Six Steps To A CrystalClear® Pond:

Step 1: Dechlorinate Water
Chlorine and chloramines are added to city water supplies to make water safe for human consumption. However, these substances are extremely harmful to aquatic life. Chlorine and chloramine can cause both fish and plant death if left untreated in the pond. To prevent this damage from occurring CrystalClear® Dechlorinator Dry or Liquid to your pond with each water exchange or when beginning a new pond. CrystalClear® Dechlorinator will work to break the chlorine/chloramine bonds to remove both substances from the water column.

Step 2: Pond Water Testing
A clear healthy pond begins with good water quality. Testing pond water when the pond is first filled and periodically for pH, Nitrite and Buffering Capacity helps to insure all environmental factors are within safe ranges. If these measures are within their safe ranges, as indicated on the bottle, then most pond water is fine. If the measures are higher or lower than the strip indicates then preventative measures need to be taken. CrystalClear® Test Strips will safely and accurately measure your pond's most important parameters.

Step 3: Buffer Pond Water
It is very important for ornamental ponds to maintain a buffering capacity of 80-240 ppm for proper pH stabilization. All pond water is affected by pH. Alkalinity or acidity will determine whether pH is high or low, respectively.
CrystalClear® Buffer will help to prevent wide pH swings which are very common in ornamental ponds from dusk to dawn due to fish respiration and photosynthesis. A properly buffered pond resists change in pH due to acid rain and other external factors.

Step 4: Test Pond Water Again
Once the pond has been buffered with CrystalClear® Buffer it is always a good idea to retest the water with CrystalClear® Test Strips to make absolutely sure that the pH of the water is within safe ranges. If pH reads 8.0 or above (bright orange) then the pH of the water is alkaline. If pH reads 6.5 or lower (light orange) then the water is acid. A reading of 7.0 is neutral or optimum for pond water. Should pH fall between 6.5 and 8.0 then no remediation should be required, however any extreme change should be corrected by Step 5.

Step 5: Raise pH/Lower pH
Plant photosynthesis, acid rain and other external factors will often drive the pH of pond water down to dangerous levels. By applying CrystalClear® pH Salts Up the pH of the water will slowly raise to within safe levels.
It extremely important to adjust pH of pond water slowly. A recommended 0.2 points per day is safe for fish and plants. A drastic change in pH may cause stress or even death in ornamental fish. CrystalClear® pH Salts Up will safely raise pond water pH. If the pH of water is too high (Above 8.0), lower pH with CrystalClear® pH Salts Down.

Step 6: Add Water Clarity Products
After the pond has been primed it is now ready to be seeded with bacteria to help keep the water clear and healthy. This can be accomplished by applying CrystalClear® Biological Clarifier (Dry), CrystalClear® WS, CrystalClear® Biological Clarifier (Liquid), or CrystalClear® Nitrifier.

Note: Once your pond has been primed and all the parameters have been brought into line, it is a good idea to add plant life to the pond. This will not only add beauty to the pond, but it will provide shade for fish and act as a natural filter. To keep plants healthy and happy, fertilize them with CrystalClear® Aquatic Plant Fertilizer.

Bio Glossary Of Terms

Alkalinity: The capacity of water to resist changes in pH, which is measured by the concentration of carbonates. Alkalinity is increased by the addition of carbonate buffers such as sodium carbonate.

Ammonia: And intermediate product of the nitrogen cycle that converts to the more toxic nitrite. The toxicity of ammonia depends on the temperature and pH of the water; the higher the pH and/or temperature, the more toxic the ammonia. Ammonia burns the gills and fins of fish and lowers their resistance to disease. Controlling organic wastes through the use of CrystalClear® decreases ammonia levels.

Bacteria: A class of microscopic organisms found throughout nature ranging from beneficial to pathogenic. CrystalClear®

 CrystalClear fish pond maintenance line features a very high quality and diverse mix of pond products designed to assist or remedy any problem, such as sludge or sludge treatment, a pond enthusiast may encounter.

