How to analyze pond water in spring?

After winter, spring. A season that delights everyone! Life seems to be reborn everywhere, whether in the trees in the countryside or in the flowers. This is also the case in aquatic environments: fish become more active in the spring.

For these different reasons, when spring arrives, it is usually time to take stock. In other words, it will be a question of noting the general state of the basin, as well as that of the water.

As you can imagine, the winter was more or less intense depending on the region. The negative temperatures therefore had a significant impact on the environment. And both aquatic life and the balance of the ecosystem are equally affected.

The different types of water analyzes for a pool

Would you like to find out how to analyze pond water in the spring?

To do this, four important parameters must be considered. These are therefore data that will be measured with different tests.

Analysis of pH or hydrogen potential

In a simplified way, the pH represents the hydrogen potential. It is an index which makes it possible to determine the acidity or the basicity of a solution, in particular of water. In the case of a pond, it is essential to have a pH that is around 7 to 8. It doesn't seem like much, but you have to understand the importance of pH.

It is therefore not a simple unit of measurement. More concretely, when we talk about pH, as soon as we pass a unit, we multiply by 10. If you had to have a pH of 7 and you have it at 9, we are at 10 x 10. In other words, we has 100 times more basic water, which is a very big difference.

That being said, the ideal is therefore to have pond water with a pH of 7 or 8.

Analysis of KH or carbonate hardness

Carbonate hardness is very important because it will buffer the pH. That is to say, it will stabilize the pH and prevent it from playing yoyo, from going from one peak to another between morning and evening.

It is also good to note that the pH tends to change over the hours of the day. It will therefore become more acidic during the night, and more basic during the day.

If the carbonate hardness is high enough, then the pH fluctuations will be milder. On the other hand, if your carbonate hardness is too low, the pH fluctuations will be very significant and your environment will be completely unbalanced.

GH or total hardness analysis

What is total hardness? In a few words, these are calcium carbonates and magnesium carbonates.

These are therefore minerals contained in the water, as important for your fish as for your plants: the latter need mineral salts to feed themselves.

This total hardness must oscillate between 10 and 14. For the partial hardness, it must be between 8 and 10.

Nitrite analysis

A fourth parameter to test after winter, especially at the very beginning of spring, is nitrite. Nitrites accumulate from the breakdown of detritus from animals and plants.

If we don't have enough bacteria to break down organic matter, we'll get stuck in ammonia or nitrites, and that would be fatal for your fish.

Nitrites are the easiest to test: you have to stay at 0. So if you have nitrites, you have to put bacteria in the pool.

Conclusion

To test these different parameters, you can use an analysis kit. You can find different types in our collection of kits . We have also written an article to guide you in choosing your test case for analyzing water.

If you need further advice afterwards, do not hesitate to contact our experts. They will be happy to help you maintain your pool.

Better still, they will guide you in the different actions to be taken, and ensure the best possible water for your beautiful fish.