How To Clean Out An Old Pond

Download Article

Download Article

Ponds make for cute and relaxing natural displays. Yours may have a lovely water fountain or a agglomeration of koi. Even so, algae can quickly overwhelm your pond. A unmarried-celled blazon of algae turns the h2o greenish and string algae covers the top of the h2o. In addition, decomposable institute matter leaves a sludge at the bottom of the pond. To clean a pond, fish out string algae, treat the water with hydrogen peroxide or barley harbinger, maintain the pond with aeration, and remove plant debris with a pond vacuum or by pumping out the water.

1. 1

   Remove string algae with a brush, cyberspace, or your hand. String algae, which looks like strands of hair floating on the water or clinging to the walls, harms the pond's ecosystem. A scrub brush such as a toilet castor can be used to lift up and remove the algae. Skimming nets from a domicile improvement store also help accomplish the algae, but you can also yank out the algae by hand.^[1]

   • Some string algae is benign to the pond'southward health. The algae that sticks on the pool liner, as long as its growth is under control, protects fish and combats green water acquired by other algae. Try to control the algae using natural maintenance methods such equally past adding plants, aerating the water, and removing waste yearly.^[2]

2. 2

   Add hydrogen peroxide for quick h2o handling. When your pond is very greenish, hydrogen peroxide may clear up the algae faster. Add about ane pint (.48 L) of store-bought hydrogen peroxide for every i,000 gallons (3785.4 L) of pond water. Dilute it if possible by letting information technology run with a fountain, waterfall, or other moving water.

   • Results will vary between ponds, but you can increment the amount of hydrogen peroxide every bit needed. Be conscientious though, considering it tin harm fish and plants.
   • Chemicals such as String Algae Command are less harmful but more expensive options for existing algae problems.

   Advert

3. 3

   Add barley straw for a natural treatment. Purchase barley straw online or at a garden heart. Stuff the straw into a mesh bag, hay cyberspace, or fishnet tights. Permit the bag to sit in the swimming for several weeks, preferably where the water spreads, such equally a fountain or waterfall, if possible. Afterwards a few weeks, the barley will start to dethrone. Remove whatsoever rotting pieces to avoid adding more than nutrients for the algae.^[3]

   Advertisement

1. 1

   Install a UV clarifier. UV lights care for the single-celled algae that causes dark-green water. The UV lite is installed in the water. Water passes through the light and the algae gets destroyed. The light needs to be replaced yearly and brought in during winter months.^[iv]

2. 2

   Rinse your pond filter. Your swimming may have a filter, which is useful for growing bacteria that breaks down waste and food when you lot take lots of fish. If it is hard for water to flow through the filter, follow the possessor's manual to clean the filter. Just apply pond h2o then that y'all preserve the helpful bacteria in the filter.^[five]

3. 3

   Introduce plants. Plants are a way to naturally keep the pond clean and clear of algae. Plants such as anacharis, hornwort, and parrot's feather live nether the water and keep the water total of oxygen, which limits algae growth. Lilies and lotus plants too embrace the surface of the water, blocking sunlight that aids excessive algae growth.

   • You introduce plants by planting them at advisable layers. For instance, submerged plants such as anacharis rests fully below the surface with its roots in a basket. Marginal plants, including cattails, and lilies are rooted in h2o with aquatic potting soil. Floating plants such as water hyacinths rest on the water's surface.

4. iv

   Supplement aeration with a h2o pump. Aeration adds oxygen to the water past churning it. Plants, waterfalls, and fountains all help, merely yous tin also add an aeration pump to go along the water mixed, preventing algae and odors.^[six]

   • Install modest pumps past attaching the h2o recirculating hose and placing the pump in the water abroad from dirt, such every bit on a block or rocks. Hide the open end of the hose away from the pump near some rocks. Plug the pump'south ability cord into an outlet, making certain information technology is away from h2o. You may wish to bury the cord underground in PVC pipe.^[7]

5. 5

   Control the amount of food for fish. Uneaten fish food leaves nutrients that cause algae buildup. Either use higher-quality food or rely on natural food such every bit the algae growing on the pond liner. Don't offer actress food when information technology isn't needed. Monitor the water for leftover nutrient and offer less as needed.^[8]

   • Feed fish high-protein fish food, such equally Pond Care Summertime Staple, two to four times a solar day when the water is warm. Feed them once every day or two days with a low protein food when the water goes below 60 degrees F (15.5 degrees C).

6. 6

   Furnish leaner in the summer. In winter, the air filter keeps leaner alive that would otherwise die in the cold. In the summer, algae prevention can be bolstered past calculation a production such equally Microbe Elevator. Follow the directions on the characterization for the right dosage.^[9]

   • Beneficial bacteria breaks downward chemicals harmful to fish, such as ammonia, and nutrient and waste nutritious to algae. Information technology volition too assistance balance the microbiome in your pond.

   Advert

1. ane

   Vacuum out droppings with a pond vacuum. Swimming vacuums may exist establish online or at home comeback stores. They have long handles and reach the bottom of the swimming to remove decaying constitute thing without removing water. If your pond is small or doesn't accept much debris, all y'all will need to practice is vacuum.^[10]

   • Routine pond cleaning to remove plant matter should be washed once a year in spring or fall.

2. 2

   Prepare holding tanks for pond creatures. If you need to drain the water to reach sediment collecting on the bottom, you'll have to remove the fish and plants to avoid harming them. Set up enough tanks to hold all of them. Go on the tanks in a shady location. Make full them with swimming water or, if the pond water is cloudy, tap water.^[11]

   • Marginal plants, which live near the water'due south border, can survive out of water but must be kept shaded, equally with a tarp, and damp, as with a spray canteen or hose.
   • Keep the water temperature consistent when transporting any fish so they don't go into stupor.

