Frequently Asked Pond Questions
Frequently Asked Pond Questions
How do I look after my new pond?
The best way to care for a new pond is to aim at achieving a natural
ecological balance in your pond, the way it would work in nature. With
this natural balance achieved, a complete cycle will take place. The fish
waste and dead vegetation will be consumed by bacteria, snails, & zooplankton,
and these will convert the waste eventually into a form which plants can
use as fertilizer to grow on and complete the cycle again. This cycle depends
upon stocking a pond with the right amount of fish, plants, good quality
water, good depth in the pond and sunlight for the plants.
My pond is full of algae, what should I do?
This is a complex question. First you have to define what "kind" of
algae you have. Is the algae just making the water green
or is there actually "chunks" of algae that I can
hold on to?
All it means if you have green water is that there are too many nutrients in the water. This can be caused by too many fish, overfeeding the fish, the wrong kind of fertilizer, or lots of rotting vegetation. To combat algae, simply add more plants, decrease the number of fish, feed the fish less or add a filtration system. Don't replace all the water with fresh water... this just gives the algae a fresh supply of nutrients. Adding plants takes away the nutrients the algae needs to survive. For a pond that is healthy you need to have a balance: the right number of plants, fish and scavengers and the pond will not grow excess algae.
Having said all that, EVERY SPRING your pond will go green, this is
known as an algal bloom. Don't Panic! This is completely natural, and will
not harm your plants or fish. The reason ponds go green in the spring is
that algae is a simple plant and can grow faster than the rest of your
plants. If your pond was balanced last summer, as soon as the plants start
to grow, they will out compete the algae, just be patient. This is the
time when all pondkeepers must have faith - your pond WILL become CLEAR!
See also adding chemicals, filtration
, what type of plants? and do I need
a pump?
Blanketweed
If there are actual "chunks" of algae in your pond it is probably filamentous
algae, commonly known as blanket weed. And now the bad news: the best way
to get rid of it is to pull it out. Putting a stick in and twirling it
around seems to work best, although catching it with a fish net works as
well (but you have to be careful what else you catch). Using a rake for
a large pond seems to be the preferred method. On the bright side, it makes
really, really good mulch, put it on your vegetable garden. It is full
of nutrients, and weeds are slow to grow through it. If you keep removing
it as soon as you see it, blanketweed will not become a major problem.
There is one consolation: blanketweed usually appears in ponds where the
water quality is good. Some years you will have blanketweed, other years
you won't, some ponds have it, some don't - it is very unpredictable, but
harmless. Some chemicals are available which affect only the blanketweed:
it works well the first time, but the blanketweed will come back in a short
time, and every time you treat it, the chemical is less effective and the
blanketweed comes back more quickly. If you consider that when removing
blanketweed you are "weeding" your pond - it is pleasant to be dabbling
in the water, rather than grubbing in dirt for weeds.
Can't I just kill the algae with Chemicals?
Well, yes and no ... this will kill the algae, which will sink to the
bottom, rot away, and then provide nutrients for a fresh algae bloom. This
is why the bottle will tell you to keep adding new chemical every two to
three weeks. It is much better for the plants and fish to treat the problem
naturally instead of getting into a cycle of chemicals; and remember -
algae is a plant, and anything that will kill algae, will not be good for
your plants. (Many algaecides will also kill all invertebrates, e.g. snails,
tadpoles, insects etc.) It is quite possible to kill all your plants with
an algaecide with an incorrect dose, or a particularly warm day. Algae
is also an indicator that there are too many nutrients in your pond. If
you use chemicals to kill the algae, you will have clear water, but the
water may not be healthy for your fish. There could be high levels of ammonia
for example. The algae would consume the nitrates formed from ammonia and
grow until the ammonia was used up, but if you kill the algae, the ammonia
levels can keep climbing until it kills your fish.
Do I need a pump?
Running water doesn't significantly effect algae. The gravel and plants
in a natural stream act as a biological filter, and streams usually are
not stocked heavily with fish. You need a pump if you want a waterfall
or fountain or other moving water feature. It is quite possible to have
a clean, clear pond without water running in it. However, if you heavily
stock your pond with fish, and have few plants, you will need a pump and
filter to maintain reasonable water quality. Before you get to this state,
consider what will happen to all those fish if you have a power failure.
It is much better not to stock beyond the natural capacity of your pond.
What kind of plants should I have?
Whatever you want! In general, it is recommended that you have 60%
of the pond surface covered with plants, this includes upright plants like
iris and cattail as well as plants with floating leaves like waterlilies
and true floaters like water lettuce and water hyacinth. Floating plants
and plants with floating leaves help reduce algae by shading the water,
and also using nutrients from the water for growth. Algae needs lots of
sunlight and warmth to thrive. One of the most important type of plants
in your pond for competing with algae are the oxygenating plants. These
plants look a little like seaweed and they grow underwater in your pond,
taking the nutrients from the water that the algae would use to grow. The
only real considerations when choosing plants for your pond are hardiness
and your personal preferences. Check when you buy them that they will survive
the winter in your pond, or get instructions on keeping them over the winter.
This is another reason to be sure to buy from someone that actually grows
the plants, and knows the climatic requirements for your area.
Do I need fish and how many fish can I add?
You need at least one fish to eat mosquito larvae that will otherwise
breed in your pond. The rule of thumb is a maximum of one inch of fish
for every square foot of surface area.. But remember, fish GROW (and also
can multiply!) A goldfish can grow from a one inch fish to a three inch
fish in just one summer. Also, consider that the more fish there are in
a pond, the more nutrients are added for algae to grow.
How much should I feed my fish?
If you have just a few fish , you don't have to feed your fish at all.
They will eat insects and nibble on the oxygenating plants for nourishment.
Fish can be fed to induce them to come to the surface where they can be
more easily seen and enjoyed. Feed them as much as they will completely
clean up in five minutes. Note the important word: completely, any excess
food will rot on the bottom of the pond and feed the algae. Remove any
uneaten food after five minutes. Feed less the next day.
What about filtering the water?
There are two types of filter, with two separate uses. A mechanical
filter, usually a piece of foam in some sort of box, is used to keep
particles out of the pump and thus from blocking the holes in a fountain
nozzle. A mechanical filter will also minimize algae to a certain extent
by removing any large particles of algae. A biological filter (or
bio-filter) is basically a home for beneficial bacteria. A container of
gravel, or some other substance with a large surface area, provides a home
for the bacteria which convert fish waste into plant fertilizer. The bio-filter
does not directly reduce algae, instead it accelerates the natural process
of decompostion and allows an increase in the number of fish that can be
successfully added without too many nutrients in the water causing algae
to appear.
How deep does my pond have to be?
It depends on where you are and if you need to be able to keep fish
over the winter in it. At minimum, without considering fish, your pond
should be 2 feet deep. A pond that is shallower will heat up excessively,
encouraging algae growth. We generally recommend you plan to keep your
fish in the pond over the winter, they survive better outside than inside
once they are about two years old. To keep fish over the winter in our
area (Canadian zone 5, USDA zone 4) the recommended pond depth is 2 1/2
to 3 feet deep. If possible, check with a local ponder for the recommended
depth in your area. This is the time to check your local bylaws regarding
pond depths and fences.
Where should I put my pond? How do I build it?
This is such a complex question that we've expanded this answer, and
given it a page of it's own. So, CLICKbefore
you dig!
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