Wes McCartney asked:

Most people have poor water quality and extra algae in their water gardens for one main reason; they don’t do enough regular maintenance to keep their pond from turning into a green mess. Ponds need to be treated just like aquariums, and require weekly maintenance to be at their best. Most pond owners and contractors are taught to only do once per year cleaning in the spring. The truth is, this is not enough. Imagine only doing once per year cleaning on your aquarium in your home. Your aquarium would look just as bad as your pond in the back yard. Your aquarium stays perfectly clean and clear because you perform weekly cleanings to remove excess fish waste and nutrition that would other wise lead to heavy algae growth and poor water quality. Your pond needs the same amount of attention to look great.

Follow my instructions below and never have poor water quality again.

#1 Get in your pond and vacuum out your pond gravel with an aquarium vacuum that you can by at any pet store once per week. This will remove allot of the fish waste that would normally build up in the bottom of your pond and cause algae problems. Doing this will also change out about 1/4 water volume on your pond every week. If you can’t find an aquarium vacuum just make sure you do weekly 1/4 water changes with a pond pump. Also find yourself a rigid type of scrub brush to scrub down the rocks or the sides of your pond. This will also keep the algae growth to a minimum. this whole process only takes about 1/1/2 hours to complete once per week. Doing this weekly maintenance never allows the fish waste to build up in your pond thus, keeping your pond clean and not green.

#2 Keep the amount of fish in your pond to a minimum, the less fish you have in your pond the less waste you will have providing nutrition to algae growth. This will make it easier to keep your pond clean. Do not feed your fish more than once per day, this will keep the fish waste down to a minimum improving water quality. You should stock your pond with goldfish, shubunkins, comets, etc… They have a max size of only 12″ inches. Their smaller size makes it easier to keep a healthy water garden. Also thin out your baby fish in the spring when you do a full clean-out on your pond. The biggest problem with most customers’ ponds is that they have way too many fish. Your pond filtration determines how many fish you can have, not the size of your pond. The average waterfall filter sold in the industry today is designed for a very small fish load. What I mean by small is 4 or 5 goldfish, shubunkins, or comets at a max size of 12″inches with no koi.

Koi get way to large for most backyard water gardens reaching an adult size of 36″ inches. It’s sad but allot of koi are forced to live out their lives in cramped under filtered ponds that stunt their growth, and lower their life span. Big fish also mean big waste; Koi can quickly turn a water garden into a green mess in record time. Koi require large ponds with perfect filtration to be at their best. We use large bead filters in conjunction with a waterfall filter when we build koi ponds. You also need to clean your waterfall filter once per month like an aquarium filter not once per year. This will also make your filter pads last allot longer than they would if you were cleaning them once per year.

#3 Remove all leaves, and spent lily and lotus blooms out of your water garden. They will rot and have to be broken down by bacteria. Which will contribute to algae growth if they are not removed from your pond. Net your pond in the fall, and do a complete pond cleanout in the spring. Drain all of the water, power-wash the pond and stream, and clean out all filters.

#4 Plant your pond with lots of aquatic plants if you’re planning a water garden with minimal fish load shubunkins, comets, ect… up to 60% of your pond’s surface should be covered with pond plants. Plants provide shade and shelter for your fish which prevents algae growth, they also consume phosphorous the main nutrient in pond water that causes algae growth. Thus helping to keep your pond clean and not green.

Rev Response

Lara Davidson asked:

Most people seem to think that if you plan to have a backyard pond, you also plan to have a very tiring life. Well, some of this speculation is true since pond owners need to be hands-on in maintaining the cleanliness of the pond and aesthetic pleasure it gives. No one wants a stagnant pool of stinky water right at their backyard. Some ponds do not necessarily require pond filters to keep them clean. Especially if these ponds contain less fish and a running water keeps these ponds from getting stagnant. But still, ponds that have plants in them may need pond filters to help keep microorganisms and spongy algae from conquering you landscaping feature.

Some people maintain a natural balance and stick to nature’s own way of cleaning their ponds. They use different plants that can help maintain the amount of nitrogen to a safe level. But others find this effort quite tiresome and come up with a decision to use pond filters instead. These people may be too busy to have time to manually tidy up their ponds.

Ponds that have fish in them are much harder to maintain. It is advisable to undergo pond water treatment at least once a year. They may require pond filters to be installed to keep them clean and free from dirt and algae froth which in turn can cause the fish in the pond to fall ill. Typically, those who have ponds with ornamental fish are knowledgeable on how many pond filters they should own for them to properly maintain the cleanness of the pond. Two is the least number of pond filters a small fish pond needs. And these filters should be capable of removing even the dirt from the surface of the pond, dirt that goes down to the bottom and microorganisms that make the fish become sick.

