by aggieteacher

Created on: May 12, 2010

In order to properly maintain an outdoor fish pond, one must clean it regularly. Otherwise the fish will be unhealthy, algae will grow, and the water will be unattractive.

Obviously, picking leaves and debris from the pond as they are seen is a good first step. This is easily done in a few minutes per day when the fish are being fed or enjoyed. However, some debris will get past even the most diligent and sink to the bottom to break down.

The easiest way to deal with this dissolved debris and fish waste is to purchase a water operated vacuum. These hook to the water hose and when the hose is turned on, a suction is formed and the end is run along the bottom of the pond to remove the scum that has accumulated. These vacuums can be purchased for about $60 on-line and are well worth every penny. I run the waste end of the hose into my flower beds and use the debris and water as a free fertilizer.

Also, it is critical to avoid overfeeding the fish in the pond. Only feed what the fish can eat in 4 or 5 minutes time. All of the excess food simply sinks to the bottom and rots. Additionally, providing adequate oxygen with a pump, fountain, and/or waterfall helps keep things clean and healthy. Water plants will use some of the rotting debris as fertilizer and so provide natural filtration and cleaning.

If your pond has a pump, the filter should be cleaned at least once per week. This prevents overworking the pump and algae growth.

An occasional complete cleaning is okay, but should not be done more than once every couple of years as the pond has bacteria in it that are beneficial and should not be destroyed. This is quite an undertaking. First, buckets of pond water must be collected to hold the fish. Then, the water should be pumped out and the plants removed to containers of water. Finally, a plastic shovel or some sort of implement that will not damage the liner should be utilized to get out all of the debris at the bottom of the pond.

To refill, a chlorine neutrilizing  chemical should be added to the pond, and the directions followed carefully before the fish and plants are reintroduced.

A healthy and beautiful pond must be cleaned regularly in order to stay healthy, but if it is done a little at a time, it need not be a huge undertaking!

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