How do you clean a pond

[oskar]

....wheres theres fish?

The winter didnt kill all our fish, nor did the local Heron. Our pond now looks like an amazing aquarium with loads of fish. Clear water for the first time in a year! However, everythings covered in green sludge and the plants need replaced or thinned out.

We might just call in the professionals but wondered how it's done without harming the fish?

many thanks.

 

[Igorian]

If the green sludge is blanket weed, use something like a bamboo stick and roll it up like candy floss.

I use a pond vacuum to periodically suck up all the sludge from the bottom.

 

[oskar]

its not blanket weed, its like a layer of algae 'dust'....I dont even know if this is harmful to the plants and fish it just looks awful...... but thanks for the tip, thats useful.

We dont have any pond companies in our area so looks like its going to be a DIY job. Where did you get your vacumn and how much do they cost approx??

thanks again,

 

[Igorian]

I got it from an aquatic centre. Cost about £160 at the time.

Is it floating or sinking? If it's heavy, you could try and disturb it so that the pump and filter take care of it. If it floats, use a fine net and scoop it.

 

[LastMagicBean]

Not enough info really.

What filtration system have you got for example. If any?????

The reason I ask that, is that cleaning the waste from the bottom of the pond with crap shop bought cleaners stir the waste to the extent of poisoning the fish, if the filter can't filter it within a reasonable time.
It's full of toxins.
Don't waste your money just yet.

Need more info.
It all depends on your setup.

 

[Jasonb]

If it is just a "dust" of dead algae then just syphon it off with a hosepipe. Do a bit at a time so you are not changing masses of water in one go. If you don't have a water purifier on your top up water then add a conditioner to the new to neutralise the chlorine etc.

J

 

[oskar]

Thanks for the replies....

a lot of our little fish our carking it........I dont know why but the gold fish are still happy. Reckon I've scooped out a dozen since I made this thread!

We have a filter pump, though the pumps not sitting at the bottom of the pond at the minute but I think the crap at the bottom would just block the thing. Our filter is a green genie? it probably needs cleaned too/new bulb but thats my hubbys domain.

not much more info to offer I'm afraid, the pond came with the house and we have no experience on this topic!

your advice is always welcome.

 

[oskar]

If it is just a "dust" of dead algae then just syphon it off with a hosepipe. Do a bit at a time so you are not changing masses of water in one go. If you don't have a water purifier on your top up water then add a conditioner to the new to neutralise the chlorine etc.

J

Hmm... I wouldnt know how to do that, and where we live there are no drains, so nowhere to get rid of the water (tis alll fields). Our water is from a natural supply (a loch) I wouldnt need to add stuff to it, would I?

 

[Jasonb]

The UV tube in your filter causes the green algea cells to flocolate(stick together) and they then sink to the bottom of the pond hence your film of dirt.

You don't need drains to syphon just a lower point than the pond, sitck one end of a hose into the pond, suck on the other then when the tube is full hold it below water level and the water will naturally flow, if you do it right you won't get a mouth full.

J

 

[oskar]

and where does all the green crap go???

Besides, our ponds enormous, I'd probably combust from sucking on a hose. LMAO!

 

[oskar]

J - Have just looked at your photos from the other chappys pond post and your pond is amazing and very beautiful, but the fish!!! They are massive!!!! My god...... how the hell do you look after those?? sheesh!
Jaw dropped to the floor when I saw them...

 

[LastMagicBean]

"suck the scum from the top of the pond with a hosepipe" ??????

I've heard it all now

Oskar.......... Don't do that !

If it's just the scum on the top of the water that you're concerned with and not overall water quality, then buy a skimmer attachment for your existing pump.

Save the hosepipe for 'hosing things'

 

[Jasonb]

Don't quote what I did not say.

The OP says the pond water is clear but there is a layer of "dust" this is the usual mulm that builds up in THE BOTTOM of a pond. No one except you has mentioned a scum layer on the surface.

J

 

[LastMagicBean]

Don't quote what I did not say. .

I put that in quotation marks, and NOT a direct quote (via quote box), for a reason. YOU DIDN'T SAY IT, and I didn't want my post to sound personal
Ok, so you didn't see the funny side.


However you did say the following, and advocated the sucking on a hosepipe. It matters not a jot whether the 'dust'/scum is on the surface or at the bottom when sucking on a 15mm hosepipe full of toxins..

If it is just a "dust" of dead algae then just syphon it off with a hosepipe.

You didn't even bother to ask the size of the pond, before advising such lunacy.

And lets be fair here.............. It IS lunacy.

 

[Jasonb]

Well we all should know a syphon wont work on the surface due to sucking in air.

The syphon method is commonly used on aquaria often incorporating a gravel cleaner and is a cheap and easy way to remove debris from the bottom of the average garden pond. Unlike many of the cheaper pond vacs it does not return any water to the pond so removing any toxic or anairobic matter and I have used it in the past with both 15mm garden hose and larger bore hose.

I also use this method to vacuum the bottom of my quarantine tank on a daily basis when in use as it does not have a bottom drain and the filter will not draw over the whole surface.

Now if there was a scum on the surface this could be signs of a high DOC level and that would affect the water quality whats your advice on solving that or are you just here to troll.

J