Hi Julie...Ian post here sometimes and he lives on the Isle of wight also!!
I am going to change you title so he sees it right off. I have no idea abbout
nitrite,,,I have never tested for it...if the pond is healthy and happy....why
worry yourself oveer it? Jerri

http://www.fringeweb.com/Ponds/JerrisPond

Hi thanks for your reply. Its nice to hear that there is someone else here from the Isle of Wight (you can feel a bit secluded in such a small place).

Julie

"Jerrispond" wrote in message
...
Hi Julie...Ian post here sometimes and he lives on the Isle of wight
also!!
I am going to change you title so he sees it right off. I have no idea
abbout
nitrite,,,I have never tested for it...if the pond is healthy and
happy....why
worry yourself oveer it? Jerri


http://www.fringeweb.com/Ponds/JerrisPond


Thanks Jerri!

Arrrrrrr, my neck of the woods. I better be carefull of what I say or the
heavys may come round ;-)
Nitrite or Nitrate? I get them mixed up. Is one caused by fish poo and the
other one cause by decaying plants and chemicals in the water? Either way
too much of any of them is bad and can quickly kill the fish.
When I had a Marine Aquarium the (Nitrite or Nitrate oh i`ll call it (NIT)
from now on because I forget which one it was! Anyway when you set up a
Marine aquarium you do this test twice a day when you are setting the tank
up. You have the filters and lights going. The (N) will be clear on the
tester. After a few days it will suddenly go really red. This is called an
Bacterial Explosion. The natural good bacteria that lives in the filter and
is kept alive by the air in the filter (Thats why the filter needs to be on
all the time to feed them air or they die) eats the (N) or the cause of it
and it slowly goes clear (the test). When clear you may add one or two fish.
The good bacteria will consume the fish poo etc and multiply. You may add a
few more fish. If you put too many fish in then the bacteria cannot
breakdown all that extra waste and so the (N) goes up and this can kill the
fish!

I`m sorry this is off topic (ponds) but it does apply to the pond as well.
Bacteria also live on the rocks and in the mud at the bottom of the pond. If
you have good waterflow then you may put a few more fish in.
If you just run your filter or waterfall/fountain during the day then all
your filter will do is clean the water mechanicly and take the solid waste
out. It will not really clean it biologicly.

I hope this helps. Nitrite I think is caused by chemicals. We can sometimes
have it in our drinking water.

Thanks.

--
SEE YER,
IAN. P. GARDNER
ISLE OF WIGHT
www.gardner44.freeserve.co.uk

"Jerrispond" wrote in message
...
Hi Julie...Ian post here sometimes and he lives on the Isle of wight
also!!
I am going to change you title so he sees it right off. I have no idea
abbout
nitrite,,,I have never tested for it...if the pond is healthy and
happy....why
worry yourself oveer it? Jerri


http://www.fringeweb.com/Ponds/JerrisPond

...................... Just to add to my other reply........

Something is causeing it. It may be a dead fish or cat! It could be over
feeding. It could be dead decaying plant buildup on the bottom of the pond.
It could be water seaping into the pond from runoff from somewhere like the
grass. Do you spray you grass or plants in the garden. You have to think of
everything! I have a little area around the pond that is natural. I use NO
Chemicals etc. I grow only native plants in it or plants that encourage the
local wildlife like Budleigha etc. If nettles grow then I leave a few of
them for the butterflys.

--
IAN. P. GARDNER
ISLE OF WIGHT
www.gardner44.freeserve.co.uk

Thanks for your reply Ian. Its nice to hear from some one on the Island. I live in Newport.

My pond is really quite new (about a month now) but since my last post the Nitrite levels have dropped, leading me to think that the Nitrogen Cycle has begun in ernest and things will continue to improve. I have also added some more plants inc. some Fairy Moss, a floating plant, that is quite attractive. I know that plants will take up the Nitrate, so I win all round!

I am also sure that our recent rain has had a beneficial effect.

Thanks again, julie