Ammonia removers bind ammonia in a non-toxic form until your biological filter can process it. Keep one around for immediate use in case of a fatal spike in ammonia, which can be caused by fish death, increased bioload, insufficient aeration or accidental death of the bacterial bed from over-use of antibiotics/over-cleaning biological media. If stressed, relocate fish to a quarantine tank until conditions stabilize, and re-establish your bacterial bed as quickly as possible.
Use ammonia removers during water preparation if you see levels in your tap water. If your pond is healthy and well maintained, you should only need ammonia removers for emergencies. Always monitor ammonia closely using ammonia test kits.
Activated Carbon
Polish AC activated carbon is highly efficient at removing pond contaminants such as tannins, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, chlorine, phosphates, etc. Polish AC is super-heated to "activate" the carbon and provide a high level of porous surface area for increased efficiency.
Most pondkeepers know that the best way to ensure clear pond water is with an ultraviolet sterilizer. Some often overlooked factors are what to do when the UV light is not doing the job anymore. Usually, this is a simple as an old lamp. Depending on the brand, UV lamps should generally be replaced about every 12-15 months of use.
