Water Quality...Buzz words which should be at the top of every pond owners priority list. Your favorite phrase should be "My mantra is to take care of the water, the fish will take care of themselves!".
Many of my customers will tell me that they have not hardly ever tested their water, if they even know what to test for! I cringe when they say their water is clear and O.K., where I reply that battery acid is also clear, but obviously acid.
Here are the basic tests that need to be performed on a regular basis.
pH.
Ammonia.
Nitrites.
Nitrates.
Phosphates.
ORP.
GH (general hardness)
KH (carbonate hardness)
Oxygen concentration.
Salt concentration.