the EPDM made for ponds is made with more attention given to the raw materials being used. Just like you can buy tuna for your cat and you can buy tuna for your family, the tuna canned for human consumption is made with higher standards. Some people try and save money by using a roofing EPDM. Hopefully they are not feeding their children cat food to save money as well. Seriously, you may not have fish health problems if you are using a roofing material but you could. And after all the hours of plumbing, rock setting, etc. what would you then do? So make sure you only use fish or pond rated EPDM when building a pond. Some of the drawbacks on EPDM are that it is relatively heavy and for really large ponds it requires seaming. Probably 90 percent of the water gardens built in the last 10 years have used EPDM. However, there are other liners available that have their own advantages.
Helpful products: EPDM PondGard Liner, Liner Tape, Quick Prime Plus, Seam Kit, Liner Boots, Clamps, Underlayment, BendTarp HDPE Liner, Seam Prep

External Pumps – definition - External pumps are pumps that are located outside of the water feature and most often require a dry operating condition. External pumps can be self priming but typically the pump will work best if it is set at a level such that there is always water “flooding” into the intake side of the pump. So as a rule of thumb you do not want to set the external pump in a situation where it has to pull or suck water. Remember, pumps are designed to push water. They literally cram water into a pipe until the water moves forward. But they do not pull very well because the vacuum or suction that the pump creates is merely a by product of their pushing action. Eventually when pulling water at some point the water will start “shredding apart.” That is also why it is best not to run an intake line (suction line) to an external pump for long distance. If an external pump has a plumbing problem it is usually on the intake or suction line side. After you have found a suitable location for the external pump, some owners want to enclose the pump with a housing (“dog house,”) or some other cover to protect the pump. Also the discerning gardener will want to keep the pump out of sight and sound. For industrial or agricultural pumping applications seeing the pump is not a big deal but hiding the pump can be critical for a water feature. Owners buy water features to have magic in the landscape and seeing a pump is a real negative. In larger projects the site can be so full of sidewalks, windows looking out, etc., that there may be no decent place to hide the pumps. This is when an underground vault for the pump is an option. However be aware that if you go underground with an external pump you have to provide a way to service the pump, a way to ventilate the pump, and way to drain the rain water from building up around the pump.
Helpful products: Artesian Pump, Pump House, Dekorra Rocks, Replacement Baskets, Pondmaster Pump, Strainer

Female Pipe Thread (FPT) – definition - Threaded pipes and fittings have a threaded portion inside the part. The male threaded part twist and connects to the female threads.
Helpful products: Fittings

Filamentous algae - definition - thread, strand, hair like. This word is often used in conjunction with descriptions of those algae types that are multi cell.
Helpful products: Green Clean, Phos-X,

Filter - (see Filtration)

Filter Media - definition - the material in a filter that either traps debris in a mechanical filter or provides surfaces for beneficial bacteria in a biological filter. Most media can function as either, at least to a certain degree. Biological filter material is usually defined by how much surface area is available for beneficial bacteria to grow. Mechanical filter media is usually defined by how small of a particle it can capture.
Helpful products: SpringFlo Biofilter Media, Laguna Biomax Media, Savio Filter Pad Replacements

Filtration – definition - Basically filtration is the simple process of removing, restricting or changing “stuff” that you don’t want. The range of items, particles, and chemicals that filters work on is so wide that “stuff” is really a pretty good word. There are three different groups or types of filtration: mechanical filtration, biological filtration, and chemical filtration. These types are often used in different combinations.
Following is some filtration theory for all water features. This theory discussion is going to get a little philosophical but it may give you a good foundation to make educated decisions or ask further questions.
Anybody reading this on the web has probably already learned about “spam filters.” Spam filters are hopefully removing all that information people are sending you in your email that you don’t want (spam.) Some of it may not be bad, but the fact is you don’t want it.
Water Feature Filtration is basically the same thing. Not every thing that gets into your water is bad, but there is some “stuff” we just don’t want. And in different scenarios we want or will allow different “stuff” in our water. In our drinking water we are really restrictive about what we want in our water. We maintain a little more flexible high standard in our swimming pools, our koi ponds we will allow more “stuff” in the pond, in our water gardens perhaps a little more on down the line to our habitat pond, etc. So when we talk about filtration and filter systems, we need to talk about appropriate filtration.
In our opinion there are some basic thoughts on filtration that everyone needs to grasp.