Each CrystalClear biological water treatment product label contains a quick and convenient six step process guide to make the purchasing process  of pond treatment easier for consumers.

 

Winston Company, Inc. has lead the biological water treatment industry for over 25 years now by offering only the highest quality bacteria and enzyme solutions for municipal wastewater treatment, sludge treatment and pond treatment.

Crystal Clear is Winston Company's fastest growing product line to date. Unlike other water treatment chemicals Crystal Clear treats pond water with 100% natural and safe bacteria and enzymes to help provide the pond enthusiast with sparkling water all year long. Crystal Clear has long been the leader in pond water treatment pond supply market.

Many pond enthusiasts have sludge, ammonia, pH or green water problems. We have tried to give you helpful tips within our Learning Center on what you can do to remedy a variety of those types of pond related problems and help with your fish pond maintenance. Our goal is to provide you with Crystal Clear solutions so you can enjoy your pond throughout the season. If crystal clear water is your goal then we have a Crystal Clear answer!

Buffer: A substance that contains carbonate and increases the alkalinity (carbonate concentration) of the water.

Buffering capacity: The ability of water to resist changes in pH, as measured by the CrystalClear® Test Strips. Buffering capacity is increased by adding a carbonate buffer.

Chloramine: A mixture of compounds that occur when both ammonia and chlorine are used to treat municipal water supplies. Chloramines are more stable than chlorine and the reaction time to remove chloramines is somewhat longer than for chlorine.

Chlorine: A disinfectant added to municipal water supplies to kill harmful bacteria, but toxic to fish and beneficial bacteria. Over time, chlorine thickens in the gills of fish.

Enzymes: A class of proteins that are produced by living cells, which speed up specific biochemical reactions.

Ionized Ammonia: The non-toxic form of ammonia, which is harmless except at very high levels.

Nitrification process: The circulation of nitrogen in the natural world in which organic wastes (uneaten food, wastes, decaying plants, etc.) decompose to form ammonia and similar compounds. Nitrifiying bacteria oxidize ammonia to form nitrites and then nitrates. Both ammonia and nitrites are toxic to fish, but plant growth is enhanced by the nitrates which act as fertilizer. The plants are eaten by fish and the cycle is complete.

Naturally occurring bacteria: All bacteria present in CrystalClear® are found in nature. Through decades of selecting the most active strains, CrystalClear® bacteria produce many time the level of enzymes produced by wild strains of microorganisms.

Nitrate: A relatively safe end product of organic waste degradation. It may by toxic to goldfish at very high levels suck as 500 mg/L. Nitrate is a nutrient source for algal and other plant life.

Nitrite: An intermediate product in the nitrogen cycle which Is highly toxic to fish. Even low levels, suck as a light pink on the CrystalClear® test strips, should be taken seriously by the fishkeeper. Decreasing the amount of organic wastes by using CrystalClear® will decrease the amount of nitrite formed.

Nitrifier: A bacteria that oxidized ammonia to nitrate or oxidizes nitrite to nitrate.

pH: A measurement of acidity or basicity of water, with 7.0 being neutral. The pH tolerance of fish varies from species to species. Fish such as goldfish and koi generally adapt to the pH of local waters but it is important to not make rapid changes in pH. The shock of rapidly fluctuating pH can stress or even kill fish. Pond pH generally follows a daily cycle of being lowest just before dawn and highest in the afternoon due to photosynthesis and aquatic life respiration. pH increases with plant population and decreases with excessive organic matter and animal population. Low pH water can harm fish gills. High pH water can harm fins and gills and contribute to unwanted algal growth.

Un-ionized ammonia: The toxic form of ammonia. The percentage of ammonia in its un-ionized state increases as the pH and /or temperature increases.

Water soluble bag: Plastic material designed to dissolve in water.