Enhanced Maintenance
Second Natures Recomendations
Climate is a determining influence in maintenance and your local professionals can provide a wealth of information.
* The heat and sunlight produce algae.
You will reduce the pond temperature by recirculating the water from bottom of pond back into the surface- be it through a waterfall, filter, hidden return pipe, etc. Purchase enough tubing to place the pump opposite the waterfall, run the length and depth of the pond; buy the correct size pump so the whole pond is recirculated in about an hour.
If your pond has 1,000 gallons, buy at least a 1,000 GPH pump. You will need more for robust water movement- ie, an elevated outlet will require more GPH power.
Reduce the sun exposure by shading the surface with broad-leafed plants in the pond and upright trees or shading plants in the outer landscape. There's much discussion about placing a pond near or under trees. Pick your battle: net the pond in the autumn or buy more filtration equipment and plants. Just avoid trees that drop "stuff" all year long!
Ideally, a pond does well with 6 hours of direct sun daily to produce flowering plants. The air and water temperatures also influences bloom production and green growth.
* The obvious way of reducing the growth of string algae is to clean it off pond surfaces (prev page). Also try barley straw bales, barley in netted bags or the liquid concentrate. (Don't throw loose, unprocessed barley in an ornamental pond- use packaged prepared products)
* Pre-filter your recirculating pump. Some pumps come with small filters attatched to them already (see prev page for cleaning). Clean this every few days to clear the water & keep it clean.
Remember that ANY filter acts like a vacuum cleaner bag- needs to be emptied!
If there is no filter on the pump, place pump in large bucket/container and put filter material around it. When the water is drawn in, algae is trapped there. To clean, turn off the pump, pull out and away from the pond and rinse this material with a strong hose sprayer.
* Buy a pump cage or retail pre-filter that attatches to the pump. These tube/tub filters are perfect for small to medium ponds, but must be cleaned regularly.
* If you have several medium to large fish or Koi, invest in a good bio/mechanical filter. You can purchase a system that stands alone or is configured as part of the waterfall. The most effective ones combine biofiltration media and some removable (brushes or pads) mechanical filtration. Many bead filters provide both. We don't use the UV combination-type as the UV in these units are not as effective as those that stand alone (see below).
* If the pond is large and deep, install a bottom intake pump/drain device to pull debris from the pond floor (requires 2" line and pump intake); this set up is used with a large external mechanical or biofilter. If you try to install after the pond is established, this takes some expertise - get good advice or a pro to do it properly.
* Purchase a Shop-Vac, Wet-Vac or "pond vacuum" sold at retail watergarden/home centers. Follow the manufacturer's instructions. Use this to clean debris from the pond when emptied, or to spot clean during the season.
* For sunny ponds, we highly recommend using UV Sterilizers. Buy stelilizer and pump specified to run it- flow rate is critical for effectiveness. Emperor Aquatics is our choice and there is a full explaination of UV process on their web site: www.emperoraquatics.com .
It is best to start with a clean pond after installing a UV, but if you don't, your water should clear in about 10 days. Give it time to work. The UV light wattage and bulb quality will determine effectiveness. Read the product installation info- they need to be leveled and pumped properly to work.
We generally advise a UV sterilizer for algae control. You may use in tandem with a biofilter for large fish-populated ponds- UV will also destroy many unhealthy bacteria in the water.
* Although we don't use gravel in the pond, gravel has it's place in filters. If you purchase gravel for a filter, accumulated bottom sludge can build up to unhealthy levels when the temperatures rise. Good biofilters are equipped with bottom drains that empty or back-wash easily. Screen these outlets if gravel is in your filter for easy cleaning.
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