1: Anything that removes “stuff”, collects it for later removal or changes it in an acceptable direction is part of a filtering system. When you pick a leaf off the pond with your hand, you are part of the filtering system. Once we had a friend who said he did not filter his pond. He was asked what he did instead of filtering and he said all you have to do is use a dip net every day. He barely smiled when he was called a human filtration system.

2: There is no perfect filtration system. Even when you buy a swimming pool with the most elaborate state of the art automatic cleaning system, the last thing the pool builder is going to give you when he leaves is a dip net.

3. If you don’t want to filter it out of the water- don’t put it in the water or at least try to keep it out. Don’t allow ground run off to enter the pond. This can carry lawn fertilizer, unwanted organic debris, and dirt in general. Don’t plant unusually messy trees around the pond. Don’t throw excessive fish food into the pond. (You may want to even only use fish food and koi food that are higher grade, i.e. more food and less filler -the more filler the more fish poop – the more you have to filter.) You may even want to net your pond during heavy leaf drop periods.

4. Everything blows across the surface of the earth stops when it lands on a body of water. And it is surprising how much “stuff” is constantly moving around in the outdoors. You can be proactive in shielding your pond from debris. Sometimes a small wall, and some well placed boulders and plants can snag debris before it enters the water. And again temporarily netting the pond can help during leaf drop.

5. The bigger the chunk of “stuff” is the easier it is to get out of the water. Unless you live in an area that has blowing sand, the main stuff that gets into a water feature is organic. Leaves, twigs, bugs, grass clipping, etc. and most of this “stuff” will float for a little while. If this debris can be netted or skimmed off the surface before it sinks it is easier to handle. Skimmers help in pulling this floating debris out before it sinks. Once the debris sinks, if not removed, it will ultimately decay into a solution in the water. Once this organic material deteriorates into microscopic size particles or molecules, we have a harder time collecting them for removal. The degeneration of organic stuff in the water basically turns the water into a nutrient soup or broth. This is where the real challenge happens in a filtration system in a water feature that is bio-active. Another way to complicate filtration is have bigger chunks of “stuff” go through the pump and turn into tiny chunks. Remember most pumps are very close to blenders in there design. Over the course of a day they can really turn some stuff into a “nutrient daiquiri.” This is why filter pots and pump baskets can be important can be important as pre filters to the pump. That is they filter stuff out before it goes into the pump. Not only do they protect the pump they slow down the blending of the organic stew. A lot of skimmers designed for ponds not only provide skimming, but also serve as a pre filter for the pump and may house it as well.

6. The selection of a filtering system depends upon several simple factors:

a. What is you desired standard or quality of water. This translates in how clear or what size particle you want to remove. This question usually considers what type animal or plant, if any, the water feature is designed for. Obviously a human needs different water quality than a lotus.
b. What is the size of your pond (how many gallons?)
c. How much debris or “stuff” is likely to go into to it? A lot of fish or no fish food, etc.
d. How often do you want to clean the filter?

To discuss this, the first two points (a, b) are pretty straight forward. You might have already determined the quality you want in your water feature and the size of your pond (gallons in the pond) is basically a math function. The third point is a little more subjective, but if you anticipate feeding a lot fish so they grow as really fast, or if there is a lot trees around the pond, or if you live in a warm area that has a really long growing season and a short or no winter, then you could say you anticipate a higher than average debris potential.
The fourth point considering how often you want to clean your filter is probably equally hard to answer. Most people do not want to clean anything, ever. But with that said if you don’t mind cleaning a filter every week you might choose a more economical filter. If you desire cleaning a filter as little as possible you might oversize your filter, choose a filter that is easy to clean, or in a pond even choose an up flow bog filter.

If you have a larger pond, and you want the water to be very clear, and you want to put a robust koi population in to it, and you want to seldom clean the filter, then you should shop for a very optimum filter system.

By the same token if you want a smaller pond and you don’t need very clear water then you can take advantage of a more simple system.
You can think of your filter system like you would a vacuum cleaner. The larger the bag on the vacuum cleaner, the longer you can go without dumping out the bag. You could vacuum a whole house with a hand held mini vacuum if you wanted to but ultimately you might find it aggravating to change the bag every ten minutes and quit. Whenever possible it is better to upsize your filter system. In the worse case scenario it would only mean less cleaning of the filtering component.

