3 Ways to Keep Your Pond Healthy
Having a pond in your backyard is a blessing. It brings tranquility and peace to your property, especially if you add water features. Many pond owners enjoy their outdoor ponds — but sometimes keeping it clean can be a hassle. Algae growth, unwanted pond snails, and muck can quickly take over your gorgeous pond if you are not careful. In this article, we will show you 3 easy ways to prevent an unhealthy pond environment.
- Oxygen, Oxygen, Oxygen
The most important factor in keeping a pond healthy is its oxygen level. Algae and muck thrive in a pond that has no water circulation. Pond owners typically circulate their water by adding aeration systems. Aeration is the process of adding oxygen to a substance, in the context of ponds, its adding oxygen to water. Pond fountains or aerators are popular choices for spicing up an outdoor pond. They add visual appeal, but they also have the functional purpose of aerating. If purchasing an aerating system isn’t possible for you as a pond owner, there are some alternatives. Adding some pond plants or Japanese Trapdoor Snails to your pond can aid in the quest for a healthy pond environment.
- Pond Dye
An easy way to increase the beauty of your pond fast is by adding pond dye. There are plenty of colors including bright blue, dark blue, aqua blue and black. These different colors allow you to get the pond dye color that is perfect for your situation. Even better, you can mix the colors together and get a custom shade! Pond dye isn’t just an aesthetic add though, it has pond health benefits. Overexposure to the sun can promote algae growth, and pond dye shades your water from certain UV rays that help this algae grow. Furthermore, if you have fish in your pond, certain predators will have a difficult time finding your fish after adding pond dye. Water temperature affects oxygen levels as well, the hotter the water, the less oxygen water holds. Since pond dye helps shade your water from the sun, it can help keep water temperature low, oxygen levels high, and your fish happy!
- Algae Control
If you’re just starting to tackle your unhealthy pond problem, you can start by physically removing any algae, muck or weeds with a lake rake! Going out and physically removing the unpleasant aspects of your pond before you add an aeration system or pond plants will expedite the process of having an easily maintained outdoor pond. If you’re more interested in algaecide, or a chemical remedy, there are plenty of options on the market for that. We don’t necessarily recommend this option though. While using algaecide is a quick fix to an algae problem, it doesn’t address to root cause. As you can probably guess by now, that root cause is a lack of oxygen. You can add all the algaecide you want, but if you’re not coupling it with a long term strategy of aeration, the algae will continue to return!
A healthy pond in your backyard can add beauty and value to your property. No pond owner wants their pond to be an eye sore. And luckily, it’s not that hard! There’s one true key to a successful backyard pond, and that’s oxygen. Getting an aerating system or adding pond plants, is a great step. Pond dyes and lake rakes can help combat algae build up as a supplemental step as well.