3. iii

   Begin pumping water into a big container. Utility pumps can be found at home improvement stores. Follow the owner's transmission to install them well-nigh the h2o. Connect them by hose to a large container that volition concord the pond h2o, such as a tub or tank. Brand the tank equally large equally possible to hold fish and plants too, if you plan on using this as a belongings tank.^[12]

4. 4

   Remove plants as the water level drops. Every bit water is removed from the pond, plants will be exposed. Salvage your plants past moving them to the holding tanks. Place aside decaying establish thing. Small swimming creatures may get out the institute matter and return to the pond.^[13]

   • This is a good opportunity to repot plants and separate others that have begun to take up as well much space in the pond.

5. v

   Catch and remove fish when the water level drops. Fish volition too appear as you lot pump. Use a internet to grab the ones you tin reach and drop them into holding tanks. Once the h2o reaches a low level, the fish will take nowhere to go and can easily be scooped upward in a cyberspace.^[fourteen]

   • Placing them in a shaded holding tank containing pond water prevents stress that harms the fish.
   • Place leaf netting over the holding tanks to contain jumping fish such equally koi.

6. 6

   Scoop out plant matter. For ponds that can be managed past hand, the sludge at the bottom of the pond can be removed by sweeping with a broom and dust pan or shovel. Dispose of the waste in the trash.^[15]

   • Larger ponds with dropping water levels due to sediment buildup may benefit from earthworks and bulldozing by a professional.^[16]
   • Dredging is an option for removing sediment without draining the h2o, but this requires heavy machinery and the sediment can break apart when moved.

7. 7

   Scrub the pond liner with water. Use a scrub castor dipped in water to loosen any leftover sludge for removal. You may come across carpet-like string algae covering the liner. This algae, every bit long equally information technology is on the liner, protects confronting discolored water. The merely fourth dimension you should consider removing the algae on the liner is if y'all don't like the style information technology makes your pond await. Otherwise, remove strands on the walls or water'south surface. ^[17]

   • Don't utilise chemicals to assault algae, since this harms fish. Smash algae off rocks using a hose and choice up the string variety by hand or with a pole.

8. eight

   Return everything to the swimming. Gradually pump h2o back into the pond, placing plants equally you go. When you are finished, let the fish dorsum into the water. For cloudy pond water you wish to supersede, use rainwater if possible or dechlorinated tap water.^[18]

   • Rainwater can exist collected by placing barrels under roof downspouts and wherever else you can find runoff.^[nineteen]
   • Tap h2o used in the pond will be too cold for the fish, and then before you release the fish, remove some water from the holding tank and supplant information technology with some of the new h2o. Practise this several times.^[xx]

   Advertisement

Add New Question

• Question

  I have a raised swimming and I'grand having a problem operating with a pond vac. Can you advise?

  

  SSSniperduck

  Community Reply

  The best thing you tin can practise for correct and accurate information is to contact the manufacturer/brand and describe your problem to them. They will be able to provide the best advice possible since they know the product, how information technology works, common problems and most importantly how to ready them rapidly and efficiently. Otherwise, you could become on their website and/or have a practiced look at the instructions to run across if you detect some more information on what to do.

• Question

  If your pond is nether a tree, how do you get out the leaves that go on falling?

  

  cottage goblin

  Community Answer

  Yous can place a netting over the pond to grab leaves and brush them off every now and again, or you tin can use a water cyberspace and scoop them out daily. You tin can also hang some netting underneath the underside of the tree, and castor away the leaves daily.

• Question

  Our pond was there when we moved in and we have no idea how to clean information technology equally in that location are worms and disgusting stuff that the previous owners didn't tell us about. Information technology is very abrasive in Canada with the coldness!

  

  cottage goblin

  Community Reply

  In this instance, yous need to drain the swimming get-go. Side by side, you lot can either replace or thoroughly scrub the pond liner and then no new germs line up. Then make full up the pond with fresh, clean water. Every calendar week, check on the pond, so this ways scooping leaves away with a net and making sure the water isn't getting murky again. Repeat the full process as necessary.

Ask a Question

200 characters left

Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.

Submit

Advertizing

• Remove debris yearly to avoid algae growth.

• Algae treatment can take days or weeks to fully clear. Be patient and gradually suit dosages of chemicals.

• For larger ponds, contact a professional for drainage and sediment removal options.

Advertizing

• Fish are very sensitive to changes in the pond, so be careful when introducing tap water or chemicals.

Advertisement

Virtually This Commodity

Article Summary X

Keeping your pond make clean will ensure that information technology looks fresh and your pond life stays healthy. At least once a yr, remove whatever algae with a castor, net, or by hand. If there'due south a lot of algae, consider calculation some hydrogen peroxide to get rid of information technology. You can as well introduce plants, like anacharis, hornwort, and parrot's feather, which produce oxygen and limit the growth of algae. Alternatively, add a water pump to introduce oxygen to the swimming. If you have a swimming filter, rinse it out regularly to ensure information technology works properly. Consider getting a pond vacuum for an easy mode to clear debris and decaying plant matter from the h2o. For more than tips from our Gardening co-author, including how to remove sediment from a shrinking swimming, read on!

Did this summary help y'all?

Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 67,417 times.

Did this article help you lot?

Source: https://www.wikihow.com/Clean-a-Pond

Posted by: riojasnoremse.blogspot.com

Share this post