Application Instructions

Aquaplancton works on the pond’s surface area not depth of water or gallon capacity. To work this out, your approximate length x width = your surface area. It doesn’t need to be exact as you cant overdose with Aquaplancton.

Small Ponds: Buy the 1, 2 0r 3 kilo packs and use 450 grams per square metre.

e.g. 1-lb to every 10sq ft.

Large Ponds: Buy the 25 kilo bag which will treat up to 50 sq metres (500sq ft).

e.g. 10ft x 8ft = 80sq ft., so use 8-lbs.

Lakes: need less, usually a pallet per acre (40 bags) which can be spread from a small boat or poured in front of the propeller of an outboard motor. Large lakes are a lot more stable than small ponds so therefore one treatment is usually sufficient. You only need to apply the initial dose once. This will then be active for at least a year, sometimes several years. The activity doesn’t suddenly stop, but it does begin to slow down. So, if you are happy with the result and you don’t want it to get back to the way that it was, you can give it a smaller top-up dose, about 1/3 of the initial dose at the end of the year or the following spring, just to keep the whole process ticking over.

Rivers and Streams: Bags can be positioned across the bottom like a dam. By perforating them, water will penetrate forming a thick paste, which will be carried away by the flow and deposited on the layers of mud. Where the situation allows, Aquaplancton can also be spread over the surface of the water from the banks at strategic points where the silt builds up.

Applying Aquaplancton

General Information:

Aquaplancton is a fine white powdered mineral which is sprinkled over the surface of the water as evenly as possible. Dosage is not crucial. Aquaplancton is not a harmful substance, so you can’t overdose. Depth of water or gallon capacity is not as important as surface area. Aquaplancton is active on the bottom of the pond, so try to achieve a thin layer over the surface of the bottom. Ponds with gently sloping sides or shelves may also be treated in this way.

Pond before applying Aquaplancton

Aquaplancton won’t harm plants, but if you want to avoid getting it onto the leaves, you might like to try a tip we picked up from Geoff Hamilton, the late, great T.V. Gardeners’ World presenter who used Aquaplancton on his pond at Barnsdale. He mixed the Aquaplancton in a watering can with some of the pond water and inserted the spout, without the rose, between or beneath the leaves. This gets the Aquaplancton into the pond with the minimum amount of mess. Ponds can be treated at any time of year, Aquaplancton even works well in winter. As tap water contains trace elements which foster the growth of algae, it is better not to clean your pond out before treating, unless it is particularly polluted. Aquaplancton needs a certain amount of organic matter to work on and when you clean out manually you also destroy many of the beneficial bacteria. However, if you have already cleaned your pond, you can still use Aquaplancton, as it will help to replace those beneficial bacteria.

Pond after applying Aquaplancton

It is safe to use Aquaplancton in conjunction with fish remedies, other pond products and UV filters. However, as Aquaplancton is entirely natural, the fewer unnatural methods used the better. Pumps can be left on to mix the Aquaplancton well in, but if it is possible to switch them off for a little while, without affecting the oxygen levels for the fish, this will give the Aquaplancton time to settle to the bottom and start its valuable work. Remember that some fish can be sensitive to any change in their environment so ultimately the pond owner has to be responsible for the well being of their own fish. A milky or pale green appearance in the water is perfectly normal and disappears when the Aquaplancton settles.

Aquaplancton has 3 main actions: It neutralises acidity, raising the pH level, it clarifies the water and it reduces mud, thereby causing blanketweed and other algae to die out naturally. It starts to work against acidity as soon as you apply it.Any acidity in the water will be neutralised immediately. If the water is already alkaline with a high pH level, you can still use Aquaplancton, however in these cases the pH level usually stays about the same.

Clarity. This is entirely dependent upon the level of pollution. Under normal circumstances, using the recommended dose, the water will become crystal clear within a few weeks. More heavily polluted ponds could take longer to clear and might need more Aquaplancton to clear them. Aquaplancton is not a harmful substance so, if necessary, the recommended dose can be repeated every month until clarity is achieved. Once the water is clear, you need only apply Aquaplancton if the water becomes murky, or to maintain clarity. It is recommended that a smaller dose (half the initial dose) is applied 3 times a year, in spring, summer and autumn. This should be sufficient to combat future pollution and maintain the correct balance.

Mud. Aquaplancton will stimulate the beneficial aerobic bacteria in your pond. These beneficial bacteria will multiply and then consume any mud or sludge caused by rotting leaves, fish excrement etc. Once you have the bacteria working in your favour, nature is very efficient, the bacteria can consume up to 16cm (6 inches) of mud in depth in 6 months. It is this reduction of mud and nutrition from the water that causes algae and blanket weed to die out naturally.

Aquaplancton is not a manufactured chemical, it is a natural mined mineral of planktonic origin, which is active in the water for up to a year. When you use Aquaplancton you are working with nature so you have to be prepared for things to happen at nature’s pace. This of course varies greatly from pond to pond.  A pond is a highly complex eco-system with an infinite variety of circumstances. What works in one pond does not, necessarily, work in another. Re-action times can also vary considerably. Some ponds react very quickly; others are a lot more sluggish. The most important thing is that Aquaplancton only does good, whereas chemicals can do an awful lot of harm. Aquaplancton is not a harmful substance and is used successfully with fish all the time, however, some fish can be sensitive to any change in their environment so ultimately, the pond owner has to be responsible for the well being of his own fish. The secret of success with Aquaplancton is to apply sufficient doses initially to achieve clarity. It is difficult to generalise because no two ponds are the same. Some ponds become crystal clear after only one dose, whilst others may need more than one dose. As Aquaplancton is not harmful, you can repeat the dose as often as necessary.