Every pond filter should have these specific kinds of filters in order to perform their job well. They should have the basic basket filters, the disinfectant filters like UV ray filters or bio filters, and wet vacuum units that help sweep up the very bottom of the pond especially if you have a deep one. Aside from the pond filters, you should also have some manual cleaning materials like a long-handled net. This is used to fish out dried leaves and other dirt that comes from the things that surround the pond. This is also used to temporarily transfer the fish from the pond into small plastic bags filled with water. You may also need a pond net to cover some parts of the pond that is underneath trees. This is to keep our pond from falling leaves thus lessening the burden of cleaning.

Without any doubts, a garden pond can be a source of happiness not just for you, being the owner, but also for the people who take glances at your eye-pleasing landscaping feature. But if you neglect your responsibilities of maintaining its beauty, you might find yourself having a source of headache and not joy. Not only will you be pleased with a cleaner pond, but also the fish and other living creatures that get their lives out of your pond. The fish will have a better place to live in. The aquatic plants will have a healthier home. And birds will have cleaner water to sip.

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Sean Roocroft asked:

Once you know the volume of water in your pond you can start to consider your options. A word of caution here! Please be aware that a US gallon is 3.7854 liters, whereas an Imperial gallon (UK gallon) is 4.54609 liters. This issue may need to be considered when you are looking at product specifications for imported products.

What Are The Most Common Pond Filter Types?

* Pressurized pond filters have over the last 10 years or so started to dominate the pond keeping market, particularly in the small to medium sized pond category, which is the category the vast majority of pond keepers fall into. The reason for the success is due to: their outstanding reliability; the compact, space saving design; the pressurized operation that allows the filter to be placed away from the pond, out of sight and the fact that the water leaving the filter is still under pressure which means that it can be used to supply a water feature or waterfall. Another major advantage is the inbuilt back flushing system which allows waste matter to be expelled from the filter, simply by pressing a button or turning a handle. This makes routine cleaning easier. The three best choices in my opinion are the Fishmate Powerclenz pressurized filter range, Hozelock Bioforce range and the Oase Filtoclear models. All three brands are supplied with excellent warranties (5 years with Oase) and have been engineered to keep running costs to a minimum. If you are looking to prevent green pond water then look at the integrated UV clarifier models.

* A gravity return filter, also known as a gravity discharge filter is probably what the vast majority of us think a pond filter looks like, if we were asked to describe one. These rectangular box type filters are still extremely popular, throughout the world, despite loosing some of their market share to the pressurized pond filter variety, over the last decade. The major advantages of this type of pond filtration system are the low initial purchase cost, the ease of installation, the availability of different models and because the design has been around for so long, most of the kinks have been ironed out. This submersible pump fed system relies on a pond pump to power pond water to the filter, where it is purified of debris and ammonia before flowing back into the pond under the influence of gravity. For this reason it needs to be positioned at the highest point of the pond. I would recommend the Fishmate gravity return filter because it is supplied as standard with Supra bio media (Alfagrog in the UK). This low cost filter media encourages large colonies of ammonia oxidizing bacteria to colonize, ensuring that ammonia is removed from the pond water quicker than it would be if plastic coils or lava rocks were used.

* Fluidized bed filters, more commonly known as bead filters are professional pond filtration systems aimed at pond owners with large ponds and large fish loads, particularly Koi. The secret to the effectiveness of a bead biofilter is the design; the biological chamber is home to upwards of 500,000 tiny beads that are suspended in water in a pressurized environment. The violent thrashing together of fresh water, oxygen, beads and ammonia (NH3) provides the best possible scenario for quickly and efficiently breaking down ammonia. There are some disadvantages however; they can be very expensive to purchase; the beads will after a period of time clump together in what is known as channeling. This reduces the effectiveness of the beads in oxidizing ammonia and will require a back flush to break up the solid mass of beads and pond waste. Occasionally some of the tiny beads break and become lodged in the internal laterals of the filter unit. In the USA the leading bead filter is the Aqua Ultima range by Aqua Ultraviolet. Other popular models are the Aquadyne range by Koi Camp Aquariology, the Aquabead and Biotek range by Grand Champion Technologies (GC Tek) and the Challenger and Econobead filters by Fluidart Technologies. Some of the models are supplied with a lifetime warranty.

