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The Pond Nutrients CycleThe pond nutrients cycle is a very complex natural process.The good news is that the average water backyard ponds and waterfall garden enthusiast doesn't have any need to understand all the complexities. The nutreint cycle can be broken down into useful and understandable phases. When equipped with this knowledge it will be a breeze to observe and make appropriate adjustments within the garden ponds/waterfall to keep water quality pristine. 
Basically what happens, when a leaf or other debris like dirt and dust blow into the garden pond and begin to break down it begins the nutrient cycle. The chemistry begins to change. This is where I can’t emphasis enough how important a skimmer is. Eliminating debris before it sinks and begins to break down has enormous benefit.
Now as a leaf sinks it starts to produce ammonia or ammonium. In a well designed water garden the Bio Filter will now take over. The bacteria in the filter will eat up this ammonia or ammonium and begin to convert it to nitrite. A whole new group of our little bacteria friends will take the nitrite and convert it again into nitrate. Nitrate being what aquatic plants feed on, thus ending the nutrients cycle. Showing the importance of water plants in the aquatic system. What happens in aquariums where pond plants are less common, nitrate builds up to dangerous levels requiring regular water changes. Changing large amounts of water within a Garden Waterfall or Garden Pond is not a very practical option. The nutrients cycle I discussed above is specifically the nitrogen cycle, but it illustrates perfectly the concept regardless of what ‘cycle’ we are talking about, i.e. the phosphorus cycle etc..More or less keeping an eye on the nitrogen cycle will give you a good grasp of the overall water quality within the pond.
Truly it shouldn’t take much to realize a breakdown in the pond nutrient cycle. Usually a runaway algae green pool will make it all quite obvious. *High Quality Pond Supply:
Pond nutrients test kits and much more.
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