Most water garden enthusiasts understand the important role optimal water quality plays in the environment of a pond. New pond owners might not be as cognizant at first, but there’s plenty of time for you to understand what your water garden needs to stay clear and healthy. Here are seven simple tips to help you achieve and maintain clean pond water.
Don’t Buy Too Many Fish
Make sure your pond isn’t over-populated. The standard rule of thumb is to have no more than 10 inches of fish for every 100 gallons of water. Too many fish creates too much waste in the pond and can cause an imbalance in your pond’s water quality. But if you love having a lot of fish, you can always add a wetland filter to your pond which will offset the result of overpopulation.
Take it Easy on the Fish Food
Another good rule of thumb is to feed fish no more than they can eat after five minutes, and no more than twice per day in the summer season. Overeating results in too much fish waste. Not to mention, uneaten food often finds its way into the skimmer where it decays and affects the quality of your pond water.
Make Sure You Have Enough Plants
Ideally, you want around 40 to 60 percent of your water’s surface area either covered or shaded by aquatic plants. These plants act as natural filters by thriving off the excess nutrients that would otherwise cause algae growth. Opt for waterlilies, marginal plants, floaters, and submerged plants.
Find the Right Size Pump
Make sure you buy a pump that can circulate the entire water volume of your pond at least once every hour. You can use a pump calculator to choose the correct size pump. Also, most pumps are placed inside the skimmer. When the skimmer basket has too much debris in it, the flow of water to the pump can be blocked. Check your skimmer basket every couple of days and scoop out any debris that blocks water flow. If your pump doesn’t have proper water flow in the skimmer, you’ll hear the pump sucking air.
Clean Your Pond
Decaying debris, fish waste, and uneaten fish food can accumulate on your pond’s floor. This is why many pond owners choose to have their pond cleaned every spring. Be sure to also add beneficial microbes, like Aquascape’s Beneficial Bacteria to help your pond maintain a balanced ecosystem.
Filter Your Pond Properly
Find a filter that matches your pond’s size. It’s important to note that most filters are rated and based on ideal circ*mstances. If you surpass those (like having too many fish), you need to get a bigger filter! You always want to size-up your filter, so it’s suited to handle more than the capacity of your pond. Also, don’t forget to clean your filter in accordance with the instructions. This task usually takes just a minute to perform.
Watch Your Water Temps During the Summer
Once your pond’s temperature reaches 75° Fahrenheit or above, it struggles to retain the necessary levels of dissolved oxygen. Aquatic plants help prevent this by providing shade and cooling the water’s surface (see tip #3). During extreme heat, you might see your fish gasping for air at the pond’s surface. Add a pond aerator to help your finned friends receive the oxygen they need in hot summer temperatures.
FAQs
Add Beneficial Bacteria
Although beneficial bacteria grows naturally in all bodies of water, in our backyard ponds it needs to be supplemented to keep the water clear. Beneficial bacteria works by breaking down nutrients in the pond and also competes with single celled algae for food essentially starving it.
What can I put in my pond to keep the water clean? ›
Add Beneficial Bacteria
Although beneficial bacteria grows naturally in all bodies of water, in our backyard ponds it needs to be supplemented to keep the water clear. Beneficial bacteria works by breaking down nutrients in the pond and also competes with single celled algae for food essentially starving it.
How do you treat pond water naturally? ›
Plant life: The presence of aquatic plants can help naturally filter the water by absorbing excess nutrients and providing oxygen. However, if you have a dense population of plants, you may need a filtration system that can handle the additional organic matter they produce.
How do I make my pond water crystal clear? ›
Fit a UV Clarifier to clear green water. Ultra Violet Clarifiers are purpose-built to destroy the unicellular algae that cause green water in ponds. You cannot overdo the amount of UV you have on a backyard pond or water gardens but you can underdo it, and have too high a flowrate for it to be effective.
What does vinegar do to pond water? ›
Vinegar is commonly recommended as an additive to change the pH or kill off unwanted bacteria that create unpleasant odors. While plain 5% household vinegar can be used for cleaning a pond after it has been drained, it shouldn't be added as a water purification chemical.
Does baking soda clear pond water? ›
Baking soda should only be used in the pond for scrubbing stains or algae deposits on an exposed pond liner while the water is drained. A small amount left behind from this kind of cleaning won't hurt any fish in the water or have a strong effect on the pH.
What kills algae in ponds? ›
Pond control products such as SparKlear and PhosControl will reduce the nutrients available to the algae. PhosControl bonds with phosphorus in the pond water. Phosphorus is the main nutrient for pond algae growth. 1 pound of phosphorus in the water can support 500 pounds of algae growth in a pond.
How to purify pond water? ›
Discard the water and debris. Allow the pond water to flow into the filter and clear wells, then add 0.2 pounds of chlorine per 100 gallons of water to "shock chlorinate." After a period of 4 to 6 hours, prime the clear well pump and completely fill the pressure tank with the chlorine water.
How often should you clean your pond water? ›
We recommend a full pond cleaning once per year, preferably during the spring pond maintenance process. It can be done almost any time of the year, though. Most pond owners have bigger cleanings during spring, fall, and winter. This helps keep their pond clean, clear, and beautiful throughout the year.
What are beneficial bacteria for a pond? ›
Beneficial bacteria occur naturally in lakes and ponds and are the microbes responsible for processing dead organic material. There are many different types of bacteria, which work in different ways to break down organic compounds. Aerobic bacteria use oxygen and rapidly break down organic compounds.
If you don't have wildlife living in your pond, you can always drain it, clean out the bottom gunk, and refill it. I've seen some use wet-dry vac for this. To prevent future issues, keep stuff like leaves out as much as you can. Also, heat promotes algae growth so some shade over a pond is helpful.
What stops algae from growing in a pond? ›
When looking to prevent algae blooms, you must focus on phosphorus, which is the primary limiting nutrient in the proliferation of nuisance and harmful algal blooms. Lanthanum-modified clay can permanently remove phosphorus from the water column and lock all available phosphorus in the muck on the pond's bottom.
How do you keep a stagnant pond clean? ›
While stagnant ponds can be dangerous and unsightly, fortunately, there are several ways to prevent stagnation and keep your pond water as healthy as possible.
- Install An Aeration System. ...
- Use Beneficial Bacteria For Ponds. ...
- Add Rocks & Beneficial Plants. ...
- Remove Debris Quickly.
How do I get my pond to hold water without a liner? Incorporating bentonite clay into soils or compacting clay layers forms natural liners utilizing swelling properties to fill spaces when activated by water.
