Aquatic Plants…

Aquatic plants of many types are used to provide beauty and function in ponds. Many pond owners regularly use plants in their ponds to enhance their aesthetic appeal and improve water quality.

AquaMats^® provide an optimum food resource for plants. Since one of the key functions of AquaMats^® is the removal of nutrients from the water this increases water clarity and also helps to accelerate photosynthesis in the plant community.

AquaMats^® provide a valuable stimulant, in the form of detritus, that encourages activity in the bacterial community that is responsible for protecting the plant's delicate root system. There are natural, beneficial pesticide-like compounds which are produced that help protect the vascular structure of the plant as well.

It has been shown that some species of water lilies are more aggressively attacked by insect species such as water beetles immediately after transfer, while the same plant is protected only a few days later with the establishment of a zoogleal (jelly-like bacterial mass) coat on the stem of the plant. The root system is also susceptible to infection on transfer or extreme environmental change.

Biological Filters…

If you don’t already have a biological filter on your pond you should consider one. Biological filters provide a home for beneficial nitrifying bacteria, which helps to clear your pond water and keep your fish healthy. In addition, most biological filters have a mechanical filtration component that aides in the removal of solid waste and debris from the water. If this debris is not removed from the pond it will break down and add more nutrients to the pond.

AquaMats^® benefit biological filters by reducing the nutrient load that the biological system has to deal with on a daily basis. Since a single AquaMat provides 2,800 square feet of surface area (roughly the size of a tennis court) they can help immensely in reducing the nutrient load in the pond. As overall nutrient loads in the pond decrease over time, this will reduce the frequency with which you will have to clean and/or change the media in your filter.

A common trend in pond building is that first time pond owners under filter their ponds not understanding the importance of this component of pond construction. The problem with under filtering your pond is that, as the nutrient load increases, due to adding/growing fish, plants, etc., the existing filtration will struggle to keep up if it is not at least double the capacity of the pond.

AquaMats^® will help tremendously in this type of situation. Most pond owners would have to retro fit their filtration system in order to allow the pond to catch up to the nutrient load in the pond. increase the capacity of the pond without having to spend a lot of money and time redoing the

UV Sterilization…

UV sterilization is used by pond owners to control algal blooms due to excessive amounts of nutrients (phosphates, nitrates, etc.) in the water column. They function by destroying microorganisms (algae) by exposing them to UV radiation within its internal treatment chambers.

AquaMats^® work by reducing the overall amounts of harmful nutrients in the water column which can mean reduced loads for UV systems and consequently, less frequent changing of UV bulbs and lower overall ownership costs.

Bacterial Formulas…

Without beneficial bacteria neither fish nor plants would survive and pleasing water quality and clarity would be impossible. Needless to say, all ponds need beneficial bacteria and cannot succeed without them. Although bacteria are naturally occurring, by supplementing the natural bacterial population, it's often possible to “jump start”the biofiltration process in ponds with their judicious use.

The precision-engineered surfaces of AquaMats^® are specifically designed to support the growth of beneficial bacterial communities! The key to maximizing the effectiveness of any bacterial treatment is to provide it with just the right type and amount of surface area, like the kind provided by AquaMats^®. This idealized surface is created by regulating the level of fibril interweaving and controlling pore size distribution on AquaMats^® through its UltraWeave^TM Technology.

Zooplankton and Other Microorganisms…

Your pond is home to a plethora of microscopic plants and animals that are important to pleasing water quality and pond health. These creatures are an integral part of the aquatic food chain and any healthy pond has an abundance of them.

AquaMats^® produce a complex and porous structure that resembles a “cave-like”maze where zooplankton and other microorganisms can readily reproduce. Since ornamental pond fish of all kinds use Zooplankton as a staple food resource in their diets, they will benefit enormously from the nutritional value that these microscopic animals supply.

Shades/Dyes…

Some pond owners use to aquatic shades or dyes to reduce the potential for algal blooms. Essentially, these products reduce the sun’s photosynthetic impact in the water column, which reduces the chances for nutrient imbalances to occur.

Generally, AquaMats^® have very little interaction with dyes. If a dye is sufficiently electropositive, the foam will interact and extract the dye from the water. This is typical of medicinal dyes such as malachite green or methylene blue, used in the treatment of fish diseases. The most commonly used dyes used on golf courses and in ornamental ponds are Aquashade, PondShade, Blue Vail, or Blue Aqua. These actually work very well with AquaMats^®, providing universal shading of photosyntheticaly active radiation. If AquaMats^® and PondShade-like products are used in tandem, they actually function synergistically (together) to knock down the unsightly algae initially and the AquaMats^® then compete for the nutrients as the algae decay. It is really a very effective way of knocking out algae quickly and preventing its return. The persistence of the dye is short (1-3 weeks) which is long enough (in warm conditions) for the AquaMats^® to become biologically active.

Bubble Bead Filters…

Bubble bead filters are one of the newest technologies on the market that are intended to improve water quality in ponds and water gardens but are mostly used in advanced Koi ponds. Bubble bead filters are designed to provide biological and mechanical filtration by moving water through the filter and varied sized beads within the unit. Nitrifying bacteria colonize the vast surface area provided by the beads and biologically filter the water through the nitrification process. In addition, bubble bead filters are very effective at removing solids from the water that can add to the overall nutrient load in the pond if they are not removed.

AquaMats^®, just as they do with other types of biological filters help tremendously to maintain water quality and clarity by adding additional specialized surface area within the pond to reduce the nutrient load on the pond. One AquaMat delivers the equivalent surface area of a tennis court (approximately 2,800 additional square feet) of surface area in your pond for beneficial bacteria to colonize.