Hopefully this helps you make decisions.

Thankfully our product lines include kits and recommendations that are already sized and rated for typical performances at specified size features. When you have questions, we want you to ask. Send us an email or give us a call.

And a little more theory about filtration: In our opinion it takes less consideration to have a sterile water feature (bio-inactive) than it takes to have a live water feature (bio-active.) And we are by no means promoting a sterile water feature because being lifeless they can be so boring! However, when a water feature is sterile all we have to do is to have a plan to kill almost every organism in the water. Typically in swimming pools this is often done with chlorine, in some fountains it might also be done with copper based additives. In a swimming pool we add enough chlorine to kill all minor organisms but we lighten up enough on the dosage such that the family dog or swimmers do not have health problems. This type filtration is relatively simple to do. In fact chlorine not only kills organisms it actually oxidizes or burns their remains away. With a chlorinated system there is not much of a worry about the filter system clogging with algae growth. That is one reason why you do not want use swimming pool equipment on a pond. On the other hand, in a live water feature (sometimes called living water feature or living pond) we are trying encourage one type of life to flourish while trying to minimize or exclude other types of life. We are trying to balance the life forms in the pond into a direction we find favorable. Some people say, “I am not going to do anything to the pond, I am going to let Mother Nature balance the pond.” No doubt Mother Nature will balance the pond, but to Mother Nature’s discretion and definition of balance. And Mother Nature’s idea of balance may not meet the pond owner’s aesthetic goals! So when we talk of a live water feature, we are talking about a selective filtration system where we have to consider how to stack the balancing act such that Mother Nature leans in our favor.
Helpful products: Filtration systems, Aquadyne, Skimmers, Pond Netting, Dip Nets, Filter Media, Pre Filters, Filter Pot Replacements

Fin rot – definition -a bacterial disease; symptoms for diagnosis are that fish fins become cloudy then turn white, followed by filaments separating, becoming frayed, and then starting to disintegrate; fin rot progresses from the tip of the fin toward the body; blood streaks may appear throughout the fins. Fin can progressively get smaller. Fin rot often appears in conjunction with other diseases and fish stress can lead to fin rot. Common factors leading to a cause of fin rot include poor pH, poor water quality, over crowding and rough handling of the fish. There are cures available for fin rot however it can be spread and can be fatal if not treated. It is important to try and solve the underlying problem rather just treating the symptoms.
Helpful products: Pond salt, Pimafix

Fish Food - definition - Koi and Goldfish are omnivorous, which means that they will eat anything they can fit in their mouths. When in the wild or in more natural ponds with lots of algae and mud bottoms, these fish will do very well on their own and require little to no supplemental feeds. However, once they are put in an artificial setting which is filtered to be kept clean and algae is kept to a minimum, many of the natural foods are removed and they become dependent on their keepers for nutrition. It is important to give your fish a healthy diet. The use of high quality fish food will produce less fish waste, which is always a benefit to maintaining pond clarity. The use of staple food for the everyday diet is recommended and affordable. For transitioning the fish to the dormant winter phase a wheat germ food is recommended. Koi can also be supplemented with live food such as Duckweed, Algae, Romaine Lettuce, Earthworms, Shrimp, Grasshoppers, and Daphnia. To maintain fish health fish should be given a variety in their diet.
Helpful products: Laguna Koi food, Nishikoi food, Nishikoi Wheat germ, Floating Thermometer, Feeding Ring,

Fish lice - definition - free swimming, green disk like or circular parasites that attach to fish. Fish lice can be visible to the naked eye. Among the symptoms used to diagnose fish lice is that they will leave red marks where they attach to the fish and the wounds are spherical and often inflamed and swollen. The fish may rub against objects trying to scratch off this parasite. Fish lice can be dangerous to the fish and can be treated. Wounds are spherical and often inflamed and swollen
Helpful products: Pond salt, Dimilin, Anchors Away

