chemical free management of pond water. Self sustainable concept

1. The First Step to Pond Management
A NATURAL APPROACH TO GARDEN POND
MANAGEMENT
BY
NG KOK HONG
AYERMATAHARI
www.wix.com/ayer/ayer
http://ayermatahari.wordpress.com
kokhong@inbox.com

2. Landscaping is an important factor in a resort development.
Landscape design is the key to a successful environment establishment.

3. A parcel of water has become an integral part to complete a landscape design.
Water management is complex and understanding its effect is vital.

4. ...and garden ponds or pools become a part of our own creation by
design
...and more ponds..
.....more water.....

5. ....fish ponds to swimming pools which
are establish through one element of
nature.....
WATE R
WHAT IS WATER?
A clear, colorless, odorless, and
tasteless liquid, H2O, essential for most
plant and animal life and the most widely
used of all solvents. Freezing point 0 C
(32 F); boiling point 100 C (212 F);
specific gravity (4 C) 1.0000; weight per
gallon (15 C) 8.338 pounds (3.782
kilograms).

6. 1. The chemistry of water quality is dynamic and
complex.
2. It needs proper management and care in order to
achieve the water quality required and specified by pond
owner but not by nature.
3. Pond designers must work with H2O, that is: two parts
Heart and one part Obsession, if to be successful.

7. The body of pond water naturally
carries
nutrients, planktons, suspended
particles and more as part of
ecological needs.
Therefore, these natural
occupants of water make the
water to appear
greenish, brownish or even turbid
and smells.

8. Eutrophicated by design
Eutrophicated pond is a nightmare.
Not all green water ponds are bad
but in most or all cases, they are
damaging to intended aesthetic.
Greenish water in man-designed-
made pond is not truly accepted in
the market but by all almighty
command, the quality of pond
water in resort or home garden
has to be . . . . . . . . . . .
A natural occurrence

9. ...crisp clear.

10. Gita Bayu, Kuala Lumpur
with LA: Bill Bensley
Club House

11. The aim of designing a pond is to balance the controllable 'functions'
and be sustainable as to achieve what that is required in a finished product.
This can be achieved by understanding and applying the right natural
components that are controllable.
They are :
Lagenda, Langkawi Puntius schwanenfeldii Nelumbo nucifera
1. Right water filtration 2. Helpful and role-playing 3. Functional aquatic
system fishes plants

12. 1/3. RIGHT WATER FITLRATION SYSTEM
The main problem in pond management is eutrophication.
Eutrophication, a term to describe any excessive nutrient load in water
that leads to the formation of complicated and uninvited characteristic of
water quality such as dark green water.
You need the right filtration system to reduce and control excessive
organic wastes in ponds.
You need a biological filtration system.
Not a mechanical filtration system
Not a chemical filtration system

13. What is a biological filtration system?
I used to think
DRINKING was
bad for me,
.....is a pollution control technique using
..so i gave up
living material (bacteria) to capture and
thinking
biologically degrade process pollutants
(excess organic nutrients).
How it works?
....it utilises naturally occurring bacteria
for the purpose of mineralisation of
organic nitrogenous compounds.
In simple terms, it helps to breakdown
dissolved organic wastes into non-toxic
nitrate and nitrogen or technically we
called it..the nitrogen cycle.
What is the nitrogen
cycle?

15. The Nitrogen Cycle as simplified.

17. The application of the bio-filtration system should designed
to maximum filtration efficiency with minimal maintenance.

18. St Regis Resort, Bali
with LA: Bill Bensley
Mural Fish Pond

19. 2/3. HELPFUL AND ROLE PLAYING FISHES
The fish that are the masters and the monsters...
ai goromo, goshiki, kohaku, maruten, shiro utsuri, showa ... if these
names are alien to you, so are the Japanese kois. They are the
favourite among all but most useless as a role player in pond
management. High maintenance, disease prone, domesticated
cross-bred fish. These masters that are meant for hobbyist.

20. The fish nominees for the role as natural pond
managers are . . . . . .
Tor tambroides
Puntius schwanenfeldii Exotic Pearl gouramy, Colisa
Gold Severum Ospranemus gouramy
Barbus tetrazona
They are the ones that worked for nothing. They sweep
the pond floor, wipe the wall of algae, eat up mosquitoes
larvae, fertilize the plants, occasionally perform for the
family and remain friends.
These are low maintenance fishes and are the most natural
pond keepers. Leave the work to the expertise in the
world underwater.

21. 3/3. FUNCTIONAL AQUATIC PLANTS
Aquatic plants are meant
to be functional in pond.
They are the natural
water filter.
In wetlands, they are the
key players in controlling
wastes in water but some
can be detrimental to the
environment.
Nelumbo nucifera
Private Residence, Kuala Lumpur

22. RECOMMENDED PLANTS
Eichhornia Elodea
Pandanus Nelumbo
Salvinia Lemna
Typha Nymphaea
Cyperus Mother-in-law
Echinodorus Rhizophora
DAMAGING AND INVASIVE

23. CORRECT FISH TYPE
IMPRESSIVE AND
FUNCTIONAL
WORKABLE POND
PLANTS
DESIGN
RIGHT FILTRATION SYSTEM

24. Novotel Coralia Bali
with LA: Bill Bensley

25. Kayu Manis Resort, Bali
with LA: Karl Princic

26. St. Regis Resort Bali
with LA: Bill Bensley

27. Private Residence, Phuket
with LA: Karl Princic

28. ParkCity Kuala Lumpur
5-acre Lake Garden

29. Can this pond be made for swimming ?
Private Residence KL

30. From fish pond to swimming pool minus chlorine ?
Swimming pool
Fish pond
Private Residence, Bali

31. HOW NOT TO CHLORINATE THE POOL FOR SWIMMING ?
Challenge: Cause: Solution:
1. Eutrophicated pool Excessive An effective biological
in tropical climate: nutrients in water. filtration system.
Water murky and
greenish.
2. Infections. Pathogens and Effective disinfection
germs. system like ozone or UV
systems.
3. Water turbid and Suspended non- Physical filter like sand
murky. organic solids like pressured filter.
clay particles.
Chemicals & Activated carbon filter.
4. Odor and stains in
natural pollutants.
water.

32. APPLICATION OF BIO-FILTRATION SYSTEM IN SWIMMING POOL
Sand Pressured Filter :
Physical filtration
system
Bio-filtration bed
Ozone or other
effective
disinfection
system
FISH POND
Bio-filtration bed
Activated carbon
filtration system
SWIMMING POOL

33. Fish pond
Swimming pool

34. Fish pond
Swimming pool

35. Private Residence, Bali

36. Does a non-chlorinated swimming pool means....
..........a healthy, safe & chemical-free aquatic environment ?
Which is more detrimental ?
Chemical like chlorine or germs like E. coli ?
E.coli

37. CONCLUSION
Water supports many life forms from
simple unicellular algae to complex
organisms like fishes.
Therefore, naturally it is not meant to
be chemically polluted, especially with
chemical like chlorine. Whatever the
role of water in any architectural
creation of any size, it remains a
responsibility and not just an entity.
Water bodies and their problems are
such will remain a mystery until a
proper understanding between aquatic
ecology and design is achieved and
applied efficiently and correctly.
Pond or pool design and water
management must be addressed from
the very beginning before they become
a burden rather than a welcome
feature.

38. “All things are artificial, for nature is the art of God.”
Sir Thomas Browne, Religio Medici 1635
Thank you