A well-balanced pond usually requires minimal effort to maintain, although it does need cleaned periodically. There are two main reasons for cleaning your pond; biological and aesthetic.
Below are some signals that your pond might need to be cleaned. If you decide your pond needs attention you can contact us here.
Biological Overload
Leaves and Debris from the Fall and Winter
Heavy leaf concentration can overload your ponds capacity to break down and filter out the organic material. When this happens, it will start covering the bottom of the pond and can cause a harmful buildup of chemicals if left untreated.
Netting your pond during the fall and winter months, as well as making sure the plants get trimmed back before the cold weather hits helps tremendously with this issue by keeping a lot of that extra organic material out of the pond.
Our Fall Maintenance Package includes trimming back plants as well netting your pond.
Water Clarity Issues
As debris decomposes it can cause the water to appear dirty. It begins to release tannins into the water, causing it to have brown murky appearance. An overabundance of organic matter can affect the natural balance of your pond and can actually begin to reduce the oxygen level in the water. Over time this can be harmful to your pond and your fish.
During our Spring Pond Cleanout we remove a majority of the debris that creates this issue and we also perform a water change. Depending on the condition of the water, this chance can be anywhere from 25% up to a 100% water change.
Fish Waste/Sludge
Fish produce waste, just like any other living organism and that waste can build up on the floor of your pond and over time reach an unsafe concentration. There are natural ways to help regulate these levels.
Beneficial bacteria that like to eat biological material live on rocks and inside biological filtration units. This bacteria can help keep the fish waste levels in check and so can snails or a few types of other small creatures that are part of nature’s “clean-up crew.”
However, if you have too many fish in your pond for the amount of bacteria and sludge eating critters then you will find a buildup of sludge developing at the bottom of the pond. To keep the pond balanced this sludge may need to be cleaned on an regular basis.
Aesthetics
Debris
Biological debris is not only an eyesore it can also be a big issue for your pond’s chemical balance! If you enjoy lounging by your pond in the evenings or watching your fish swim around then you’ll want to get things cleaned out so your pond can really show off it’s beauty, not to mention to keep chemical levels balanced.
Algae and “eco-slime”
A naturally occurring part of a properly balanced pond is something we call “eco-slime”. It shows up on the surfaces of rocks and pretty much everything else in your pond. It’s typically a mixture of bacteria, algae, and decomposing biological material.
This “slime” is a normal part of any freshwater habitat and it’s not inherently a bad thing for your pond. However, getting it cleaned off the surfaces that are visible will make the pond look so much better. We only wash off the surfaces that are visible to someone outside the pond. This keeps many of those beneficial bacteria colonies that call the “slime” home alive.
Sludge
When you’re out trying to enjoy the sights and sounds of your pond have you ever experienced the stinky mud smell? If you’re like most pond owners, you don’t enjoy this not so pleasant experience.
The good news is we love getting elbow deep, sometimes literally, to help a pond look beautiful again. (Keep in mind though there should always be some sludge and slime in your pond).
After all, “it’s a pond, not a pool” we like to say.
When your pond is starting to get sludgy and gross or you if have no idea what’s going on with it, start thinking about getting a thorough pond cleaning done. We enjoy getting our boots dirty cleaning ponds and helping owners get the right maintenance regimen to keep their pond looking beautiful as efficiently as possible.
