Pond Amquel Plus

POND WATER CONDITIONER

Removes all chlorine and chloramines
Detoxifies all forms of ammonia
Detoxifies nitrites & nitrates
Detoxifies toxic pheromones
Detoxifies organic by-products
Does not interfere with biological cycles
Suitable for fresh and saltwater
Safe for invertebrates
Made in U.S.A.

Pond AmQuel Plus is a remarkable new water condition that’s revolutionized pond maintenance! It safely detoxifies natural nitrogen compounds like nitrites and nitrates, providing better water conditions for fish, aquatic invertebrates, and other aquatic life in both fresh and saltwater environments. Whether you’re a beginner learning to establish a new pond or an experienced pond keeper, Pond AmQuel Plus makes water management easier and safer for all levels of expertise. It reduces the need for frequent water changes and tackles issues like “New Pond Syndrome” by detoxifying biological filtration processes without needing removal. Plus, it remains completely nontoxic to aquatic life once added to the water.

Use Pond AmQuel Plus during pond setup, water changes, overcrowded ponds, and to control toxic nitrogen compounds during the establishment of the nitrogen cycle and beyond. By minimizing the need for water changes, Pond AmQuel Plus helps conserve precious freshwater resources, making pond keeping more sustainable for the long term.

Item No. 30016 POND AMQUEL® PLUS – 16 fl.oz. (473mL) – treats 1,920 gallons
Item No. 30021 POND AMQUEL® PLUS – 1 gallon (3.78 L) – treats 15,360 gallons
Item No. 30025 POND AMQUEL® PLUS – 5 gallons (18.9 L) – treats 76,800 gallons

Directions

DOSAGE WITH LIQUID POND AMQUEL+ PRODUCTS
Use measurements in proportion to a Standard Dose which in regard to ponds is one liquid ounce (30 ml) per 60 gallons of water, or one cup (8 liquid ounces = 240 ml)) per 480 gallons of water, or one pint (16 liquid ounces = 480 ml) per 960 gallons of water. For other measurements estimate the amounts needed. When treating the water, it is recommended that the total volume of water should be treated per dose, not just the amount of water added.

To control the toxic organic nitrogenous compounds of ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate and other toxic organics that build up in aquariums and ponds from the excretion of body wastes by fishes, invertebrates, bacteria and other aquatic organisms, start with a standard dose (see definition above).

The use of one standard dose of AmQuel Plus for the amount of water involved is recommended per 24 hour period during the first days for total or major water changes, and in regular use at least once a week (or more depending upon how crowded the pond is) for the entire water volume, whether water changes are made or not. The number of treatments to be made over time depends upon how crowded the water conditions are with fish and/or other aquatic life. The Pond AmQuel Plus will penetrate throughout the water, including the water in the gravel, sand, or other bottom material. If excess Pond AmQuel Plus is put in the water, it will remain active until chorines, chloramines, or nitrogen compounds appear in the water that it can detoxify.

Water out of the tap from public water supplies contains up to 4 ppm = parts per million (= 4 mg/L) of chlorine, as per the U.S. EPA Environmental Protection Agency, and usually less than 1 ppm ammonia/ammonium. When chloramines are present, AmQuel Plus breaks the chloramines bond apart, and one standard dose of AmQuel Plus removes all the chlorine (it is capable of removing up to 33 ppm chlorine, and up to 1.2 ppm or more ammonia/ammonium). Therefore, only one dose is usually needed, and at most two doses, for removing all chloramines and their chlorine and ammonia components from all public water supplies.

The removal of these compounds when dosing with AmQuel Plus will happen mostly within five minutes, or slightly longer for ammonia in water with a higher pH above 7.5. It is important to understand that the amounts of organic compounds removed may vary with differing water conditions. The amounts indicated above are the minimums that Pond AmQuel Plus will detoxify, and what is removed may be up to several times to many times higher.

DIRECTIONS FOR USE
As a general rule, when using tap water in which chlorine and chloramines are present, but not nitrites, nitrates or other organics — then it is safe to use the less expensive Pond AmQuel. If there is the possibility of nitrites, nitrates and other toxic organics being involved in the water, then Pond AmQuel Plus is recommended.

Add Pond AmQuel Plus to the water at the recommended dosages as described above. Since Pond AmQuel Plus rapidly spreads through the water, no special agitation is needed. Its action on chlorines will be in seconds or a few minutes. Most of the reactions on other nitrogen compounds in the water will be over the first five minutes or so, and the slight remainder will be detoxified over the next 24 hours.