Fish Pond - definition -is a live water feature that is a pond whose primary focus is to enjoy and display fish. Fish are easily the most popular animal to culture in a pond. A fish pond may or may not include plants, fountains or waterfalls & streams in its design.
A fish pond can contain different types of fish, most often you will find the varieties of goldfish, comets and fancy goldfish, Shubunkin and koi. Some ponds are a successful combination of a fish pond and a water garden. However in general koi ponds do not have prized plant collections. As exterior fish keeping grows as a hobby, undoubtedly different types of fish will be incorporated in to the hobby. For instance some owners may try trout, catfish etc. For success it is important to understand that each fish species has its own biological needs. When design a fish pond, don’t forget to consider predator control.
Helpful products: There are too many product to list here

Fitting – definition-Describes those items that are used to join pipes together.
Helpful products: Fittings

Flex PVC – definition-flexible version of PVC (polyvinyl chloride); this pipe uses the same fittings as standard schedule 40 rigid PVC. One of the advantages of using flexible pipe is that because there are less angles there is less turbulence or friction loss.
Helpful products: Non-Kink Pipe, Fittings

Floating Algae – definition – known as microscopic algae, also called phytoplankton, are tiny, free-floating algae that gives pond water a green color. Floating algae are the primary producers of dissolved oxygen in pond water. Float algae often is unpopular with pond owners. In some parts of the world a greenish pond is o.k. and then some people do not want any green water at all. While floating algae is not intrinsically bad, too much of it can be harmful. Floating algae can undergo excessive blooms when the water warms up. A sudden die-off of microscopic algae blooms can be caused by a change in water temperature or a stretch of several overcast days or algaecide or simply the algae starving itself out. This sudden death can deplete dissolved oxygen levels in ponds to a critical level for the survival of aquatic organisms.
Helpful Products: Algaefix, Green Clean, Filtration Systems, Phos-x, Greenex, Accu-clear

Floater- definition- (see floating plants) plant that lives and grows free floating on the surface of water. The foliage may rise above the water surface while the roots act as a ballast to keep the plant floating correctly. Water lettuce and water hyacinth are a few examples of floater. One good thing about floaters is that as they do not absorb nutrient from a soil base, their entire leaf surface is generated by nutrients in the water, thus help keep the water clear. One bad thing about floaters is that without some sort of restriction, they can move in the pond and can clog skimmers. They can be considered prolific, but that usually only happen when the nutrients are available for that kind of growth. A pond owner typically could consider the removal of excess plants as a pretty easy filter cleaning. Because many of the plants may not be native, they should always be segregated and separated from natural waterways.

Floating Islands – definition - also called Island Planters. These are components that are added to the pond to display plants. Their value is that they can extend the planting palette to those plants that might like to have access to water but do not like having their roots submerged. With floating islands you can not only add unique plants to the pond but you might also be able to stretch the plant display season with plant that are more cold hardy or have more cool weather interest. Plants used in the floating islands can be annual, perennial or woody limited chiefly by the plants horticultural requirements and the owner’s creativity. Floating Islands offer the advantage of providing additional predator shielding in fish ponds. Equally Floating Islands can add more biological filtration to the pond. They also create an element of shade which will aid in the battle against floating algae.
Helpful products: Aqua-link Island Grow Mix, Plantabbs

Floating plants – definition- (see floater) are those plants which grow in water, but are not rooted in the substrate. These are the plants that live and grow free floating on the surface of water. The foliage may rise above the water surface while the roots act as a ballast to keep the plant floating correctly. Water lettuce and water hyacinth are a few examples of floater. One good thing about floaters is that as they do not absorb nutrients from a soil base, all of their growth is generated by nutrients in the water, thus this process helps keep the water clear. One bad thing about floaters is that without some sort of restriction, they can move in the pond and can clog skimmers. They can be considered prolific, but that usually only happens when the nutrients are available for that kind of growth. A pond owner typically could consider the removal of excess plants as a pretty easy filter cleaning. Because many of the plants may not be native, they should always be segregated and separated from natural waterways.

