Once the pond is installed, you are ready to fill it with water. The pond water will need to be conditioned properly before adding fish and plants. Some people say, "I don't need to add water conditioners to my natural pond. Why add chemicals?" The short answer is that tap water is NOT pond water and the usual backyard pond isn't a "natural" pond.

Municipal water is treated with chlorine or chloramine, to make it safe for human drinking water; these are chemicals that are dangerous to fish and can harm plants. Adding Pond Care brand water conditioners to tap water neutralizes these chemicals. These substances need to be removed from tap water every time you add water to your pond. These tips should be considered when performing first time or yearly pond maintenance.

A natural pond has a constant supply of fresh water, such as a stream or spring, and the "dirty" water exits the pond, taking fish wastes and other toxins with it. This just isn't true for a backyard pond. For fish in a natural pond there are thousands of gallons of water for each fish. How many fish are in the average 500-gallon ornamental pond? Most likely too many! In short, a backyard water garden is a closed system. You and Mother Nature both need a little help to keep the pond water safe for fish. This is why the proper pond maintenance and selected Pond Care water conditioners are crucial. Conditioners turn tap water into pond water and help maintain a more natural environment for the plants and fish.

All municipal water contains chlorine or chloramine; both of which are toxic to fish. Even small traces of chlorine or chloramine will irritate the fish and damage gill tissue. Chloramine is a combination of chlorine and ammonia that is used to treat tap water in many municipalities. Use CrystalClear Vanish Liquid or Pond Care Ammo-Lock to instantly neutralize these compounds, making tap water safe for the pond.

Heavy metals from both municipal and well water sources can accumulate in ponds over time, posing a health risk to pond life. Pondliner.com offers a variety of products to make your pain maintenance quick and efficient.CrystalClear Vanish Liquid or Pond Care Chlorine and Heavy Metal Neutralizer will effectively detoxify heavy metals as well as remove chlorine from your tap water. It is advisable to always treat your tap water with either CrystalClear Vanish Liquid, Pond Care Chlorine and Heavy Metal Neutralizer or Pond Care Ammo-Lock whenever you add water to your pond.

When adding fish, it is important to use CrystalClear Vanish Liquid or Pond Care Stress Coat to maintain the fish's protective slime coating. Stress Coat contains Aloe Vera, which replaces the slime coating and promotes healing of abrasions that occur during handling, spawning and other time of stress.

Fish also need electrolytes such as potassium, sodium, magnesium, chloride and calcium to maintain the proper chemical balance within their bodies. Pond Salt provides these essential electrolytes that fish and all living creatures in your pond need to survive.