THE REMOVAL OF PHEROMONES FROM THE WATER
One of the most remarkable capabilities of both Pond AmQuel and Pond AmQuel Plus is in their detoxification of pheromones (body odors) in the water, which are nitrogen compounds excreted by fishes and aquatic invertebrates. Fish communicate with their body odors to signal, warn, repel, and whatever else it is possible for them to communicate with their pheromones. This is a subject that has received appreciable research, and is important in fish behavior. In the confines of shipping containers, aquariums, and small ponds, the build up of pheromones can be harmful to fishes and other aquatic life. The regular use of Pond AmQuel Plus to keep pheromones under control is beneficial to the fishes and other aquatic life.

FISH AND INVERTEBRATE SHIPPING AND HOLDING FOR SHIPMENT
Most of the excretion by fishes and invertebrates is in the form of ammonia/ammonium. This can build up during shipment, being highly toxic in the form of ammonia. As soon as ammonia/ammonia is present, nitrifying bacteria in the water are turning these compounds into ever more toxic nitrites. When nitrites are formed, nitrifying bacteria in the water are turning them into nitrates. AmQuel Plus or Pond AmQuel Plus can be used during shipment to detoxify completely these compounds, and use is particularly important for shipments that are days in duration.

If plastic bags are being used for shipping in which oxygen is added, the fact that the AmQuel Plus products take out 0.3-0.4 ppm in their reactions is not a factor. If Kordon Breathing Bags™ are used, it is best that shipping procedures are tested ahead of time to be sure that there is enough transfer of oxygen into the bags that will handle the breathing of the bags and the AmQuel Plus product reaction. If the shipping time is short, such as 48 hours or less, regular AmQuel or Pond AmQuel can be used (the use of either product takes out the ammonia, but only slightly the nitrites and other nitrogen compounds).

Pheromones are particularly important when shipping fishes, because build up of the pheromones in the water caused by those fishes secreting toxic odors can and do kill fishes, including the ones releasing them into the water. The use of AmQuel or AmQuel Plus or their pond versions in shipping has the added importance of detoxifying pheromones and making shipment of fishes possible that otherwise would not be practical. AmQuel Plus products are stronger than the AmQuel products in removing pheromones.

The AmQuel or AmQuel Plus and NovAqua Plus products should be added to tap water used for short-term shipping fish and invertebrates. For long-term shipping of more than several days one of the AmQuel Plus products should be used with one of the NovAqua Plus products, because of the build up of toxic organics from excretion. The NovAqua Plus and AmQuel Plus products, when used together in shipping, will reduce stress, osmotic and pH shock, probability of infection, and neutralize ammonia, chloramines, chlorine and heavy metals. When AmQuel Plus is used with NovAqua Plus it increases the protection by neutralizing ammonia/ammonium, nitrites, nitrates, and other organics. If the fish are crowded or prone to bump into or abrade each other, Kordon’s Fish Protector (=PolyAqua) should be used in place of NovAqua Plus in both the shipping water and the pond or holding tank after shipments are received. Fish Protector (=PolyAqua) should be used to handle abrasions, bruises, and frayed fins of fishes.

FISH AND INVERTEBRATE FIELD COLLECTING
When using water from natural conditions for field collecting, the use of AmQuel Plus or AmQuel in holding water and shipping water will reduce stress in fishes and invertebrates due to nitrogen compounds and pheromones intoxication. In addition, Fish Protector (=PolyAqua) should be used in holding and shipping water for optimum protection against abrasions, bruises, and frayed fins in fishes

Contraindictions

Pond AmQuel Plus is harmless to plants, fishes, invertebrates (including corals and sea anemones), and other aquatic life forms. This product is safe for use in ponds and aquariums and will not interfere with biological filtration or its bacteria. When Pond AmQuel Plus detoxifies ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, and other organic compounds, it breaks the links of molecules apart. The nitrifying bacteria do not know the difference and eat the parts, just as they would the whole original compounds.

Where Pond AmQuel Plus is particularly useful is in its detoxification of all nitrates in the water. There are not sufficient bacteria in the pond water to do this. In the past the only way to get rid of nitrates from ponds and aquariums was by water changes. Now this can be done in a few minutes with Pond AmQuel Plus. This leaves the main reason for making water changes (now needed less frequently) to replacing trace elements in the water.

Pond AmQuel Plus is recommended to be used with Kordon’s Pond NovAqua Plus, because they mainly do different functions that collectively are needed in aquarium and pond keeping. Pond NovAqua Plusis most important for treating tap water that comes from public water utilities that has accumulated toxic metals from water pipes, and in providing health aids to the fishes and aquatic invertebrates. See Pond NovAqua Plus for further information. Pond AmQuel Plus and Pond NovAqua Plus are provided as separate products because they cannot be combined and stored together, without loss of efficacy.