* A gravity fed pond filter needs to be installed adjacent to the pond, and at the same level. Pond water is fed into the system via a bottom drain. This multi chamber filter incorporates a pump in the final chamber that forces water back into the pond under pressure, often via a venturi. As a result the pond surface will always be slightly higher than that in the filter, causing water to pass through to the filter via the bottom drain under gravity. This type of bio filter is tricky to install and is usually used in large Koi ponds. A vortex Koi filter is an example of such a system and is the preferred filtration system in the UK and in Japan, the ancestral home of Koi. The major advantage of a vortex filter is that waste matter is not able to come into contact with the nitrifying bacteria. This helps to ensure better pond water quality and less opportunity for heterotrophic bacteria to pollute the pond and cause fish diseases.

What Factors Affect Pond Filter Choice?

The choice of pond filter type is dependent in the most part upon the volume of water in your pond and the number and type of fish stocked. As a rule of thumb if you have a pond up to 1000 US gallons I would recommend either a gravity discharge filter or a pressurized pond filter, as the larger Koi pond filter systems would be far to expensive for your needs and would also be over kill. These larger Koi pond filters are better suited to use in large Koi ponds where there are large volumes of water, ammonia and solid waste matter. When looking at a particular brand, take a look at the manufacturers website where you will often be able to find downloadable user guides and installation manuals.

Retailers will often advertise big filter models for big ponds and smaller models for smaller ponds. On the whole this is a marketing ploy as it is not the size of the filter that influences its effectiveness! It is the size of the bacteria colony available to break down ammonia, along with the availability of oxygenated water allowed to mix with the bacteria. Remember that the single best way to improve biological pond filtration in gravity discharge filters and pressurized filters is to use a filter media with a high surface area, as this allows more nitrifying bacteria to colonize. It is a numbers game! The more bacteria available, the quicker ammonia will be broken down. In addition a biomedia with a higher surface area means that you will need less of it, which means that you physically need a smaller filter in which to store it. Supra pond filter media is an excellent low cost, porous product with a high surface area.

fall pond cleaning

Sharon Langston asked:

Invigorating fall … tingling, misty mornings … Ahhh! My favorite time of year for having fun with all the gorgeous colors and for “chores” that actually become enjoyable when the weather is crisp and beautiful!

I love all the charming landscaping designs you can create in the fall. One idea is to use a pumpkin as a planter for some brightly colored mums, putting small holes in the bottom for drainage (if you are in the cooler regions of the country where it won’t go bad quickly). You can also use a pretty weather-friendly manufactured one in the hotter regions.

I also like to hang the pumpkin (or jack-o-lantern) planter on a shepherd’s hook (again you can get this at your local gardening supply center) or place it on an extra birdbath. This is the one time I will use silk plants outside — to place around the bottom of the pumpkin in the birdbath, hanging over the edges or surrounding the arrangement.

Another landscaping idea is to use a large, outdoor planter in which you put some sort of bottom filler such as chicken wire or peat moss and then on top of that, arrange maybe some of the beautiful colored winter gourds you can buy at your local market or some small pumpkins with small pots of winter flowers.

Lots of people really love scare crows for the fall — either sitting on a bench, or used in an arrangement with perhaps a couple of hay bales with pumpkins and/or fall flowers.

Some of the “maintenance” items I consider fun are working with stepping stones to make a new walk or place in some of your gardens. Either regular stones from your garden center, or using kits to make your own! There are beautiful mosaic tiles and colored glass you can use just for a few examples of materials. I have seen lady bug stones, flower stones, and many other personalized ones of every type as well.

This is also a great time to build a new patio, arbor or bridge or to make new beds with borders and mulch. Then you will be ready for your gorgeous new plantings when spring comes, and you can just have fun with your new plants!

I also like to do the things that are miserable to do in the summer, but therapeutic in the fall months. Some examples are painting or poly-coating your fences, cleaning out unwanted plants from your gardens to be ready for spring and replacing them with mulch, and anything else that can be unpleasant when the weather is warm or hot.

Finally, there are the mundane lawncare and landscaping things you do to maintain a beautiful lawn year-round, such as:

Mowing

to 1-1/2″ to stimulate it’s growth in the Spring

Fertilizing

with a balanced mix of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium in late September/early October and then again in November for a thick, beautiful turf, but also for cold-resistance during the winter months.

Aeration

skip this step, and you will not have a gorgeous, carpet-like lawn in the spring no matter how much you fertilize!

Do this in September or October as well, and then once again in the spring. Even just a fall aeration can produce amazing results in your turf. You can rent or buy an aerator, or use an attachment found at your local garden supply store for your mower that will also work well. (Do be cautious with the mower attachment method as it can over-heat your mower if you do not let it rest periodically during the aeration process). I learned that the hard way!

Watering

It is best to water in three short five-ten minute cycles in the morning. I find that for problem areas or brown spots, hand-watering works best rather than more water.

Mulching

Mulch is as important in the winter as in the summer. It can prevent root freezing (or burning in the summer), help drainage and water evaporation, and discourage weeds year-round. It also improves
the soil quality which creates more nutrients for your plants.

