Garden fishponds provide a place for relaxation and meditation. Nurturing your fish and treating their ailments will provide you with that positive space for years to come. Potassium permanganate, or KMnO4, is a common pond water treatment. Permanganate is a strong chemical oxidant effective against algae, fungi, bacteria and some fish viruses. Proper calculation of the volume of water in your pond is important to minimize permanganate waste and maximize treatment levels.
Step 1
Skim algae from the surface of the pond with the net and sponge clean the walls of your pond. Organic matter like algae neutralizes permanganate before it can treat pathogens. Turn off the pond pump as well. Permanganate will precipitate metals out of the water and clog your filter, says the book "Koi for Dummies."
Step 2
Measure the width, length and depth of the pond. If your pond is irregularly shaped, take measurements at different points and average the results. For example, if you took five measurements of the pond width you would total all the measurements and divide by 5 to get the average width.
Step 3
Estimate the gallons of water in your pond. First, multiply the width of your pond by the length and by the depth to get the cubic feet. For example, a pond 5 feet wide, 6 feet long and 3 feet deep would be 5x6x3=90 cubic feet. Multiply the cubic feet by 7.5 to get the number of gallons. In the example pond, this would equal 90x7.5=675 gallons of water.
Step 4
Calculate how much potassium permanganate you need to treat your pond. There are two treatment strengths, a full and a half treatment. Use one teaspoon of permanganate per 1,000 gallons of pond water for a full treatment. A half treatment requires 1/2 teaspoon of potassium permanganate per 1000 gallons.
Step 5
Dissolve the potassium permanganate in a bucket of water; the water will turn pink. Wear safety glasses, gloves and a mask to prevent skin irritation from the permanganate.
Step 6
Walk around your pond, slowly pouring the potassium permanganate solution into the pond water. Try to evenly distribute the solution around the pond. The pond water will turn pink.
Step 7
Watch the pond for 45 minutes. If the water turns brown, add an additional half treatment potassium permanganate solution. Wait two more hours, and if the pink color again fades away, add one more half treatment permanganate solution.
Step 8
Replace one third of the pond water with fresh water after 10 hours. Turn the filter back on, as well.
Tips and Warnings
- If your fish have flukes, repeat the permanganate treatment after seven days.
- Dry potassium permanganate can burn your skin and eyes. Wear safety goggles, gloves and a mask. It will also stain skin and clothes brown; wear old clothes when treating your pond.
Things You'll Need
- Algae net
- Pond sponge
- Potassium permanganate
- Bucket
- Rubber gloves
- Mask
- Measuring spoon
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