Flocculent – definition - Is a material or compound that can be added to the pond which can cause tiny suspended debris to bind and clump together. The clumped matter then can sink to the pond bottom or make a particle large enough to be trapped in the filter. A flocculent can be a quick fix to occasional cloudy water.
Helpful products: Accu-clear

Fountain – definition - an element of a water feature using water movement as its primary focus. It may support life (bio active) or it may not support life (bio inactive.) It may be formal or informal in style. Fountains can be interactive for play. The term Fountain is used to describe jets in ponds as well as tiered statuary that is plumbed for water movement. A water feature can be a pond with a fountain.
Helpful products: Fountain clear, Algae Fix, Anti foam, Fountain Remote Control, Fountain Cover, White Scale Control

Friction Head – definition - the pressure (in feet) required to overcome resistance caused by liquids traveling through pipes, fittings and other restrictive elements of a hydraulic system. As water moves through pipes the more it bounces or hits resistance the more turbulence occurs. This turbulence slows down the water and is could be called friction loss. Pipes that are ribbed on the inside would have more friction head than a smooth pipe the same size. A 90 degree (elbow) fitting would add more friction to water movement than two 45 degree fittings. Friction head is calculated with the use of charts. It is important to calculate friction loss, especially as your water feature becomes larger or more sophisticated as the amount of friction loss you have will be important to know in the sizing your pump. All the people who move water through a pipe have to consider friction loss, irrigation contractors routinely have to consider this.
Helpful products: See the Friction Loss Chart

Fungus – definition- an organism that feeds on plants and animals by absorbing nutrients through its outer cells; some types will grow on fish, commonly appearing as cotton-like growth. Fungus on fish is usually caused by Saprolegnia. This is the most common type of fungus. The healing ulcers on fish often become infected with fungus. Fungal infections are never primary infections. When there is fungus look for stress, trauma, and/or poor water conditions.
Helpful products: Pima fix, Pond Salt, Slime Coat

Gallon- definition- Unit measurement of volume, In the U.S. it is equal to 231 cubic inches, or four quarts or 3.785 liters. By US definition a gallon of water would weigh approximately 8.4 lbs weight (depending upon temperature.) With the British definition it is 277.274 cubic inches or 4.546 liters)

Gallons of Water in a Pond - definition- this term is used to properly design a pond and to maintain a pond. This number is needed to help determine how much water the filter system needs to push in order to turn the pond over. This figure is also important as it determines dosage of water treatment products or medicines. Because many water features are irregular shapes and have irregular bottoms, it wise to do a complete fill up with water using a metering device to most accurately count the gallons. A less accurate way to calculate gallons of water in a pond is to calculate the surface area of the pond in square feet and multiply that square footage by the average depth of the pond. This will give you cubic feet. You can put 7.48 (round it off to 7.5) US gallon of water in a1 cubic foot space and that is why you multiply the cubic footage by 7.5 to get total US gallons.

Gallons (US) in a Cubic Foot - definition-There are 7.48 gallons of water in a cubic foot (for ease of math this is sometimes rounded off to 7.5.)

Gate Valve – definition- used for fully opened or closed operation. They are not used for regulating flow. (see Knife Valve)
Helpful Products: Knife Valve

GFCI – definition-Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter. ground-fault circuit interrupter, or GFCI, is a fast-acting circuit breaker designed to shut off electric power in the event of a ground-fault within as little as 1/40 of a second. It works by comparing the amount of current going to and returning from equipment along the circuit conductors. When the amount going differs from the amount returning by approximately 5 milliamperes, the GFCI interrupts the current. The GFCI is rated to trip quickly enough to prevent an electrical incident. Some codes dictate putting the location for a GFCI protected electric receptacle for a water feature to be between 5 and 20 feet from the water’s edge, and one foot above the existing grade. You can recognize a GFCI because it is usually an electrical receptacle that has a reset button. Not only should water feature equipment use GFCI, but use of GFCIs would make using any electrical device safer. Consider this when you are using electic drills, saws, etc. GFCIs are typically inexpensive for the home owner and most new homes are already equipped with these receptacles.

Gills – definition- These are the side vents on fish through which fish breathe. Gills are vascular organs comparable to lungs used in aquatic respiration. Gills can be burned by chlorine in the water.
Helpful Products: Dechlorinator, Stress Coat,

Goldfish - definition – refers to a wide group of fish that have been enjoyed as pets in ponds and aquariums for years. They grow to an average length of 12” or less and typically live to 5 to 7 years. They do not aggressively eat plants, but rather live harmoniously with plants in the pond. Make sure that your goldfish is of a variety that can exist in your pond. A common rule of thumb used by many pond hobbyist calls for no more than 2 goldfish for every hundred gallons of water. Goldfish are a very easy to keep and add much interest to a pond. Remember to be a responsible pond hobbyist and never release gold fish into natural bodies of water.

