Chlorinizer Use Per Pond Size

Chlorine

• Chlorine is a highly reactive element found bonded to a variety of other elements in a state of nature. It is usually available as calcium hypochlorite or sodium hypochlorite. When selecting a chlorine source, check the chlorine concentration -- the percentage of chlorine can vary widely from one source to the next. Laundry bleach contains about 5.25 percent sodium hypochlorite, but dairy sanitizers contain upward of 30 percent calcium hypochlorite.

Shocking Drinking Water

• Shock chlorination is a process in which the water supply is flooded with chlorine for a period of 12 to 24 hours. Generally, a rate of 200 to 400 parts per million is recommended for shocking drinking water. Mix 3 pints of household bleach with 100 gallons of water for a 200 ppm solution. If your water contains high levels of iron, hydrogen sulfide or organic matter, more chlorine may be required because it tends to bond with these substances.

Other Uses

• Chlorine also is used to disinfect ponds in which commercial fish are being produced. However, you must disinfect pond water at significantly lower levels than drinking water -- 50 to 100 ppm of sodium chloride is recommended. The fish in these systems do not need to be removed as these levels are considered safe. Ornamental ponds can benefit from the same kind of treatment in late fall or winter during seasonal cleaning.

Chlorine Cautions

• Chlorine is a dangerous substance for a number of reasons, so it must be handled with caution. Do not over-chlorinate ponds, especially those that contain a lot of organic matter. Chlorine that combines with organic matter can produce trihalomethanes. THMs are a suspected cancer-causing agent in humans and animals. Another problem with chlorination is the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria that tend to grow rapidly when their weaker competition is eliminated in one blow.