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Allotment Articles1.
Allotment Articles 2.
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The Pond And
Medicines
Many people keep fish and some are fortunate enough to never have to resort to using medicines for treatment, but for most of us there comes a time when the only recourse is some kind of treatment for an ailing fish. Salt has been used for decades if not centuries as a cure all treatment. Do not use ordinary “Table,” salt though as this contains impurities that have been added in the processing to make it more usable as a condiment. Instead, you should use “Pond,” salt that can be bought from most aquatic retailers. Used carefully in the correct dosage it is a powerful treatment against most problems with fish and a lot of people only use this type of treatment spurning modern medicines. However there are many medicines, tonics and remedies that are possibly safer and easier to use and in some cases much more effective. Chemicals are available to specifically treat fungus, white spot and other parasites, ulcers, fin rot and other bacterial infections.
As with any medicine non are guaranteed to work in all cases and you may develop favourites which you have tried and tested to your satisfaction, but, there is a quite bewildering range to choose from and if in any doubt you should seek advice from your retailer who should have a reasonable working knowledge of the medicines that he sells. In some cases there is a need for a more powerful medicine to cure a valuable fish and in this case you need to seek the help of a good vet who can administer more potent drugs than can be bought over the counter. Medicated foods can also be bought on prescription to treat fish.
Along with medicines there are many pond remedies such as algicides that are designed to clear the water in the pond by killing the algae. Also available is a dechlorinator for removing chlorine and fluorine along with poisonous metals from fresh water.
As with all treatments you need to know how many gallons of water your pool holds. If it is a preformed one the shop where you bought it will be able to tell you its capacity, but if it is made with a liner you will have to work it out. Measure the capacity in cubic feet by multiplying the length x width x depth and then convert this to gallons by multiplying by 6.25. Although, now this should be done in meters and litres now we have gone metric. If you don’t want to have to use medicines you can avoid a lot of problems by installing a UV system along with your filter. This will sterilize the pond water as it is circulated killing most of the disease causing organisms, parasites and algae.
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