Maintaining
Your Water Pond - A water feature can function successfully for years without being cleaned. A
full-fledged cleaning becomes necessary if the water feature accumulates an inch
or more of sediment on the pond floor. Plan ahead in the fall or spring so you
can empty and refill the feature in one day. Hose off the liner rather
than scrubbing it so that beneficial bacteria and moss like algae remain.
Prepare a temporary home for any fish and scavengers in a
kiddie’s pool or a clean trash container in a shaded area, using water
from the pond. Aerate the water with an air pump and air stones (preferred) or a
recirculating pump that discharges water an inch or two below the eater
surface, making a gurgling rush of water rise several inches into the air.
Drain the pond until 6 inches of water
remains. be careful where you drain the pond . Flower
beds and lawns relish the nutrient-enriched water: neighbors may not.
It's easier to net fish and scavengers at this point than trying to
scoop them out of 6ft of water before draining the pond . Transfer them to their temporary
home. Cover the fish to stop them from jumping out.
Clean the filter while the water level drops. Remove containers of plants from the pond.
Cover the plants with wet newspapers and set them in the shade.
Continue draining the
water feature until the pump cannot remove any more water; use
a plastic bucker to finish removing the water.
Collect debris and sludge from the bottom
of the pond with a wet dry vacuum or a broom and dustpan: do not use sharp metal tools.
Gently rinse the pond
interior walls, allowing the moss like algae and beneficial bacteria
to remain clinging to the sides. Pump out your rinse water.
Make any necessary repairs to the water
feature, especially if you have detected a leak.
Refill the
pond treating the water to remove the chlorine and chloramine (if
present) also, treat the refilled pond with an anti-stress medication to
benefit the fish.
Add an
optional dose of salt (1 pound of solar or sea salt per 100 gallons of
water) over two to four days to deter bacteria, fungus and parasites, if
aquatic plans appear root-bound, divide them before returning them to
the pond. In autumn, divide the plants only if at least a month before
anticipated frost remains.
Test the pH
and temperature of the new water. Adjust the pH if it more than 0.2
units different from the old water where the fish currently reside. Pump
freshly treated pond water into the temporary fish home slowly blending
the new water with the old until the temperature difference is within 3
degrees
Remove the
scavengers and fish from their temporary home. Transfer them back to the
pond in a spacious bucket. Lower the buckets into the pond then
tilt them so the fish and scavengers can swim into their cleaned pond.
It is OK to return the water from the holding tank to the water feature:
it contains beneficial microorganisms.
Autumn Cleaning - Fall ranks as the best time of year for
cleaning the pond, removing fallen leaves before they foul the water
benefits fish all winter. Mild autumn Temperatures and end-of-season
robust health make it easier for the fish to withstand the stress
associated with being handled.
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