One to three inches of organic mulch such as bark, straw, leaves, compost or even pine tree needles or grass clippings will do fine.

My personal favorite is the red-colored mulch — especially for the fall months as is it is a deep reddish-burgundy (very fall-looking color), and makes a wonderful contrast for your evergreen hedges,
trees and brightly colored fall flowers.

I hope you find these tips helpful and that you will find some things you can do from them that you will have fun with as well. Have a great fall and a magical winter holiday season!

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L R Turner asked:

Creating backyard ponds can be a lot of work, but well worth it. Also, if you plan accordingly you could eliminate back breaking work in the future. There are loads of sites and books to use as a reference for creating a backyard pond.

However, here are a few do it yourself backyard pond tips:

Find a spot for the backyard pond that will get at least six hours of sunlight.

When creating your backyard pond do not pick a spot under or to close to trees (planting around trees will create extra work in pond clean up because of leaves and sticks).

For convenient care create the backyard pond with built in dirt steps.

Leave workspace all around the pond for easier access for cleaning.

Extend the liner to prevent plant overgrowth.

Use flat stones to make a mower friendly trim.

Protect the liner with underlayment

Lay out the size and shape of your pond with rope or a garden hose.

Level the pond’s edges after digging.

If you are creating a koi pond, it must be at least 3 feet deep to provide room for mobility.

The last and final quick backyard pond tip is to plan….plan….plan…before you do anything. I can not stress this enough.

Sit down and think about what kind of pond you want. This will help you establish estimated material costs and determine the best location for the pond. Things to think about when planning:

Do you want a running water fall?

Do you want goldfish?

Do you want water plants?

How much are you willing to spend?

Do you have dogs or cats? (Pets should be considered when planning a

No Tag Tags: Material Costs, Convenient Care, 3 Feet, Cats Pets, Running Water

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Eudora DeWynter asked:

Before you begin cleaning out your garden in the fall, a simple way to make sure you haven’t missed doing anything is to make yourself a checklist. As you are sitting and enjoying the last days of the summer months and your garden while also waiting for your fall garden to blossom, start noticing little thing that you will need to do and make a list of them. As you fall garden begins to die down you can start to:

1. Clean around the base of your plants (especially the roses) diseased debris can hold spores and insect eggs.

2. If you are planning on planting new shrubs, now is the time, the weather is still warm enough for them to get their roots established before winter arrives.

3. Water your shrubs and trees well, remember that winter is coming

4. Once you have cleaned out the garden and flower beds start amending the soil in them, adding fertilizer, compost and manure to them, then tilling it under into the soil

5. Get your spring bulbs ready for their fall planting

As the weather becomes cooler and cooler your summer garden will fade more and more so you should be prepared to cut back and divide multiplied flowers or clean out ones that didn’t do well.

Leaves will be falling more and more so:

1. As you rake them shred them and use for mulch (if the are not diseased)

2. Clean out your vegetable garden bed

3. Plant and lightly fertilize your spring bulbs now

Following these simply rules for easy garden care will help to make spring gardening easier when spring arrives again.

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Lisa L Lane asked:

A UV Sanitizer ultraviolet light plays a significant role in pond algae control. An ultraviolet UV sterilizer destroys single cell algae which is the main cause of a green pond. It is important that you combine a pond filter with your clarifier light for a crystal clear pond. A UV sanitizer uses a UV light source, which is enclosed in a transparent protective sleeve. It is mounted so that water can pass through a flow chamber, and UV rays are admitted and absorbed into the stream. These rays destroy harmful bacteria and inactivate many viruses.

Performance can be impaired by a dirty quartz sleeve. Replacement sleeves are well known for being fragile, so take care when handling and cleaning it, make sure that you remove any stubborn dirt and lime scale from the UV sanitizer. You should change the UV sterilizer bulbs in the spring. That should last you for the rest of the season and will ensure that it’s most effective against algae in your pond through out the height of the summer season. UV ultraviolet light has been known for over 100 years as an effective method for inactivating waterborne harmful diseases and viruses. UV ultraviolet light when it is applied to the water at a specified intensity and length of time, rendering waterborne microorganisms microbiologically dead by penetrating the cell wall and affecting the microorganisms DNA such that it is unable to reproduce. The string algae now not shaded by the green pond, is able to thrive unhindered in your crystal-clear, nutrient rich pond. Because string algae adhere to the hard surfaces within a pond water garden, it does not pass through the UV clarifier, and its growth continues unchecked.

No Tag Tags: Harmful Diseases, Green Pond, String Algae, Stubborn Dirt, Pond Algae

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