Pond AmQuel Plus is compatible with all Kordon water conditioners.

Compatibility of Pond AmQuel Plus with chemical medications in the water:

Since Pond AmQuel Plus diminishes or removes certain dyes, it can be used to end treatments that use chemical dyes in medications, such as those using potassium permanganate (Kordon’s Permoxyn), malachite green, methylene blue, acriflavine, and iodine. It may take multiple doses for this to be accomplished. The advantage is that Pond AmQuel Plus can dilute or eliminate the staining by the dyes of silicone glass sealants, submerged objects, and water.

Compatibility of Pond AmQuel Plus with water test kits:
Pond AmQuel Plus is compatible to use with those water quality test kits on the market that are fully effective, except for the ammonia test kits that use Nessler reagents that read in shades of amber or yellow, and the oxygen test kits that use Winkler reagents. Residual Pond AmQuel Plus and its reaction products are incompatible with the Nessler and Winkler type reagents, resulting in false, high ammonia and low oxygen concentration readings.

Ammonia test kits using Salicylate-type reagents (reading on a colorimetric scale from yellow to green to blue green) are appropriate for accurate test results.

CONTRAINDICATIONS

Pond AmQuel Plus should not be added to water containing active ingredients of chemical dyes such as methylene blue, acriflavine, malachite green, potassium permanganate, iodine, and acriflavine, since Pond AmQuel Plus will interfere with their proper performance. Combining Pond AmQuel Plus with these dyes will not result in toxic chemical by-products. Pond AmQuel Plus can be useful in those instances when it is desirable to terminate a treatment with a chemical dye. This is especially useful with potassium permanganate because Pond AmQuel Plus (and Pond AmQuel) remove instantly the activity of this dye and its coloring of the water.
Care should be taken when using the AmQuel products in the presence of cotton. AmQuel Plus and AmQuel may affect the dyes in a small number of certain types of cotton based fabrics.

Use of Pond AmQuel Plus with organic herbal treatments: responding to inquiries about the use of Pond AmQuel Plus with Kordon naphthoquinone treatments Ich-Attack, Rid-Fungus, and , it is safe to use all organic herbal treatments with Pond AmQuel Plus without interference with each other. Also see above under Compatibilities.

Compatibility

STABILITY
So far as is known for this new formulation, Pond AmQuel Plus is stable indefinitely when stored in a cool, dark area away from heat and direct sunlight. Pond AmQuel Plus should be kept tightly closed when not in use.

TOXICITY
Pond AmQuel Plus is non-toxic when used as directed. Many hundreds of kinds of freshwater and marine fishes, aquatic invertebrates and plants have been exposed to multiple full doses of AmQuel Plus during extended test periods and general use with no toxic effects. Pond AmQuel Plus does not reach toxic levels even in cases of accidental or purposeful overdosing. Pond AmQuel Plus is non-toxic to humans and no special precautions are necessary in handling this product.

The main potential interference that Pond AmQuel Plus has in pond keeping is that in the first several minutes of use the chemical reactions involved absorb 0.3-0.4 ppm = parts per million (which is about the same as 0.3-0.4 mg/L milligrams per liter) oxygen from the water. Therefore, when using Pond AmQuel Plus be sure that there is plenty of aeration in the water. In way overcrowded ponds this can be an adverse factor. However, under most conditions, this would only be a 5% or so temporary decrease in oxygen in the water for a few minutes, and would not be a factor.

It is recommended in the instructions for the AmQuel Plus products, including on the bottles, “always allow a 24 hour period between single dose applications.” The reason for this is that in overcrowded conditions where oxygen is in very short supply, there may be a problem with the AmQuel Plus products removing 0.3-0.4 ppm oxygen from the water per standard dose and suffocating the fishes. This is a rare occurrence, but when it happens it is a real loss in fish keeping.

Under most pond and aquarium conditions this is not a problem, even when fairly crowded with fishes. The few times that we have learned that the AmQuel Plus products were of concern in removing oxygen was from aquarists who had considerably overcrowded tanks and were using a “waterfall” type filter as their sole aeration. Waterfall filters spill the water on the surface of the water. Such filters only aerate the top water layer and are not getting enough oxygen throughout the water. Waterfall filters do not circulate the water through the whole aquarium. The same is true for ponds with fishes, which can have a similar problem when water is distributed entirely by waterfall(s) into the pond.