GPH - (Gallons per Hour) - definition – is another measurement for how much water is being moved. 1 GPH would be 1 Gallon of water Per Hour. GPH is typically used to describe the flow of smaller pumps. One good thing about talking in terms of gallons per hour is that if your pond is 3000 gallons and you want to turn the pond over 1 time an hour for filtration, your filtration pump will need to produce 3000 GPH, so you would look for a 3000 GPH pump.

GPM - (Gallons per Minute) - definition – is one way to measure how much volume of water (in US gallons) is being moved every MINUTE. 1 GPM would be 1 Gallon of water Per Minute. GPM is typically used on larger size pumps. It is important to not get GPM confused with GPH (Gallons per HOUR) or you will have a systems that is 60 times faster or 1/60th as fast as you wanted!
Helpful Products: Flow Meter

Ground Water– definition – this term refers to water that is beneath the surface of the soil.
This can be a spring, water that is in the soil after saturating rains, or if you are near the coast it can even be tidal. Ground water, especially if it is from a spring, is probably cleaner than runoff water, however it can cause aggravation during construction. Ground water can exert so much force on the walls of rigidly built waterfeature that is can literally float the feature out of the ground just like a boat. Usually this is most likely to happen when the pond is empty for cleaning or construction. In a pond that has a liner, ground water can make the liner rise off the bottom and just kind of float. When the rain quits and soil dries out the liner will go back down. This will cause the pond to look like it has a leak. The phenomenon perplexes some pond owners who wonder “why does my pond leak every time it rains?” You can minimize this occurrence by carefully putting some objects with weight on top of the liner. Some areas have more ground water than others.

Ground Water Runoff – definition – this term is significant to water features as it describes the pattern of water that moves across the ground due to rain or irrigation. This ground water run-off can carry fertilizers, pesticides; soil or other debris that can contaminate the pond and affect water chemistry (water quality.) For optimum water quality the water feature should be sited so that ground water runoff does not get into the feature. Those water features that require runoff as a means of make up water will require more careful filtration or a more forgiving standard of water quality.

Habitat - definition – is the environment in which an organism exists. In building a water feature it is important to decide what organism will be present in the system. Sometime an animal may be a pet fish or turtle or whatever and never leave the pond. However, the pond can also be a habitat enhancement that attracts wildlife such as birds, butterflies and dragonflies.

Habitat Pond - definition – is a live water feature. It is a pond whose primary focus is the animal and plant species that visit it or live in it. This style of pond can be created to further accommodate already existing wildlife or to attract species the owner might wish to bring to an area. Again many ponds may fit into several categories. A fish pond may add to the habitat of frogs and birds. However, it is good to know that you can build a pond for the simple purpose of enjoy seeing and hearing wildlife. For many people this is a very positive notion as opposed to being “owned by a pet.” It has often been said that water is the number one attractant of birds into the landscape. The benefits of an appropriate habitat pond can be immediate. For instance the mosquito is very adept at living in mans constructed environment. The mosquito can reproduce and proliferate in water left 24 hours in a gutter, a toy, or just a rain puddle. Meanwhile, those mosquito predators we need to control the mosquito need a more permanent and dependable water habitat. The dragonfly and the frog both can require two years in water to mature. Equally adding more birds decreases the mosquito population. So to a degree by having a proper habitat pond we can help rid ourselves of those pests that benefit from the decline of an ecosystem. As populations and urban developments continue to decrease our natural habitats and environments, helping fulfill the needs of wildlife is a worthy justification for a pond. In fact there are reports that in England prior to the growth of the ponding hobby that certain species of frogs were all but extinct. By adding to the habitat with ponds, these species have been able to be replenished.

Hair algae- definition – Is a multi – cellular algae which is another name for a string algae which grows on the sides of the pond. This type of algae is also sometimes called moss algae and can be quick growing and can also be seen around the waterfall of your pond. See string algae for more information
Helpful Products: GreenClean, Greenex, Algaefix

Hardiness -See Hardy

Hardy - definition – Typically, refers to the ability of a plant to withstand winter cold, but it can refer to an organism’s ability to withstand other environmental extremes. See zones for more information about plant hardiness.

