Pond Maintenance
For the maintenance of the pond and that the water looks perfectly clear, it is necessary to carry out cleaning tasks, but also, we need a series of products that help us keep the water clean and clear.
A pond is nothing more than a large outdoor aquarium, so we will have to carry out similar tasks and use products that are also quite similar, such as anti-algae or pond water conditioners.
Best products for pond maintenance
Clear water in the pond
We can consider that the water in the pond is clear enough, when we can recognize the fish and rocks under the surface of the pond up to 1 meter deep.
What sense would it make to have a pond in the garden, if it is full of algae or the water remains cloudy, so that we cannot appreciate the plants, fish or rocks in the pond.
We always have to admit a certain degree of tolerance in algae, especially filamentous ones, which occur naturally in outdoor ponds, but from there to the pond being literally invaded by algae there is a big step.
Causes of pond water getting dirty
To understand why the water in our pond gets dirty, we must recognize the reasons and act accordingly:
- The water remains stagnant, without any movement. This is a source of problems, as the water quickly rots and smells bad.
- The remains of vegetables that fall into the pond water: leaves, flowers, etc …, decompose quickly, increasing the level of nitrates and phosphates in the water, facilitating the appearance of algae.
- In ponds in full sun, the heat favors the rapid decomposition of organic matter and the appearance of filamentous algae.
- An excessive supply of pond fish, also helps increase phosphates and nitrates, with consequent ease of algal blooms.
- The pond is not in the right place: it has a lot of sun or a lot of shade.
What to do to keep your pond water clean and clear
Once we are clear about why imbalances can occur in the pond, causing the water to look cloudy or fill with algae, we must remedy.
These are the actions that we must carry out:
- Install a filtering system. There are different types of pond filters, which will help us keep nitrates and phosphates at adequate levels, which prevent the appearance of algae and make the water cloudy.
- Periodically use anti-algae and water clarifiers.
- Fish must be fed the correct amount of food . Don’t give them more than they can eat in a few minutes, before the food ends up at the bottom of the pond.
- Eliminate the remains of vegetation that may fall into the pond on a regular basis, do not let them end up on the bottom and rot.
- Clarify the number of pond plants, do not let them grow disproportionately and become invasive.
- Remove wilted leaves and flowers from aquatic plants.
- Control the water level in the pond, in summer it evaporates and you have to replace water. Ideally, do it in the afternoon.
- Every so often, two or three years, it is convenient to clean the bottom of the pond for which we must empty it completely.
We will be very careful with the fish so that they do not die, looking for a container to install them temporarily while we carry out the cleaning tasks.
Remember that then we have to reestablish the colonies of nitrifying bacteria. Do not clean the filter and remove the water, help yourself with chemical products that generate the appearance of colonies of bacteria.
With this series of recommended pond products and tips, you should have no problem having a nice pond with clean water.
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