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What is a Water Garden?
It is a self contained man made ecosystem that has a finite volume and consists of a body of water that has aquatic plants and/or wildlife living within its confines.
Bill Heritage: A water garden is, first and foremost, an area devoted to the cultivation of interesting and ornamental plants whose natural habit is in or near water. Will include a body of water, may also include an area covered with water, but is always moist. May also have moving water strictly optional.
KOI PONDS ARE ENTIRELY DIFFERENT!! And must be treated as such.
The Nitrogen Cycle
A. All ponds and biological filters support a colony of aerobic bacteria. These aerobic bacteria convert ammonia produced by the decomposition of organic wastes into progressively less harmful substances that are then recycled in the Nitrogen Cycle.
The principal nitrifying bacteria involved are Nitrobacters which convert ammonia (NH3) to nitrites (NO2) and Nitrosomonas which change nitrites to nitrates (NO3).
B. In a well-balanced system, the nitrates are absorbed by growing plants as a fertilizer and the plants become a food source for the animals within the pond, thus completing the cycle.
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