Hardness - definition – quality of water mostly caused by amounts of Calcium and Magnesium. See KH, pH, and alkalinity for more information.

HDPE - definition – High-density polyethylene (HDPE) is a thermoplastic made from petroleum. This liner has extremely high puncture resistance, tear resistance and UV resistance. It is a much lighter weight material than EPDM. Because of its weight it can be made in larger dimensions. It can also be ordered in different thicknesses. Because it is less flexible and stretchy than EPDM, it is sometimes not used for smaller ponds.
Helpful Products: PPL-24, PPL-36

Head -definition – The amount of pressure (in feet) a pump must work against during operation in a given hydraulic system. This can be the amount of pressure developed by the weight of water and the height the water is to be lifted. It is also determined by friction in the pipe or friction loss. See Total Head, Static Head, Friction Head

Hose Clamps- definition – Hose clamps are used to keep tubing attached firmly to the barb side of a male insert. Hose clamps are typically used when plumbing with flexible pipe.
Helpful Products: PPL-24, PPL-36

Hybrid - definition – Plant or animal derived from cross breeding two different species. In water gardening many water lilies are cross bred for outstanding color and performance and are hybrids.

Hydrogen peroxide- definition –In water gardens hydrogen peroxide is a compound used to increase the dissolved oxygen content of water and is used to stimulate aerobic biodegradation of organic contaminants. Hydrogen peroxide is an oxidizing agent and is much more benign than chlorine. Hydrogen peroxide is infinitely soluble in water, but rapidly dissociates to form a molecule of water [H(2)O] and one-half molecule of oxygen.

Hydrogen Sulfide - definition – Hydrogen sulfide is toxic to fish, especially in warmer water temperatures. It forms when bacteria feed off decayed organic matter and is trapped under the sludge layer. Hydrogen sulfide emits a rotten egg odor, and gas bubbles of hydrogen sulfide may escape when the sludge is disturbed. These gas bubbles may also release carbon dioxide, methane, and other noxious gasses, lowering the level of oxygen present in the water. If you were to put leaves, grass, pine-straw into a jar full of water, close the lid tight and let it sit for a while, when you open it up it will have a rotten egg smell. This the sulfur smells of hydrogen sulfide. Hydrogen sulfide can be especially dangerous in those ponds that have a deeper gravel, sand or sludge bottom. If this gravel bottom is greatly disturbed it will emit toxins into the water that can put your fish at risk.

KH (or the Carbonate Hardness, alkalinity) - definition – is the measurement of carbonate and bi-carbonate ions in the pond water. One way to think of KH is the ability to resist pH swings. This is sometimes “buffering” the water. The ideal range for KH in a pond is between 7 and 13 ppm (parts per million). See pH, and alkalinity for more information
Helpful Products: KH test kit, Microbelift Buffering/Stabilizer

Knife Valve – definition – Is a valve use for opening or shutting flow through a pipe. It has a blade like center piece that slides up and down sort of like a window. It is weaker than a ball valve and may have trouble with the stress of being partially open. (a.k.a.: Gate Valve)
Helpful Products: Knife Valve

Koi - definition – (Cyprinus carpio) The original Japanese word koi simply means "carp," including both the dull grey fish and the brightly colored varieties. The average Koi can grow to 24-36 inches. They can be distinguished from goldfish by their barbels which look like whiskers. It is not unusual for a small Koi to grow 2-4 inches a year in a backyard pond. Certain factors will affect the growth of the fish, such as the size of the pond, the amount of aeration, and feeding methods. Koi do not have to be expensive nor do they have to be much trouble. Because the fish can live reportedly up to 200 years of age and can grow to greater than 3 feet in length, koi often become very much “a part of the family.” It is as easy for some people to become attached to a koi as it is for other people to become attached to a dog or cat. For this reason koi keepers will often be very enthusiastic about their fish’s well being.
Koi are truly “jewels in the garden.” Unlike a flower that may be in bloom for one week or season, the koi add color, movement and interest year round to the garden. Anyone getting into pond keeping as a hobby should be aware that there is a trend for the pond hobbyist to start out just wanting to enjoy the effects of the water, then to grow their hobby into an eventual desire to add koi to their pond. Many koi fanciers started out with their pond hobby declaring that they would never have any interest in fish only to change their pond or build another pond later on. See Koi Pond for more information.
Helpful Products: Fish Food, Feeder Ring, Feeding Block, Koi Castle, Koi Health & Disease Book