What is needed is additional aeration, such as from an air pump and air stones situated near the bottom that move the water upwards from the bottom of the pond or aquarium towards the surface, carrying out carbon dioxide and bringing in oxygen. Or in ponds and larger aquariums a water pump can be used to circulate the water. Either of these will add needed circulation of the oxygen in the water throughout the pond and aquarium.

BENEFITS

To avoid confusion it should be recognized that there are two groups of products with the AmQuel®) name – the original AmQuel which Kordon has been providing since 1985, and the recently invented AmQuel Plus which is based on a much improved new chemical formula. AmQuel Plus with its Pond AmQuel Plus version is the latest development in state-of-the-art water conditioning technology and is far beyond what the original AmQuel product does. AmQuel Plus does all that AmQuel does and a significant number of additional tasks as well. Pond AmQuel Plus has the same ingredients as Amquel Plus, with its instructions directed towards pond keeping.

While the original Pond AmQuel detoxifies ammonia/ammonium of the nitrogen compounds, and slight amounts of other nitrogen compounds, Pond AmQuel Plus goes well beyond by detoxifying all the nitrogen compounds that need to be detoxified for aquarium and pond keeping.

It is recommended that Pond AmQuel Plus be used with its companion product Kordon Pond NovAqua Plus, which does what AmQuel Plus cannot do that are important in safely conditioning pond and aquarium water for fishes and aquatic invertebrates. In particular, Pond NovAqua Plus removes heavy metals, provides protective skin slime coatings on fishes that inhibits viruses and harmful bacteria, buffers pH of the water to its natural condition that has been acidified from anaerobic conditions in the water pipes, as well as supplies vitamins and organic immune aids to the fishes.

FURTHER PURPOSES AND BENEFITS
An immediate purpose for using Pond AmQuel Plus in treating tap water when water is added or water changes are made is to detoxify quickly all chlorines, and chloramines and its components (chlorine and ammonia), and to make the water safe for aquatic life free of these lethal toxins.

A primary purpose in using Pond AmQuel Plus in ponds is to protect pond fishes and invertebrates by quickly detoxifying the harmful components of the biological nitrogen cycle – ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates, without slowing the nitrogen cycle, or interfering with the beneficial bacteria involved, or depriving these bacteria of their food.

Pond AmQuel Plus rapidly detoxifies toxic organics, which is very important in overcrowded ponds where waste products from the fishes, etc., quickly collect.

Another purpose of Pond AmQuel Plus is to detoxify nitrogen compounds that accumulate in the pond water over time, including noxious pheromones released by fish and aquatic invertebrates to signal and “talk” to each other. This is specially important for reducing the frequency of needed water changes. Many larger freshwater and saltwater fishes release toxic pheromones to establish territoriality and repel other fishes. This is particularly true in fresh water for larger cichlids, and for larger marine plectognath fishes (triggers, filefish, puffers, boxfish) in salt water.

Among the benefits of Pond AmQuel Plus are that it is easy to use and equally effective in fresh and salt water. Pond AmQuel Plus does not affect the beneficial bacteria of the biological nitrogen cycle. Pond AmQuel Plus is compatible with all water conditioners and all Kordon non-chemical medications and other non-chemical medications on which it has been tested, including organic herbal medications, and with all aquatic life – including live rock and reef tank inhabitants. Other benefits are that Pond AmQuel Plus does not affect pH (acidity and alkalinity), and does not discolor the water. Pond AmQuel Plus has a long indefinite shelf life at full effectiveness that is expected to be many years.When groups of fish are spawning, particularly for pond fish – especially Koi – there can be higher amounts of toxic ammonia and nitrites in the water due to increased metabolism and defecation by the fish. An indication of this increase can be when the fish have trouble breathing and need more oxygen. They will then congregate at an aerator, or waterfall, or water source to gain more oxygen. Even small amounts of ammonia and nitrites in parts per million in the water are toxic to the fish and should be eliminated immediately by the use of AmQuel Plus in the water.

AmQuel Plus – how it works, compared to regular AmQuel
the complexes in the AmQuel Plus products, including Pond AmQuel Plus do the following: They detoxify any chloramines, chlorines, and nitrogen compounds present in the water. They split apart the chloramines (composed of chlorine and ammonia), detoxify the chlorines in seconds and the ammonia within five minutes. They break the toxic nitrogen compounds in the water apart, gassing out their oxygen and hydrogen components out of the water into the air, and preventing the nitrogen compounds from recombining in toxic form. These compounds include all the ammonia/ammonium, nitrites, nitrates, pheromones, and all other toxic organic compounds for which there are no common names — yet are important to detoxify to be harmless to fishes and other aquatic life.