Everyone knows that one of the best things you can do for wildlife in the garden is to put in a pond. But amazingly nobody really knows what you need to do to make a great wildlife garden pond.  What’s the best size and depth? How important is really clean water? What should the edges be like? Is there enough shallow water? There are lots of myths about making ponds in garden – now we want to try to get to the real truth.

By taking part in the Big Pond Dip, you are helping Pond Conservation to find out what is living in garden and school ponds, to start answering some of these questions.

The information gathered will help to explain how good garden ponds are for wildlife. It will also help address what types of pond support the most animal life. So stop reading and start dipping!

For more information about the project and how to get involved visit: www.pondconservation.org.uk/bigponddip

Here at King British we are very proud to announce the launch of the new King British website, especially designed with the fish keeper in mind. The website provides essential product information, a no-need-to-think dose calculator for all relevant King British products, a handy little store locator, an ask the expert feature – where their truly is a fish expert ready and waiting for your enquiry! Not to mention a competition to win a years supply of fish food and the chance to sign up to the King British Shoal of Friends newsletter. Stop reading this and get surfing the King British website! The fish health page is a favourite!

6-in-1 Test Strips

The King British 6 in 1 Water Test Strips really DO measure ALL the essential water quality parameters in Tropical and Coldwater aquariums, including AMMONIA. Each unit contains twenty five 5-in-1 test strips to test for pH, GH, KH, Nitrite and Nitrate, plus twenty five separate strips which test the ammonia level in the aquarium. In total each unit contains 150 tests! The King British 6 in 1 Water Test Strips are absolutely essential for making sure that the aquarium is a healthy environment for fish. Ammonia and nitrite are the biggest water quality problems that most fish keepers tend to suffer from, so early and frequent testing is essential. Even low ammonia can kill fish so weekly testing is highly recommended. The easy to use design of the strip means no need for complicated test tubes and you have the results within minutes so no waiting around! A handy little leaflet is enclosed in the pack providing advice on how to prevent or improve the water quality.

pH Plus and pH Minus

King British pH Plus and King British pH Minus are designed to easily adjust the pH of the aquarium water if required. The King British pH Plus allows gentle and gradual pH increases to bring it up to a more suitable level. This can be used in tropical, coldwater and marine aquariums. It is ideal for use with Lake Malawi cichlids and Lake Tanganyikan cichlids. In tap water regions where the soil is calcium-poor, the water tends to have a low pH and KH. In circumstances such as these King British pH Plus is ideal as it increases the pH of the water.

King British pH Minus works the opposite way to King British pH Plus as it allows fish keepers to gently and gradually lower the pH of the aquarium water to a more suitable level. Tap water in areas where the bedrock is mineral-rich (such as the East of the UK) may not provide suitable conditions for certain types of aquarium fish, including Discus and other Amazonian species. King British pH Minus allows the pH of the water to be lowered, creating better water conditions for ornamental fish that prefer soft water or slightly acidic conditions.

Water Purifier

The final product is the King British Water Purifier, which is an essential weekly water purifier that provides an easy and convenient way to keep the filter and aquarium water healthy. Each unit contains six tubes of concentrated nitrifying bacteria and bacillus. The King British Water Purifier does three things; it replenishes the filter with live nitrifying bacteria and bacillus, it removes harmful ammonia and nitrite and it keeps the nitrogen cycle going. Just one tube will treat up to 100 litres! Simply remove the lid and pour the contents into the filter – it really is that simple! No need for measuring caps or pipettes.

For further information on the King British product range please telephone 01427 810231.

Amongst the products to be showcased is the recently launched King British 6 in 1 Test Strips. The King British 6 in 1 Test Strips really DO measure ALL the essential water quality parameters in Tropical and Coldwater aquariums, including AMMONIA. Each unit contains twenty five 5-in-1 test strips to test for pH, GH, KH, Nitrite and Nitrate, plus twenty five separate strips which test the ammonia level in the aquarium. In total each unit contains 150 tests! The King British 6 in 1 Test Strips are absolutely essential for making sure that the aquarium is a healthy environment for fish. Ammonia and nitrite are the biggest water quality problems that most fish keepers tend to suffer from, so early and frequent testing is essential. Even low ammonia can kill fish so weekly testing is highly recommended. The easy to use design of the strip means no need for complicated test tubes and you have the results within minutes so no waiting around!

Representatives from the King British Sales and Marketing teams will be available on the stand to provide knowledgeable assistance to visitors and explain the many reasons why King British products remains the number one choice for retailers and fish keepers when it comes to superior quality products and excellent service.

For further information on the entire King British product range please visit the product pages of the King British website or call the Customer Care Team on 01440 715700.

The manufacturer of King British; Beaphar UK is in celebratory mood after having been named Manufacturer of the Year 2009 at the Pet Industry Awards, sponsored by Mars petcare, Nestle Purina and in association with the Pet Care Trust and pbw news.

The Mariott Forest of Arden Hotel played host to these prestigious awards, and being selected as a winner is a great accolade – one upon which Beaphar places particular importance. Accepting the award on behalf of Beaphar, Sue Huggett, Business Manager of Beaphar UK, commented, “We are delighted that Beaphar has won. Beaphar continually strives to offer a product range and service that deliver beyond expectations to both the retailer and pet owner.”

Beaphar has total dedication and commitment to always putting the customer first. The company’s employees have an absolute focus on customer service, with a desire to provide excellence. Sue Huggett added “This tremendous accolade is down to the dedication and hard work of the entire Beaphar team. We embrace the philosophy to manufacture premium performance products that are equally matched by unrivalled customer service, and it is a great pleasure to receive recognition at the Pet Industry Awards on behalf of everyone at Beaphar.”

If you would like to know more about the product ranges please contact the Customer Care Team on 01427 810231 who will be happy to help.

• Check the water quality – is there any unusual results? Are the ammonia and nitrite at a safe level?
• Check the dead fish and your remaining fish for any signs of infection or disease. Are there any unusual marks, wounds, spots or growths on them?
• Have you recently used a water treatment or medicine? If so, how much did you put in? Did you follow all the instructions correctly?
• Have you recently changed the water or carried out maintenance?
• Have you recently added any new fish or plants?
• Have you recently changed foods, or added any live foods?

The most common cause of fish health problems is poor water quality, so this might be the initial problem. However poor water quality may have caused poor health indirectly, by making the fish more susceptible to a disease. You need to check for any signs of disease on the fish, because the surviving fish may need to be treated. This may give you the answer to what killed them. There are a large number of infections, diseases and parasites that can be fatal to fish and it is very important that you find out what it is so that you can treat the tank.