Every pond owner should make regular pond cleaning a priority. A clean pond can improve the aesthetic appeal of your backyard, transforming it into your special place. Regular pond cleaning helps maintain water quality and prevent algae. Fish and plants thrive in a clean pond.
Here are some tips to keep your pond clean year-round in Milburn, New Jersey.
Manually Clean Your Pond
Check your pond for algae every few days. If you see any, remove it with a rake or a long stick. Use a pond skimmer to try and remove dry leaves, twigs, loose grass, and seeds floating on top of the water before they sink and decompose.
Clean the bottom of your pond with a pond vacuum or a wet vacuum once a year. A pond vacuum sucks up algae, sludge, leaves, and other debris that accumulate at the bottom.
Consider installing pond netting over your pond. Pond netting simplifies maintenance and eliminates the need to frequently vacuum the pond by keeping leaves and other debris out of your water.
Feed Your Fish Properly
Too much fish waste can affect water quality. Select an easy-to-digest, high-quality feed. When fish are able to digest their food properly, they produce less waste.
Uneaten fish food can rot and provide nutrients required for algae growth. If you see food bits floating in your water, gradually reduce the amount of feed till you don’t see any food bits floating on the surface of your pond.
During the colder months, fish metabolism slows down. Stop feeding your fish when the water temperatures drop below 50 degrees.
Use A Biological Filter
Biological filter utilizes beneficial bacteria to break down and remove organic waste before it accumulates in your pond. There are two types of filters – in-pond filters, and external filters.
When choosing between an in-pond filter and external filter, weigh the pros and cons of these two types of filters.
➢ In-pond filters are easy to install but difficult to clean as you must remove the entire contraption.
➢ External filters are easy to maintain, but it can be challenging to find the right size and pump, as they’re usually designed for pools, and not ponds.
When looking for a filter, choose one that can filter twice the amount of water that your pond holds. Your filter should be able to clean your pond in two hours.
Add Barley Straw to Your Pond
Algae taking over is every pond owner’s nightmare. In addition to negatively affecting the aesthetic appeal of a pond, algae compete with plants, fish and other organisms in it for sunlight and other nutrients.
To prevent algae, add barley straw to your pond. As barley straw decomposes, it releases a chemical that keeps algae at bay. Add a bale per 1,000 gallons of water. Alternatively, add one tbsp of liquid barley straw per 50 gallons of water.
Whether you want to install a new pond or maintain an existing one, Atlantis Water Gardens can help. Our dedicate team provide top level service to ensure that your pond dream become reality. impeccable track record of delivering solutions that meet or exceed client expectations are what sets us apart. To make an appointment, call (973) 627-0515.