There has been plenty of heavy rainfall in Germany in the last few days. The ponds are full to the brim and the garden - and more - is under water.
However rainfall also causes other problems. Rain water is soft water and leads to a dilution of the mineral content in your pond water. The carbonate hardness drops and the pH value is no longer sufficiently stable. In the worst case a sudden drop in acidity can occur, which will mean certain death for your fish. That’s why you need to ensure there is a sufficient carbonate hardness (> 4 °dKH) and a stabilised pH level (7.5-8.5), especially after heavy rainfalls.
If the values are not in the recommended range you’ll need to take action. The easiest approach is to stabilise the pH value and to raise the KH with JBL StabiloPond Basis .
Another problem arising from heavy rainfall is the intrusion of nutrients. Ponds are often surrounded by flower beds or lawns. The rain runs over these areas, entering the pond and thus introducing the fertiliser you have used and the nutrients in it into the pond water. In the worst case humus and sand is washed in. This is a good way for phosphates to reach the water, and this will result in algae growth on the next bright, sunny day. So test your pond water for its phosphate content ( JBL PROAQUATEST PO4 Phosphate Sensitive ). Increased amounts of phosphate can be bound immediately with JBL PhosEX Pond Direct . You can achieve permanent protection against the nutrients entering your pond every day from its surroundings with JBL PhosEX Pond filter .
You can’t prevent rain, but it will cause problems if you don’t watch the issues we have mentioned. To avoid problems keep an eye on these, and your beautiful garden pond will form one of the highlights of the garden season.
