Adding a pond to your backyard is one of the most effective ways to enhance the value of your property. In addition to enhancing the aesthetic appeal of your property, a pond will help create your personal sanctum.
The sound of flowing water soothes the brain and the soul. You can immerse yourself in the sights and sounds of wildlife in your garden to escape the mundane and experience life.
You cannot create a pond and forget it. Ponds, like everything else, require regular cleaning and maintenance. A dirty pond is unsightly and can become an eyesore. Dissolved oxygen concentrations are low in dirty ponds which is detrimental to aquatic life.
You do not have to be a rocket scientist to figure out ways to keep your pond clean and healthy. Just follow these simple tips to keep pond water clean.
Use the Right Pump for Your Pond
Your water feature’s pump plays a critical role in maintaining your pond. A pump circulates the water, helping introduce additional oxygen into the pond. Oxygen in your pond is vital to sustain plants and fish in it.
Proper pump sizing is critical to the health of your water feature. Your pump should circulate the water at least once every hour. If your pond contains 1,000 gallons of water, your pump should be capable of pushing a minimum of 1,000 gallons per hour.
Other important factors to consider when choosing a pump are the height of your waterfall and the length of the pipe that runs from the pump to the water feature.
Remove Debris from Your Pond Before It Decays
If you allow decaying leaves, fish waste, and leftover fish food to accumulate in your pond, ammonia levels in your pond will go up. Elevated ammonia levels in your pond is a recipe for disaster and can stress your fish.
To prevent this from happening, remove debris such as drying leaves and plants and uneaten fish food from your water regularly. Prune the plants near your pond. During the fall season, install a protective pond netting over your pond to prevent leaves from falling into the water. Add beneficial bacteria to keep your pond healthy.
Maintain the Right Balance of Plants
Plants in your pond play a crucial role in maintaining a balanced and healthy ecosystem. They absorb excess nutrients and help filter the water.
Many plants, such as water lilies, help maintain ideal seasonal temperatures by shading the water. Do not use too many plants as they can cause oxygen deficiencies at night (when they take in oxygen and give off carbon dioxide). Use marginal plants, floating plants, and oxygenators.
Maintain a Healthy Fish Population
A good rule of thumb is to have no more than 10” of fish per 100 gallons of water in a pond. If you have more fish in your pond than it can hold, you will have to deal with excessive fish waste.
Are you looking for a pond builder specializing in installing garden fountains near you? Look no further than Atlantis Water Gardens. Over the years, we have helped several homeowners turn their backyard into an oasis. To get more information about our services, call 973-627-0515.
Lovin’ It? Want more pics?
We got em. 🙂 Here’s some pretty photos you can look at to destress.