Anthony Dulio at American Underwater Services is an expert in pond cleaning and has put together this article on 4 Tips for Small Pond Cleaning. If you have any questions about pond cleaning contact Anthony about his 4 Tips for Small Pond Cleaning article.
Spring is finally here, and that means it’s time to perform a little maintenance on your backyard pond to ensure crystal-clear water clarity and the health of the overall ecosystem. No matter how big or small your pond is, Mother Nature is working hard to reclaim your pond and turn it into a marshy swamp.
We’ve come up with four tips that any homeowner, golf course, or HOA association should perform before the hot summer months set in. This will help ensure the life of the pond and prevent toxic and unsightly algae outbreaks during the dog days of summer.
Pond Dye
Nuisance algae blooms usually occur in the summertime when the weather gets hot. All it takes is a day or two of unusually warm weather, and that can start a chain reaction which will choke the life out of any body of water. The sunlight can penetrate deep into the water which gives nuisance algae the food and energy they need to flourish.
Pond dye can help prevent an algae outbreak. It colors and shades the water such that the UV light which algae love to feed on can’t make its way into the water column. If you’re not a big fan of the unnatural colors of some pond dyes, shop around.
Some brands on the market offer a very subtle color change depending on how much you add. Keep in mind that most pond dyes only last around eight weeks before retreatment is required. Heavy rainfall can shorten the lifespan of a dyed pond to a month or less.
Mechanical Maintenance
Most ponds have filters, aerators, and other mechanical devices that are responsible for aesthetics, irrigation, or keeping the pond in good health. Springtime is the perfect time to check to make sure that the mechanical parts are in good working condition.
Mud, leaves, and other debris could have gotten into the mechanical parts over the winter months, or something could have broken. An afternoon spent checking the mechanical parts of your pond can save you time, money, and trouble later down the road.
Chemical Treatments
While some chemical treatments can help keep your pond healthy and algae free, they’re only attacking the symptom, not the root cause of the outbreak.
Many pond owners will dump gallon after gallon of expensive and potentially toxic chemical treatments into their ponds. This can not only harm the delicate balance of the ecosystem, but potentially poison fish, wildlife, and humans.
The leading cause of the algae outbreak is an organic matter that originates from the trees and shrubs that surround the pond. As the fall and winter months go by, the leaves and dirt get blown by the wind onto the banks of the pond, where all it takes is a gust of wind to cause them to go into the water and sink to the bottom.
Landscaping
Cleaning the leaves, grass, and debris around the edges of the pond that have accumulated over the winter months is another great way to help maintain your body of water. If left uncleaned, this organic debris will enter the water via the wind or next rain storm.
As the weeks go by, the organic matter will make its way down to the bottom and deepest part of the pond. This area cannot support the beneficial bacteria that break down organic matter.
As such, algae outbreaks will start to become more and more common as they feed on not only the rays of the hot sun but by the leaves and nutrient-rich muck at the bottom of the pond.
Professional Pond Cleaning
Pond dye, mechanical maintenance, and landscaping the outer perimeter of your pond can only help so much. To keep your pond healthy and looking its best you’re going to need to call in the professionals.
At American Underwater Services, we’ll bring in our underwater vacuum device that will suck up the much, dirt, and organic matter that is causing your discolored water and nuisance algae outbreaks. Once the muck is removed, it can be used as excellent organic fertilizer for your garden area.
American Underwater Services
At AUS, we have over 20 years of experience helping pond owners clean their ponds which helps keep the waters clear and beautiful. We have our own equipment and can help get rid of the organic layer of muck at the bottom of your pond that’s responsible for nuisance algae.
Give us a call at (817) 377-8512 or stop by our website to learn more about how we can help make your pond water clean and clear by removing organic sediment that can cause unsightly algae outbreaks.
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