Koi Pond - definition – is a live water feature. It is a fish pond, whose primary focus is koi.
Koi (Cyprinus carpio) are members of the Carp family. They can grow to several feet in length, and typically live 50 to 60 years or longer.
It is commonly known that koi have hearty appetites for plants, and by their very size and rooting nature they can play havoc amongst the plant material in a pond. For this reason, koi ponds typically have few or no plants in the pond-proper, although plants can be incorporated into the waterscape in many different ways. When installing plants in the koi pond, it is important to protect the plants from the fish.
Koi ponds are typically deeper than water gardens. The best depth for a koi pond is greater than 3’. This allows for the koi to exercise freely both horizontally and vertically and for them to over winter in the pond. Most serious koi keepers prefer bare liner or concrete or gunite ponds, as these fish can hurt themselves on in-pond rocks.
Predators are of great concern to koi keepers. The same breeding that makes the koi so colorful and beautiful to people makes the fish bright targets for predators. Sheer walls reduce predator feeding, and are often preferred by koi keepers. Also predator shields like submerged covers, floating island planters, nets, and koi habitats can foil predators.
Koi ponds are typically ‘all abut the koi’. Part of the enjoyment of keeping koi is watching them respond to food, so koi are usually well fed. By heavy feeding koi, more waste is released in the water, so more filtration is needed to keep the water quality appropriate. The pH, ammonia, nitrites, and to a lesser degree nitrates all need to be tested for regularly when having koi. In addition to aerating the water through water movement it is also practical to have an aerator or air pump included in koi ponds equipment. Most people have a hard time “restricting” the number of koi they have in their pond and find large koi in robust numbers very attractive. This tendency for koi to have a denser population translates into the thoughtfulness of incorporating a thorough filtering system. For these reasons koi ponds typically use more filtration than water gardens. Since koi are bottom-feeders, they tend to root up settled materials (plant and fish waste, and other organic matter which has fallen into the pond) into suspension as well as dislodging rooted plants. See Koi for more information.
Helpful Products: Pond Nets, Pond Test Kit, Floating Island Planters, Koi Castle, Koi Food, Air Pumps, Pond Guard Heron Scarers, Scarecrow Predator Chaser, Pond Salt, Koi Health & Disease Book

Lily - like aquatics - definition – are plants that grow like water lilies but do not belong to the species ‘Nymphaea’.
Helpful Products: Water Gardening Books

Live Water Feature – definition – a water feature which supports life, thus is considered bio-active. The National Association of Pond Professionals (NAPP) places all water features into two categories: Live Water Features (bio-active) and Sterile Water Features (bio-inactive.) A pond would always be a live water feature while a swimming pool would be a sterile water feature.

Lotus – are aquatic plants that belong to the species ‘Nelumbo’. It is an emergent plant. It has submerged running rooted tubers, and leaves and flowers which stand above the pond’s surface. Although it has a shorter bloom season than the water lily, lotus is a very popular and revered pond plant!
Lotus requires 6-8 hours of direct sun and regular fertilization for optimum bloom.
The lotus will benefit from pruning older leaves and annual or bi-annual repotting. But be careful as the lotus tuber is famous for being fragile. While appearing at the edge of a pond the lotus may look like it could be a terrestrial landscape plant, the magnificence of this plant keeps it unique in the landscape. Make sure to drop some water on the lotus leaf to watch the droplets “dance.” In ancient Egyptian culture the lotus was the symbol for rebirth.
Helpful Products: Water Gardening Books, Pond Tabs, Highland Rim Fertilizer Tabs

Magnetic Drive Pump – definition – pumps whose impeller is not connected directly to the motor. Instead the motor and impeller are each connected to magnets. As the motor spins its magnet, the other magnet spins which causes the impeller to turn. Because of this separation the motor can be completely sealed, thus magnetic pump drives are less likely to add oil to the pond and usually the impeller is easier to change.
Helpful Products: Replacement Impeller, Pre-Filter

Make Up Water - definition – this is a term used to describe that water that has to be added to a water feature to keep the water feature full. Every water feature is